What Happened in September 1960

Historical Events

  • Sep 1 German sprinter Armin Hary wins the coveted 100m gold medal in 10.2 at the Rome Olympics; first non-American to win the event since 1928
  • Sep 1 US 4 x 100m medley relay team swims world record 4:05.4 to beat Australia and win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics; Frank McKinney, Paul Hait, Lance Larson & Jeff Farrell
  • Sep 1 US 4 x 200m freestyle relay team of George Harrison, Dick Blick, Mike Troy & Jeff Farrell swim world record 8:10.2 to beat Japan by 3.3 seconds and win gold medal at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 2 American Mike Troy swims 200m butterfly world record 2:12.8 to win the gold medal from Australian Neville Hayes at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 2 American sprinter Wilma Rudolph wins the coveted 100m gold medal at the Rome Olympics in 11.0; beats Britain's Dorothy Hyman by 0.3; 1st of 3 gold medals for Rudolph
  • Sep 2 New Zealand middle distance runner Peter Snell claims first of 3 career Olympic gold medals when he wins the 800m in Rome
  • Sep 2 Tamara & Irina Press (Soviet Union) become first sisters to win Olympic gold medals; Tamara wins Rome Olympics shot put one day after Irina takes out 80m hurdles
  • Sep 2 The first election of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, in history of Tibet. The Tibetan community observes this date as the Democracy Day.
  • Sep 2 William Walton's 2nd Symphony, premieres
  • Sep 3 Livio Berruti of Italy runs a world record 20.5 to win the gold medal in the 200m at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 3 US women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay team of Joan Spillane, Shirley Stobs, Carolyn Wood & Chris von Saltza swim world record 4:08.9 to beat Australia by 2.4 seconds and win gold medal at Rome Olympics
  • Sep 4 -12] Hurricane Donna, kills 148 in the Caribbean & US

Sports History

Sep 5 A. J. Foyt wins the first of 67 Indy car victories at Du Quoin, Illinois. State Fairgrounds

Olympic Gold

Sep 5 Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] beats 3-time European champion Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland by unanimous points decision to win Olympic light heavyweight boxing gold medal at the Rome Games

Olympic Gold

Sep 5 Future world middleweight boxing champion Nino Benvenuti of Italy beats Yuri Radonyak of the Soviet Union to win welterweight gold medal at the Rome Olympics

Election of Interest

Sep 5 Poet Léopold Sédar Senghor is elected as the 1st President of Senegal

  • Sep 6 American Otis Davis runs a world record 44.9 to win the gold medal in the 400m at the Rome Olympics; German Carl Kaufmann records same time but ruled second via photo finish
  • Sep 6 Australian middle distance runner Herb Elliott breaks his own world record in winning the 1,500m at the Rome Olympics in 3:35.6
  • Sep 6 In a famous victory American decathlete Rafer Johnson scores Olympic record 8,392 points to win the gold medal in Rome; beats rival & friend C.K. Yang of China by 58 points
  • Sep 7 American weightlifter Charles Vinci wins 2nd consecutive bantamweight gold medal at the Rome Olympics with world-record equalling 3-lift (snatch, clean & jerk, overhead press) total of 345.0 kilograms
  • Sep 7 Danish yachtsman Paul Elvstrøm wins the Finn class at the Rome Olympics; his 4th straight Olympic gold medal in the category
  • Sep 7 Future Constantine II, last King of Greece, wins Dragon class sailing gold medal at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 7 Japan wins the men's gymnastics teams combined exercises gold for the first of 5 consecutive Olympics at the Rome Games; beats Soviet Union by just 2.5 points
  • Sep 7 Ljudmila Shevcova runs female olympic record 800m (2:04.3)

Olympic Gold

Sep 7 US sweeps the medals in the men's discus at the Rome Olympics; Al Oerter wins his 2nd of 4 career discus gold ahead of fellow Americans Rink Babka and Dick Cochran

  • Sep 8 Al Oerter wins his second Olympic gold medal in discus throw at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome
  • Sep 8 American sprinter Wilma Rudolph wins her third gold medal of the Rome Olympics anchoring the US 4 x 100m relay team; earlier won 100/200m double
  • Sep 8 German 4 x 100m relay team equal world record 39.5 to win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics; Bernd Cullmann, Armin Hary, Walter Mahlendorf & Martin Lauer
  • Sep 8 German Democratic Republic limits access to East-Berlin for West Berliners
  • Sep 8 US 4 x 400m relay team of Jack Yerman, Earl Young, Glenn Davis & Otis Davis run a world record 3:02.2 to win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 9 Denver Broncos beat Boston Patriots, 13-10 in the American Football League's first game before 21,597 fans at Nickerson Field in Boston
  • Sep 9 Pakistan ends India's run of 6 consecutive Olympic field hockey gold medals with a 1-0 win over their sub-continent rivals at the Rome Games

