1962

1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1962nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 962nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 62nd year of the 20th century, and the 3rd year of the 1960s decade.

The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.

Events

January

January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
January 3 – The office of Pope John XXIII announces the excommunication of Fidel Castro for preaching communism and interfering with Catholic churches in Cuba.
January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the worst Dutch rail disaster.
January 9 – Cuba and the Soviet Union sign a trade pact.
January 12 – The Indonesian Army confirms that it has begun operations in West Irian.
January 13 – Albania allies itself with the People's Republic of China.
January 15
- Portugal abandons the United Nations General Assembly due to the debate over Angola.
- French designer Yves Saint Laurent launches his own fashion house.
January 16 – A military coup occurs in the Dominican Republic.
January 19 – A counter-coup occurs in the Dominican Republic; the old government returns, except for the new president Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly.
January 22 – The Organization of American States suspends Cuba's membership; the suspension is lifted in 2009 (47 years later).
January 24 – The Organisation armée secrète (OAS, a right-wing paramilitary organisation opposed to Algerian independence) bombs the French Foreign Ministry.
January 26 – U.S. spacecraft Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon; it later misses the Moon by 22,000 mi (35,000 km).
January 27 – The Soviet government changes all place names honoring Molotov, Kaganovich and Georgy Malenkov.
January 30 – Two of the high-wire "Flying Wallendas" are killed when their famous seven-person pyramid collapses during a performance in Detroit.

February

February 3 – A United States embargo against Cuba is announced.
February 4 – First successful winter ascent of the Matterhorn's north face, by Hilti von Allmen and Paul Etter, is completed.
February 4–5 – During a new moon and solar eclipse, an extremely rare grand conjunction of the classical planets occurs (it includes all five of the naked-eye planets plus the Sun and Moon), all of them within 16° of one another on the ecliptic. The total solar eclipse of February 5, 1962 is visible in Asia, Australia and the Pacific Ocean, and is the 49th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 130.
February 5 – President of France Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria to be granted independence.
February 7
- The United States embargo against Cuba comes into effect, prohibiting all U.S.-related Cuban imports and exports.
- Luisenthal Mine Disaster: A coal mine explosion in Saarland, West Germany kills 299.
February 10 – Captured American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, in Berlin.
February 11 – The inaugural 24 Hours of Daytona sports car endurance race is run as a 3-hour event, at Daytona Beach, Florida.
February 12 – Six members of the Committee of 100 of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the U.K. are found guilty of a breach of the Official Secrets Act.
February 14 – First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes television viewers on a tour of the White House.
February 15 – Urho Kekkonen is re-elected president of Finland.
February 17 – Heavy storms and high tides result in the North Sea flood of 1962 on Germany's North Sea coast, mainly around Hamburg; more than 300 people die and thousands lose their homes.
February 18 – 1962 NHRA Winternationals: Carol Cox becomes the first woman allowed to race at a National Hot Rod Association national event in the United States; she wins in the Super Stock class.
February 20 – Project Mercury: Aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes.
February 21 – Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev first dance together in a Royal Ballet performance of Giselle, in London.

March

March–May – Yi–Ta incident: At least 60,000 Chinese citizens migrate from the People's Republic of China to the Soviet Union, predominantly (but not exclusively) ethnic Kazakhs.
March 1 – In the United States:
- American Airlines Flight 1 (a Boeing 707) crashes on takeoff at New York International Airport, after a rudder malfunction causes an uncontrolled roll, resulting in the loss of control of the aircraft, with the loss of all 95 on board.
- Hulk, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is introduced by Marvel Comics with the publication of The Incredible Hulk #1 as the first issue of the comic book, with cover date of May 1962.
- The S. S. Kresge Company opens its first Kmart discount store in Garden City, Michigan.
March 2 – A military coup in Burma brings General Ne Win to power.
March 7 – Ash Wednesday Storm: A snow storm batters the Mid-Atlantic.
March 8–12 – In Geneva, France and the Algerian FLN begin negotiations.
March 15 – Katangan Prime Minister Moise Tshombe begins negotiations to rejoin the Congo.
March 16 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation chartered by the United States Military Air Transport Service, and carrying mainly United States Army personnel bound for South Vietnam, vanishes over the western Pacific Ocean, with the loss of all 107 on board (no wreckage or bodies are ever found).
March 18
- Évian Accords: France and Algeria sign an agreement in Évian-les-Bains, ending the Algerian War.
- "Un premier amour", sung by Isabelle Aubret (music by Claude-Henri Vic, lyrics by Roland Stephane Valade), wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1962 (staged in Luxembourg) for France.
March 19 – An armistice begins in Algeria; however, the OAS continues its terrorist attacks against Algerians.
March 23 – The Scandinavian States of the Nordic Council sign the Helsinki Convention on Nordic Co-operation.
March 24 – OAS leader Edmond Jouhaud is arrested in Oran.
March 26 – France shortens the term for military service from 26 months to 18.

April

April 3 – Jawaharlal Nehru is elected de facto Prime Minister of India, for the fourth time.
April 6 – Belgium reestablishes diplomatic relations with the Congo.
April 7 – Milovan Đilas, author and former vice-president of Yugoslavia is re-arrested.
April 8 – In France, the Évian Accords are adopted in a referendum, with a majority of 90%.
April 9 – The 34th Academy Awards Ceremony is held in the United States; West Side Story wins Best Picture.
April 13 – OAS leader Edmond Jouhaud is sentenced to death in France.
April 14 – A Cuban military tribunal convicts 1,179 Bay of Pigs attackers.
April 18 – The Commonwealth Immigrants Act in the United Kingdom removes free immigration from the citizens of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, requiring proof of employment in the U.K. This comes into effect on 1 July.
April 20 – OAS leader Raoul Salan is arrested in Algiers.
April 21 – The Century 21 Exposition World's Fair opens in Seattle, United States. This is also the Opening Day of the Seattle Space Needle.
April 26 – The U.S. Ranger 4 spacecraft crashes into the far side of the Moon without returning any scientific data.

May

May 1
- Norwich City F.C. wins the English Football League Cup, beating Rochdale in the final.
- Dayton Hudson Corporation opens the first of its Target discount stores, in Roseville, Minnesota.
May 2
- An OAS bomb explodes in Algeria; this and other attacks kill 110 and injure 147.
- S.L. Benfica beats Real Madrid 5–3 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam to win the 1961–62 European Cup in association football.
May 3 – Mikawashima train crash: 160 die in a triple-train disaster near Tokyo.
May 5 – Twelve East Germans escape to the West via a tunnel under the Berlin Wall.
May 6
- Antonio Segni is elected President of the Italian Republic.
- A test of a W47 warhead fired from a Polaris missile – the only time a nuclear missile has been test fired with its warhead detonated – occurs near Palmyra Atoll south of Hawaii.
May 14
- Juan Carlos of Spain marries the Greek Princess Sophia in Athens.
- Milovan Đilas is given a further sentence in Yugoslavia, for publishing Conversations with Stalin.
May 22 – Continental Airlines Flight 11 crashes near Unionville, Missouri, after the in-flight detonation of a bomb near the rear lavatory in a suicide bombing committed as insurance fraud; all 45 passengers and crew aboard are killed.
May 23
- Drilling for the new Montreal Subway commences.
- Raoul Salan, founder of the French terrorist Organisation armée secrète, is sentenced to life imprisonment in France.
- Ruben Jaramillo, Mexican peasant leader, and his wife and children, are gunned down by the Mexican army and federal police in Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico.
May 24 – Project Mercury: Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth 3 times, in the U.S. Aurora 7 space capsule.
May 25 – The new Coventry Cathedral is consecrated in England. On 30 May, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem is premiered here.
May 29 – Negotiations between the OAS and the FLA lead to a real armistice in Algeria.
May 30 – The 1962 FIFA World Cup begins in Chile.
May 31 – The British West Indies Federation is officially wound up (under terms of the U.K. West Indies Act of 18 April) due to internal dissention.

June

June – Rachel Carson's Silent Spring begins serialization in The New Yorker; it is released as a book on September 27 in the U.S., giving rise to the modern environmentalist movement.
June 3 – Air France Flight 007 (a Boeing 707) crashes on take-off at Orly Airport in Paris; 130 of 132 people on board are killed, 2 flight attendants survive. Most victims are cultural and civic leaders of Atlanta.
June 5 – Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is introduced by Marvel Comics with the publication of Amazing Fantasy #15 with a cover date of August.
June 11 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives the commencement address at Yale University.
June 12 – Alcatraz escape attempt: Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin escape from the Alcatraz Island prison in the United States; it is never confirmed that they make it ashore.
June 15 – Students for a Democratic Society in the United States complete the Port Huron Statement.
June 17
- The OAS signs a truce with the FLN in Algeria, but a day later announces that it will continue the fight on behalf of French Algerians.
- Brazil beats Czechoslovakia 3–1, to win the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
June 22 – Air France Flight 117 (a Boeing 707 jet) crashes into terrain during bad weather in Guadeloupe in the West Indies, killing all 113 on board, the airline's second fatal accident in just 3 weeks, and the third fatal 707 crash of the year.
June 25
- Engel v. Vitale: The United States Supreme Court rules that mandatory prayers in public schools are unconstitutional.
- MANual Enterprises v. Day: The United States Supreme Court rules that photographs of nude men are not obscene, decriminalizing nude male pornographic magazines.
- İsmet İnönü of the CHP forms the new government of Turkey (27th government, coalition partners; YTP and CKMP).
June 26 – A 2-day steel strike begins in Italy in support of increased wages and a five-day working week.
June 30 – The last soldiers of the French Foreign Legion leave Algeria.

July

July 1
- Rwanda and Burundi gain full independence from Belgium.
- 1962 Algerian independence referendum in French Algeria: Supporters of Algerian independence win a 99% majority in a referendum.
- A heavy smog develops over London.
- The Helsinki Convention on Nordic Co-operation of March 23 comes into force in the Nordic countries.
July 2
- Charles de Gaulle accepts Algerian independence; the French government recognizes it the next day.
- The first Walmart retail store, at this time known as Wal-Mart, is opened for business by brothers Sam and James "Bud" Walton in Rogers, Arkansas.
July 5 – Algeria becomes independent from France.
July 6 – Gay Byrne presents the first edition of The Late Late Show on RTÉ in the Republic of Ireland. Byrne goes on to present the show for 37 years, the longest period through which any individual hosts a televised talk show anywhere in the world, and the show itself becomes the world's second longest-running talk show.
July 9 – American artist Andy Warhol premieres his Campbell's Soup Cans exhibit in Los Angeles.
July 10 – AT&T's Telstar, the world's first commercial communications satellite, is launched into orbit and activated the next day.
July 12 – The Rolling Stones make their debut at London's Marquee Club, opening for Long John Baldry.
July 13 – In what the press dubs the "Night of the Long Knives", United Kingdom Prime Minister Harold Macmillan dismisses one-third of his Cabinet.
July 14 – Norma Nolan of Argentina is crowned Miss Universe 1962.
July 17 – Nuclear testing: The "Small Boy" test shot Little Feller I becomes the last atmospheric test detonation, at the Nevada Test Site.
July 19 – The first annual Swiss & Wielder Hoop and Stick Tournament is held.
July 20 – France and Tunisia reestablish diplomatic relations.
July 22 – Mariner program: The U.S. Mariner 1 spacecraft flies erratically several minutes after launch and has to be destroyed.
July 23 – Telstar relays the first live trans-Atlantic television signal.
July 25
- The first attack helicopter company, Utility Tactical Transport Helicopter Company, of the United States Army is formed on Okinawa Island, Japan.
- The International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos is signed in Geneva.
July 30 – Trans-Canada Highway officially opens throughout the 4,645-mile (7,475 km) between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Victoria, British Columbia, by completion of the Rogers Pass section, making it at this time the world's longest uninterrupted highway.
July 31
- Algeria proclaims independence; Ahmed Ben Bella is the first President.
- A crowd assaults a rally of Sir Oswald Mosley's right-wing Union Movement in London.
- Solar eclipse of July 31, 1962: An annular solar eclipse is visible in South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa and the Indian Ocean, and is the 36th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 135.

August

"Sherry" by the Four Seasons was released, their first number one hit!
August 5
- Death of Marilyn Monroe: Actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead aged 36 from an overdose of sleeping pills and chloral hydrate at her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles; it is officially ruled a "probable suicide" (the exact cause has been disputed).
- Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela is arrested by the South African government near Howick, and charged with incitement to rebellion. On November 7, he is sentenced to imprisonment.
August 6 – The Caribbean island of Jamaica becomes independent of the U.K.
August 11 – King Kong vs. Godzilla is released in Japan, becoming the first Godzilla and King Kong film in colour. It also becomes the 3rd film in both franchises.
August 13 – First successful ascent of the Matterhorn's west face, by Renato Daguin and Giovanni Ottin.
August 15 – The New York Agreement is signed, transferring the Dutch West New Guinea colony to Indonesia.
August 16 – Algeria joins the Arab League.
August 17 – East German border guards kill 18-year-old Peter Fechter as he attempts to cross the Berlin Wall into West Berlin, leading to mass protests on the Western side.
August 18 – Norway launches its 1st sounding rocket, Ferdinand 1, from Andøya Space Center and becomes a space nation.
August 22 – An assassination attempt is made against French President Charles de Gaulle by machine-gunning his car in the Paris suburbs. The mastermind, Jean Bastien-Thiry, will later be executed.
August 24
- A group of armed Cuban exile terrorists fire at a hotel in Havana from a speedboat.
- Indonesia officially launches television with the establishment of TVRI television network or Televisi Republik Indonesia (Indonesian National Channel), broadcasting the opening of the 1962 Asian Games.
August 27 – NASA launches the Mariner 2 space probe.
August 31 – The Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago becomes fully independent of the U.K.

