Look Back To 1967: What Happened That Year

Sgt. Pepper, Radio 1, colour television and the summer of love.

Here's 1967 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1967

• Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Release Me' was the year's best-selling single and famously kept the Beatles' 'Penny Lane' off the top.
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on 1 June.
• Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' was the sound of the summer.

In the news in 1967

• Radio 1 launched on 30 September with Tony Blackburn.
• The pound was devalued in November.
• The Sexual Offences Act and the Abortion Act both became law.
• Donald Campbell died on Coniston Water in January.

On screen in 1967

• BBC Two began colour broadcasts on 1 July, starting with Wimbledon.
• The Jungle Book was released at the end of the year.
• Our World, the first live global satellite broadcast, included the Beatles performing 'All You Need Is Love' in June.

In sport in 1967

• Celtic became the first British club to win the European Cup, in Lisbon in May.
• Manchester United won the league.
• Foinavon won the Grand National at 100-1 after a pile-up.

Everyday life in 1967

• The summer of love, psychedelia and Carnaby Street were the year's images.
• Colour sets cost far more than black and white, so most people saw colour in shop windows first.
• Breathalyser tests for drink-driving were introduced in October.

If you were born in 1967

• Anyone born in 1967 was born the summer Sgt. Pepper came out.
• They are the same age as Radio 1 and colour television in Britain.
• Anyone born in 1967 turns 30 in 1997, 40 in 2007, 50 in 2017, 60 in 2027 and 70 in 2037.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1969
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• 1960s party playlist
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• Knock down ginger
• Conkers rules
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• The 1970s: the whole decade
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• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
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• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When did Radio 1 launch?

30 September 1967, with Tony Blackburn presenting the first show.

When did colour television start on BBC Two?

1 July 1967, beginning with coverage of Wimbledon.

How old is someone born in 1967?

Subtract 1967 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2007, 50 in 2017, 60 in 2027 and 70 in 2037.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.