istoryworld
All Events
The Brazilian government moves to Brasilia, into public buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer
French Sudan becomes independent as the republic of Mali, with Modibo Keita as president
Madagascar becomes independent (under the name Malagasy republic from till 1975), with Philibert Tsiranana as president
The Quiet Revolution in Quebec begins with the election of Jean Lesage and the Liberals
Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail is the first of many collections of poems by US poet Charles Bukowski
The birth control pill wins FDA approval in the US and goes on sale
English poet John Betjeman publishes his long autobiographical poem Summoned by Bells
Irish author Edna O'Brien publishes her first novel, The Country Girls
Jean-Luc Godard directs his first feature film, A Bout de Souffle ('Breathless'), a classic of French New Wave cinema
Patrice Lumumba becomes prime minister of the newly independent Democratic Republic of the Congo, previously the Belgian Congo
The South West Africa People's Organization is founded to fight against South African control of Namibia
British and Italian colonies merge as the independent Somali republic, also known as Somalia, with Aden Abdullah Osman as president
Moise Tshombe, taking advantage of chaos in the Congo, declares the independence of Katanga
US author Harper Lee publishes her first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird
Anti-European riots in the Congo cause some 25,000 Belgians to flee the country
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, widow of the assassinated Solomon Bandaranaike, begins the first of three long spells as prime minister of Sri Lanka
Nelson Mandela leads a new armed section of the ANC (African National Congress), formed in response to Sharpeville
The French colony of Dahomey (known from 1975 as Benin) becomes independent but suffers six military coups in its first twelve years
Niger becomes independent, with Hamani Diori as the new nation's first president
Kenyatta, still in prison, is elected leader of KANU, a new political party in Kenya
The French colony of Upper Volta becomes independent as Burkina Faso, with Maurice Yaméogo as president
The pamphlet Control or Colour Bar? demands reform of White Australia policy
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, first president of the newly independent Ivory Coast, begins thirty-three years of relatively peaceful rule
Alfred Hitchcock directs Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins in Psycho
The English revue Beyond the Fringe has its premiere at the Edinburgh Festival
