What happened in July 1968?
The top front-page story of each day in July 1968, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jul 1📈 Building Orders Climb – Value of contracts signed in June tops $6 billion for the first time, marking a 17% increase from May 1967.
- Jul 2🛸 Fiery UFO Origin Revealed – An unidentified flying object, initially thought to be extraterrestrial, is confirmed to have an earthly origin.
- Jul 3💰 Gold and Dollar Blocs – U.S. and European differences may lead to separate gold and dollar trading blocs in the West.
- Jul 4🎨 Art Show Opens – The Metropolitan Museum hosts a summer loan show featuring Impressionist works, marking a significant cultural event.
- Jul 5⛵ Solo Sailor Returns – A Briton completes a solo voyage around the world in 354 days, marking a significant achievement in sailing history.
- Jul 6🏆 Laver Wins Wimbledon – Rod Laver defeats Roche to win his third Wimbledon title, becoming the first since 1936 to achieve this milestone.
- Jul 7🏫 U.S. Desegregates Schools – The U.S. begins a major initiative to desegregate schools in the South, impacting 159 districts across nine states.
- Jul 8📜 Greece Drafts Charter – Greece completes a draft of its new charter, modifying provisions that limit the powers of the king after extensive debate.
- Jul 9🌊 Tiny Submarine Launched – A small submarine is set to drift submerged for 1,500 miles in the Gulf Stream with a six-man team for scientific study.
- Jul 10🌍 Circus Tent Collapse – A circus tent in upstate New York collapsed during a storm, injuring 110 people amid high winds.
- Jul 11⚾ Major League Changes – Major Leagues adopt a 2-division, 162-game format for 1969, setting October 11 for the World Series start.
- Jul 12📈 Stock Market Fluctuates – Early stock gains fail to persist as the Dow rises 2.40, marking the third highest volume in history.
- Jul 13🗽 Soviet Writer Defects – A Soviet writer, imprisoned from 1944 to 1956, defects to the U.S. with his wife, highlighting the tensions of the Cold War.
- Jul 14🏅 Olympic Rowing Trials – Vesper and Washington win repechage heats in Olympic rowing trials, with four crews competing in the final.
- Jul 15🏛️ School Board Appointments – Galamison and four others appointed to the school board, including the first Puerto Rican member, aiming for local control.
- Jul 16✈️ Soviet-U.S. Flights Begin – Russian jetliner inaugurates direct passenger flights between the Soviet Union and the United States.
- Jul 17🕊️ U.S. and Soviet Arms Talks – President Johnson expresses optimism about upcoming arms discussions between the U.S. and Soviet Union in Geneva.
- Jul 18✈️ Airliner Hijacked to Cuba – An airliner with 64 passengers was hijacked to Cuba, with a gunman remaining in Havana as crew and passengers returned to Miami.
- Jul 19🌌 Astronomers Discover Pulsar – Two American astronomers at Harvard Observatory discover a new source of radio pulse in space, marking a significant astronomical breakthrough.
- Jul 20🗺️ Czech Committee Supports Dubcek – Czech committee unanimously backs Dubcek's defiance against Soviet influence, strengthening liberal positions.
- Jul 21🎨 Ballet and Horses – A city troupe performs ballet in Saratoga, featuring an equine solo and pas de deux in an amphitheater.
- Jul 22💃 Ruth St. Denis Dies – Ruth St. Denis, a pioneer of modern dance, passed away, leaving a significant legacy in the art form she helped shape.
- Jul 23🕊️ Soviet Politburo Concedes – Soviet Politburo agrees to meet Czechoslovak leaders on their territory, signaling a potential peaceful resolution.
- Jul 24📉 Market Weakens Again – The market weakens for the fifth consecutive day, but a late recovery helps trim earlier losses with 469 issues advancing.
- Jul 25🥇 Legra Wins Featherweight Title – Legra of Spain captures the Featherweight crown, defeating Winstone in a fifth-round stoppage.
- Jul 26🎨 Art Students Beautify City – Art students and teachers paint hydrants in uptown to reduce urban ugliness, promoting community engagement and creativity.
- Jul 27🎾 Riessen Advances in Tennis – Riessen defeats Moore in straight sets to reach the finals of the Merion Lawn Tennis Championship.
- Jul 28🌍 Dubcek's Reform Declaration – Czech leader Dubcek asserts that his reforms pose no threat to the Eastern Bloc, hoping for Soviet understanding.
- Jul 29🔬 Nobel Winner Dies – Otto Hahn, the Nobel laureate who discovered nuclear fission, has passed away, marking a significant loss for the scientific community.
- Jul 30📜 Pope Bans Birth Control – Pope Paul VI issues an encyclical prohibiting artificial birth control methods, reaffirming traditional Catholic teachings.
- Jul 31🌋 Costa Rican Volcano Erupts – 51 people are killed as a volcano erupts in Costa Rica, causing heavy ash fall and forcing 4,000 residents to flee the area.
Happy Birthday! 1968 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1968 in real headlines. See the 1968 book →
Born in July? Pick the day
Every birthday in July has its own On This Day in Headlines book: