What happened in January 1964?
The top front-page story of each day in January 1964, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jan 1🌞 World Scientists Study Sun – Experts from 64 nations begin a two-year research project focusing on the sun's influence on Earth.
- Jan 2🏔️ Clough Wins Slalom – John Clough wins the Aspen slalom event by over three seconds, showcasing his skiing prowess against 34 competitors.
- Jan 3🕊️ Pope's Holy Land Visit – Pope Paul VI prepares for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, emphasizing peace among men during his three-day trip.
- Jan 4✈️ Pope's Historic Pilgrimage – Pope Paul VI embarks on a significant pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marking the first papal visit outside Italy in over 150 years.
- Jan 5✝️ Pope Visits Holy Land – Pope Paul VI began his historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marking the first visit by a Pope since the birth of Christianity.
- Jan 6✝️ Pope Celebrates Mass – Pope Paul VI issued a profound appeal for unity among Christians during a mass in Bethlehem for the Feast of the Epiphany.
- Jan 7✝️ Pope Returns Home – Pope Paul VI returned to Rome after a historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land, emphasizing peace and unity among Christians.
- Jan 8🏛️ Pope's Holy Land Pilgrimage – Pope Paul VI's pilgrimage to the Holy Land was reviewed by Vatican paper, highlighting its significance for ecumenism.
- Jan 9🚀 India Fires Second Rocket – India launched its second rocket in a space-study program from Thumba Base, marking progress in its scientific endeavors.
- Jan 10🌍 Montreal Honors Kennedy – Montreal's new street near Place des Arts will be named 'Avenue du President Kennedy' to honor the late U.S. President.
- Jan 11🌍 Panama City Riots – The city of Panama is virtually surrounded by the Canal Zone amid ongoing riots, highlighting tensions in U.S.-Panama relations.
- Jan 12🕊️ Pope's Holy Land Visit – Pope Paul VI returned to Rome after a triumphant pilgrimage to the Holy Land, enhancing the stature of his office and church.
- Jan 13🌍 Castro Visits Moscow – Cuban Premier Fidel Castro arrived in Moscow for discussions with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, marking a significant moment in Cold War relations.
- Jan 14🏛️ Supreme Court Ruling – The Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law requiring candidates to list their race on ballots, promoting a cleaner electoral process.
- Jan 15🚢 Cutter Reaches Ship – The Coast Guard cutter Rockaway reached the crippled freighter Middlesex Trader, which is in danger of breaking up in the North Atlantic.
- Jan 16🏔️ German Expedition Cancels Everest – A German expedition to climb Mount Everest has decided to cancel its attempt, seeking permission to climb Gaurishankar instead.
- Jan 17🏟️ Kennedy in Tokyo – Robert F. Kennedy arrives in Tokyo for talks on the Malaysia crisis, emphasizing Asian resolution without outside interference.
- Jan 18🌍 U.N. Observer in Cyprus – Lieut. Gen. Prem Singh Gyani arrived in Cyprus to observe peacekeeping operations amid ongoing tensions.
- Jan 19🏙️ World Trade Center Planned – Plans for the World Trade Center include twin 1,350-foot towers, set to be the tallest buildings in the world, with construction expected to finish by 1970.
- Jan 20🏔️ Goitschel Wins Slalom – Marielle Goitschel of France won a women's slalom race in Austria, while Margo Walters from Salt Lake City suffered a broken ankle.
- Jan 21🌍 Taiwan Quake Recovery – Taiwan struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake, with the death toll reaching 100 as rescue efforts continue.
- Jan 22🚀 Satellite Launch Scheduled – The world's largest satellite is set to launch Friday, enabling first American-Russian communications via space.
- Jan 23🌍 Malaysia Truce Accepted – Indonesia and Malaysia agree to a ceasefire and plan three-nation talks with the Philippines to resolve the Malaysia crisis.
- Jan 24🏛️ 24th Amendment Ratified – The South Dakota Legislature ratified the 24th Amendment, abolishing the poll tax in federal elections, marking a significant civil rights victory.
- Jan 25🔬 New Virus Clues Found – New clues linking virus infections to cancer were published in The Lancet, highlighting enzyme distribution in British tissue studies.
- Jan 26🌍 Echo 2 Launched – Echo 2, a balloon satellite for communications experiments with the Soviet Union, was successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
- Jan 27🚀 Saturn Rocket Launch – The U.S. plans to launch a two-stage Saturn rocket to loft a 38,000-pound payload, aiming to regain a lead in space.
- Jan 28🌍 France Recognizes Peking – France establishes diplomatic relations with Communist China, marking a significant shift in Western policy.
- Jan 29🏅 Winter Olympics Begin – The IX Winter Olympic Games officially opened in Innsbruck, Austria, with over 1,000 athletes from 37 nations competing in various sports.
- Jan 30🏅 Winter Olympics Open – The IX Winter Olympic Games commenced in Innsbruck, Austria, featuring a grand parade of nations and 400 athletes participating.
- Jan 31⛷️ Zimmermann Wins Olympic Downhill – Egon Zimmermann of Austria won the Olympic downhill event in Innsbruck, achieving a course record and securing a gold medal.
Happy Birthday! 1964 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1964 in real headlines. See the 1964 book →
Born in January? Pick the day
Every birthday in January has its own On This Day in Headlines book: