At A Glance

5 January 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
5 January 1968 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Hello, Goodbye” by The Beatles.
Top Film of 1968
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1968 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 January 1968 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 5 January

  • 1967 Cultural Revolution: The Shanghai People's Commune is established following the seizure of power from local city officials by revolutionaries.
  • 1968 Alexander Dubček comes to power in Czechoslovakia, effectively beginning the "Prague Spring".
  • 1969 The Venera 5 space probe is launched at 06:28:08 UTC from Baikonur.
  • 1972 US President Richard Nixon announces the Space Shuttle program.
  • 1976 The Khmer Rouge announce that the new Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea is ratified.

Famous people born on 5 January

  • Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
  • Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
  • Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
  • Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)

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.
More events of 1968 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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 →