At A Glance

17 May 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
17 May 1968 was a Friday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro.
Top Film of 1968
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Bestselling Novel of 1968
“Airport” by Arthur Hailey was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1968.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1968–69 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 May 1968 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 May 1968 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 17 May

  • 1959 In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – is signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to eliminate large foreign-owned estates and redistribute land to over 100,000 peasants.
  • 1967 Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.
  • 1969 Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.
  • 1973 Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate.
  • 1977 Nolan Bushnell opens the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre (later renamed Chuck E. Cheese) in San Jose, California.

Famous people born on May 17

  • Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1973)
  • Bill Paxton, American actor and director (1955–2017)
  • Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (1936–2010)
  • Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (1956–2022)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1968 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1968 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 30 – The Viet Cong of North Vietnam launch the Tet Offensive against South Vietnam, the United States and their allies.
  • February 11 – Madison Square Garden in New York City opens.
  • April 2 – The film 2001: A Space Odyssey premieres in Washington, D.C.
More events of 1968 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1968

President

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gas (per gallon)

$0.34

Loaf of Bread

$0.23

Average House

$16,700

Weekly Wage

$122

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Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Jeff Bezos12 January 1964Business magnateView their day →Sandra Bullock26 July 1964Actress & film producerView their day →Matthew McConaughey4 November 1969ActorView their day →Cindy Crawford20 February 1966ModelView their day →Tom Cruise3 July 1962Actor & film producerView their day →Nicole Kidman20 June 1967Actress & producerView their day →Woody Harrelson23 July 1961ActorView their day →Kyle Chandler17 September 1965ActorView their day →

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

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