At A Glance

12 April 1964 at a glance

Day of the week
12 April 1964 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Can't Buy Me Love” by The Beatles.
Top Film of 1964
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1964 was My Fair Lady.
Bestselling Novel of 1964
“The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” by John le Carré was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1964.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Bonanza” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1964–65 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 April 1964 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 April 1964 was New Moon.

On this day: 12 April

  • 1955 The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
  • 1961 Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first crewed orbital flight, Vostok 1.
  • 1970 Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
  • 1980 The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
  • 1980 Canadian runner and athlete Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope Run in St. John's, NF

Famous people born on April 12

  • Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress (born 1994)
  • Claire Danes, American actress (born 1979)
  • Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer (1971–2024)
  • Ed O'Neill, American actor and comedian (born 1946)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1964 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1964 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 12 – The predominantly Arab government of Zanzibar is overthrown by African nationalist rebels; a United States Navy destroyer evacuates 61 U.S. citizens.
  • January 17 – Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in the United States.
  • March 30 – Merv Griffin's game show Jeopardy! debuts on NBC; Art Fleming is its first host.

Life in the US in 1964

President

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gas (per gallon)

$0.30

Loaf of Bread

$0.21

Average House

$13,900

Weekly Wage

$100

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 →