September

September 1
- A referendum in Singapore supports the Malayan Federation.
- Typhoon Wanda strikes Hong Kong, killing at least 130 and injuring more than 600.
September 2 – The Soviet Union agrees to send arms to Cuba.
September 8 – Newly independent Algeria, by referendum, adopts a constitution.
September 12 – President John F. Kennedy, in his "We choose to go to the Moon" speech at Rice University, reaffirms that the U.S. will put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
September 19 – Atlantic College opens its doors for the first time in Wales, marking the birth of the pioneering United World College educational movement.
September 22 – Bob Dylan premieres his song "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall", at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
September 23 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 923, a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation registered as N6923C, ditched into the Atlantic Ocean killing 28 occupants out the 76 onboard. The remaining 48 were rescued six hours later.
September 25 – Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson two minutes into the first round of his fight for the boxing world title in Chicago.
September 26 – The North Yemen Civil War erupts.
September 27 – A flash flood in Barcelona, Spain, kills more than 440 people.
September 29 – The Canadian Alouette 1, the first satellite built outside the United States and the Soviet Union, is launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

October

October 1 – In the United States:
- The first black student, James Meredith, registers at the University of Mississippi, escorted by Federal Marshals to protect him from official obstruction and violent segregationalist protest, the "Ole Miss riot of 1962".
- Johnny Carson takes over as permanent host of NBC's The Tonight Show on television, a post he will hold for 30 years.
October 3 – Project Mercury: Mercury-Atlas 8 – U.S. astronaut Walter Schirra orbits the Earth six times, in the Sigma 7 space capsule.
October 5
- The French National Assembly censures the proposed referendum to sanction presidential elections by popular mandate; Prime Minister Georges Pompidou resigns, but President de Gaulle asks him to stay in office.
- The Beatles' first single in their own right, "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You", is released in the U.K. on EMI's Parlophone label. This version was recorded on September 4, at Abbey Road Studios in London, with Ringo Starr as drummer.
- Dr. No, the first James Bond film, premieres at the London Pavilion, featuring Sean Connery as the hero.
October 8
- Spiegel affair: German magazine Der Spiegel publishes an article revealing NATO criticism of the Bundeswehr (West German defence forces)' poor preparedness; a political scandal erupts.
- Algeria is accepted into the United Nations.
October 9 – Uganda becomes independent of the U.K. within the Commonwealth of Nations.
October 11 – Second Vatican Council: Pope John XXIII convenes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.

October 16 – Cuban Missile Crisis begins when U.S. President Kennedy is told of photographs (taken from U-2 flights) showing Soviet nuclear weapon installations being constructed on Cuba in the Caribbean. A stand-off ensues for 12 days between the United States and the Soviet Union, threatening the world with nuclear war.
October 20 – The Sino-Indian War, a border dispute involving two of the world's largest nations (India and the People's Republic of China), erupts into fighting.
October 22
- Cuban Missile Crisis: In a televised address, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba and the U.S. naval blockade of the island.
- John Vassall, a former clerical officer in British naval intelligence, is sentenced to 18 years imprisonment after admitting to passing secret material to the Soviet Union.
October 24 – Cuban Missile Crisis: The first confrontation occurs between the U.S. Navy and a Soviet cargo vessel; the vessel changes course.
October 26 – Spiegel affair: German police occupy the offices of Der Spiegel in Hamburg.
October 27 – Cuban Missile Crisis: Vasily Arkhipov, executive officer of Soviet submarine B-59, refuses to launch nuclear torpedoes against the U.S. Navy. This event is widely regarded as crucial in averting a worldwide nuclear war.
October 28
- Cuban Missile Crisis ends: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he has ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. In a secret deal between Kennedy and Khrushchev, Kennedy agrees to the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey. The fact that this deal is not made public makes it look as though the Soviets have backed down.^{[dubious – discuss]}
- A referendum in France favors the election of the president by universal suffrage.
October 31 – The United Nations General Assembly asks the United Kingdom to suspend enforcement of the new constitution in Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), but it comes into effect on November 1.

November

November
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novella One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Russian: Оди́н день Ива́на Дени́совича, Odin den' Ivana Denisovicha), the author's pseudo-autobiographical account of life in the gulag, is published in Novy Mir, in an unprecedented acknowledgement of the Soviet Union's Stalinist past.
- Slavery in Saudi Arabia is abolished.
November 1
- The Soviet Union begins dismantling its missiles in Cuba.
- The comic book antihero Diabolik first appears in Italy.
November 2 – Greville Wynne, a British trader acting as a courier for MI6, is arrested by the KGB in Budapest and imprisoned in Moscow after confessing to espionage.
November 3 – Earliest recorded use of the term "personal computer", in the report of a speech by computing pioneer John Mauchly in The New York Times.
November 5
- West German defense minister Franz Josef Strauß is relieved of his duties over the Spiegel affair due to his alleged involvement in police action against the magazine.
- Saudi Arabia breaks off diplomatic relations with Egypt following a period of unrest, partly caused by the defection of several Saudi princes to Egypt.
- A coal mining disaster in Ny-Ålesund kills 21 people; the Norwegian government is forced to resign in the aftermath of this accident, in August 1963.
November 6 – Apartheid: The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation.
November 17 – Dulles International Airport, in Washington, D.C., is dedicated by President John F. Kennedy.
November 20 – Cuban Missile Crisis: In response to the Soviet Union agreeing to remove its missiles from Cuba, President John F. Kennedy ends the blockade of the island.
November 21 – The Sino-Indian War ends with a Chinese ceasefire.
November 23 – United Air Lines Flight 297 crashes in Columbia, Maryland due to a bird strike, killing all 17 on board.
November 24 – The first episode of That Was the Week That Was, the groundbreaking satirical comedy program hosted by David Frost, is broadcast on BBC Television in the United Kingdom.
November 26
- Spiegel affair: German police end their occupation of the offices of Der Spiegel.
- Mies Bouwman starts presenting the first live TV-marathon fundraising show (Open Het Dorp in the Netherlands), which lasts 23 hours non-stop.
November 27 – French President Charles De Gaulle orders Georges Pompidou to form a government.
November 29 – An agreement is signed between Britain and France, to develop the Concorde supersonic airliner.
November 30 – The United Nations General Assembly elects U Thant of Burma, as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations.

