1969
The year is associated with the first manned landing on the Moon, the creation of the internet, and the commencement of the LGBT Rights Movement.
Events
January
- January 1 - Ohio State defeats USC in the Rose Bowl to win the national college football championship for the 1968 season.
- January 2
- * Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch purchases the largest-selling British Sunday newspaper, The News of the World.
- * People's Democracy begins a march from Belfast to Derry City, Northern Ireland to gain publicity and to promote its cause.
- January 4 - The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
- January 5
- *Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to London's Gatwick Airport, killing 50 of the 62 people on board and two of the home's occupants.
- *The Soviet Union launches Venera 5 toward Venus.
- January 7 - The final passenger train traverses the Waverley Line, which subsequently closes to passengers.
- January 10 - The Soviet Union launches Venera 6 toward Venus.
- January 12
- * Led Zeppelin, the first Led Zeppelin album, is released in the United States.
- * Martial law is declared in Madrid, as the University is closed and over 300 students are arrested.
- * American football: The New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, 16–7. Joe Namath is the MVP of the game.
- January 14
- * An explosion aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 27 and injures 314.
- * The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 4.
- January 15 - The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5, which docks with Soyuz 4 for a transfer of crew.
- January 16 -
- * Two cosmonauts transfer from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4 via a spacewalk while the two craft are docked together, the first time such a transfer takes place. The two spacecraft undock and return to Earth two days later.
- *Student Jan Palach sets himself on fire in Prague's Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; 3 days later he dies.
- January 18 - In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution displays the art of Winslow Homer for 6 weeks.
- January 20 - Richard Nixon is sworn in as the 37th President of the United States.
- January 22 - An assassination attempt is carried out on Leonid Brezhnev by deserter Viktor Ilyin. One person is killed, several are injured. Brezhnev escaped unharmed.
- January 26 - Elvis Presley steps into American Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, recording "Long Black Limousine", thus beginning the recording of what becomes his landmark comeback sessions for the albums From Elvis in Memphis and Back in Memphis. The sessions yield the popular and critically acclaimed singles "Suspicious Minds", "In the Ghetto", and "Kentucky Rain".
- January 27
- * Fourteen men, 9 of them Jews, are executed in Baghdad for spying for Israel.
- * Reverend Ian Paisley, Northern Irish Unionist leader and founder of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is jailed for three months for illegal assembly.
- * The modern-day powerhouse of the Hetch Hetchy Project at Moccasin, California, rated at 100,000 kVA, is completed and placed in operation. On February 7, the original is removed from service.
- January 28 - 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill: A blowout on Union Oil's Platform A spills 80,000 to 100,000 barrels of crude oil into a channel and onto the beaches of Santa Barbara County in Southern California; on February 5 the oil spill closes Santa Barbara's harbor. The incident inspires Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson to organize the first Earth Day in 1970.
- January 30 - The Beatles give their last public performance, of several tracks on the roof of Apple Records, London.
February
- February 4 - In Cairo, Yasser Arafat is elected Palestine Liberation Organization leader at the Palestinian National Congress.
- February 5 - The controversial television show Turn-On premieres on the ABC network in the United States and is canceled after one episode following protests by viewers and ABC affiliate stations.
- February 8
- * The Allende meteorite explodes over Mexico.
- * After 147 years, the last weekly issue of The Saturday Evening Post is published in the United States.
- February 9 - The Boeing 747 "jumbo jet" is flown for the first time, taking off from the Boeing airfield at Everett, Washington.
- February 13 - Front de libération du Québec terrorists bomb the Montreal Stock Exchange.
- February 14 - Pope Paul VI issues Mysterii Paschalis, a motu proprio, deleting many names from the Roman calendar of saints.
- February 17 - Aquanaut Berry L. Cannon dies of carbon dioxide poisoning while attempting to repair the SEALAB III habitat off San Clemente Island, California.
- February 24
- * The Mariner 6 Mars probe is launched from the United States.
- * Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution applies to public schools.
March
- March 2
- * In Toulouse, France the first Concorde test flight is conducted.
- * Soviet and Chinese forces clash at a border outpost on the Ussuri River.
- March 3
- *Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module.
- * In a Los Angeles court, Sirhan Sirhan admits that he killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
- * The United States Navy establishes the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar.
- March 4 - Arrest warrants are issued by a Florida court for Jim Morrison on charges of indecent exposure during a Doors concert three days earlier.
- March 10
- * In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr..
- * The novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo is first distributed to booksellers by the publisher G. P. Putnam's Sons.
- March 13 - Apollo program: Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
- March 16 - Viasa Flight 742 crashes into a neighborhood in Maracaibo, Venezuela, shortly after taking off for Miami; all 84 people on board the DC-9 jet are killed along with 71 people on the ground.
- March 17
- * Golda Meir becomes the first female prime minister of Israel.
- * The Longhope life-boat is lost after answering a mayday call during severe storms in the Pentland Firth between Orkney and the northern tip of Scotland; the entire crew of 8 die.
- March 18 - Operation Breakfast, the covert bombing of Cambodia by U.S. planes, begins. An annular solar eclipse was visible in Indian and Pacific Oceans, and was the 49th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 129.
- March 19
- * British paratroopers and Marines land on the island of Anguilla, ending its unrecognized independence.
- * A tall TV mast at Emley Moor, England, collapses due to ice build-up.
- March 20
- *One hundred of the 105 passengers and crew on a United Arab Airlines flight, most of them Muslim pilgrims returning to Aswan from Mecca, are killed when the Ilyushin-18 turboprop crashes during a sandstorm.
- *John Lennon and Yoko Ono are married at Gibraltar, and proceed to their honeymoon "Bed-In" for peace in Amsterdam.
- March 22
- *UCLA wins its third consecutive NCAA basketball championship by defeating Purdue University, 92 to 72.
- *The landmark art exhibition When Attitudes become Form, curated by Harald Szeemann, opens at the Kunsthalle Bern in Bern, Switzerland.
- March 28 - Pope Paul VI increases the number of Roman Catholic cardinals by one-third, from 101 to 134.
- March 29 - The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 is held in Madrid, and results in four co-winners, with 18 votes each, from Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France.
- March 30 - The body of former United States General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower is brought by caisson to the United States Capitol to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda; Eisenhower had died two days earlier, after a long illness, in the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
- March 31 - The Barroterán coal mine disaster kills 153 coal miners in Mexico.
April
- April 1 - The Hawker Siddeley Harrier enters service with the Royal Air Force.
- April 4 - Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
- April 8 - The Montreal Expos debut as Major League Baseball's first team outside the United States.
- April 9
- * The Harvard University Administration Building is seized by close to 300 students, mostly members of the Students for a Democratic Society. Before the takeover ends, 45 will be injured and 184 arrested.
- * Fermín Monasterio Pérez is murdered by the ETA in Biscay, Spain; the 4th victim in the name of Basque nationalism.
- April 13 - Queensland: The Brisbane Tramways end service after 84 years of operation.
- April 15 - The EC-121 shootdown incident: North Korea shoots down the aircraft over the Sea of Japan, killing all 31 on board.
- April 20
- * British troops arrive in Northern Ireland to reinforce the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
- * A grassroots movement of Berkeley community members seizes an empty lot owned by the University of California, to begin the formation of "People's Park".
- April 22 - Robin Knox-Johnston becomes the first person to sail around the world solo without stopping.
- April 24 - Recently formed British Leyland launches their first new model, the Austin Maxi in Portugal.
- April 28 - Charles de Gaulle steps down as president of France after suffering defeat in a referendum the day before.
May
- May 4 - In a repeat of the previous season's hockey finals, the Montreal Canadiens defeat the St. Louis Blues four games to none to win the Stanley Cup.
- May 10
- * Zip to Zap, a gathering of more than 2,000 people students and young adults at the remote town of Zap, North Dakota, ends with the dispersal and eviction of the revelers by the North Dakota National Guard.
- * The Battle of Dong Ap Bia, also known as Hamburger Hill, begins during the Vietnam War.
- May 13 - May 13 Incident: Race riots occur in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- May 14 - Colonel Muammar Gaddafi visits Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
- May 15 - An American teenager known as 'Robert R.' dies in St. Louis, Missouri, of a baffling medical condition. In 1984 it will be identified as the earliest confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America.
- May 16 - Venera program: Soviet space probe Venera 5 lands on Venus.
- May 17 - Venera program: Soviet space probe Venera 6 begins to descend into Venus's atmosphere, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.
- May 18 - Apollo program: Apollo 10 is launched as a full rehearsal for the Moon landing, but stops 15 kilometers short of actually reaching the lunar surface.
