At A Glance

31 December 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
31 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 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1968 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1968 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1956 The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest.
  • 1961 RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service.
  • 1963 The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
  • 1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
  • 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

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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