December

December 2 – Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to make a pessimistic public comment on the war's progress.
December 7 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco revises the principality's constitution, devolving some of his formerly autocratic power to several advisory and legislative councils.
December 8
- The first period of the Second Vatican Council closes.
- The North Kalimantan National Army revolts in Brunei, in the first stirrings of the Indonesian Confrontation.
- The 1962–63 New York City newspaper strike begins, affecting all of the city's major newspapers; it will last for 114 days.
- Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who died on November 28, is buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (Delft).
December 9 – Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania) becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, with Julius Nyerere as president.
December 10 – David Lean's epic film Lawrence of Arabia, featuring Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Anthony Quinn, premieres in London; 6 days later, it opens in the U.S.
December 11
- In West Germany, a coalition government of Christian Democrats, Christian Socialists and Free Democrats is formed.
- The last execution by hanging is carried out in Canada.
December 14
- U.S. spacecraft Mariner 2 passes by Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to transmit data from another planet.
- Leonardo da Vinci's early 16th-century painting the Mona Lisa is assessed for insurance purposes at US$100 million before touring the United States for several months, the highest insurance value for a painting in history. However, the Louvre, its owner, chooses to spend the money that would have been spent on the insurance premium on security instead.
December 15 – Storm over the North Sea: Belgian pirate radio station Radio Uylenspiegel is knocked off the airwaves, never to operate again.
December 19 – Britain acknowledges the right of Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi) to secede from the Central African Federation.
December 24 – Cuba releases the last 1,113 participants in the Bay of Pigs Invasion to the U.S., in exchange for food worth $53 million.
December 30
- United Nations troops occupy the last rebel positions in Katanga; Moise Tshombe moves to South Rhodesia.
- An unexpected storm buries Maine under five feet of snow, forcing the Bangor Daily News to miss a publication date for the only time in history. The same day, also, the Netherlands are covered with several feet of snow.

Undated

Around 20,000 Harkis, indigenous Muslim Algerians who fought as auxiliary soldiers on the French side in the Algerian War, with their families flee Algeria for metropolitan France fearing unofficial reprisals in their home country.
The laser diode is invented.
Slavery in Yemen is abolished.

Ongoing

1962–1965 rubella epidemic, originating in Europe and spreading to the United States.

Births

January

January 3 – Ginette Amara, Central African academician, veterinarian and politician.
January 4
- Laila Elwi, Egyptian actress
- Peter Steele, American musician (Type O Negative) (d. 2010)
- Natalya Bochina, Russian athlete
January 5 – Suzy Amis Cameron, American actress and model
January 7
- Ron Rivera, American football player and coach
- Hallie Todd, American actress, producer and writer
January 8 – Paraguayo Cubas, Paraguayan politician
January 9 – Cecilia Gabriela, Mexican actress
January 17
- Jim Carrey, Canadian actor and comedian
- Karl Davis, African-American fashion designer (d. 1987)
- Denis O'Hare, American-Irish actor
January 21
- Tyler Cowen, American economist
- Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
January 22
- Lyudmila Dzhigalova, Russian athlete
- Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
January 23
- Stephen Keshi, Nigerian footballer and manager (d. 2016)
- Richard Roxburgh, Australian actor
January 25 – Chris Chelios, American ice hockey player
January 29 – Olga Tokarczuk, Polish novelist, Nobel Prize laureate
January 30
- King Abdullah II of Jordan
- Mary Kay Letourneau, American child rapist (d. 2020)

February

February 1 – Takashi Murakami, Japanese pop artist
February 2 – Kátia Abreu, Brazilian politician
February 5
- Jennifer Jason Leigh, American actress
- Martin Nievera, Filipino singer
February 6 – Axl Rose, American musician, singer-songwriter of Guns N' Roses
February 7
- Garth Brooks, American singer-songwriter
- David Bryan, American musician (Bon Jovi)
- Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
February 8
- Malorie Blackman, British author of young adult fiction
- Timothy Britten Parker, American actor
February 9
- Lolo Ferrari, French actress (d. 2000)
- Zoë Lund, American musician, model, actress, author, producer, political activist and screenwriter (d. 1999)
- Dennis Padilla, Filipino comedian, TV host, radio broadcaster and actor
- Dany Roland, Argentine-born Brazilian drummer, sound designer, actor, film director and record producer
February 10
- Cliff Burton, American musician and songwriter (d. 1986)
- Bobby Czyz, American boxer
- Lisa Blunt Rochester, US Senator
February 11
- Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter
- Tammy Baldwin, US Senator
February 12
- Nana Ioseliani, Georgian chess player
- Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish field hockey player
February 13
- Michele Greene, American actress
- Jackie Silva, Brazilian volleyball player
February 14 – Ken Oosterbroek, South African photojournalist (d. 1994)
February 15 – Srettha Thavisin, Thai businessman and polit6ician, 30th Prime Minister of Thailand
February 17
- Alison Hargreaves, British mountain climber (d. 1995)
- Lou Diamond Phillips, American actor
February 19 – Nabila Khashoggi, American businesswoman, actress and philanthropist
February 20 – Eduardo de Almeida Navarro, Brazilian philologist and lexicographer
February 21
- Vanessa Feltz, British television presenter
- Chuck Palahniuk, American author
- David Foster Wallace, American writer (d. 2008)
February 22
- Steve Irwin, Australian zookeeper, television personality, wildlife expert, environmentalist and conservationist (d. 2006)
- Ethan Wayne, American actor
February 25 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker
February 26 – Domingos Montagner, Brazilian actor, playwright and entrepreneur (d. 2016)
February 27
- Adam Baldwin, American actor
- Grant Show, American actor
February 28 – Angela Bailey, Canadian track and field athlete (d. 2021)

March

March 2
- Jon Bon Jovi, American musician
- Raimo Summanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
- Scott La Rock, American disc jockey (d. 1987)
March 3 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American athlete
March 6
- Rita Sargsyan, Armenian First Lady (d. 2020)
- Erika Hess, Swiss alpine skier
March 7 – Taylor Dayne, American singer-songwriter and actress
March 10
- Jasmine Guy, American actress, director, singer and dancer
- Seiko Matsuda, Japanese pop singer-songwriter
March 11 – Achmad Yurianto, Indonesian military doctor and bureaucrat (d. 2022)
March 12
- Julia Campbell, American actress
- Laurent Castillo, French politician
March 14 – Tsvetanka Khristova, Bulgarian athlete (d. 2008)
March 16 – Branco Mello, Brazilian singer, actor and writer
March 17 – Kalpana Chawla, American astronaut (d. 2003)
March 19 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (d. 2003)
March 20 – Stephen Sommers, American film director
March 21
- Matthew Broderick, American actor and singer
- Rosie O'Donnell, American comedian, actress, talk-show host and activist
March 23
- Bassel al-Assad, Syrian politician, engineer and equestrian (d. 1994)
- Sir Steve Redgrave, English rower
March 25
- Fernando Martín Espina, Spanish basketball player (d. 1989)
- Marcia Cross, American actress
- Bobby D. Singleton, American politician who has served in the Alabama Legislature since 2002
March 26 – John Stockton, American basketball player
March 27 – Jann Arden, Canadian singer
March 29 – Ted Failon, Filipino broadcast journalist and radio commentator
March 30
- Mark Begich, American politician
- MC Hammer, American rapper and actor
- Michael Rooney, American choreographer
- Gary Stevens, English international footballer and manager

