1960 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s – 1960s – 1970s 1980s 1990s
Years:	1957 1958 1959 – 1960 – 1961 1962 1963

1960 was a special year because it was a leap year starting on Friday in the Gregorian calendar. It was also the first year of the 1960s. Many important things happened around the world during this time!

Major Events of 1960
Famous People Born in 1960
Notable People Who Died in 1960
Popular Movies of 1960
Hit Songs of 1960
New Books of 1960
Images for kids
See also

Major Events of 1960

This year was full of big changes and exciting moments across the globe.

Countries Gaining Independence

Many countries in Africa became independent from colonial rule in 1960. This was a huge step for these nations!

January 1 – Cameroon became an independent country.
April 4 – Senegal gained its independence.
April 27 – Togo became independent.
June 26 – Somaliland (a British protectorate) became independent.
June 26 – Madagascar also became an independent nation.
June 30 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo became independent.
July 1 – Somalia gained independence.
July 1 – Ghana changed its government to become a Republic.
August 1 – Benin became independent.
August 3 – Niger gained independence.
August 5 – Upper Volta (now called Burkina Faso) became independent.
August 11 – Chad gained independence.
August 13 – The Central African Republic became independent.
August 15 – The Republic of the Congo became independent.
August 17 – Gabon gained independence.
October 1 – Nigeria became independent.
October 24 – Zambia gained independence.
November 28 – Mauritania became independent.

Important Discoveries and Milestones

Scientists and explorers made big strides in 1960.

January 9 – Construction began on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. This huge dam helps control the Nile River.
January 23 – Explorers Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh set a new depth record. They went down 35,820 feet (about 10,750 meters) into the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. This is the deepest part of the ocean!
February 13 – France tested its first atomic bomb. This was a major event in the history of nuclear power.
May 1 – A Lockheed U-2 spy plane, flown by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over the Soviet Union. This caused a big international problem between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Francis Gary Powers wearing a special suit for high-altitude flying.

Civil Rights and Social Change

People around the world were working for fairness and equality.

February 1 – In Greensboro, North Carolina, four black students started a sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter. They were refused service because of segregation, which meant black and white people were kept separate. This peaceful protest inspired many others across the Southern United States. Six months later, the original four students were finally served at the same counter.

A section of the lunch counter from the Greensboro sit-ins, now in the Smithsonian Institution.

March 21 – The Sharpeville massacre happened in South Africa. This was a sad event where police shot at peaceful protesters who were against unfair laws.
May 11 – Adolf Eichmann, a former Nazi politician who was involved in terrible crimes during World War II, was captured in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Mossad (Israel's intelligence agency).