The year in history
1960
Someone born in 1960 turns 66 in 2026
1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1960th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 960th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1960s decade. It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. During the year, 17 colonies became independent, including 14 colonies from the French colonial empire, 2 from the British Empire, and 1 from Belgium.
What happened in 1960
Cameroon becomes independent from France.
A conference about the proposed independence of the Belgian Congo begins in Brussels, Belgium.
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meets French President Charles de Gaulle in Paris.
The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton, under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach Jr., completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth (codenamed Operation Sandblast).
The First Vatican Council, adjourned in 1870, is officially closed.
The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) becomes independent from France.
English navigator Francis Chichester wins the first Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, arriving in New York aboard Gypsy Moth III having made a record solo Atlantic crossing in 40 days.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus receives its independence from the United Kingdom.
1960 Summer Olympic Games: Muhammad Ali (at this time Cassius Clay) of the United States wins the gold medal in light-heavyweight boxing.
Nigeria becomes independent from the United Kingdom, and Nnamdi Azikiwe becomes its first native-born Governor General.
Mauritania becomes independent of France.
Antoine Gizenga proclaims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that he has taken over as the country's premier.
Famous people born in 1960
Naoki Urasawa
Japanese manga author and artist
January 2 →
Sabar Koti
Indian singer (d. 2018)
January 20 →
Joachim Löw
German football manager
February 3 →
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
British former prince and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
February 19 →
Hector Calma
Filipino basketball player
March 2 →
Norbert Pohlmann
German computer scientist
March 20 →
Hiromi Tsuru
Japanese voice actress (d. 2017)
March 29 →
Susanne Bier
Danish film director
April 15 →
Ian Rankin
Scottish crime novelist
April 28 →
John Billingsley
American actor
May 20 →
Amy Klobuchar
American politician
May 25 →
June 7 − Hirohiko Araki
Japanese manga writer
June 6 →
Per Morberg
Swedish actor, chef and news presenter
June 23 →
Vince Clarke
British musician and composer (Depeche Mode, Erasure)
July 3 →
Ariel Castro
Puerto Rican-American convicted kidnapper and rapist, previously bus driver (d. 2013)
July 10 →
Atom Egoyan
Armenian-Canadian film maker
July 19 →
August 10 − Antonio Banderas
Spanish actor and film director
August 7 →
Jonas Gahr Støre
Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway (2021–present)
August 25 →
Kevin Carter
South African photojournalist (d. 1994)
September 13 →
Ana Botín
Spanish banker
October 4 →
Karch Kiraly
American volleyball player
November 3 →
Susanne Lothar
German actress (d. 2012)
November 15 →
Eike Immel
German football player and manager
November 27 →
Fred Ramsdell
American immunologist
December 4 →