April

April 2 – Clark Gregg, American actor, director and screenwriter
April 3 – Jaya Prada, Indian actress and politician
April 5 – Sara Danius, Swedish writer and academic (d. 2019)
April 8 – Izzy Stradlin, American guitarist
April 9 – Imran Sherwani, British field hockey player
April 12
- Carlos Sainz, Spanish rally driver
- Sheila Kennedy, American model, actress and contestant on Big Brother 9
April 13
- Edivaldo Martins Fonseca, Brazilian footballer (d. 1993)
- Hillel Slovak, Israeli-American guitarist (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (d. 1988)
April 15
- Nawal El Moutawakel, Moroccan hurdler
- Jhon Jairo Velásquez, Colombian hitman and drug dealer (d. 2020)
April 16 – Antony Blinken, American diplomat, 71st United States Secretary of State
April 18 – Jeff Dunham, American ventriloquist
April 19 – Al Unser Jr., American race car driver
April 20
- Scott McGehee, American film director and screenwriter
April 21 – Craig Robinson, American college basketball coach
April 22
- Han Aiping, Chinese badminton player (d. 2019)
- Jeff Minter, British video game designer and programmer
April 23
- Bram Bart, Dutch voice actor (d. 2012)
- John Hannah, Scottish film and television actor
April 24 – Rick Beato, American musician and music producer
April 25 – Flex-Deon Blake, African-American gay pornographic actor (d. 2021)
April 26
- Debra Wilson, American actress and comedian
- Michael Damian, American actor and singer
April 29 – Stephan Burger, German Roman Catholic archbishop

May

May 1 – Maia Morgenstern, Romanian actress
May 2
- Elizabeth Berridge, American actress
- Ryan Brown, American comic book writer, artist and toy designer
- Jimmy White, British snooker player
May 3 – Anders Graneheim, Swedish bodybuilder
May 5
- Robby Robbins, American politician
- Kaoru Wada, Japanese composer
May 7 – Ari Telch, Mexican actor
May 8 – Natalia Molchanova, Russian free-diver
May 9
- Dave Gahan, English singer-songwriter
- Paul Heaton, English singer-songwriter
- Sean McNamara, American film director, film producer, actor and screenwriter
May 12 – Emilio Estevez, American actor
May 13 – Eduardo Palomo, Mexican actor (d. 2003)
May 14
- Ferran Adrià, Spanish chef and restaurateur
- Danny Huston, American actor and film director
May 15 – Rod Lurie, American-Israeli director
May 16 – Michele Marziani, Italian novelist and journalist
May 17
- Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish writer
- Craig Ferguson, Scottish-American actor, comedian and television host
- Ferenc Krausz, Hungarian-born attosecond physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- Kim Mulkey, American basketball player/coach
- Arturo Peniche, Mexican actor
May 18
- Karel Roden, Czech actor
- Sandra, German pop singer
May 19 – Frances Ondiviela, Spanish/Mexican actress
May 20
- Aleksandr Dedyushko, Russian actor (d. 2007)
- Mike Jeffries, American soccer coach
- Ralph Peterson Jr., American jazz drummer and bandleader (d. 2021)
May 21 – Cam Brainard, American voice actor and narrator
May 22 – Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (d. 1997)
May 24 – Gene Anthony Ray, American actor (d. 2003)
May 25 – Anders Johansson, Swedish drummer
May 26
- Genie Francis, American actress
- Bobcat Goldthwait, American comedian
May 27
- Scott Perry, American politician
- Ravi Shastri, Indian cricketer
May 28
- Brandon Cruz, American child actor and punk rocker
- François-Henri Pinault, French businessman
May 30 – Timo Soini, Finnish politician
May 31
- Dina Boluarte, Peruvian politician, 64th President of Peru
- Corey Hart, Canadian singer
- Noriko Hidaka, Japanese voice actress
- Victoria Ruffo, Mexican actress

June

June 1 – Sherri Howard, American athlete
June 3 – David Cole, American record producer and songwriter (d. 1995)
June 4 – Trinidad Jiménez, Spanish politician and diplomat
June 5 – Jeff Garlin, American actor
June 6 – Alex Datcher, American actress
June 7
- Thierry Hazard, French singer-songwriter
- Lance Reddick, American actor and musician (d. 2023)
June 8 – Suzy Gorman, American photographer
June 10
- Gina Gershon, American actress
- Ralf Schumann, German sport shooter
- Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, Egyptian author and physician (d. 2018)
June 11
- Olga Charvátová, Czech alpine skier
- Erika Salumäe, Estonian cyclist
- Toshihiko Seki, Japanese voice actor
June 12 – Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology
June 13
- Ally Sheedy, American actress
- Vladimir Pravik, Soviet firefighter (d. 1986)
- Bence Szabó, Hungarian fencer
June 14 – Emilija Erčić, Yugoslav (Serbian) handball player
June 15 – Andrea Rost, Hungarian lyric soprano
June 16 – Arnold Vosloo, South African actor
June 17 – Bap Kennedy, Northern Irish singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
June 18
- Lisa Randall, American theoretical physicist
- Mitsuharu Misawa, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 2009)
June 19 – Paula Abdul, American dancer, choreographer and singer
June 21
- Pipilotti Rist, Swiss video artist
- Viktor Tsoi, Soviet underground singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
June 22
- Campino, German singer
- Stephen Chow, Hong Kong actor and director
- Clyde Drexler, American basketball player
June 23
- Kari Takko, Finnish ice hockey player
- Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera, Ugandan-born British banker
June 24
- Harry van Bommel, Dutch politician, anti-globalisation activist and educator
- Juan Fernando Brügge, Argentine politician
- Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico
June 25
- Pavla Tomicová, Czech actress
- Ricardo Iorio, Argentine heavy metal musician
- Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (d. 2006)
June 26
- Morten Skogstad, Norwegian drummer
- Hubert Strolz, Austrian alpine skier
June 27
- Michael Ball, British actor and singer
- Ollanta Humala, Peruvian politician, 65th President of Peru
- Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Hong Kong actor
- Mambury Njie, Gambian politician
June 29
- Mario Castañeda, Mexican voice actor and dubbing director
- Amanda Donohoe, English actress
- George D. Zamka, American astronaut
- Guy Lecluyse, French comedian and actor
June 30
- Florence Pernel, French actress
- Predrag Bjelac, Serbian actress