Olympic Gold

Sep 10 Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia runs WR 2:15:16.2 barefoot to take out the men's marathon at the Rome Olympics; Africa's first ever Olympic gold medal

  • Sep 10 Fencer Aladár Gerevich is part of the gold medal winning Hungarian sabre team at the Rome Olympics; Gerevich's 6th consecutive gold medal in the event

Olympic Gold

Sep 10 Future Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas scores 23 points as the US wins its 5th straight men's basketball Olympic gold medal with a 90-63 drubbing of Brazil at the Rome Games

Olympic Gold

Sep 10 Gymnastics competition at the Rome Olympics concludes with the Soviet Union taking 10 of the 15 gold medals; Soviet gymnasts Boris Shakhlin & Larisa Latynina win 3 gold medals each

Sports History

Sep 10 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle hits 643' HR over right field roof in Detroit

  • Sep 10 Yugoslavia dominates Denmark 3-1 to win the men's football gold medal at the Rome Olympics
  • Sep 11 17th Olympic games close in Rome Italy
  • Sep 11 The Young Americans for Freedom, meeting at home of William F. Buckley, Jr., promulgate the Sharon Statement
  • Sep 12 "Vintage '60" opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre NYC for 8 performances

Event of Interest

Sep 12 John F. Kennedy states he does not speak for the Roman Catholic Church, and neither does the Church speak for him.

  • Sep 13 Dutch 1st Chamber condemns soccer-law

Music History

Sep 14 Dmitri Shostakovich becomes member of Communist Party of USSR

  • Sep 14 Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia and Venezuela form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Event of Interest

Sep 14 Joseph-Desiré Mobutu launches a bloodless coup d'état in the Congo, declaring President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Patrice Lumumba to be "neutralised" and establishing a new government of university graduates

  • Sep 14 KERA TV channel 13 in Dallas, TX (PBS) begins broadcasting

Maurice Richard Retires

Sep 15 Maurice Richard announces his retirement. He finishes his career with 544 goals, an NHL record at the time.

  • Sep 16 Amos Alonzo Stagg retires as a football coach at 98
  • Sep 16 Milwaukee Braves' future HOF pitcher Warren Spahn no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0 at County Stadium
  • Sep 17 Cuba nationalizes US banks
  • Sep 17 Musical revue "Vintage '60" closes at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC, after 8 performances

US Men's Tennis Open

Sep 17 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: In an all-Australian final Neale Fraser wins 2nd straight US title; beats Rod Laver 6-4, 6-4, 9-7

US Open Women's Tennis

Sep 17 US National Championship Women's Tennis: American Darlene Hard wins her first US singles title; beats defending champion Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-4, 10-12, 6-4

Event of Interest

Sep 19 "LIFE" magazine celebrates artist Anna Mary "Grandma" Moses' 100th birthday by putting her on their cover

  • Sep 20 UN General Assembly admit 13 African countries & Cyprus (96 nations)
  • Sep 20 WFSU TV channel 11 in Tallahassee, FL (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • Sep 22 Mali (formerly French Sudan) declares independence from France
  • Sep 24 International Development Association (UN agency) comes into existence
  • Sep 24 USS Enterprise, 1st nuclear power aircraft carrier, launched
  • Sep 25 For 1st time since 1927, Pirates clinch NL pennant
  • Sep 25 NY Yankees clinch AL pennant
  • Sep 25 Phillies beat Reds 7-1, ending 16 consecutive Sunday loses
  • Sep 26 1st of 4 TV debates Nixon & Kennedy took place (Chicago)

United Nations Speech

Sep 26 Cuban leader Fidel Castro delivers a 4 hour and 29 minute long speech at the United Nations

  • Sep 27 Europe's 1st "moving pavement" (travelator), opens at Bank station on the London Underground
  • Sep 28 "Millionaire" last airs on CBS-TV
  • Sep 28 "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" by Connie Francis hits #1
  • Sep 28 "Queen For A Day" moves to ABC-TV
  • Sep 28 "Sunrise at Campobello" premieres at Palace theater
  • Sep 29 "Johnny Ringo" TV Western Drama; last airs on CBS-TV
  • Sep 29 "My Three Sons" starring Fred MacMurray, debuts on ABC-TV
  • Sep 29 "Outlaws" TV Western Drama; debuts on NBC-TV
  • Sep 29 "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ricky Valance peaks at #1 in UK
  • Sep 29 Marguerite Monnot and Alexandre Breffort's musical "lrma La Douce" opens at Plymouth Theater , later transferring to the Alvin, NYC; runs for 527 performances

The Flintstones

Sep 30 "The Flintstones" the first animated sitcom created by Hanna-Barbera premieres on ABC in the US

