At A Glance

2 January 1962 at a glance

Day of the week
2 January 1962 was a Tuesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens.
Top Film of 1962
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1962 was Lawrence of Arabia.
Bestselling Novel of 1962
“Ship of Fools” by Katherine Anne Porter was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1962.
Top-Rated TV Show
“The Beverly Hillbillies” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1962–63 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 January 1962 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 January 1962 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 2 January

  • 1949 Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
  • 1954 India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
  • 1959 Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
  • 1963 Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
  • 1967 Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.

Famous people born on January 2

  • Jim Bakker, American televangelist (1940–2026)
  • Kemi Badenoch, English politician (born 1980)
  • Dax Shepard, American actor (born 1975)
  • Kate Bosworth, American actress (born 1983)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1962 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1962 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 1 – The United States Navy SEALs are activated. SEAL Team One is commissioned in the Pacific Fleet and SEAL Team Two in the Atlantic Fleet.
  • March 21 – The Taco Bell fast food restaurant chain is founded by Glen Bell, in Downey, California.
  • April 9 – The 34th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Bob Hope, is held at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' West Side Story wins ten awards, including Best Motion Picture and a joint Best Director win for Wise and Robbins.
More events of 1962 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1962

President

John F. Kennedy

Gas (per gallon)

$0.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.21

Average House

$12,900

Weekly Wage

$92

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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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