July

July 1
- Andre Braugher, American actor (d. 2023)
- Rafał Bruski, Polish politician
- Ahmad Bin Byat, Emirati businessman
July 2
- Doug Benson, American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television host, actor and judge
- Roberto Blades, Panamanian Salsa singer
- Mahasweta Ray, Indian actress
July 3
- Tom Cruise, American actor and film producer
- Thomas Gibson, American actor
- Brian Canham, Australian Singer and musician of Pseudo Echo
July 4 – Pam Shriver, American tennis player
July 5 – Amrozi, Indonesian terrorist (d. 2008)
July 6
- Christopher Chaplin, Swiss-English composer and actor
- Natalia Dicenta, Spanish actress
- Gilbert Lam, Hong Kong actor
July 7
- MC Jazzy Jeff, American rapper
- Klaus Tange, Danish actor
- Vadivukkarasi, Indian actress
July 8
- Oreste Baldini, Italian actor and voice actor
- Frank Gallagher, Scottish actor
- Joan Osborne, American singer-songwriter
July 9
- Roni Ben-Hur, Israeli jazz guitarist
- Sukhbir Singh Badal, Indian politician
- Nikola Čuturilo, Serbian rock musician
- Jan Degenhardt, German lawyer and folk-singer
July 10
- Trond Helleland, Norwegian politician
- Grant Kirkhope, Scottish video game composer
July 11
- Fumiya Fujii, Japanese singer
- Pauline McLynn, Irish actress
July 13
- Tom Kenny, American actor, voice actor and comedian
- Zlata Petrović, Serbian pop singer
- Erry Yulian Triblas Adesta, Indonesian academic
July 14
- Michelle Ford, Australian swimmer
- Patricio Toledo, Chilean footballer
July 15
- Martin Roach, Canadian actor
July 16
- Mathias Herrmann, German actor
- Uwe Hohn, German athlete
- Grigory Leps, Russian singer
July 17 – Rita Rätsepp, Estonian actress and psychologist
July 18 – Shaun Micallef, Australian actor, comedian and writer
July 19
- Anthony Edwards, American actor and director
- Cynthia Farrelly Gesner, American actress
- Aya Kitō, Japanese diarist (d. 1988)
July 20
- Carlos Alazraqui, American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, singer, impressionist, producer and screenwriter
- Abdulai Hamid Charm, Sierra Leonean judge
- Primož Ulaga, Yugoslavian/Slovenian ski jumper
- Emmanuel Niyonkuru, Burundian politician (d. 2017)
- Chee Soon Juan, Singaporean politician
July 21
- Gabi Bauer, German journalist and television presenter
- Ike Eisenmann, American actor and voice artist
July 22
- Steve Albini, American musician, record producer and music journalist (d. 2024)
- Roman Madyanov, Russian actor
July 23
- Eriq La Salle, American actor
- Bruce Marshall, American ice hockey coach (d. 2016)
July 24
- Federico Franco, Paraguayan politician, 49th President of Paraguay
- Johnny O'Connell, American race car driver
July 26
- Galina Chistyakova, Ukrainian athlete
- Sergey Kiriyenko, Russian politician and statesman, 31st Prime Minister of Russia
July 28 – Ray Shero, American hockey manager
July 29
- Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos, Young Brazilian victim of feminicide declared blessed by Roman Catholicism (d. 1982)
- Scott Steiner, American professional wrestler
July 30
- Kaveinga Faʻanunu, Tongan politician (d. 2011)
- Alton Brown, American chef and television show host
July 31
- John Laurinaitis, American professional wrestler
- Wesley Snipes, African-American actor and martial artist

August

August 1
- Robert Clift, British field hockey player
- Jesse Borrego, American actor
- Cesar Montano, Filipino actor
August 4
- Roger Clemens, American baseball player
- Lori Lightfoot, African-American lawyer and politician
August 5 – Patrick Ewing, Jamaican-born basketball player
August 6 – Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian-born Hong Kong actress
August 7 – Bruno Pelletier, Canadian singer
August 8 – Yūji Machi, Japanese voice actor
August 10 – Suzanne Collins, American television writer and author ((The Hunger Games))
August 11 – Rob Minkoff, American filmmaker
August 12 – Ariel López Padilla, Mexican actor
August 13
- Marcello Novaes, Brazilian actor
- John Slattery, American actor and film director
August 15 – Tom Colicchio, American chef
August 16
- Ayub Bachchu, Bangladeshi singer-songwriter (d. 2018)
- Steve Carell, American actor and comedian
August 17 – Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss, German actor and director
August 18
- Felipe Calderón, Mexican politician, 50th President of Mexico
- Rob Minnig, American musician (The Ocean Blue)
August 19
- Valérie Kaprisky, French actress
- Bernd Lucke, German politician and economist
August 20 – James Marsters, American actor and musician
August 21
- Tsutomu Miyazaki, Japanese serial killer (d. 2008)
- Gilberto Santa Rosa, Puerto Rican salsa singer
August 23 – Dean Karnazes, American ultramarathon runner
August 24
- David Koechner, American actor and comedian
- Mary Ellen Weber, American astronaut
August 25 – Theresa Andrews, American swimmer
August 26
- Roger Kingdom, American hurdler
- Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
August 28 – David Fincher, American director and producer
August 29
- Jutta Kleinschmidt, German rally driver
- Lycia Naff, American actress and journalist
- Richard Angelo, American 'angel-of-death' serial killer
August 30 – Alexander Litvinenko, Russian ex-KGB colonel and ex-FSB lieutenant-colonel (d. 2006)
August 31
- Tom Suozzi, American politician
- Dee Bradley Baker, American comedian, announcer and voice artist
- Mark L. Walberg, American television personality and show host

September

September 1 – Ruud Gullit, Dutch footballer
September 2 – Keir Starmer, British politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
September 4 – Shinya Yamanaka, Japanese physician and researcher
September 8
- Thomas Kretschmann, German actor
- Miss Amy (Amy Otey), American musical fitness singer-songwriter
- Al Pardo, Spanish-born American baseball catcher
- Jay Ziskrout, American punk rock drummer
September 11
- Kristy McNichol, American actress
- Victoria Poleva, Ukrainian composer
September 12 – Dino Merlin, Bosnian singer-songwriter, musician and producer
September 13 – Hisao Egawa, Japanese voice actor
September 15 – François Bloemhof, South African author
September 17
- Baz Luhrmann, Australian film director
- Hesham Qandil, 51st Prime Minister of Egypt
September 19
- Shaharuddin Badaruddin, Malaysian politician (d. 2018)
- Cheri Oteri, American comic actress
- Gottfried von Bismarck, German aristocrat and socialite (d. 2007)
September 20 – Vittorio De Angelis, Italian voice actor (d. 2015)
September 21 – Rob Morrow, American actor
September 22 – Martin Crowe, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2016)
September 24
- Rosamund Kwan, Hong Kong actress
- Ally McCoist, Scottish footballer and pundit
- Nia Vardalos, Canadian-American actress
September 25
- Ales Bialiatski, Belarusian human rights campaigner, Nobel Prize laureate
- Aida Turturro, American actress
September 26
- Melissa Sue Anderson, American actress
- Anabel Ferreira, Mexican actress/comedian
- Steve Moneghetti, Australian long-distance runner
- Chunky Pandey, Indian actor
September 28 – Grant Fuhr, Canadian hockey player
September 30 – Frank Rijkaard, Dutch football player and manager