- May 20 - United States National Guard helicopters spray skin-stinging powder on anti-war protesters in California.
- May 21 - Rosariazo: Civil unrest breaks out in Rosario, Argentina, following the death of a 15-year-old student.
- May 22 - Apollo program: Apollo 10's lunar module flies to within 15,400 m of the Moon's surface.
- May 25 - Midnight Cowboy, an X-rated, Oscar-winning John Schlesinger film, is released.
- May 26
- * The Andean Pact is established.
- * Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth, after a successful 8-day test of all the components needed for the upcoming first manned Moon landing.
- May 26-June 2 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono conduct their second Bed-In. The follow-up to the Amsterdam event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. Lennon composes and records the song Give Peace a Chance during the event.
- May 29 – Cordobazo: A general strike and civil unrest break out in Córdoba, Argentina.
- May 30 - Riots in Curaçao mark the start of an Afro-Caribbean civil rights movement on the island.
June
- June 3 - While operating at sea on SEATO maneuvers, the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne accidentally rams and slices into the American destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea, killing 74 American seamen.
- June 5 - An international communist conference begins in Moscow.
- June 7 - The rock group Blind Faith plays its first gig in front of 100,000 people in London's Hyde Park.
- June 8 - Francisco Franco orders the closing of the Gibraltar–Spain border and communications between Gibraltar and Spain in response to the 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum. The border remains closed until a partial reopening on December 15, 1982.
- June 8 - U.S. President Richard Nixon and South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu meet at Midway Island. Nixon announces that 25,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn by September.
- June 15 - Georges Pompidou is elected President of France.
- June 17 - After a 23-game match, Boris Spassky defeats Tigran Petrosian to become the World Chess Champion in Moscow.
- June 18-22 - The National Convention of the Students for a Democratic Society, held in Chicago, collapses and the Weatherman faction seizes control of the SDS National Office. Thereafter, any activity run from the National Office or bearing the name of SDS is Weatherman-controlled.
- June 22
- * The Cuyahoga River fire helps spur an avalanche of water pollution control activities resulting in the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
- * Judy Garland dies of a drug overdose in her London home.
- June 23 - Warren E. Burger is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States by retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren.
- June 24 - The United Kingdom and Rhodesia sever diplomatic relations, after Rhodesian constitutional referendum.
- June 28 - The Stonewall riots in New York City mark the start of the modern gay rights movement in the U.S.
July
- July 1 - Charles, Prince of Wales, is invested with his title at Caernarfon.
- July 3 - Brian Jones, musician and founder of The Rolling Stones, drowns in his swimming pool at his home in Sussex, England.
- July 4 - Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin are shot at Blue Rock Springs in California. They are the second victims of the Zodiac Killer. Mageau survives the attack while Ferrin is pronounced dead-on-arrival at Richmond Medical Center.
- July 5 - Tom Mboya, Kenyan Minister of Development, is assassinated.
- July 7 - French is made equal to English throughout the Canadian national government.
- July 8 - Vietnam War: The very first U.S. troop withdrawals are made.
- July 10 - Donald Crowhurst's sailing trimaran Teignmouth Electron is found drifting and unoccupied in mid-Atlantic; it is presumed that Crowhurst committed suicide at sea earlier in the month having falsified his progress in the solo Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
- July 14
- * Football War: After Honduras loses an association football match against El Salvador, rioting breaks out in Honduras against Salvadoran migrant workers. Of the 300,000 Salvadoran workers in Honduras, tens of thousands are expelled, prompting a brief Salvadoran invasion of Honduras. The OAS works out a cease-fire on July 18, which takes effect on July 20.
- * The Act of Free Choice commences in Merauke, West Irian.
- * The United States' $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills are officially withdrawn from circulation.
- July 16 - Apollo program: Apollo 11 lifts off from Cape Kennedy in Florida towards the first manned landing on the Moon.
- July 19
- * Chappaquiddick incident: US Senator Edward M. Kennedy drives off a bridge into a tidal pond after leaving a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy does not report the accident for nine or ten hours.
- * John Fairfax lands in Hollywood Beach, Florida near Miami and becomes the first person to row across an ocean solo, after 180 days spent at sea on board 25' ocean rowboat 'Britannia'.
- July 20 - Apollo program Moon landing: At 10:56 pm ET Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle lands on the Moon's surface. An estimated 650 million people worldwide, the largest television audience for a live broadcast at this time, watch in awe as Neil Armstrong takes his first historic steps on the surface.
- July 20 - 1969 Tour de France: Eddy Merckx wins the Tour de France for the first time.
- July 22 - Spanish dictator and head of state Francisco Franco appoints Prince Juan Carlos his successor.
- July 24
- * The Apollo 11 returns from the first successful Moon landing and the astronauts are placed in biological isolation for several days in case they may have brought back lunar germs. The airless lunar environment is later determined to rule out microscopic life.
- * The Soviet Union returns British lecturer Gerald Brooke to the United Kingdom freed from a Soviet prison in exchange for their spies Peter and Helen Kroger.
- July 25 - Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon declares the Nixon Doctrine, stating that the United States now expects its Asian allies to take care of their own military defense. This starts the "Vietnamization" of the war.
- July 26 - The New York Chapter of the Young Lords is founded to fight for empowerment of Puerto Ricans.
- July 30 - Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon makes an unscheduled visit to South Vietnam, meeting with President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and U.S. military commanders.
- July 31
- * The old halfpenny ceases to be legal tender in the UK.
- * Pope Paul VI arrives in Entebbe, Uganda for the first visit by a reigning Pope to Africa.
August
- August 4 - Vietnam War: At the apartment of French intermediary Jean Sainteny in Paris, U.S. representative Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese representative Xuan Thuy begin secret peace negotiations. They eventually fail since both sides cannot agree to any terms.
- August 5 - Mariner program: Mariner 7 makes its closest fly-by of Mars.
- August 8
- * The Beatles at 11:30 have photographer Iain Macmillan take their photo on a zebra crossing on Abbey Road.
- * A fire breaks out in Bannerman's Castle in the Hudson River; most of the roof collapses and crashes down to the lower levels.
- August 9
- * Members of the Manson Family invade the home of actress Sharon Tate and her husband Roman Polanski in Los Angeles. The followers killed Tate, and her friends: Folgers coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring. Also killed is Steven Parent, leaving from a visit to the Polanskis' caretaker. More than 100 stab wounds are found on the victims, except for Parent, who had been shot almost as soon as the Manson Family entered the property.
- * The Haunted Mansion attraction opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Later versions open in Florida, Tokyo and Paris.
- August 10 - The Manson Family kills Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, wealthy Los Angeles businessman and his wife.
- August 12 - The Troubles: Violence erupts after the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in a three-day communal riot known as the Battle of the Bogside, and violence elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
- August 13 - Serious border clashes occur between the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.
- August 14 - The Troubles: British troops are deployed in Northern Ireland to restore order following three days of political and sectarian violence, marking the beginning of the 37-year Operation Banner.
- August 15 - Captain D's is founded as "Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers" by Ray Danner with its first location opening in Donelson, Tennessee.
- August 15-18 - The Woodstock Festival is held near White Lake, New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era.
- August 17 - Category 5 Hurricane Camille, the most powerful tropical cyclonic system at landfall in history, hits the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing US$1.5 billion in damage.
- August 18 - Long John Silver's restaurant chain opens its first store in Lexington, Kentucky.
- August 19 - Embraer, an commercial aircraft brand, founded in State of São Paulo, Brazil.
- August 20 - Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is established in Florissant, Colorado, U.S.
- August 21
- * Donald and Doris Fisher open the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco.
- * Australian Denis Michael Rohan sets the Al-Aqsa Mosque on fire.
- * Strong violence on demonstration in Prague and Brno, Czechoslovakia. Military force contra citizens. Prague spring finally beaten.
- August 24 - V. V. Giri elected President of India
- August 29 - A Trans World Airlines flight from Rome to Tel Aviv is hijacked and diverted to Syria.
September
- September 1 - 1969 Libyan coup d'état: A bloodless coup in Libya ousts King Idris and brings Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to power.
- September 2
- * The first automatic teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Centre, New York.
- * Ho Chi Minh, the president of North Vietnam, dies at the age of 79.
- September 5 - Lieutenant William Calley is charged with six counts of premeditated murder for the 1968 My Lai Massacre deaths of 109 Vietnamese civilians in My Lai, Vietnam.
