What Happened in 1962

'A Clockwork Orange' is Published

Thus hyped up, Alex and his hyped-up droogs prowl the town and kick in the keeshkas (tripes) of a lewdie, nearly murder an old shopkeeper for a few... Read more

US Military Employs Agent Orange

Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War,... Read more

United States Military Plans Operation Ortsac to Disrupt Castro's Rule in Cuba

Operation Ortsac was the project name of a possible invasion of Cuba planned by the United States military in 1962. The codename was derived from... Read more

USS Arizona Memorial Dedicated

The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the USS... Read more

Stevie Wonder Releases Tribute to Uncle Ray

Tribute to Uncle Ray is the second album released by Stevie Wonder during his Little Stevie Wonder phase in 1962. The album was a tribute to... Read more

"The Twelve and the Genii" Is Published

The Twelve and the Genii is a children's fantasy novel by Pauline Clarke, published in 1962. It was awarded the Carnegie Medal and the Deutscher... Read more

Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation Opens

The Mémorial de la Déportation is a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from Vichy France to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second... Read more

The First Version of Spacewar! is Released

Steve "Slug" Russell, Martin "Shag" Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen of the fictitious "Hingham Institute" conceived of the game in 1961, with the intent... Read more

"The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner" Is Released

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner was a 1962 film, based on the book of the same name. The screenplay, like the book, was written by Alan... Read more

"The Exterminating Angel" Is Released

The Exterminating Angel (Spanish: El ángel exterminador), is the second of the Buñuel/Alatriste/Pinal film trilogy, written and directed by Luis... Read more

"A Wrinkle in Time" is Published

A Wrinkle in Time is a science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, first published in 1962. The book won a Newbery Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and... Read more

Porsche 804 is First Produced

The Porsche 804 was a Formula One racing car in 1962, following the 718 and 787. The flat-8 air-cooled engine powered car developed 180 hp at... Read more

'Pale Fire' is Published

No critic, Russian or not, has yet been able to lock Vladimir Nabokov in a box, except for the clumsily made critical box labeled "cleverness" — a... Read more

Nelson Mandela leaves country for military training

In January Mandela leaves South Africa illegally to attend a freedom conference in Algeria and to scout for military training facilities for... Read more

The Beatles' Decca audition

The Decca audition is the name given to the now-famous Beatles audition for Decca Records at their Decca Studios in West Hampstead, north London,... Read more

Lotus Produces Elan Series

Lotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and one fixed head coupé produced by Lotus Cars. The original Type 26, 26R Racing version, 36 Fixed... Read more

Ford Futura is First Produced

The Ford Futura is a large car made by Ford Australia between 1962 and 2008. Although the last Futura was part of the BF Series Ford Falcon range... Read more

Ford Cortina is First Produced

The Ford Cortina is a mid-sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982. The Cortina was Ford's mass-market... Read more

David Bowie is punched in the eye

When Bowie was fifteen years old, his friend, George Underwood, wearing a ring on his finger, punched him in the left eye during a fight over a... Read more

Chrysler Valiant is First Produced

The Chrysler Valiant was a passenger car introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1962 with production ceasing in 1981. Initially a rebadged import of... Read more

Chrysler 300 is First Produced

The Chrysler 300 is a full-size sport/luxury sedan which was first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car and first introduced in... Read more

Bernard Madoff Begins Work as Investment Advisor

Michael Bienes, an accountant who joined Alpern & Avellino in 1968, remembers Madoff "took a few straight accounts from Saul's people in the... Read more

"Sanjuro" Is Released

Sanjuro (椿三十郎, Tsubaki Sanjūrō?) is a 1962 black and white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a... Read more

Harmelen Train Disaster

It was shortly before twenty past nine in the morning of Monday January 8, 1962 when a train bound for Amsterdam was snaking through the junction.... Read more

Operation Chopper

Operation Chopper occurred on January 12, 1962 and was the first time US forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. In December of... Read more