1963 Events & Facts

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2/9/2026nostalgia

1963 Events & Facts

Posted By: Babyboomers.com Staff On: 9/21/2020, 4:00:00 AM

What Happened in 1963?

President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas; Vice President Lyndon Johnson becomes President. The accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, is shot and killed a short time later.
Civil rights protests continue throughout the South, during which nonviolent activists are frequently met with beatings and arrests
200,000 people march on Washington in support of civil rights; Dr. Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech
U.S., Soviet Union and Britain sign a nuclear test ban treaty
Scandals in British Parliament leads to resignations of key officials
"Great train robbery" in Britain yields £2.5 million for thieves
Kenya gains independence
Pope John XXIII dies; Cardinal Montini elected Pope, takes name of Paul VI
Washington-Moscow "hot line" established
Congress expands its investigation of organized crime

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space
Dr. Michael DeBakey pioneers use of artificial heart for use during heart surgery
Quasars discovered
First successful liver transplant

World Series: Los Angeles over New York Yankees, 4-0
Jack Nicklaus wins his first Masters golf tournament; with over $125,000 in winnings, Arnold Palmer becomes golf’s all-time top money winner

Movies: Dr. Strangelove, The Birds, Tom Jones
Songs: Go Away Little Girl, He’s So Fine, It’s My Party, Blue Velvet, My Boyfriend’s Back, Call Me Irresponsible
TV Shows: My Favorite Martian, 77 Sunset Strip, McHale’s Navy, The Fugitive, Petticoat Junction
Books: In the Clearing, Robert Frost; The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John Le Carré; The American Way of Death, Jessica Mitford
"Pop" artists Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns gain national notoriety, as does the entire genre of Pop Art

Journalists and political commentators begin taking note of U.S. government’s "credibility gap" in foreign affairs
Audio cassettes introduced
The sedative Valium is made available