- September 9 - Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a DC-9 airliner, collides in flight with a small Piper PA-28 airplane, and crashes near Fairland, Indiana, killing all 83 persons in both aircraft.
- September 11 - An annular solar eclipse was visible in Pacific Ocean and South America, and was the 41st solar eclipse of Solar Saros 134.
- September 13 - Scooby-Doo airs its first episode on the CBS network in the United States.
- September 14 - Persons who were born during the years from 1944 to 1951, and who celebrate their birthdays on this day, mark the occasion without being aware that September 14 will be the first date selected in the new U.S. draft lottery on December 1.
- September 20
- * At a meeting between The Beatles and business manager Allen Klein, John Lennon announces his intention to quit the group.
- * The very last theatrical Warner Bros. cartoon is released: the Merrie Melodies short Injun Trouble.
- September 22 - San Francisco Giant Willie Mays becomes the first major league baseball player since Babe Ruth to hit 600 career home runs.
- September 22-25 - An Islamic conference in Rabat, Morocco, following the al-Aqsa Mosque fire, condemns the Israeli claim of ownership of Jerusalem.
- September 23
- * China carries out an underground nuclear bomb test.
- * Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens to limited release in the United States.
- September 24 - The Chicago Eight trial begins in Chicago, Illinois.
- September 25
- * The Organisation of the Islamic Conference is founded.
- * A logistics and delivery service on worldwide, DHL was founded in California, United States.
- September 26
- * The Beatles release their Abbey Road album which is an enormous commercial success and, although receiving mixed reviews at this time, comes to be viewed by many as the group's best.
- * The Brady Bunch is broadcast for the first time on ABC.
- September 28 - 1969 West German federal election: The Social Democrats, led by Vice Chancellor Willy Brandt, and the Free Democrats led by Walter Scheel, formed a coalition government with Brandt as Chancellor, after the Social Democrats severed their relationship with Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger's Christian Democratic Union.
- September 29 - 1969 Tulbagh earthquake in South Africa, the most destructive earthquake in South African history.
October
- October 1
- * In Sweden, Olof Palme is elected Leader of the Social Democratic Worker's Party, replacing Tage Erlander as Prime Minister on October 14.
- * The Beijing Subway begins operation.
- October 2 - A 1.2 megaton thermonuclear device is tested at Amchitka Island, Alaska. This test is code-named Project Milrow, the 11th test of the Operation Mandrel 1969–1970 underground nuclear test series. This test is known as a "calibration shot" to test if the island is fit for larger underground nuclear detonations.
- October 5
- *Monty Python's Flying Circus first airs on BBC One.
- *Sazae-san first airs on Fuji Television.
- October 9-12 - Days of Rage: In Chicago, the Illinois National Guard is called in to control demonstrations involving the radical Weathermen, in connection with the "Chicago Eight" Trial.
- October 11 The Zodiac Killer shoots and kills taxi driver Paul Stine in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, marking the infamous serial killer's last known slaying
- October 11-16 - The New York Mets defeat the Baltimore Orioles four games to one in one of the greatest World Series upsets in baseball history.
- October 13
- * An unofficial strike amongst British mineworkers begins over the working hours of surface workers.
- October 15
- * DZKB-TV Channel 9, the Philippines TV station, owner by Roberto S. Benedicto, is launched.
- * Vietnam War: Hundreds of thousands of people take part in Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam demonstrations across the United States.
- October 17
- * Willard S. Boyle and George Smith invent the CCD at Bell Laboratories.
- * Fourteen black athletes are kicked off the University of Wyoming football team for wearing black armbands into their coach's office.
- * The western end of the Eyre Highway in Western Australia is completed after nine years of construction.
- October 21
- * Willy Brandt becomes Chancellor of West Germany.
- * General Siad Barre comes to power in Somalia in a coup, 6 days after the assassination of President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke.
- October 22 - Led Zeppelin release Led Zeppelin II to critical acclaim and commercial success.
- October 25 - 1969 Australian federal election: John Gorton's Liberal/Country Coalition Government is narrowly re-elected with a sharply reduced majority, defeating a resurgent Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam. Prime Minister Gorton survived a leadership challenge by his deputy William McMahon as well as David Fairbairn in the immediate aftermath of the election.
- October 29 - The first message is sent over ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet.
- October 31
- * Wal-Mart incorporates as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- * The disappearance of Patricia Spencer and Pamela Hobley occurs.
November
- November 3
- * Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon addresses the nation on television and radio, asking the "silent majority" to join him in solidarity with the Vietnam War effort, and to support his policies.
- * Süleyman Demirel of AP forms the new government of Turkey.
- November 7 - Pink Floyd release their Ummagumma album.
- November 9 - A group of American Indians, led by Richard Oakes, seizes Alcatraz Island as a symbolic gesture, offering to buy the property for $24 from the U.S. government. A longer occupation begins 11 days later. The act inspires a wave of renewed Indian pride and government reform.
- November 10 - Sesame Street airs its first episode on the NET network.
- November 12 - Vietnam War - My Lai Massacre: Independent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh breaks the My Lai story.
- November 14
- *Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the Moon.
- * The SS United States, the last active United States Lines passenger ship, is withdrawn from service.
- November 15
- * Cold War: The Soviet submarine K-19 collides with the American submarine USS Gato in the Barents Sea.
- * Vietnam War: In Washington, D.C., 250,000–500,000 protesters stage a peaceful demonstration against the war, including a symbolic "March Against Death".
- * Regular colour television broadcasts begin on BBC1 and ITV in the United Kingdom.
- * Dave Thomas opens his first restaurant in a former steakhouse in downtown Columbus, Ohio. He names the chain Wendy's after his 8-year-old daughter, Melinda Lou.
- November 17 - Cold War: Negotiators from the Soviet Union and the United States meet in Helsinki, to begin the SALT I negotiations aimed at limiting the number of strategic weapons on both sides.
- November 19
- * Apollo program: Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean land at Oceanus Procellarum, becoming the third and fourth humans to walk on the Moon.
- * Professional footballer Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.
- November 20
- * Vietnam War: A Cleveland, Ohio newspaper, The Plain Dealer, publishes explicit photographs of dead villagers from the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam.
- * Richard Oakes returns with 90 followers to Alcatraz Island and begins a 19 month long occupation, lasting until June 1971.
- November 21
- * U.S. President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Satō agree in Washington, D.C. to the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. retains rights to military bases on the island, but they must be nuclear-free.
- * The first ARPANET link is established.
- * The United States Senate votes down the Supreme Court nomination of Clement Haynsworth, the first such rejection since 1930.
- November 22 - College Football: Michigan ends Ohio State's 22-game winning streak with a 24–12 upset at Ann Arbor, denying the Buckeyes their second consecutive national championship.
- November 24 - Apollo program: The Apollo 12 spacecraft splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean, ending the second manned mission to the Moon.
- November 25 - John Lennon returns his MBE medal to protest the British government's involvement in the Nigerian Civil War.
- November 29 – In basketball, South Korea defeats the Philippines 95 to 86 to win the 1969 ABC Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.
December
- December 1 - Vietnam War: The first draft lottery in the United States since World War II is held. September 14 is the first of the 366 days of the year selected, meaning that those persons who were born on September 14 in the years from 1944 to 1951 would be the first to be summoned. On January 4, 1970, The New York Times will run a long article, "Statisticians Charge Draft Lottery Was Not Random".
- December 2 - The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its first passenger flight. It carries 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, from Seattle to New York City.
- December 4 - Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot dead in their sleep during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers.
- December 5 - The Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed is released.
- December 6
- *College football: #1 ranked Texas rallies from 14–0 deficit with two fourth quarter touchdowns to edge #2 Arkansas 15–14 at Fayetteville in a game attended by President of the United States Richard Nixon and several high-ranking government dignitaries, including future President George H.W. Bush. The victory clinches the national championship of the coaches poll for the Longhorns; they would win the Associated Press national championship by defeating Notre Dame 21–17 in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
- *The Altamont Free Concert is held at the Altamont Speedway in northern California. Hosted by The Rolling Stones, it is an attempt at a "Woodstock West" and is best known for the uproar of violence that occurred. It is viewed by many as the "end of the sixties."
- December 7 - The animated Rankin Bass Christmas special Frosty the Snowman premiers on CBS.
- December 12 - The Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan, Italy kills 17 people and injures 88.
- December 14 - The murder of Diane Maxwell takes place. The 25-year-old phone operator is found sexually assaulted and killed.
- December 24
- * Charles Manson is allowed to defend himself at the Tate-LaBianca murder trial.
