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January 1, 1968 New Year's Day

January 1, 1968, was a Monday. It was 56 years, 10 months, and 21 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

Song charts

Music charts

Songs that were on top of the charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on January 1, 1968:

  • United States: "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles
  • United Kingdom: "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 1, 1968

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Hello Goodbye - The Beatles
  • I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight And The Pips
  • Daydream Believer - The Monkees
  • I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
  • Woman, Woman - The Union Gap Featuring Gary Puckett
Play the top singles from 1968
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1968. Take a trip back to the days of The The Beatles, Otis Redding, Cliff Richard, Louis Armstrong and The Rascals.
Valley of the Dolls

Top movie at the box office

The movie "Valley of the Dolls" was at the top of the box office on January 1, 1968.

Facts

New Year's Day 1968 occurred 20,780 days ago. Approximately 693 months have passed. It was the 1st day of 1968, in week 01. The decade was the swinging sixties. People who were born on January 1, 1968, are now 56 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. 1968 was a leap year, which means that it had an extra day in February. The Earth has experienced 231 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to January 1, 1968

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is January 1, 1968, and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's New Year's Day, the official start of the year 1968. A lot of people are relaxing at home. Some are nursing hangovers from the night before.

The song "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles is at the top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. Lyndon Baines Johnson is the President of the United States, and the movie Valley of the Dolls is at the top of the box office. Harold Wilson is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

On television, people are watching popular shows such as "What's My Line?", "Gunsmoke", "The Andy Griffith Show", and "Gilligan's Island". In fashion, a new "hippie subculture" has emerged, bringing with it laid-back Bohemian styles. Frayed bell-bottom jeans, Jesus sandals, crushed velvet suits, and bright tie-dye t-shirts are all popular items of clothing at the moment. A romantic-comedy movie called "The Graduate" is being shown in theaters at the moment.

It's 1968, so radio stations are playing hit songs from artists such as The Beatles, Louis Armstrong, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Goldsboro and Marvin Gaye. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Martin Luther King, Helen Keller, Robert F. Kennedy, and Ramon Novarro would all still be alive. Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Lassie", "Atom Ant", "Milton the Monster", and "Star Trek: The Original Series".

Children are playing with toys such as Etch A Sketch, Operation, Major Matt Mason (action figure), and Suzy Homemaker.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 1, 1968, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1968 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: January 1, 1968 falls under the Goose.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.
  • Birth flower (January): The Carnation and the Snowdrop.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on January 1, 1968.

  • The Volkswagen Beetle.

    The Volkswagen Beetle

    The Volkswagen Beetle was one of the most common cars on the road. Sales of the vehicle increased following the release of the 1968 film The Love Bug (and its subsequent spin-offs).
  • The Vietnam War is becoming costly.

    The Vietnam War is becoming costly

    In 1968, US troop numbers in Vietnam reached their peak. An estimated 536,100 service personnel were now stationed in the country. This was the deadliest and most expensive year for the American military in Vietnam. In 1968 alone, an estimated 16,592 US soldiers lost their lives. By this time, most Americans believed that military involvement in Vietnam was a mistake.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1968?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1968?

    The best NBA players in 1968 were Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry Lucas, Dave Bing and Oscar Robertson.
  • Who were the best football players?

    Who were the best football players?

    In 1968, the best soccer players were George Best, Bobby Charlton, Dragan Džajić, Franz Beckenbauer, Giacinto Facchetti, Luigi Riva, Amancio Amaro, Eusébio, Gianni Rivera, Jimmy Greaves and Pirri.
  • Oliver!

    Oliver!

    "Oliver!" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1968.
  • O. C. Smith - "Little Green Apples"

    O. C. Smith - "Little Green Apples"

    "Little Green Apples" by O. C. Smith won a Grammy for 1968's Song of the Year.
  • 1968 in music.

    1968 in music

    The Billboard Charts in 1968 were dominated by the likes of Paul Mauriat, Otis Redding, Bobby Goldsboro, The Beatles, The Rascals and Herb Alpert.
  • 1968 in movies.

