At A Glance

20 February 1962 at a glance

Day of the week
20 February 1962 was a Tuesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler.
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 20 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 February 1962 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 February 1962 was Full Moon.

On this day: 20 February

  • 1956 The United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
  • 1959 The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
  • 1962 Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
  • 1968 The China Academy of Space Technology, China's main arm for the research, development, and creation of space satellites, is established in Beijing.
  • 1971 The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.

Famous people born on February 20

  • Justin Verlander, American baseball player (born 1983)
  • Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer (born 2003)
  • Kurt Cobain, American musician (1967–1994)
  • Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress (born 1988)

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.

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

Or

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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)

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