At A Glance

24 December 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
24 December 1968 was a Tuesday.
Irish Chart Song in 1968
The Irish chart song for 1968 was “Congratulations” by Cliff Richard.
Top Film of 1968
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1968 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 December 1968 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 24 December

  • 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
  • 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
  • 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
  • 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
  • 1979 The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.

Famous people born on 24 December

  • Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
  • Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
  • Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
  • Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1968 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1968 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 8 January – Taoiseach Jack Lynch and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill met for talks in Dublin.
  • 17 March – A seat to commemorate the poet Patrick Kavanagh was unveiled beside the Grand Canal in Dublin.
  • 15 May – The King and Queen of Belgium visited Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and the National Museum. They also visited the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Frank Cluskey, at the Mansion House, and attended a state banquet at Dublin Castle in the evening.

Life in Ireland in 1968

Taoiseach

Jack Lynch

Petrol (per litre)

3s 6d/gal

Loaf of Bread

1s

Average House

£3,900

Weekly Wage

£9

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.

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

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