- * The oil company Phillips Petroleum made the first oil discovery in the Norwegian sector of North Sea.
- * Nigerian troops capture Umuahia. The last Biafran capital before its dissolution becomes Owerri.
- December 27 - The Liberal Democratic Party wins 47.6% of the votes in the 1969 Japanese general election. Future prime ministers Yoshirō Mori and Tsutomu Hata and future kingmaker Ichirō Ozawa are elected for the first time.
- December 28 - The Young Lords take over the First Spanish Methodist Church in East Harlem.
- December 30 - The Linwood bank robbery leaves two police officers dead.
Date unknown
- Summer - Invention of Unix under the potential name "Unics".
- Fall - Second-generation Dodge Challenger automobile introduced in the United States.
- Common African, Malagasy and Mauritian Organization is established.
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, a maritime treaty, is adopted.
- Women are allowed membership in the Future Farmers of America.
- Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips is founded by S. Robert Davis and Dave Thomas and its first location in Columbus, Ohio opens for business.
Births
January
- January 1
- * Morris Chestnut, African-American actor
- * Verne Troyer, American actor
- January 2
- * Robby Gordon, American race car driver
- * Tommy Morrison, American boxer
- * Christy Turlington, American fashion model
- January 3 - Michael Schumacher, German seven-time Formula One world champion
- January 5
- * Mai Charoenpura, Thai singer and actress
- * Marilyn Manson, American rock musician
- * Shea Whigham, American actor
- January 6
- * Aron Eisenberg, American actor and filmmaker
- * Norman Reedus, American actor
- January 11 - Kyōko Hikami, Japanese voice actress
- January 13
- * Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, Mexican writer, wife of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
- * Stephen Hendry, British snooker player
- January 14
- * Jason Bateman, American actor, director and producer
- * Dave Grohl, American rock drummer and composer
- January 15 - Meret Becker, German actress and musician
- January 16
- * Dead, Norwegian vocalist
- * Roy Jones Jr., African-American professional boxer, commentator, trainer, rapper, and actor
- January 17
- * Tiësto, Dutch DJ and record producer
- * Lukas Moodysson, Swedish film director
- * Naveen Andrews, British-American actor
- January 18
- * Dave Bautista, American actor, professional mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
- * Jesse L. Martin, American actor and singer
- January 19 - Junior Seau, American NFL player
- January 20
- * Patrick K. Kroupa, American writer, hacker
- * Nicky Wire, Welsh musician
- January 21 - John Ducey, American actor
- January 27
- * Cornelius, Japanese rock musician, singer and producer
- * Patton Oswalt, American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice artist
- January 28
- * Kathryn Morris, American actress
- * Mo Rocca, American humorist, journalist and actor
- January 29 - Hyde, Japanese rock musician, singer and guitarist
February
- February 1
- * Gabriel Batistuta, Argentine footballer
- * Andrew Breitbart, American writer and publisher
- February 2 - Dambisa Moyo, Zambian-born economist
- February 3
- * Beau Biden, 44th Attorney General of Delaware
- * Retief Goosen, South African golfer
- February 5
- * Bobby Brown, African-American singer
- * Michael Sheen, Welsh actor
- February 6 - David Hayter, Canadian-American voice actor
- February 7 - Andrew Micallef, Maltese painter and musician
- February 9
- * Ian Eagle, American sports announcer
- * Tom Scharpling, American comedian, television writer and producer
- February 11
- * Jennifer Aniston, American actress, director, producer and businesswoman
- * Lee Tockar, Canadian voice actor
- * Bill Warner, American motorcycle racer
- February 12
- * Darren Aronofsky, American filmmaker
- * Steve Backley, British javelin thrower
- * Meja, Swedish singer-songwriter
- * Carlos Cerutti, Argentine basketball player
- * Hong Myung-bo, South Korean footballer
- * Brad Werenka, Canadian ice-hockey player
- February 13
- * Ahlam, Arabic singer
- * JB Blanc, French voice actor
- February 15
- * Roberto Balado, Cuban boxer
- * Birdman, American rapper, entertainer, and record producer
- February 19 - Burton C. Bell, American rock vocalist/lyricist
- February 20
- * Keiji Takayama, Japanese professional wrestler
- * Siniša Mihajlović, Croatian football manager
- February 21
- * James Dean Bradfield, Welsh singer-songwriter
- * Bosson, Swedish singer-songwriter
- * Petra Kronberger, Austrian alpine skier
- February 22 - Thomas Jane, American actor, producer and writer
- February 23
- * Michael Campbell, New Zealand golfer
- * Daymond John, American businessman and investor
- * Marc Wauters, Belgian cyclist
- February 24 - Christine Ng, Hong Kong actress
- February 28
- * Robert Sean Leonard, American actor
- * Patrick Monahan, American musician and singer
- * Benjamin Yeaten, Liberian militant, military commander, and mercenary
March
- March 1
- * Javier Bardem, Spanish actor
- * Dafydd Ieuan, Welsh rock drummer
- * Litefoot, Native American actor
- March 4
- * Chaz Bono, American child actor and LGBT rights activist
- * Annie Shizuka Inoh, Taiwanese actress
- * Patrick Roach, Canadian actor
- * Adrian Wojnarowski, American sports columnist and reporter
- March 7 - Todd Williams, American long-distance runner
- March 10 - Paget Brewster, American actress
- March 11
- * Terrence Howard, American actor and singer
- * Soraya, Colombian singer and multi-instrumentalist
- March 12
- * Graham Coxon, English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter
- * Akemi Okamura, Japanese voice actress
- * Jake Tapper, American journalist
- March 13 - Susanna Mälkki, Finnish conductor
- March 14 - Mary Cheney, American vice president
- March 15
- * Timo Kotipelto, Finnish musician
- * Yutaka Take, Japanese jockey
- March 16 - Markus Lanz, German-Italian television presenter
- March 17 - Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer
- March 18
- * Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukrainian chess grandmaster
- * Jimmy Morales, Guatemalan politician, 37th President of Guatemala
- March 19
- * Patrick Tam, Hong Kong actor
- * Connor Trinneer, American actor
- March 21 - Ali Daei, Iranian football player
- March 24 - Stephan Eberharter, Austrian alpine skier
- March 25
- * Cathy Dennis, British musician
- * Jeffrey Walker, British musician
- March 27
- * Mariah Carey, American pop singer
- * Stéphane Morin, Canadian ice hockey player
- * Kevin Corrigan, American actor
- * Pauley Perrette, American actress
- March 28
- * Rodney Atkins, American country music singer-songwriter
- * Laurie Brett, Scottish actress
- March 29
- * Jeff Blackshear, American football player
- * Chiaki Ishikawa, Japanese singer
- * Ted Lieu, American politician and U.S. Representative
April
- April 1
- * Fadl Shaker, Lebanese singer
- * Andrew Vlahov, Australian basketball player
- April 2 - Ajay Devgan, Indian actor, director and producer
- April 3
- * Ben Mendelsohn, Australian actor
- * Lance Storm, Canadian professional wrestler
- April 6
- * Bret Boone, American baseball player
- * Paul Rudd, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
- April 9
- * Barnaby Kay, English actor
- * Debbie Schlussel, political commentator and film critic
- April 10 - Billy Jayne, American actor
- April 11
- * Cerys Matthews, Welsh singer
- * Caren Miosga, German journalist and television presenter
- * Chisato Moritaka, Japanese singer
- April 12 - Michael Jackson, former NFL wide receiver
- April 13 - Ha Wen, Chinese director
- April 18 - Vladimir Tsyplakov, Belarusian ice hockey player
- April 19
- * Shannon Lee, Chinese-American actress
- * Susan Polgár, Hungarian chess player
- April 20 - Marietta Slomka, German journalist
- April 21
- * Nezam Hafiz, Guyanese-American cricketer
- * Toby Stephens, English actor
- * Traci Paige Johnson, American animator, television producer, and voice actress
- April 22 - Dion Dublin, English footballer
- April 23 - Yelena Shushunova, Soviet gymnast
- April 25
- * Vanessa Beecroft, Italian artist
- * Jon Olsen, American swimmer
- * Gina Torres, American actress
- * Renée Zellweger, American Academy Award-winning actress and producer
- April 27 - Cory Booker, American politician and U.S. Senator
- April 29
- * Jack Mackenroth, American swimmer, model and fashion designer
May
- May 1 - Wes Anderson, American filmmaker
- May 2
- * Brian Lara, West Indian cricketer
- * Corinna Schumacher, German animal rights activist and accomplished horse rider
- May 3 - Daryl F. Mallett, American author and actor
- May 4
- * Christina Billotte, American musician
- * Rabindra Prasad Adhikari, Nepalese politician
- May 5 - Hideki Irabu, Japanese baseball player
- May 6 - Jim Magilton, Northern Irish footballer
- May 7 - Anies Baswedan, Indonesian academic, activist, politician and current Governor of Jakarta
- May 8 - Michael E. Rodgers, Scottish actor
- May 9
- * Amber, German musician
- * Joe Carnahan, American film director, screenwriter and producer
- * Benjamín Rivera, Mexican voice actor
- May 10 - Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer
- May 11 - Annie Pootoogook, Canadian artist
- May 12 - Kim Fields, American actress
- May 13
- * Nikos Aliagas, French-born television host
- * Brian Carroll, American guitarist
- May 14
- * Cate Blanchett, Australian actress
- * Danny Wood, American singer
- May 15 - Emmitt Smith, American football player
- May 16
- * David Boreanaz, American actor
- * Tucker Carlson, American political commentator
- * Steve Lewis, American athlete
- May 18
- * Sean Sellers, American juvenile convict
- * Martika, American singer
- May 21 - Georgiy Gongadze, Ukrainian journalist
- May 24 - Sudhir Kumar Walia, Indian Army officer
- May 25
- * Anne Heche, American actress
- * Stacy London, American fashion consultant and media personality
- May 26 - Siri Lindley, American triathlete
- May 28 - Rob Ford, Canadian politician
June
- June 2 - Jamie Thraves, English film writer, director and music video director
- June 3 - Takako Minekawa, Japanese musician, composer and writer
- June 4
- * Rob Huebel, American comedian
- * Horatio Sanz, Chilean-born American actor and comedian
- June 7
- * Alina Astafei, Romanian-German high jumper
- * Prince Joachim of Denmark
- * Kim Rhodes, American actress
- June 8 - J. P. Manoux, American actor
- June 10 - Kasim Reed, American lawyer and politician
- June 11
- * Peter Dinklage, American actor
- * Steven Drozd, American rock drummer
- June 12
- * Zsolt Daczi, Hungarian rock guitarist
- * Heinz-Christian Strache, Austrian politician
- June 13 - Søren Rasted, Danish musician
- June 14
- * Brooks Ashmanskas, American stage actor
- * Eugene Chung, Korean-American football player
- * Steffi Graf, German tennis player
- * Kyle Hebert, American voice actor
- June 15
- * Ice Cube, African-American rapper and actor
- * Oliver Kahn, German football goalkeeper
- * Jansher Khan, Pakistani squash player
- * Satoshi Murayama, Japanese professional shogi player
- * Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricketer
- June 16
- * Sam Register, American television producer and businessman
- * MC Ren, American rapper
- June 17
- * Amy Keating Rogers, American television producer and writer
- * Paul Tergat, Kenyan athlete
- June 18 - Haki Doku, Albanian para-cyclist
- June 19 - Trine Pallesen, Danish actress
- June 20 - Paulo Bento, Portuguese football player and coach
- June 21 - Pat Sansone, American guitarist
- June 23
- * Martin Klebba, American actor
- * Noa, Israeli singer
- * Fernanda Ribeiro, Portuguese long-distance runner
- June 24
- * Rich Eisen, American television journalist
- * Sissel Kyrkjebø, Norwegian singer
- June 25 - Storm Large, American singer and actor
- June 26 - Mike Myers, American baseball pitcher
- June 27 - Draco Rosa, Puerto Rican musician, singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur
- June 28
- * Phil Masinga, South African footballer
- * Sandiaga Uno, Indonesian businessman, investor, and politician
- * Tichina Arnold, American actress
- * Ayelet Zurer, Israeli actress
- June 30
- * Ben Patrick Johnson, American voice actor, author and blogger, Foundation Director, and human rights activist
- * Anastasiya Nemolyaeva, Soviet and Russian film and theater actress, designer
- * Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan cricketer
July
- July 1 - Rino Romano, Canadian voice actor
- July 2
- * Tony Touch, American hip hop break dancer, singer-songwriter, producer and DJ
- * Matthew Cox, American criminal
- * Jenni Rivera, Mexican-American singer-songwriter, producer and actress
- * Tim Rodber, English rugby player
- July 3
- * Gedeon Burkhard, German actor
- * Shawnee Smith, American actress
- July 4 - Jordan Sonnenblick, American teacher and novelist
- July 5
- * John LeClair, American hockey player
- * RZA, American musician, actor, and director
- July 6
- * Christopher Scarver, American serial killer
- * Beverly McClellan, American singer and reality talent show finalist
- * Brian Van Holt, American actor
- July 7
- * Shiro Kikuhara, Japanese football player
- * Sylke Otto, German luger
- * Joe Sakic, Canadian hockey player
- * Keith Baker, American game designer and fantasy novel author
- * Cree Summer, American-Canadian actress and singer
- * Metin Feyzioğlu, Turkish lawyer
- July 8
- * George Fisher, American vocalist, Cannibal Corpse
- * Sugizo, Japanese guitarist and singer
- July 9 - Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, Mongolian-German sport shooter
- July 10
- * Gale Harold, American actor
- * Hossan Leong, Singaporean stage and screen actor, television host, radio deejay and comedian
- * Jonas Kaufmann, German operatic tenor
- * Rami Makhlouf, Syrian businessman
- July 11 - David Tao, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
- July 12 - Jesse Pintado, Mexican-Dutch musician
- July 13
- * Ken Jeong, American actor, comedian and physician
- * Luis Rodríguez, Puerto Rican volleyball player
- * Barney Greenway, British extreme metal vocalist
- July 14
- * Kazushi Sakuraba, Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
- * Billy Herrington, American gay pornographic actor
- July 15 - Chris Wyse, American bassist of Owl and The Cult
- July 16
- * Björn Dunkerbeck, Danish windsurfer
- * Sahra Wagenknecht, German politician
- July 17
- * Jason Clarke, Australian actor
- * Ravi Kishan, Indian actor
- * Kazuki Kitamura, Japanese actor
- July 18
- * Orlando Miguel, Cuban-Mexican actor
- * Masanori Murakawa, Japanese wrestler
- * Elizabeth Gilbert, American author, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and memoirist
- July 19
- * Chris Kratt, American educational nature show host
- * Courtenay Taylor, American voice actress
- July 20
- * Josh Holloway, American actor
- * Johnny Ngauamo, Tonga rugby union player
- July 21
- * Godfrey, American comedian and actor
- * Avraam Russo, Russian singer
- * Isabell Werth, German equestrian
- July 22
- * Jason Becker, American heavy metal guitarist, formerly of Cacophony
- * James Arnold Taylor, American voice actor
- * Despina Vandi, Greek singer
- July 23
- * John Cariani, American actor and playwright
- * Phil Edge, British theatre lighting designer
- July 24
- * Neal Fredericks, American cinematographer
- * Jennifer Lopez, American actress and singer
- July 25 - Jason Harris Katz, American voice actor and television host
- July 26 - Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, British Paralympian
- July 27
- * Dacian Cioloș, 64th Prime Minister of Romania
- * Pavel Hapal, Czech footballer
- * Jonty Rhodes, South African cricketer
- * Triple H, American wrestler
- July 28
- * Michael Amott, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
- * Alexis Arquette, American actress, cabaret performer, underground cartoonist, and activist
- * Dana White, American businessman and president of Ultimate Fighting Championship
- July 29 - Timothy Omundson, American actor
- July 30 - Simon Baker, Australian-American actor and director
- July 31 - Antonio Conte, Italian football player and manager
August
- August 1 - David Wain, American comedian, writer, actor, and director
- August 2
- * Jan Axel Blomberg, Norwegian drummer
- * Fernando Couto, Portuguese footballer
- August 3 - Anne Marie DeLuise, Canadian actress
- August 4
- * Sébastien Demorand, French journalist and food critic
- * Max Cavalera, Brazilian musician and singer
- * Michael DeLuise, American actor
- August 5
- * Kenny Irwin Jr., American stock car racing driver
- * Kim Mai Guest, American voice actress
- August 6
- * Jonathan Aibel, American scriptwriter
- * Elliott Smith, American musician
- August 8
- * Song Sung-il, South Korean wrestler
- * Faye Wong, Hong Kong singer and actress
- August 9 - Troy Percival, American baseball player
- August 10 - Brian Drummond, Canadian voice actor
- August 11
- * Vanderlei de Lima, Brazilian long-distance runner
- * Ashley Jensen, British actress
- August 12 - Tanita Tikaram, German-born British singer-songwriter
- August 13 - Midori Ito, Japanese figure skater
- August 14 - Chris Pérez, Mexican-American guitarist
- August 15
- * Justin Broadrick, British musician
- * Kevin Cheng, Hong Kong television actor and singer
- * Bernard Fanning, Australian musician
- August 16 - Kate Higgins, American voice actress
- August 17
- * Christian Laettner, American professional basketball player
