At A Glance
18 August 1960 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 18 August 1960 was a Thursday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “It's Now or Never” by Elvis Presley.
- Top Film of 1960
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1960 was Swiss Family Robinson.
- Bestselling Novel of 1960
- “Advise and Consent” by Allen Drury was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1960.
- Top-Rated TV Show
- “Gunsmoke” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1960–61 season.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1960 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 18 August 1960 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 18 August
- 1958 Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.
- 1958 Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition as the first Bengali and the first Asian to do so, placing first among the 39 competitors.
- 1963 Civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
- 1965 Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.
- 1966 Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phước Tuy Province.
Famous people born on August 18
- Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
- Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
- Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
- Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1960 in the United States
A selection from Wikipedia's '1960 in the United States'. Not a complete list.
- February 9 – Joanne Woodward receives the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- February 29 – The first Playboy Club opens in Chicago.
- May 16 – Theodore Maiman operates the first laser.
Life in the US in 1960
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Gas (per gallon)
$0.31
Loaf of Bread
$0.20
Average House
$11,900
Weekly Wage
$86
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 →
