At A Glance
17 December 1964 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 December 1964 was a Thursday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Mr. Lonely” by Bobby Vinton.
- 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 17 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1964 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 December 1964 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 17 December
- 1948 The Finnish Security Police is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.
- 1950 The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
- 1957 The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- 1960 Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
- 1969 Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.
Famous people born on December 17
- Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
- Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
- Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
- Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)
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 →