- * Dick Togo, Japanese professional wrestler
- * Donnie Wahlberg, American singer and actor
- August 18
- * Everlast, American singer, rapper, and songwriter
- * Edward Norton, American actor, film director, screenwriter, and social activist
- * Christian Slater, American actor, voice actor and producer
- * Timothy Snyder, American author and historian
- August 19
- * Nate Dogg, African-American rapper
- * Doug Langdale, American screenwriter, producer and actor
- * Paula Jai Parker, American actress, comedian, director and singer-songwriter
- * Matthew Perry, American actor
- * Clay Walker, American singer
- August 21 - Oliver Geissen, German television presenter
- August 26 - Glenn Berger, American scriptwriter
- August 28
- * Jack Black, American actor and musician
- * Jason Priestley, Canadian actor and director
- August 29
- * Lucero, Mexican singer and actress
- * Joe Swail, Northern Irish snooker player
- August 30
- * Nebojša Glogovac, Serbian actor
- * Kent Osborne, American actor and producer
- August 31
- * Andrew Cunanan, American serial killer
- * Jonathan LaPaglia, Australian actor
September
- September 2
- * Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, American singer
- * Dave Naz, American photographer
- September 3 - Robert Karlsson, Swedish golfer
- September 4
- * Giorgi Margvelashvili, politician; 4th President of the Republic of Georgia
- * Kristen Wilson, American actress
- September 5 - Dweezil Zappa, American actor and musician
- September 6 - Cece Peniston, American musician
- September 7
- * Jean-Benoît Dunckel, French musician
- * Angie Everhart, American actress and model
- * Diane Farr, American actress
- * Jimmy Urine, American singer
- September 8 - Gary Speed, Welsh footballer and manager
- September 9 - Rachel Hunter, New Zealand model and actress
- September 10 - Ai Jing, Chinese singer
- September 11 - Crystal Lewis, American Christian musician
- September 12
- * Ángel Cabrera, Argentine golfer
- * Shigeki Maruyama, Japanese golfer
- * Emma Griffiths, English golfer
- September 13
- * Dominic Fumusa, American actor
- * Tyler Perry, American actor, film director, and screenwriter
- * Shane Warne, Australian cricketer
- September 14 - Bong Joon-ho, South Korean Academy Award-winning filmmaker
- September 17
- * Alexei Akellov, Russian director, clip maker, actor, film producer, cinematographer and special effects supervisor
- * Keith Flint, English singer
- * Ken Doherty, Irish snooker player
- * Matthew Settle, American actor
- September 19
- * Simona Păucă, Romanian gymnast
- * Michael Symon, American chef and television personality
- September 24
- * Shawn "Clown" Crahan, American rock percussionist
- * DeVante Swing, American music producer
- September 25
- * Yves Amyot, Québécois actor
- * Hansie Cronje, South African cricketer
- * Bill Simmons, American sports columnist
- * Hal Sparks, American actor, writer, comedian, and political commentator
- * Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh actress
- September 26
- * Victor N'Gembo-Mouanda, Congolese author
- * Paul Warhurst, English football player
- September 29 - Erika Eleniak, American model and actress
- September 30
- * Chris Von Erich, American professional wrestler
- * Jackie Traverse, Canadian artist and activist
October
- October 1
- * Zach Galifianakis, American actor and stand-up comedian
- * Igor Ulanov, Russian hockey player
- * Marcus Stephen, Former President of Nauru
- October 2 - Mitch English, American actor and television host
- October 3
- * Gwen Stefani, American singer, actress, and television host
- * Tetsuya, Japanese musician
- October 5 - Elizabeth Azcona Bocock, Honduran politician
- October 6
- * Muhammad V of Kelantan, 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and Sultan of Kelantan
- * Ogün Temizkanoğlu, Turkish football player
- October 7
- * Benny Chan Ho Man, Hong Kong actor
- * Benny Chan Muk-Sing, Hong Kong film director
- * DJ Qbert, American turntablist and composer
- October 8 - Julia Ann, American pornographic actress
- October 9
- * Jun Akiyama, Japanese professional wrestler
- * PJ Harvey, British singer-songwriter
- * Steve McQueen, English film director, producer and screenwriter
- October 10
- * Manu Bennett, New Zealand actor
- * Loren Bouchard, American voice actor, animator and producer
- * Brett Favre, American football player
- * Robert Quiroga, American world champion boxer
- * Molly Kiely, American cartoonist
- * Wendi McLendon-Covey, American actress
- October 11 - Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands
- October 12 - Judit Mascó, Spanish model, television host and writer
- October 13
- * Rhett Akins, American country singer
- * Nancy Kerrigan, American figure skater
- * Cady McClain, American actress and director
- October 14
- * Kosuke Okano, Japanese voice actor
- * Pete Murray, Australian singer-songwriter
- * David Strickland, American actor
- October 15
- * Kim Raver, American actress
- * Dominic West, English actor, director, and musician
- October 16
- * Roy Hargrove, American Grammy-winner jazz trumpeter
- * Wendy Wilson, American singer and television personality
- October 17
- * Ernie Els, South African golfer
- * Jesús Ángel García, Spanish race walker
- * Wood Harris, American actor
- * Wyclef Jean, Haitian rapper
- * Nancy Sullivan, American actress
- October 19
- * Vanessa Marshall, American actress, voice actress, singer and model
- * Trey Parker, American actor, voice actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and composer
- October 20
- * Laurie Daley, Australian rugby league player
- * Juan González, American baseball player
- October 21 - Michael Hancock, Australian rugby league player
- October 22 - Spike Jonze, American director and filmmaker
- October 24
- * Peter Dolving, Swedish musician
- * Adela Noriega, Mexican actress
- October 25
- * Samantha Bee, Canadian comedian, writer, producer, and political commentator
- * Josef Beránek, Czech ice hockey player
- * Nika Futterman, American actress and voice artist
- * Oleg Salenko, Russian football player
- * Alex Webster, American bassist
- October 30
- * Stanislav Gross, 5th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
- * Snow, Canadian singer
- October 31
- * Kylie Kwong, Australian chef and television presenter
- * Kim Rossi Stuart, Italian actor and director
November
- November 1 - Diane Parish, English actress
- November 2 - Reginald Arvizu, American bassist
- November 3
- * Laura Latini, Italian voice actress
- * Robert Miles, Swiss-born Italian record producer and DJ
- November 4
- * Sean Combs, African-American rapper and entrepreneur
- * Matthew McConaughey, American actor
- November 5 - CJ de Mooi, British professional quizzer and television personality
- November 7
- * Michelle Clunie, American actress
- * Hélène Grimaud, French pianist
- November 8 - Jonathan Slavin, American actor and activist
- November 9
- * Sandra Denton, African-American rapper
- * Allison Wolfe, American musician
- November 10
- * Faustino Asprilla, Colombian football player
- * Jens Lehmann, German football player
- * Ellen Pompeo, American actress
- November 12
- * Monalisa Perrone, Brazilian journalist
- * Ian Bremmer, American political scientist
- * Tomas N'evergreen, Danish singer
- * Rob Schrab, American actor and comic book creator
- November 13
- * Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
- * Stephen Full, American actor and comedian
- * Josh Mancell, American freelance composer and multi-instrumentalist
- November 15 - Big Hawk, American rapper
- November 17
- * Ryōtarō Okiayu, Japanese voice actor
- * Jean-Michel Saive, Belgian table tennis player
- * Tania Zaetta, Australian actress and television presenter
- November 18
- * Kathleen van Brempt, Belgian politician
- * Sam Cassell, American basketball player
- * Ahmed Helmy, Egyptian actor
- * Rocket Ismail, American football player
- November 19
- * Erika Alexander, African-American actress
- * Ertuğrul Sağlam, Turkish football coach and former player
- November 20
- * Sakura, Japanese musician
- * Dabo Swinney, American college football coach
- November 21 - Ken Griffey Jr., American baseball player
- November 23
- * Byron Moreno, Ecuadorian football referee and convicted drug smuggler
- * Robin Padilla, Filipino actor
- November 24 - David Adeang, Nauruan politician
- November 27 - Carina Ricco, Mexican actress and singer
- November 28
- * Colman Domingo, African-American actor
- * Lexington Steele, African-American actor and film director
- November 29
- * Chris Baker, American race car driver
- * Pierre van Hooijdonk, Dutch footballer
- * Kasey Keller, American Major League Soccer player
- * Mariano Rivera, Panamanian-American professional baseball player
- November 30
