At A Glance

16 October 1962 at a glance

Day of the week
16 October 1962 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Telstar” by The Tornados.
Top Film of 1962
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1962 was Lawrence of Arabia.
Star sign
The star sign for 16 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 16 October 1962 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 16 October 1962 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 16 October

  • 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis begins: U.S. President John F. Kennedy is informed of photos taken on October 14 by a U-2 showing nuclear missiles (the crisis will last for 13 days starting from this point).
  • 1964 China detonates its first nuclear weapon.
  • 1964 Leonid Brezhnev becomes leader of the Soviet Communist Party, while Alexei Kosygin becomes the head of government.
  • 1968 Tommie Smith and John Carlos are ejected from the US Olympic team for participating in the Olympics Black Power salute.
  • 1968 Yasunari Kawabata becomes the first Japanese person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Famous people born on 16 October

  • Tim Robbins, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1958)
  • Naomi Osaka, Japanese tennis player (born 1997)
  • Angela Lansbury, English-American actress, singer, and producer (1925–2022)
  • Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, novelist, and poet (1854–1900)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1962 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1962 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 2 January – BBC Television broadcasts the first episode of Z-Cars, noted as a realistic portrayal of the police force.
  • 14 June – BBC Television broadcasts the first episode of the sitcom Steptoe and Son, written by Galton and Simpson.
  • 12 July – The Rolling Stones make their debut at London's Marquee Club, Number 165 Oxford Street, opening for Long John Baldry.
More events of 1962 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1962

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

12p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,670

Weekly Wage

£15.60

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Guy Ritchie10 September 1968FilmmakerView their day →Diana, Princess of Wales1 July 1961Member of the British royal familyView their day →Nigella Lawson6 January 1960Food writer & television cookView their day →Jason Statham26 July 1967ActorView their day →Catherine Zeta-Jones25 September 1969ActressView their day →Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer20 May 1964Peer & authorView their day →Kenneth Branagh10 December 1960Actor & filmmakerView their day →George Michael25 June 1963SingerView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →