The 60s

Date Events Hit records Movies
1960
  • The laser is invented
  • The last men enter National Service
  • Why (Anthony Newley)
  • My Ole Man's a Dustman (Lonnie Donegan)
  • Cathy's Clown (Everly Brothers)
  • Apache (Shadows)
  • It's Now or Never (Elvis Presley)
  • Psycho
  • Spartacus
  • Two Way Stretch
  • Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
1961
  • Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space
  • Betting shops made legal in the UK
  • Are you Lonesome Tonight? (Elvis Presley)
  • Wooden Heart (Elvis Presley)
  • Surrender (Elvis Presley)
  • Little Sister/His Latest Flame (Elvis Presley)
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • The Magnificent Seven
  • The Rebel
1962
  • The Sunday Times Magazine published for the first time
  • The last trolley bus run in London
  • Telstar communications satellite is launched
  • The Young Ones (Cliff Richard and the Shadows)
  • Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)
  • Wonderful Land (Shadows)
  • Good Luck Charm (Elvis Presley)
  • I Remember You (Frank Ifield)
  • Telstar (Tornados)
  • Lovesick Blues (Frank Ifield)
  • Doctor No
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • The Young Ones
1963
  • John Profumo resigns
  • Alec Douglas Home becomes Prime Minister
  • President Kennedy is shot dead in Texas
  • From Me to You (Beatles)
  • I Like It (Gerry and the Pacemakers)
  • She Loves You (Beatles)
  • You'll Never Walk Alone (Gerry and the Pacemakers)
  • I Want to Hold Your Hand (Beatles)
  • Cleopatra
  • Dr Strangelove
  • The Great Escape
  • This Sporting Life
  • From Russia With Love
1964
  • BBC2 goes on air
  • Beeching Plan to close railways announced
  • Harold Wilson is elected Prime Minister
  • Parliament votes to abolish the death penalty for murder
  • You're My World (Cilla Black)
  • I Feel Fine (Beatles)
  • A Fistful of Dollars
  • My Fair Lady
  • Mary Poppins
  • Carry On Spying
  • A Hard Day's Night
  • A Shot in the Dark
1965
  • Winston Churchill dies
  • Cigarette advertising banned from UK television
  • The Last Time (Rolling Stones)
  • Ticket to Ride (Beatles)
  • Long Live Love (Sandie Shaw)
  • Help (Beatles)
  • Tears (Ken Dodd)
  • Get Off My Cloud (Rolling Stones)
  • The Carnival is Over (Seekers)
  • Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out (Beatles)
  • Dr Who and the Daleks
  • Dr Zhivago
  • The Sound of Music
  • The Ipcress File
  • The Knack
  • The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
  • Thunderball
1966
  • The State Opening of Parliament is shown on television for the first time
  • Barclaycard introduced
  • These Boots are Made for Walking (Nancy Sinatra)
  • The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More (Walker Brothers)
  • Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)
  • Distant Drums (Jim Reeves)
  • Green, Green Grass of Home (Tom Jones)
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • A Man for All Seasons
  • Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
  • Alfie
  • Georgy Girl
  • To Sir, With Love
1967
  • North Sea oil is pumped ashore for the first time
  • Parliament legalises abortion
  • I'm a Believer (Monkeys)
  • Release Me (Engelbert Humperdinck)
  • A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum)
  • The Last Waltz (Engelbert Humperdinck)
  • Massachusetts (Bee Gees)
  • Hello Goodbye (Beatles)
  • Bonnie and Clyde
  • The Graduate
  • In the Heat of the Night
  • Accident
  • Blow Up
  • You Only Live Twice
  • Robbery
  • Far from the Madding Crowd
1968
  • "I'm Backing Britain" campaign is started
  • The QE2 is launched
  • A two-tier postal service introduced. Stamps cost 4d and 5d
  • What a Wonderful World/Cabaret (Louis Armstrong)
  • Young Girl (Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett)
  • Those Were the Days (Mary Hopkin)
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Hugo Montenegro and his Orchestra)
  • Barbarella
  • Oliver!
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • The Charge of the Light Brigade
  • Witchfinder General
  • If....
1969
  • Man lands on the moon
  • British troops sent to Northern Ireland
  • Where Do You Go to My Lovely (Peter Sarstedt)
  • Get Back (Beatles with Billy Preston)
  • Honky Tonk Women (Rolling Stones)
  • Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
  • Two Little Boys (Rolf Harris)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  • Easy Rider
  • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
  • Kes