At A Glance

17 December 1963 at a glance

Day of the week
17 December 1963 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles.
Top Film of 1963
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1963 was Cleopatra.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1963 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 December 1963 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 17 December

  • 1948 The Finnish Security Police is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.
  • 1950 The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
  • 1957 The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  • 1960 Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
  • 1969 Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.

Famous people born on 17 December

  • Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
  • Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
  • Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
  • Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1963 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1963 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 11 May – The Beatles album Please Please Me goes to the top of the UK Albums Chart.
  • 5 June – Profumo affair: John Profumo, Secretary of State for War, admits to misleading Parliament and resigns over his affair with Christine Keeler.
  • 8 August – The Great Train Robbery takes place in Buckinghamshire.
More events of 1963 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1963

Prime Minister

Alec Douglas-Home

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

12p

Loaf of Bread

8p

Average House

£2,750

Weekly Wage

£16.30

Or

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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)

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