  • Sep 30 On Howdy Doody's last show Clarabelle finally talks "Goodbye Kids"
  • Sep 30 West Germany signs trade agreement with East Germany
1960 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Sep 1 (Richard) "Cass" Lewis, British bassist, songwriter, and producer (Skunk Anansie - "Hedonism"), born in London, England
  • Sep 1 Eric Adams, American police officer, and politician (Mayor of New York), born in New York City

Eric Dickerson (63 years old)

Sep 2 Pro Football Hall of Fame running back (NFL single-season rushing record 2,105 yards, 1984; Pro Bowl 1983, 84, 86–89; LA Rams), born in Sealy, Texas

  • Sep 2 John S. Hall, American poet and spoken-word artist
  • Sep 2 Kristin Halvorsen, Norwegian politician
  • Sep 2 Rex Hudler, Tempe AZ, outfielder (NY Yankees, California Angels)
  • Sep 4 Damon Wayans, American actor and comedian (In Living Color, SNL), born in New York City
  • Sep 4 Kim Thayil, American guitarist (Soundgarden, Probot), born in Seattle, Washington
  • Sep 5 Rob Stull, American pentathlete (Olympic-92), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • Sep 7 Andrew Voss, Australian television personality (Fox League), born in Sydney, Australia
  • Sep 8 Aimee Mann, American rock singer and bassist ('Til Tuesday - "Voices Carry"; "Save Me"), born in Richmond, Virginia
  • Sep 8 David Steele, British musician (The Beat; Fine Young Cannibals), born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
  • Sep 8 Stefano Casiraghi, Italian speedboat racer, businessman and husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, born in Como, Italy (d. 1990)
  • Sep 9 Bob Stoops, American football coach (University of Oklahoma), born in Youngstown, Ohio
  • Sep 9 Chris White, New Zealand rower (World C'ship gold eight 1982, 83; Olympic bronze coxed four 1988), born in Hamilton, New Zealand

Hugh Grant (63 years old)

Sep 9 English actor (4 Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary), born in London, England

  • Sep 9 Mario Batali, American chef and restaurateur, born in Seattle, Washington
  • Sep 10 Alison Bechdel, American cartoonist (Fun Home), born in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania

Colin Firth (63 years old)

Sep 10 English actor (Bridget Jones' Diary, The King's Speech), born in Grayshott, Hampshire

  • Sep 10 David Lowery, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Camper Van Beethoven; Cracker), born in San Antonio, Texas
  • Sep 10 Miranda Wilson, American actress (Sandra-Santa Barbara), born in Omaha, Nebraska
  • Sep 11 Neal X [Whitmore], English musician (Sigue Sigue Sputnik - "Love Missile F-111"), born in Henley-on-Thames, England
  • Sep 12 Road Warrior Animal [Joseph Laurinaitis], American pro wrestler (3 x WWE Tag Team C'ship; WWE Hall of Fame), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2020)
  • Sep 13 Greg Baldwin, American voiceover actor (Avatar: The Last Airbender), born in Grants, New Mexico
  • Sep 14 Anthony Addabbo, American actor (Jason-Generations), born in Coral Gables, Florida (d. 2016)
  • Sep 14 Callum Keith Rennie, British-Canadian actor, born in Sunderland, England
  • Sep 14 Melissa Leo, American actress (All My Children), born in Manhattan, New York
  • Sep 15 Lisa Vanderpump, American restaurateur and reality star (Vanderpump Rules), born in London, England
  • Sep 15 Michel "Mitch" Dorge, Canadian drummer and producer (Crash Test Dummies - "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm"), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Sep 15 Scott Thompson Baker, American actor (Gen Hosp, All My Children), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Sep 16 Kurt Busiek, American comic book writer (Astro City), born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Sep 16 Mickey Tettleton, American baseball catcher (Texas Rangers), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • Sep 17 John Franco, American pitcher (NY Mets), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Sep 17 Kevin Clash, American puppeteer (Sesame Street, 1984-2012 "Elmo"), born in Baltimore, Maryland
  • Sep 18 Joshua Angrist, Israeli-American economist (2021 Nobel Prize for Economics), born in Columbus, Ohio
  • Sep 18 Karim Rashid, Egyptian-Canadian industrial designer, born in Cairo, Egypt
  • Sep 19 Loïc Bigois, French Formula One engineer and aerodynamicist, born in Aix-en-Provence, France
  • Sep 20 Alice Regina Brown, American 4X100 runner (Olympic gold 1984, 88), born in Jackson, Mississippi
  • Sep 20 Deborah Roberts, American journalist and TV reporter, born in Perry, Georgia
  • Sep 20 James A. Pawelczyk, American astronaut (sk STS 90), born in Buffalo, New York
  • Sep 21 David James Elliott, Canadian actor (Seinfeld, Lt Harmon Rabb-Jag), born in Toronto, Ontario
  • Sep 21 Mats Rondin, Swedish cellist, conductor, and educator, born in Farsta, Stockholm, Sweden (d. 2014)
  • Sep 22 Scott Baio, (Joanie Loves Chachi, Charles in Charge, Zapped), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Sep 22 Victor Stevenson, Canadian CFL tackle (Edmonton Eskimos), born in New Westminster, British Columbia
  • Sep 23 John Rocca, English funk singer (Southern Freeze), born in London
  • Sep 25 Igor Belanov, Soviet-Ukrainian footballer, born in Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Sep 25 John Hills, British racehorse trainer (d. 2014)
  • Sep 25 Sonia Benezra, Canadian television host, born in Montreal, Quebec
  • Sep 27 Barron Lerner, American physician and medical historian, born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Sep 27 Nick della Casa, British Brazilian Argentine cameraman (Emmy Award)
  • Sep 28 Gus Logie, Trinidadian cricketer (WI batsman 1983-91, great fielder), born in Sobo, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Sep 28 Jennifer Rush, American singer-songwriter (The Power of Love), born in Queens, New York
  • Sep 29 John Paxson, American NBA Guard and basketball administrator(Chicago Bulls), born in Dayton, Ohio
  • Sep 29 Rob Deer, American MLB Outfielder (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Orange, California
  • Sep 29 Wendy White, American tennis player, born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Sep 30 Bill Rieflin, American rock drummer (Nine Inch Nails; R.E.M.; King Crimson, 2013-20), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2020)
  • Sep 30 Blanche Lincoln, American politician (Senator-Arkansas 1999-2011, youngest person elected to the Senate at 38), born in Helena, Arkansas
Born in 1960