- * Trina Gulliver, English darts player
- * Valentijn de Jong, Dutch Entrepreneur & Professional footballer
December
- December 1
- * Richard Carrier, American historian
- * Rino Romano, Canadian voice actor
- December 3 - Bill Steer, English musician
- December 4 - Jay-Z, African-American rapper
- December 5
- * Alex Kapp Horner, American actress
- * Sajid Javid, British Pakistani politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- December 7 - Patrice O'Neal, African-American comedian and radio personality
- December 8 - Kerry Earnhardt, American race car driver
- December 9
- * Jakob Dylan, American singer-songwriter
- * Lori Greiner, American investor, entrepreneur and television personality
- December 11
- * Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess grandmaster
- * Sean Grande, American basketball announcer
- * Phil Spencer, British television property percenter and estate agent
- * Karl von Möller, Australian director and cinematographer
- December 13 - Hideo Ishikawa, Japanese voice actor
- December 14
- * Archie Kao, Chinese-American film and television actor
- * Natascha McElhone, British actress
- December 15 - Rick Law, American illustrator and producer
- December 16 - Michelle Smith, Irish swimmer
- December 17
- * Laurie Holden, American actress, producer, model and human rights activist
- * Chuck Liddell, American mixed martial arts fighter
- * Michael V., Filipino comedian and actor
- December 18
- * Santiago Cañizares, Spanish footballer
- * Irvin Duguid, Scottish rock keyboard player
- * Justin Edinburgh, English footballer and manager
- * Mille Petrozza, German-Italian rock vocalist and guitarist
- * Joe Randa, American Major League Baseball player and radio talk-show host
- December 19
- * Richard Hammond, British television presenter
- * Lauren Sánchez, American news anchor
- * Kristy Swanson, American actress
- December 20 - Chisa Yokoyama, Japanese voice actress
- December 21
- * Julie Delpy, French actress
- * Magnus Samuelsson, Swedish bodybuilder, World's Strongest Man
- December 23
- * Greg Biffle, American race car driver
- * Martha Byrne, American actress and singer
- * Rob Pelinka, American sports agent
- December 24
- * Brad Anderson, American wrestler
- * Milan Blagojevic, Australian footballer
- * Pernille Fischer Christensen, Danish film director
- * Taro Goto, Japanese footballer
- * Leavander Johnson, American lightweight boxer
- * Ryuji Kato, Japanese footballer
- * Nick Love, English film director and writer
- * Miyuki Matsushita, Japanese voice actress
- * Clinton McKinnon, American musician
- * Sean Cameron Michael, South African actor and singer
- * Ed Miliband, English academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office
- * Mark Millar, Scottish author
- * Luis Musrri, Chilean footballer
- * Mariko Shiga, Japanese voice actress
- * Oleg Skripochka, Russian cosmonaut
- * Gintaras Staučė, Lithuanian footballer
- * Chen Yueling, American race walker
- * Jonathan Zittrain, American professor
- * Michael Zucchet, American economist and politician, Mayor of San Diego
- December 25 - Nicolas Godin, French musician
- December 27
- * Chyna, American professional wrestler
- * Sarah Vowell, American historian, author, journalist, essayist, social commentator and actress
- December 28 - Linus Torvalds, Finnish computer programmer
- December 30
- * Matt Goldman, American record producer
- * Kersti Kaljulaid, 5th President of Estonia
- * Jay Kay, English singer
- December 31 - Dominik Diamond, Scottish presenter and newspaper columnist
Deaths
January
- January 1 - Barton MacLane, American actor
- January 2 - Gilbert Miller, American theatrical producer
- January 3
- * Commodore Cochran, American Olympic athlete
- * Howard McNear, American actor
- January 8 - Albert Hill, British athlete
- January 17
- * Bunchy Carter, American political activist
- * John Huggins, American political activist
- January 25 - Irene Castle, English dancer
- January 27
- * Anukulchandra Chakravarty, revered Indian godman
- * Charles Winninger, American actor
- January 29 - Allen Dulles, American director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- January 31 - Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master
February
- February 2 - Boris Karloff, British actor
- February 3
- * Eduardo Mondlane, leader of the Mozambique nationalist organization FRELIMO
- * Al Taliaferro, Disney comics artist
- February 5
- * Conrad Hilton Jr., American soldier and heir
- * Thelma Ritter, American actress
- February 9 - Gabby Hayes, American actor
- February 12 - Paltiel Daykan, Russian-born Israeli jurist
- February 13 - Florence Mary Taylor, Australia's first female architect
- February 14 - Vito Genovese, Italian-American mobster
- February 15 - Pee Wee Russell, American jazz musician
- February 17 - Paul Barbarin, American jazz musician
- February 23
- * Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia
- * Madhubala, Indian actress
- February 26
- * Levi Eshkol, 3rd Prime Minister of Israel
- * Karl Jaspers, German psychiatrist and philosopher
- February 27
- * Marius Barbeau, Canadian ethnographer
- * John Boles, American actor
March
- March 3
- * Ali Jawdat al-Aiyubi, 11th Prime Minister of Iraq
- * Fred Alexander, American tennis player
- * Martin Lucas, Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic archbishop
- March 4 - Nicholas Schenck, Russian-born film impresario
- March 6
- * Keisai Aoki, Japanese missionary
- * Óscar Osorio, Salvadorian military leader, 32nd President of El Salvador
- March 9
- * Charles Brackett, American novelist and screenwriter
- * Richard Crane, American actor
- March 11
- * Daniel E. Barbey, American admiral
- * John Wyndham, British author
- March 14 - Ben Shahn, Lithuanian-American artist
- March 18 - Barbara Bates, American actress
- March 21 - Pinky Higgins, American baseball player and manager
- March 24 - Joseph Kasavubu, 1st President of Congo-Léopoldville
- March 25
- * Billy Cotton, English entertainer and bandleader
- * Max Eastman, American writer
- * Alan Mowbray, English actor
- March 28 - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and politician, 34th President of the United States
- March 31 - George de la Warr, British alternative physician
April
- April 2 - Fortunio Bonanova, Spanish actor and singer
- April 4 - Félix Conde Falcón, American army soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor
- April 5
- * Alberto Bonucci, Italian actor and director
- * Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian Nazi war criminal
- * Shelby Storck, American television producer
- April 6 - Gabriel Chevallier, French writer
- April 7
- * Aleksandra Artyukhina, Russian revolutionary hero
- * Rómulo Gallegos, Venezuelan novelist and politician, 48th President of Venezuela
- April 10 - Harley Earl, American designer and executive
- April 14 - Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Spanish actress
- April 15 - Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, former Queen consort of Spain
- April 17 - Abu Hussain Sarkar, Bengali politician
- April 20
- * Benny Benjamin, American urban and jazz musician
- *Vjekoslav Luburić, Croatian Ustaše official and concentration camp administrator
- April 22 - Husain Bey, Crown Prince of Tunisia
- April 24 - Ernie Blenkinsop, English footballer
- April 26 - Morihei Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist and founder of aikido
- April 27 - René Barrientos, Bolivian general and statesman, 56th and 58th President of Bolivia
May
- May 1 - Ella Logan, Scottish-American actress and singer
- May 2 - Franz von Papen, Prussian-German nobleman, general and politician, 22nd Chancellor of Germany and 26th Prime Minister of Prussia
- May 3
- * Karl Freund, German cinematographer
- * Amy Ashwood Garvey, Jamaican pan-African activist
- * Zakir Hussain, Indian politician, 3rd President of India
- May 6 - Don Drummond, Jamaican ska musician
- May 9 - Vincenzo Musolino, Italian actor, director, producer and screenwriter
- May 11 - Salomão Barbosa Ferraz, Brazilian Roman Catholic priest and bishop
- May 12 - Martin Lamble, British folk rock musician
- May 14
- * Enid Bennett, American actress
- * Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer
- May 15
- * William Gould, Canadian-American actor
- * Robert Rayford, American HIV/AIDS victim
- May 20
- * Fred Sherman, American actor
- * Alex Rackley, American political activist
- May 21 - William Lincoln Bakewell, American explorer
- May 23 - Jimmy McHugh, American composer
- May 24
- * Mitzi Green, American actress
- * Paul Birch, American actor
- May 27
- * Muhammad Fareed Didi, Sultan of Maldives
- * Jeffrey Hunter, American film and television actor
- May 28 - Emilio Bigi, Paraguayan musician
June
- June 1
- * Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian Olympic speed skater
- * Attilio Degrassi, Italian scholar
- June 4 – Rafael Osuna, Mexican professional tennis player and winner of the 1963 U.S. Open and three Grand Slam doubles titles
- June 8 - Robert Taylor, American actor
- June 11 - John L. Lewis, President of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960
- June 12 - Aleksandr Deyneka, Russian painter and sculptor
- June 15 - Sargis Abrahamyan, Russian writer
- June 16 - Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, British field marshal and Government official, 17th Governor General of Canada
- June 18 - Edgar Anderson, American botanist
- June 19 - Natalie Talmadge, American actress
- June 20 - Mohamed Siddiq El-Minshawi, Egyptian Qur'anic reciter
- June 22 - Judy Garland, American actress and singer
- June 23 - Volmari Iso-Hollo, Finnish athlete
- June 28
- * Charles Carpenter, American Episcopal Diocese bishop
- * Gerald Fitzgerald, American Roman Catholic priest
- June 30
- * Roman Richard Atkielski, American Roman Catholic bishop
- * Max Fabian, Polish-born American cinematographer
July
- July 1 - Gheorghe Cosma, Romanian general
- July 2
- * Mikio Naruse, Japanese film director
- * Michael DiBiase, American wrestler
- July 3
- * Brian Jones, British rock musician
- * Michael R. Blanchfield, American soldier
- July 5
- * Ben Alexander, American actor
- * Walter Gropius, German architect
- *Lambert Hillyer, American film director
- * Tom Mboya, Kenyan politician
- * Leo McCarey, American film director
- July 6 - Laura Latorre Mendoza, Filipino Roman Catholic widow, catechist and saint
- July 7
- * Charlotte Armstrong, American author
- * Gladys Swarthout, American opera singer
- July 9 - Raizō Tanaka, Japanese admiral
- July 13 - Muhammad Shahidullah, Bengali educationist
- July 17 - Harry Benham, American actor
- July 18
- * Mary Jo Kopechne, American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist
- * Barbara Pepper, American actress
- July 20 - Cathy Wayne, entertainer; first Australian woman killed in the Vietnam War
- July 21 - A. D. King, American civil rights activist
- July 24 - Witold Gombrowicz, Polish novelist and dramatist
- July 25 - Otto Dix, German painter
- July 26
- * Andrés Soler, Mexican actor
- * Raymond Walburn, American actor
- July 28 - Frank Loesser, American songwriter
August
- August 1 - Donald Keith, American actor
- August 2 - Leslie Cliff, British pair figure skater
- August 5 - Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg
- August 6 - Theodor W. Adorno, German sociologist and philosopher
- August 8 - Choi Seung-hee, Korean modern dancer
- August 9
- * Cecil Frank Powell, British physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- * Constantin Ion Parhon, Romanian politician
- * Jay Sebring, American celebrity hair stylist
- * Sharon Tate, American actress
- August 13 - Nicolás Fasolino, Argentine Roman Catholic cardinal
- August 14 - Leonard Woolf, English writer
- August 17
- * Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect
- * Otto Stern, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- August 18 - Mildred Davis, American actress
- August 20
- * Marty Barry, Canadian ice hockey player
- * Dudley D. Watkins, Scottish illustrator for D. C. Thomson & Co.
- August 26
- * Alejandro G. Abadilla, Filipino poet
- * Ismail al-Azhari, 2nd Prime Minister, 3rd President of Sudan
- August 27
- * Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, English novelist
- * Erika Mann, German writer
- August 30 - Vladislav Anisovich, Russian painter and educator
- August 31 - Rocky Marciano, American professional boxer
September
- September 2 - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader, 1st Prime Minister of Vietnam, 1st President and Communist Party leader of Vietnam
- September 3 - John Lester, American cricketer
- September 4 - José Vicente Faria Lima, Brazilian engineer and politician
- September 5 - Mario Berlinguer, Italian lawyer and politician
- September 6 - Arthur Friedenreich, Brazilian footballer
- September 7 - Gavin Maxwell, Scottish naturalist and author
- September 8
- * Bud Collyer, American radio and television personality
- * Alexandra David-Néel, French explorer
- September 12 - Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr., American general
- September 15 - Åke Grönberg, Swedish actor
- September 19 - Rex Ingram, American actor
- September 22
- * Adolfo López Mateos, Mexican politician, 48th President of Mexico, 1958-1964
- * Aleksandras Stulginskis, Lithuanian politician, 2nd President of the Republic of Lithuania
- September 27 - Nicolas Grunitzky, 2nd President of Togo
- September 28 - Nicolae Dăscălescu, Romanian general
October
- October 3 - Skip James, American blues singer
- October 4 - Natalino Otto, Italian singer
- October 6 - Walter Hagen, American golf champion
- October 7
- * Natalya Lisenko, Russian actress
- * Johnnie Morris, American actor
- October 8 - Eduardo Ciannelli, Italian actor and singer
- October 9 - Mathew Kavukattu, Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic archbishop and servant of God
- October 12 - Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater
- October 14
- * Arnie Herber, American football player and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- * August Sang, Estonian poet and literary translator
- October 15 - Rod La Rocque, American actor
- October 21
- * Jack Kerouac, American author
- * Wacław Sierpiński, Polish mathematician
- October 29
- * Paul Bailliart, French ophthalmologist
- * Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside, British commander
- * Pops Foster, American musician
- * Pavel Mironov, Russian general
- * Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich, 34th President of Costa Rica
- October 31 - Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río, 26th President of Ecuador, leader of the World War II
November
- November 1 - Pauline Bush, American actress
- November 4 - Ikbal Ali Shah, Indian-born Afghan diplomat and author
- November 5 - Lloyd Corrigan, American actor
- November 8
- * Ricardo Aguirre, Venezuelan singer and composer
- * Dave O'Brien, American actor
- * Vesto Slipher, American astronomer
- November 11 - Frank Mills, American politician in Ohio legislature
- November 12 - William F. Friedman, American cryptanalyst
- November 13 - Iskander Mirza, Pakistani politician, 1st President of Pakistan
- November 15
- * Ignacio Aldecoa, Spanish writer
- * Roy D'Arcy, American actor
- November 18 - Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., American politician
- November 21
- * Norman Lindsay, Australian painter
- * Mutesa II of Buganda, Kabaka of Buganda and 1st President of Uganda
- November 24 - Eugenio Duse, Italian actor
- November 27 - Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, British politician, 22nd Governor of South Australia
- November 28 - Roy Barcroft, American actor
December
- December - Swami Ashokananda, Indian monk
- December 1 - Magic Sam, American musician
- December 2 - Kliment Voroshilov, Soviet military commander
- December 3 - Ruth White, American actress
- December 4
- * Mark Clark, American Black Panther
- * Fred Hampton, American Black Panther
- December 5
- * Princess Alice of Battenberg
- * Claude Dornier, German airplane builder, founder of Dornier Flugzeugwerke
- December 7
- * Lefty O'Doul, American baseball player
- * Eric Portman, English actor
- December 8 - Karl Fiehler, German Politician of the Nazi Party and Lord Mayor of Munich from 1933 until 1945
- December 13
- *Luigi Pavese, Italian actor and voice actor
- * Spencer Williams, American actor
- *Raymond A. Spruance, United States admiral
- December 21 - Georges Catroux, French Army general and colonial governor
- December 22
- * Josef von Sternberg, Austrian film director
- * Enrique Peñaranda, Bolivian general, 45th President of Bolivia, leader of the World War II
- December 23 - Donald Foster, American actor
- December 24
- * Stanisław Błeszyński, Polish entomologist
- * Cortelia Clark, African American blues singer and guitarist
- * Olivia FitzRoy, British author of children's books
- * Seabury Quinn, American author
- December 29 - Ricardo de la Guardia, 11th President of Panama, leader of the World War II
- December 31
- * Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian opera singer
- * Rhod Rothfuss, Uruguayan painter and sculptor
- * Joseph Yablonski, murdered American labor leader
Nobel Prizes
- Physics - Murray Gell-Mann
- Chemistry - Derek Barton, Odd Hassel
- Medicine - Max Delbrück, Alfred Hershey, Salvador Luria
- Literature - Samuel Beckett
- Peace - International Labour Organization
- Economics - Ragnar Frisch, Jan Tinbergen