1962

Marilyn Monroe

Andy Warhol

Cuban Crisis - Soviet missiles withdrawn from Cuba.
Algeria gains independence from France
Vatican Council
Burmese diplomat U Thant becomes Secretary General of the UN.
Georges Pompidou becomes premier of France
Telstar (US communications satellite for broadcast TV & radio)
US orbital space flights (by John Glenn, Alan Carpenter & Wally Schirra)
US Ranger Moon crash landing
Thalidomide identified as causing deformities in babies
Marilyn Monroe dies from a drug overdose.
Yves Saint Laurent opens his Parisian fashion house.
Andy Warhol begins making silk screen prints of mass-media images.
The Beatles make their first recordings.
First fibre-tipped pens
Southern Aurora non-stop train from Sydney to Melbourne
Cahill Expressway (first freeway in Australia) opened
Commonwealth Games in Perth
Iron ore discovered at Mt Tom Price, Western Australia
Hula hoop craze

War between India and China
In the midst of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1963, China attacked India.
The cause of the war was a dispute over the sovereignty of widely separated border regions. In particular, Aksai Chin, which was claimed by India to belong to Kashmir and by China to be part of Xinjiang, contains an important road link that connects the Chinese regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. China's construction of this road was one of the triggers of the conflict.
In addition, China accused India of trying to undermine its rule in Tibet by habouring the Dalai Lama
The Chinese forces achieved an overwhelming victory and declared a unilateral ceasefire, retaining control of the Aksai Chin.

View the events of any day:

Telstar
The first communications satellite capable of transmitting television

Cuban Missile Crisis
The US blocks Soviet ships carrying missiles
and threatens to retaliate on the Soviet Union.

The Music of 1962

Ramblin' Rose (Nat 'King' Cole)
I Remember You (Frank Ifield)
Lovesick Blues (Frank Ifield)
I Can't Stop Loving You (Ray Charles)
Roses Are Red (Bobby Viinton)
Sheila (Tommy Roe)
If I Didn't Have a Dime (Gene Pitney)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Gene Pitney)
Big Girls Don't Cry (Four Seasons)
Telstar (Tornadoes)
He's a Rebel (Crystals)
Return to Sender (Elvis Presley)
Sing (Johnny O'Keefe)
Limbo Rock (Chubby Checker)

Australian Radio in 1962

The Children's Hour - Argonauts' Club (1941-69)
The Quiz Kids (1942-early 60s)
The Air Adventures of Biggles(1945-60s)
When a Girl Marries (1946-65)
Pick-a-Box (1948-71)
Blue Hills (1948-76)
Dr Paul (!949-71)
Portia Faces Life (1952-70)
Life with Dexter (1953-64)
Eric Baume's This I Believe (1953-67)
Keith Smith's Pied Piper (1954-60s)
The Children's Hour - The Muddleheaded Wombat (1957-71)

Television in 1962

The Nelsons	1952-66	cast
Father Knows Best	1954-63	cast
Lassie	1954-72
Gunsmoke	1955-75	cast
Leave It to Beaver	1957-62	cast
Have Gun Will Travel	1957-63	cast
Perry Mason	1957-65	cast
Pick-a-Box	1957-71
(Australian) Bandstand	1957-72
Yogi Bear	1958-62	cast
77 Sunset Strip	1958-63	cast
The Rifleman	1958-63	cast
Rawhide	1958-66	cast
The Black & White Minstrel Show	1958-78
Dennis the Menace	1959-63	cast
The Untouchables	1959-63	cast
Dr Finlay's Casebook	1959-65
Alfred Hitchcock Presents	1959-65
Bonanza	1959-71	cast
Route 66	1960-63
Ben Casey	1960-65	cast
The Flintstones	1960-65	cast
Mr Ed	1960-65	cast
The Andy Griffiths Show	1960-68	cast
Z Cars	1960-78
My Three Sons	1960-71	cast
Dick van Dyke Show	1961-65	cast
Dr Kildare	1961-66
The Avengers	1961-69	cast
Four Corners	1961-current
McHale's Navy	1962-65
Combat!	1962-67	cast
The Beverly Hillbillies	1962-70	cast
Steptoe & Son	1962-65, 70, 72 & 74	cast

Movies in 1962

Title	Cast	Academy Awards	Buy
The Birdman of Alcatraz directed by John Frankenheimer	Burt Lancaster Karl Malden Thelma Ritter Telly Sevalas
Bye Bye Birdie directed by George Sidney	Janet Leigh Dick van Dyke Ann Margret Maureen Stapleton
55 Days at Peking directed by Nicholas Ray	Charlton Heston Ava Gardner David Niven
Hatari! directed by Howard Hawks	John Wayne Elsa Martinelli Hardy Kruger Red Buttons Gerard Blain Bruce Cabot
How the West Was Won directed by Henry Hathaway John Ford George Marsha	George Peppard Debbie Reynolds Carroll Baker James Stewart Henry Fonda John Wayne	Best Editing Best Sound Best Screenplay
Jumbo directed by Charles Walters	Doris Day Stephen Boyd Jimmy Durantei
Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean	Peter O'Toole Alec Guinness Anthony Quinn Jack Hawkins Omar Sharif Claude Rains	Best Picture Best Director Best Art & Set Direction Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Score Best Sound
The Longest Day directed by Ken Annakin Bernhart Wicki Andrew Martan	Richard Burton John Wayne Henry Fonda Eddie Albert	Best Cinematography Best Special Effects
Mutiny on the Bounty directed by Lewis Milestone	Marlon Brando Trevor Howard Richard Harris Tarita
State Fair directed by Jose Ferrer	Pat Boone Bobby Darrin Ann Margret
Tender Is the Night directed by Henry King	Jennifer Jones Jason Robards
The Wrong Arm of the Law directed by Cliff Owen	Peter Sellers Lionel Jeffries Bernard Cribbins Nanette Newman Davy Kaye Bill Kerr

Watch a free movie from 1962 now:

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge French short film directed by Robert Enrico. Won awards at Cannes Film Festival and Academy Awards.
Shame Produced by Roger Corman and starring William Shatner. Mystery film about a man sent into a southern town to stir up race riots.
Carnival of Souls A low budget B film that became a cult classic.
Hands of a Stranger A concert pianist loses his hands in a car crash, but a surgeon gives him new onesbut the new hands drive the pianist mad.

Books of 1962

Fear is the Key	Alistair Maclain
In High Places	Arthur Hailey
Another Country	James Baldwin
A Clockwork Orange	Anthony Burgess
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest	Ken Kesey
Ship of Fools	Katherine Anne Porter
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?	Edward Albee
The Drowned World	JG Ballard
The Silent Spring	Rachel Carson

1962 Memorabilia now available (at eBay):

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