Famous Weddings

Jerry Lucas

Sep 18 NBA forward Jerry Lucas (20) weds sophomore Treva Geib

Famous Divorces

Christopher Plummer

Sep 2 Actress Tammy Grimes (26) divorces actor Christopher Plummer (30) after 4 years of marriage

Famous Deaths

  • Sep 3 Joseph Lamb, American ragtime pianist and composer ("Bohemia Rag"), dies of a heart attack at 72 [1] [2]
  • Sep 4 Alfred E. Green, American film director (Copacabana, The Jolson Story), dies after long illness at 71
  • Sep 6 Jimmy Savo, American comedian (Through the Crystal Ball), dies at 65
  • Sep 7 Wilhelm Pieck, German politician (co-founder German Communist Party, President of German DR 1949-60), dies at 84
  • Sep 9 Armas Maasalo, Finnish composer, organist (St. John's Lutheran Church, 1926-58), and pedagogue (Helsinki Church Music Institute, 1914-51), dies at 75
  • Sep 9 Jussi Björling, Swedish operatic tenor, dies from cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) complications at 49
  • Sep 10 Fjodor Panfjorov, Russian author (Volga - matushka-reka), dies at 63

Harold Gillies (1882-1960)

Sep 10 New Zealand father of modern plastic surgery who pioneered skin graft techniques on injured soldiers in WWI, dies at 78 of a slight cerebral thrombosis gained while operating on the leg of an 18-year-old girl [1]

  • Sep 12 Jules Buffano, American composer and pianist (Jimmy Durante Show), dies at 62
  • Sep 13 Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer (Toldi), and music educator (Budapest Academy of Music, 1912-60), dies at 75
  • Sep 14 M. Karagatsis, Greek author (b. 1908)
  • Sep 16 José Sancho Marraco, Spanish composer, organist and chapel master (Cathedral of Barcelona, 1923-57, dies at 81
  • Sep 18 John Evans, English cricket batsman (1 Test) and author ('The Escaping Club'), dies at 71
  • Sep 20 Lee Duncan, American owner and trainer film dog Rin Tin Tin, dies of a heart attack at 67
  • Sep 20 Michel Brusselmans, Belgian composer, dies at 74
  • Sep 22 Melanie Klein, Austrian-British author and child psychoanalyst (object relations theory), dies at 78
  • Sep 23 Kathlyn Williams, actress (Single Man), dies of a heart attack at 72
  • Sep 24 Mátyás Seiber, Hungarian-British classical and jazz composer (Scherzando), dies at 55
  • Sep 25 Emily Post, American authority on social behaviour and writer (Etiquette), dies at 86
  • Sep 26 William Ling, South African cricketer (batsman in 6 Tests 1921-23), dies at 68
  • Sep 27 Sylvia Pankhurst, English feminist and suffragette, dies at 78
  • Sep 29 Franz Arnold, German writer, dies at 82
  • Sep 30 St John Philby, British explorer and Arabist, dies at 75