Events in 1962

WORLD EVENTS

France transfers sovereignty to new republic of Algeria (July 3).

Cuban Missile Crisis: USSR to build missile bases in Cuba; Kennedy orders Cuban blockade, lifts blockade after Russia backs down (Aug.-Nov.).

Pope John XXIII opens Second Vatican Council (Oct. 11).

Cuba releases 1,113 prisoners of 1961 invasion attempt (Dec. 24).

Burundi, Jamaica, Western Samoa, Uganda, and Trinidad and Tobago become independent.

U.S. EVENTS

James H. Meredith, escorted by federal marshals, registers at University of Mississippi (Oct. 1).

Pat Brown defeats Richard Nixon in the California gubernatorial race.

WalMart opens it's first store.

ECONOMICS

US GDP (1998 dollars): $585.2 billion
Federal spending: $106.82 billion
Federal debt: $302.9 billion
Consumer Price Index: 30.2
Unemployment: 6.7%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.04
Cost of a gallon of gasoline: $0.36

SPORTS

World Series NY Yankees d. San Francisco Giants (4-3)
NBA Championship Boston d. LA Lakers (4-3)
Stanley Cup Toronto d. Chicago (4-2)
Wimbledon Women: Karen Susman d. V. Sukova (6-4 6-4) Men: Rod Laver d. M. Mulligan (6-2 6-2 6-1)
Kentucky Derby Champion Decidedly
NCAA Basketball Championship Cincinnati d. Ohio St. (71-59)
NCAA Football Champions USC (11-0-0)
World Cup Brazil d. Czechoslovakia (3-1)

ENTERTAINMENT

Marilyn Monroe dies of a drug overdose at age 36.

The first transatlantic television transmission occurs via the Telstar Satellite, making worldwide television and cable networks a reality.

Government regulations force studios out of the talent agency business.

Johnny Carson takes over hosting duties of The Tonight Show.

Movies

Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Manchurian Candidate, Divorce-Italian Style

Books

James Baldwin, Another Country
Jorge Luis Borges, Labyrinths, Ficciones
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Robert Frost, In the Clearing
Günter Grass, The Tin Drum
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo' Nest
Sylvia Plath, The Colossus and Other Poems
Anne Sexton, All My Pretty Ones
William Stafford, Traveling through the Dark
Richard Yates, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness

SCIENCE

Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., is first American to orbit Earth — three times in 4 hours 55 minutes (Feb. 20). Background: US Staffed Space Flights

Mariner II, the first interplanetary probe, reaches Venus. Background: US Unstaffed Planetary and Lunar Programs

Unimation introduces the first industrial robot.

The commercially sponsored Telstar communications satellite is launched.

DEATHS

Niels Bohr

William Faulkner

Ernie Kovacs

Eleanor Roosevelt

Here is a link to a very good presentation of the 60's you might like

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