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Events of 1960
January
The Bathosphere “Trieste” reached the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
The testing of Little Joe 1B the Mercury launch escape system was successful.
The British prime minister Harold Macmillan made his Wind of Change speech after spending a month in Africa.
February
France performed it’s first nuclear test at Reggane Proving Grounds Algeria.
March
Pioneer 5 was launched to investigate the space between the orbits of the Earth and Venus. Explorer S-46 failed to reach orbit.
The Bank of England issued the new £1.00 note.
April
The U.S.A. launched “Tiros 1” the first observation weather satellite.
The first navigational satellite Transit 1B was placed into earth’s orbit.
May
president Dwight Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
The USSR Sputnik 4 was launched into earths orbit.
The “Payola” court case which was cash or gifts given for airplay of records. The scandal involved Alan Freed who paid a small fine and was released.
The first contraceptive pill Enovid was approved and made available to the American market.
The first optical laser was demonstrated by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research
laboratories in Malibu.
June
The Avro HS 748 made it’s first flight at Woodford, England.
July
The first Euro cup final The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1.
The new American 50 star flag was unfurled honouring Hawaiian statehood.
August
The first communications satellite Echo 1 was successfully put into orbit..
Discoverer 13 was launched into orbit. The return capsule was recovered the next day.
Sputnik 5 launched carrying plants, mice and two dogs called Belka and Strelka. The spacecraft returned safely the next day without any casualties.
September
“U.SS Enterprise” was launched the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
Five oil producing nations formed Opec :- Iran - Iraq - Saudi Arabia
Kuwait - Venezuela.
October
At the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Michael Woodruff performed the first successful kidney transplant.
The first active repeater satellite “Courier 1B” was launched.
The Queen launched “H.M.S Dreadnought” the first British nuclear powered submarine.
November
John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States.
Mercury-Redstone 1 launch and failed.
The weather satellite Tiros 2 was launched.
December
The first episode of Coronation Street was aired in the U.K.
The successful launch of the Mercury-Redstone 1A.
Movies of 1960
H.G. Wells THE TIME MACHINE.
SPARTACUS starred Kirk Douglas.
THE ALAMO with John Wayne and Richard Widmark
Hammer Horror film THE BRIDES OF DRACULA with Peter Cushing.
BUTTERFIELD 8 with Elizabeth Taylor & Laurence Harvey.
EXODUS Directed by Otto Preminger.
Elvis Presley in FLAMING STAR.
G.I. BLUES Elvis Presley.
KIDNAPPED The Walt Disney adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson book.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Directed by John Sturges.
The Alfred Hitchcock film PSYCHO.
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING Starred Albert Finney.
The science fiction film the VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED.
To Hot To Handle starred Jayne Mansfield
1960 was a year many countries became independent and among them were.
· Chad - Cyprus - Gabon - Togo
· Ivory Coast - Mauritania - Cameroon
Wilson Greatbatch created his implantable cardiac heart pacemaker.
Sixties Events 1960
Essential Artists
