What happened in March 1960?
The top front-page story of each day in March 1960, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Mar 1🏗️ Janitors Build Housing – Chicago project planned to save workers' jobs by constructing an apartment house.
- Mar 2🌍 Agadir Earthquake Devastation – 1,000 feared dead as quakes wreck Moroccan resort Agadir, leaving it in ruins. Tidal wave and fire hinder rescue efforts.
- Mar 3🔔 Carillons Ring Success – Electronic carillons achieve success, generating $2 million annually for their creator.
- Mar 4🎨 Art Exhibition Opens – Paintings of Oskar Moll, a founder of Academic Matisse, are displayed at Hutton, showcasing 27 of his works.
- Mar 5🎭 Students Flock to Opera – 2,000 students attend the first of seven special performances of 'Don Giovanni' at the Metropolitan Opera, showcasing cultural engagement.
- Mar 6✊ Sit-Ins Supported – Negro students from the South report on demonstrations at lunch counters, highlighting the growing civil rights movement.
- Mar 7🌍 Cuba Ship Case – A U.S. photographer was freed after being questioned by Castro regarding alleged arms sabotage aboard a vessel.
- Mar 8🏅 World Record Lowered – Betty Cuthbert triumphs in Australian title meet, setting a new world record of 0:23.2 in the 220-yard race.
- Mar 9🌍 Soviet Women's Day – Soviet citizens celebrate International Women's Day, with men flocking to stores for gifts and politicians praising women's achievements.
- Mar 10🌍 Water Wells Transform Sahara – New water taps in the Sahara are reclaiming oases and increasing farming areas, promoting greenery in the desert.
- Mar 11📈 London Shares Rise – London shares reversed a slide, attributed to a Wall Street rally, with steel stocks particularly favored.
- Mar 12🌊 Cairo Reclaims Farms – Marsh at Nile's mouth desalted, allowing 5,000 families to relocate to newly usable farmland.
- Mar 13🔬 Pioneer V Reports Success – Pioneer V spacecraft sends back strong signals and data, indicating successful solar path navigation and battery recharging.
- Mar 14🏒 Bruins Vanquish Canadiens – The Boston Bruins defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, with Mohns scoring the winning goal just 13 seconds before the end.
- Mar 15🚀 Pioneer Signals Success – Satellite in Sun orbit passes 500,000-mile mark with instruments performing well.
- Mar 16🌍 Ten Nations Meet – Ten nations convene in Geneva to discuss arms proposals as the Soviet Bloc offers to further study the issues.
- Mar 17🎨 Industry Bows to Arts – A museum show displays works bought by U.S. companies from artists, highlighting corporate support for the arts.
- Mar 18🌍 Global Sea Pact Sought – U.N. talks open in Geneva focusing on coastal sovereignty and fishing rights amid ongoing global discussions.
- Mar 19🚗 New Auto Bumper Patent – A new auto bumper design is patented, aimed at cushioning impacts and protecting pedestrians.
- Mar 20🌍 Soviet Proposes Test Ban – Soviet Union accepts U.S. idea for a limited nuclear pact but adds conditions regarding small explosions.
- Mar 21🎷 U.N. Jazz Festival – Ghana's delegate urges U.N. members to send musicians for a jazz festival in Central Park, scheduled for June.
- Mar 22📚 Memphis Sitdown Protests – 37 Negroes fined for staging sit-ins at all-white libraries in Memphis, leading to a crowd besieging the court.
- Mar 23🌍 Khrushchev Visits Paris – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev embarks on an 11-day state visit to France, aiming to strengthen diplomatic ties.
- Mar 24🔬 Miniature Computers Near – Molecular experts report significant advancements in producing miniature computers, promising a revolution in electronics.
- Mar 25📜 Civil Rights Bill Passed – The House passes a significant civil rights bill with a vote of 311 to 109, marking a historic step in U.S. legislative progress.
- Mar 26🔬 Record Drought Ends – Late rain breaks Israel's worst dry spell in 111 years, significantly reducing farm losses.
- Mar 27🏙️ Capetown Drops Passes – Capetown suspends identity passes, signaling a major shift in racial policies amid ongoing protests.
- Mar 28📈 France, Russia Trade Talks – France and Russia engage in trade discussions, aiming for a pact allowing Soviet payments in convertible currencies.
- Mar 29🔬 U.N. Cancer Study – Experts declare cigarettes a major cause of rising lung carcinoma rates in a new U.N. study.
- Mar 30🌌 Geologist Urged for Moon – Academy of Sciences report outlines experiments for the first lunar explorer, emphasizing the need for geologists.
- Mar 31🌍 Leukemia Virus Link – Chicago scientist links leukemia to a virus in mice, calling it an exciting development, but urges further study.
Happy Birthday! 1960 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1960 in real headlines. See the 1960 book →
Born in March? Pick the day
Every birthday in March has its own On This Day in Headlines book: