At A Glance

23 May 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
23 May 1968 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Young Girl” by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.
Top Film of 1968
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Star sign
The star sign for 23 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 23 May 1968 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 23 May 1968 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 23 May

  • 1946 The start of a two-day tornado outbreak across the Central United States that spawned at least 15 significant tornadoes.
  • 1949 Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 1951 Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement with China.
  • 1971 The Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest opens, becoming the second-tallest building in the city.
  • 1980 The Shining, the psychological horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick, is premiered on 10 screens in New York City and Los Angeles on the Memorial Day weekend.

Famous people born on 23 May

  • Alexandra Eala, Filipino tennis player (born 2005)
  • Aaron Donald, American football player (born 1991)
  • Richard Ayoade, British actor, director and writer (born 1977)
  • Brennan Johnson, Welsh footballer (born 2001)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1968 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1968 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 5 January – Gardeners' World debuts on BBC1 television, featuring Percy Thrower.
  • 1 March – First performance of an Andrew Lloyd Webber–Tim Rice musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in its original form as a "pop cantata", by pupils of Colet Court preparatory school in Hammersmith.
  • 12 March – The island of Mauritius achieves independence from the UK.

Life in 1968

Prime Minister

Harold Wilson

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

15p

Loaf of Bread

9p

Average House

£4,640

Weekly Wage

£23.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

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

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 →