At A Glance

31 December 1965 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1965 was a Friday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Over and Over” by The Dave Clark Five.
Top Film of 1965
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1965 was The Sound of Music.
Bestselling Novel of 1965
“The Source” by James A. Michener was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1965.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Bonanza” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1965–66 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1965 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1965 was First Quarter.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1956 The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest.
  • 1961 RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service.
  • 1963 The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
  • 1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
  • 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.

Famous people born on December 31

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1965 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1965 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • March 2 – The Sound of Music premieres at the Rivoli Theater in New York City.
  • April 5 – At the 37th Academy Awards, George Cukor's My Fair Lady wins 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cukor. Rex Harrison wins an Oscar for Best Actor. Robert Stevenson's Mary Poppins takes home 5 Oscars out of 13 nominations.
  • April 9 – In Houston, Texas, the Harris County Domed Stadium (more commonly known as the Astrodome) opens.

Life in the US in 1965

President

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gas (per gallon)

$0.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.21

Average House

$14,600

Weekly Wage

$105

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 →