October

October 1
- Esai Morales, American actor
- Fernando Albán Salazar, Venezuelan lawyer and politician (d. 2018)
October 2
- Jeff Bennett, American voice actor and singer
- Tawfiq Titingan, Malaysian politician (d. 2018)
October 3 – Tommy Lee, American rock musician and drummer
October 5 – Michael Andretti, American race car driver
October 11 – Joan Cusack, American actress and comedian
October 12
- Carlos Bernard, American actor
- Branko Crvenkovski, President of Macedonia
October 13
- Margareth Menezes, Brazilian singer
- Kelly Preston, American actress (d. 2020)
- Jerry Rice, American football player
October 14
- Shahar Perkiss, Israeli tennis player
October 16
- Manute Bol, Sudanese basketball player and activist (d. 2010)
- Flea, Australian-American actor and musician
- Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Russian baritone (d. 2017)
- Tamara McKinney, American alpine skier
October 17 – Mike Judge, American actor, voice actor, animator, writer, producer, director and musician
October 18
- Young Kim, American politician
- Min Ko Naing, Burmese Democratic activist and dissident
October 19
- Tracy Chevalier, American author
- Evander Holyfield, American boxer
October 20 – Anatoly Khrapaty, Soviet Olympic weightlifter (d. 2008)
October 21 – Miki Itō, Japanese voice actress
October 22 – Bob Odenkirk, American actor and comedian
October 24 – Jay Novacek, American football player
October 25
- David Furnish, Canadian filmmaker, director and producer
- Darlene Vogel, American actress
October 26
- Cary Elwes, English actor and writer
- Riorita Paterău, Moldovan politician
October 27
- Jun'ichi Kanemaru, Japanese voice actor
- Ang Peng Siong, Singaporean sportsman
October 28 – Daphne Zuniga, American actress
October 29 – Debra Sandlund, American actress
October 30
- Stefan Kuntz, German football player and coach
- Courtney Walsh, West Indian cricketer
- Kristina Wagner, American actress

November

November 1
- Sharron Davies, British swimmer/television presenter
- Nadica Dreven Budinski, Croatian politician
- Magne Furuholmen, Norwegian musician (A-ha)
- Anthony Kiedis, American rock singer (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
November 2 – Marcellin Nadeau, French politician
November 3
- Phil Katz, American computer programmer (d. 2000)
- Gabe Newell, American business executive
November 6
- Nadezhda Kuzhelnaya, Russian pilot and cosmonaut
- Aznil Nawawi, Malaysian television host
November 7 – Bettina Hoy, German equestrienne
November 9 – Dolores Delgado, Spanish politician and prosecutor
November 11
- Mic Michaeli, Swedish keyboardist (Europe)
- Demi Moore, American actress
- Nicole P. Stott, American astronaut
November 12
- Neal Shusterman, American author
- Naomi Wolf, American author, feminist and political consultant
November 13 – Steve Altes, American humorist
November 14
- Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, Moroccan businesswoman
- Laura San Giacomo, American actress
- Atsuko Tanaka, Japanese voice actress (d. 2024)
- Satomi Kōrogi, Japanese actress, voice actress, and singer
- Harland Williams, Canadian-American actor and comedian
November 15
- Mark Acres, American basketball player and educator
- Judy Gold, American comedian and actress
November 16 – Maria Helena Doering Colombian actress
November 17 – Jamie Moyer, American baseball player
November 18 – Kirk Hammett, American guitarist (Metallica)
November 19 – Jodie Foster, American actress and director
November 21 – Steven Curtis Chapman, American Christian musician
November 22 – Sumi Jo, Korean operatic soprano
November 23
- Assim Al-Hakeem, Saudi cleric
- Nicolás Maduro, 63rd President of Venezuela
November 24 – John Kovalic, American cartoonist
November 27
- Charlie Benante, American drummer
- Mike Bordin, American drummer
- Marumi Shiraishi, Japanese actress
- Davey Boy Smith, British professional wrestler (d. 2002)
November 28
- Jane Sibbett, American actress and producer
- Jon Stewart, American actor, comedian, media critic and television personality, host of The Daily Show (1999–2015)
November 29 – Andrew McCarthy, American actor
November 30
- Bo Jackson, American football and baseball player
- Daniel Keys Moran, American writer

December

December 1
- Sylvie Daigle, Canadian speed skater
- Hayashiya Shōzō IX, Japanese rakugoka, tarento and voice actor
December 3 – Tammy Jackson, American basketball player
December 5 – José Cura, Argentine tenor
December 6 – Janine Turner, American actress
December 9
- Albert Grajales, INTERPOL Director of Puerto Rico and martial artist
- Felicity Huffman, American actress
- Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, American actress, voice actress, singer, performer, puppeteer, speaker and artist
December 10
- Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and businessman (d. 2015)
- Scott Capurro, American comedian, writer and actor
December 11
- Ben Browder, American actor
- Denise Biellmann, Swiss figure skater
- Jasper Britton, English actor
December 12
- Tracy Austin, American tennis player
- Arturo Barrios, Mexican long-distance runner
- Peter Bergen, American journalist
- Max Raabe, German singer
December 14 – Yvonne Ryding, Swedish pageant winner (Miss Universe 1984)
December 16 – Maruschka Detmers, Dutch actress
December 17
- Paul Dobson, English footballer
- Richard Jewell, American security guard and media figure (d. 2007)
- Galina Malchugina, Russian athlete
- Rocco Mediate, American golfer
December 18 – James Sie, American actor and voice actor
December 21 – Steven Mnuchin, 77th United States Secretary of the Treasury
December 22
- Andrés Cantor, Argentine/American sportscaster
- Ralph Fiennes, English actor
December 23 – Keiji Mutoh, Japanese professional wrestler
December 24 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer (d. 2018)
December 25
- Maryna Bazhanova, Russian handball player (d. 2020)
- Tony Currie, Australian rugby league player
- Francis Dunnery, English singer-songwriter and musician
December 27
- Pierlucio Tinazzi, Italian security guard (d. 1999)
- Mark Few, American basketball coach
- Bill Self, American basketball coach
- Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer
- Joe Mantello, American actor and director
December 28
- Michelle Cameron, Canadian synchronised swimmer
- Choi Soo-jong, South Korean actor
- Michel Petrucciani, French jazz pianist and composer (d. 1999)
December 29 – Carles Puigdemont, Spanish politician
December 30 – Alessandra Mussolini, Italian politician
December 31 – Pedro Cardoso, Brazilian actor, screenwriter, playwright and television director

Unknown date

Olga Ramos, Venezuelan activist, professor and researcher (d. 2022).

Deaths

January

January 1 – Diego Martínez Barrio, Spanish politician, 2-time Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1883)
January 4 – Hans Lammers, German Nazi minister (b. 1879)
January 13 – Ernie Kovacs, American TV comedian (b. 1919)
January 16
- Ivan Meštrović, Croatian-born American sculptor and architect (b. 1883)
- R. H. Tawney, English historian and social critic (b. 1880)
January 17 – Gerrit Achterberg, Dutch poet (b. 1905)
January 19 – Snub Pollard, American actor (b. 1889)
January 20 – Robinson Jeffers, American poet (b. 1887)
January 21 – Arturo Bragaglia, Italian actor (b. 1893)
January 26 – Lucky Luciano, American gangster (b. 1897)
January 29 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian violinist (b. 1875)

February

February 1 – Carey Wilson, American screenwriter (b. 1889)
February 2 – Shlomo Hestrin, Canadian-born Israeli biochemist (b. 1914)
February 4 – Daniel Halévy, French historian (b. 1872)
February 5
- Jacques Ibert, French composer (b. 1890)
- James B. Leonardo, American politician (b. 1889)
February 6
- Roy Atwell, American actor, comedian and composer (b. 1878)
- Hussein Khalidi, Jordanian statesman, 29th Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1895)
- Cândido Portinari, Brazilian painter (b. 1903)
February 10 – Eduard von Steiger, Swiss politician, 51st President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1881)
February 11 – Indalecio Prieto, Spanish Socialist politician (b. 1891)
February 13 – Hugh Dalton, British Labour politician (b. 1887)
February 17
- Joseph Kearns, American actor (b. 1907)
- Bruno Walter, German conductor (b. 1876)
February 19
- James Barton, American actor (b. 1890)
- Georgios Papanikolaou, Greek inventor (b. 1883)
February 20 – Halliwell Hobbes, English-born film actor (b. 1877)
February 24 – Hu Shih, Chinese philosopher (b. 1891)
February 25 – Antonina De Angelis, Italian Roman Catholic professed sister and blessed (b. 1880)
February 27 – Willie Best, American actor (b. 1916)
February 28 – Chic Johnson, American actor (b. 1891)

March

March 1
- Roscoe Ates, American actor (b. 1895)
- Richard L. Conolly, American admiral (b. 1892)
- W. Alton Jones, American industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1891)
- Emelyn Whiton, American Olympic sailor (b. 1916)
March 2 – Walt Kiesling, American football player (Chicago Cardinals) and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (b. 1903)
March 3 – Pierre Benoit, French novelist (b. 1886)
March 14 – Giovanna Berneri, Italian educationalist and anarchist (b. 1897)
March 15 – Arthur Compton, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
March 19 – Vasily Stalin, Soviet general and son of Joseph Stalin (b. 1921)
March 20
- C. Wright Mills, American sociologist (b. 1916)
- A. E. Douglass, American astronomer and founder of dendrochronology (b. 1867)
March 23 – Josef van Schaik, Dutch politician (b. 1882)
March 24
- Jean Goldkette, Greek-born jazz musician (b. 1893)
- Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist, aeronaut and explorer (b. 1884)
March 27 – Augusta Savage, American sculptor (b. 1892)

April

April 1 – Jussi Kekkonen, Finnish major (b. 1910)
April 3 – Benny Paret, Cuban welterweight boxer, died as result of injuries in the ring; b. 1937)
April 4 – James Hanratty, English murderer, one of the last people to be hanged in the U.K. (b. 1936)
April 5 – Käte Selbmann, German politician (b. 1906)
April 8 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1892)
April 10
- Michael Curtiz, Austrian-born film director (b. 1886)
- Manton S. Eddy, American general (b. 1892)
April 14 – M. Visvesvaraya, Indian engineer and politician (b. 1861)
April 15
- Clara Blandick, American actress (b. 1876)
- Arsenio Lacson, Filipino politician and sportswriter (b. 1911)
April 17 – Louise Fazenda, American actress (b. 1895)
April 20 – Grover Whalen, American politician (b. 1886)
April 21 – Sir Frederick Handley Page, English aircraft manufacturer (b. 1885)
April 22 – Vera Reynolds, American actress (b. 1899)
April 27 – Josefa Toledo de Aguerri, Nicaraguan pioneer educator (b. 1866)
April 28 – Gianna Beretta Molla, Italian Roman Catholic pediatrician and saint (b. 1922)
April 29 – Hajime Tanabe, Japanese philosopher (b. 1885)

May

May 3 – Helen Dortch Longstreet, American social advocate, librarian and newspaper publisher (b. 1863)
May 5 – Ernest Tyldesley, English cricketer (b. 1889)
May 10 – Shunroku Hata, Marshal of the Imperial Japanese Army (b. 1879)
May 12 – Pedro Pablo Ramírez, Argentine military general, 26th President of Argentina, leader of the World War II (b. 1884)
May 13
- H. Trendley Dean, American dental researcher (b. 1893)
- Franz Kline, American painter (b. 1910)
May 19 – Gabriele Münter, German painter (b. 1877)
May 23 – Rubén Jaramillo, peasant leader, assassinated by the Mexican Army (b. 1900)
May 26 – Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, English poet (b. 1878)
May 27 – Egon Petri, German pianist (b. 1881)
May 31 – Henry F. Ashurst, American politician (b. 1874)

June

June 1 – Adolf Eichmann, German SS officer and a major organiser of the Holocaust (executed) (b. 1906)
June 2 – Vita Sackville-West, English writer and landscape gardener (b. 1892)
June 4 – William Beebe, American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist and entomologist (b. 1877)
June 6
- Abba Ahimeir, Soviet-born Israeli journalist (b. 1897)
- Yves Klein, French painter (b. 1928)
- Guinn Williams, American actor (b. 1899)
- Joe Profaci, Italian-American mobster (b. 1897)
June 7 – Korneli Kekelidze, Georgian philologist (b. 1879)
June 8 – Eugène Freyssinet, French civil engineer (b. 1879)
June 9 – Polly Adler, Russian-born American author and madam (b. 1900)
June 12 – John Ireland, English composer (b. 1879)
June 13 – Sir Eugene Goossens, English composer (b. 1893)
June 15
- Eugeniusz Baziak, Polish Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1890)
- Alfred Cortot, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1877)
June 16 – Aleksei Antonov, General of the Soviet Army (b. 1896)
June 19
- Frank Borzage, American film director (b. 1894)
- Will Wright, American character actor (b. 1891)
June 24 – Lucile Watson, Canadian actress (b. 1879)
June 25 – Sir Raymond Leane, Australian army general (b. 1878)
June 27 – Paul Viiding, Estonian poet, author and literary critic (b. 1904)
June 28 – Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player (Philadelphia Athletics) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1903)
June 29 – Charles Lyon Chandler, American historian (b. 1883)