1960s History: Key Events, Politics And Culture

Beatles, Wilson's white heat, England winning the World Cup and the law catching up with how people lived.

Below: the key events of the 1960s, the politics of the decade, the culture people still talk about, and what ordinary life looked like.

Written for quizzes, reminiscence sessions, school projects and anyone working out what a relative lived through.

Key events of the 1960s

• The Great Train Robbery (1963) and the Profumo affair the same year.
• England win the World Cup at Wembley in July 1966.
• The Aberfan disaster kills 116 children in October 1966.
• The Beatles break America in 1964 and stop touring in 1966.
• Apollo 11 lands on the Moon in July 1969, watched on television by most of the country.
• British troops are deployed to Northern Ireland in August 1969.

Politics and government

• Macmillan's 'wind of change' speech in 1960 signals the end of empire in Africa.
• Harold Wilson wins in 1964 promising the 'white heat' of technology.
• The death penalty is abolished for murder in 1965.
• The Abortion Act and the Sexual Offences Act, both 1967, and the Race Relations Acts of 1965 and 1968.
• Sterling is devalued in November 1967 - 'the pound in your pocket'.

Culture and entertainment

• Pirate radio, then Radio 1 in 1967.
• Carnaby Street, the mini skirt and Mary Quant.
• Doctor Who (1963), Z-Cars and satire on television with That Was The Week That Was.
• The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks and Motown records imported by the crate.
• BBC Two and colour television from 1967.

Everyday life

• Tower blocks replace terraces, and Ronan Point collapses in 1968.
• The contraceptive pill becomes available on the NHS, at first to married women.
• Comprehensive schools begin replacing the grammar and secondary modern split.
• Package holidays to Spain move from adventurous to ordinary.

Years covered in the 1960s

• 1960 - Coronation Street began, national service ended and the sixties had not started yet. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1960
• 1961 - The Beatles started playing the Cavern and Yuri Gagarin went into space. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1961
• 1962 - Love Me Do, the first James Bond film and the Cuban missile crisis. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1962
• 1963 - The big freeze, Beatlemania, Doctor Who and the assassination of President Kennedy. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1963
• 1964 - Top of the Pops, pirate radio, mods and rockers, and BBC Two. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1964
• 1965 - Churchill's funeral, the 70mph limit and the Beatles at Shea Stadium. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1965
• 1966 - England won the World Cup, and then Aberfan happened in October. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1966
• 1967 - Sgt. Pepper, Radio 1, colour television and the summer of love. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1967
• 1968 - Manchester United in Europe, Dad's Army and a year of protest. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1968
• 1969 - The moon landing, the Beatles on the roof and the end of the decade. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1969
• That is every 1960s year we have written up so far: 1960 to 1969.

How to use this

• Quiz round: read an event and ask for the year, or read a year and ask for the prime minister.
• Reminiscence: ask where they were for one of the events above. The answers are always better than the facts.
• School project: pair this page with the decade calendar for a year-by-year timeline.
• Anyone born in 1960 turns 50 in 2010, 60 in 2020 and 70 in 2030.

Shop prints and posters

How to write it so it lands

• Pair this with the decade calendar if you need the events in year order.
• For a reminiscence session, read one event and let the conversation go wherever it goes.
• Politics and everyday life rarely moved at the same speed. Both sections are here for that reason.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1960
• Look back to 1961
• Look back to 1962
• Look back to 1963
• Look back to 1964
• Look back to 1965
• Look back to 1966
• Look back to 1967
• Look back to 1968
• Look back to 1969
• 1960s calendar: year by year
• 1960s trivia: fun facts
• 1960s art and artists
• 1960s films and directors
• 1960s music: albums and artists
• 1960s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• Retro gift guide: the 1960s
• 1960s party playlist
• Playground games by region
• Knock down ginger
• Conkers rules
• Marbles rules
• School dinners we all remember
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Milestone birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Sympathy and bereavement cards
• Sympathy cards guide
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What were the most important events of the 1960s?

The Great Train Robbery (1963) and the Profumo affair the same year. The full list above covers the events that defined the decade.

What was happening politically in the 1960s?

Macmillan's 'wind of change' speech in 1960 signals the end of empire in Africa. The politics section above covers the governments, laws and arguments of the decade.

What was life like in the 1960s?

Tower blocks replace terraces, and Ronan Point collapses in 1968. The everyday life section above covers homes, money, work and shopping.

What was popular culture like in the 1960s?

Pirate radio, then Radio 1 in 1967. There are fuller guides to the decade's music, films, television and fashion linked from this page.

Can I use this for a quiz or a school project?

Yes, freely. Print it, read it out, copy it - no permission needed. We make greeting cards and prints; these pages are free.