1964 Newspaper Headlines Summary
1964 newspaper headlines are filled with stories that shocked and enthralled the public. Some of the most memorable 1964 news reports include stories about the Beatles and the “Beatle-Mania” which had gripped the world. It was the year in which the Rolling Stones released their first album, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa, and BBC Two began broadcasting in Britain. This list shows key events from some of our 1964 newspaper articles, chronicling history through the words and pictures of those who experienced it.
January 3, 1964
Senator Barry Goldwater announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President.
January 8, 1964
President Lyndon Johnson declares a “War on Poverty” in his first State of the Union address.
January 18, 1964
Plans to build the World Trade Center in New York City are announced.
29th January 1964
The 1964 Winter Olympics are held in Innsbruck, Austria.
February 1, 1964
The Beatles win the #1 spot on the US singles chart for the first time, starting the British invasion in America.
7th February 1964
The Beatles arrive at New York City’s JFK International Airport, receiving a tumultuous reception from a throng of screaming fans. This is the first occurrence of “Beatle-mania” in the United States.
25th February 1964
Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Florida, and is crowned the heavyweight champion of the world.
March 9, 1964
The first Ford Mustang is rolled off the assembly line at Ford Motor Company.
March 27, 1964
The Good Friday earthquake occurs and is the most powerful earthquake in American history at a magnitude of 9.2. 125 people are killed in South Central Alaska and the city of Anchorage is massively damaged.
March 30, 1964
Merv Griffin’s game show Jeopardy! debuts on NBC.
16th April 1964
The Rolling Stones release their debut album, “The Rolling Stones“.
16th April 1964
Thirteen men are sentenced to a total of 307 years in jail for a heist known as The Great Train Robbery in Britain. The men had stolen $2.6m in used bank notes after holding up the night mail train travelling from Glasgow to London in August 1963.
April 20, 1964
President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meet in Moscow and simultaneously announce plans to cut back production of materials for making nuclear weapons.
May 12, 1964
The first draft-card burning takes place in New York by 12 young men as an act of resistance to the Vietnam War.
12th June 1964
Nelson Mandela and seven others are sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa and sent to the Robben Island prison.
July 2, 1964
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States.
6th July 1964
Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
13th August 1964
Murderers Gwynne Owen Evans and Peter Anthony Allen become the last people to be executed in the United Kingdom.
August 27, 1964
Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins has its world premier in Los Angeles. The movie would go on to be Disney’s biggest moneymaker and would win 5 Academy Awards, including a Best Actress award for Julie Andrews. Mary Poppins is the first Disney film to be nominated for Best Picture.
August 28-30, 1964
The 1964 Philadelphia race riot takes place with tensions between African American residents and police leading to 341 injuries and 774 arrests.
September 4, 1964
The last execution in the US for a crime other than murder takes place, with James Coburn put to death for robbery in Alabama.
21st September 1964
The island of Malta obtains independence from the United Kingdom.
10-24th October 1964
The 1964 Summer Olympics are held in Tokyo.
October 14, 1964
Martin Luther King Jr. becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to end racial prejudices in the United States.
October 20, 1964
Former president Herbert Hoover dies in New York City.
October 29, 1964
A collection of irreplaceable gemstones, including the 565 carats (113.0g) Star of India is stolen from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
November 3, 1964
Presidential election: President Lyndon Johnson defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater with over 60% of the popular vote.
9th November 1964
The House of Commons votes to abolish the death penalty for murder in Britain.
10th December 1964
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.
December 27, 1964
The Cleveland Browns defeat the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game.
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