    1968 in movies

    Movies released in 1968 included 2001: A Space Odyssey, Funny Girl, The Love Bug, The Odd Couple, Bullitt, Romeo and Juliet, Oliver!, Coogan's Bluff, Rosemary's Baby, Planet of the Apes, Night of the Living Dead and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
  • The Apollo 8 astronauts.

    The Apollo 8 astronauts

    "The Apollo 8 astronauts" were named Time Person of the Year in 1968 after they became the first humans to successfully leave low Earth orbit.
  • The Hippie movement.

    The Hippie movement

    The hippie counterculture reached its peak during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement, which sprung up in opposition to the Vietnam War, was centered around peace, psychedelic music, sexual liberation, bright colors, and drugs such as LSD and marijuana.
  • Lava lamps are all the rage.

    Lava lamps are all the rage

    Sales of lava lamps increased in the late 1960s. It wasn't until the second half of the 1970s that they started to go out of fashion.
  • The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity.

    The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity

    The afro hairstyle took off during the 1960s and early 1970s. Public figures such as Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Jimi Hendrix, and the Jackson 5 were among those who sported the style.
  • Color TV.

    Color TV

    Although color television was rising in popularity, black-and-white TV sets were still the most popular.
  • The push-button telephone.

    The push-button telephone

    Push-button telephones were beginning to replace the older rotary-style landlines.
  • The miniskirt has taken over.

    The miniskirt has taken over

    In the mid-to-late 1960s, the miniskirt became a favored clothing item among women. The skirt countered the conservatism of the 1950s and early 1960s. As a result, many people at the time saw it as a rebellious fashion statement.
  • The Suzy Homemaker.

    The Suzy Homemaker

    A miniature oven called the "Suzy Homemaker" was a sought-after toy around this time.
  • Fast food is replacing diners and drive-ins.

    Fast food is replacing diners and drive-ins

    The fast food industry was steadily growing, much to the detriment of local diners and drive-in restaurants. Consequently, things such as jukeboxes and carhops also started to decline.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on January 1, 1968.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around January 1, 1968.

  • December 6, 1967: The first human heart transplant is performed in the United States.
  • December 10, 1967: American singer Otis Redding dies in a plane crash in Monona, Wisconsin.
  • December 15, 1967: The Beatles release their song "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)".
  • December 17, 1967: Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt goes missing while swimming at Cheviot Beach.
  • December 19, 1967: Country Party leader John McEwen becomes the new Prime Minister of Australia.
  • This date: January 1, 1968
  • January 10, 1968: John Gorton becomes the new Prime Minister of Australia.
  • January 14, 1968: The Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl II after defeating the Oakland Raiders at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
  • January 15, 1968: 1968 Belice earthquake: An earthquake kills 231-400 people in Sicily, Italy.
  • January 23, 1968: A research ship called the USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea under suspicion of spying.
  • January 30, 1968: Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive begins.
  • January 31, 1968:
    • The US embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, is attacked by Viet Cong soldiers.
    • The Jackson 5 release their debut single "Big Boy".

1960s fashion

Photographs of 1960s fashion and hairstyles.

1960s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in January 1968

Television shows that people were watching in January 1968:

TV shows from January 1968.

Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Batman
Batman
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Danger Man
Danger Man
Bonanza
Bonanza
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show

Cars in 1968

1968 saw the introduction of cars such as the Audi 100, the Chevrolet Chevy Malibu, the Volkswagen Type 4, the BMW New Six, the Ford Torino, and the AMC Javelin.

Cars in 1968.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in January 1968

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Aquaman
Aquaman
The Herculoids
The Herculoids

Birdman and the Galaxy Trio
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio
The Monkees
The Monkees
The New Adventures of Superman
The New Adventures of Superman
The King Kong Show
The King Kong Show
Cool McCool
Cool McCool
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
JOT the Dot
JOT the Dot
Milton the Monster
Milton the Monster
Toys

Toys in 1968

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Battleship (game)
Battleship (game)
Lite-Brite
Lite-Brite
Best of the West (action figures)
Best of the West (action figures)
Twister mat
Twister mat
Suzy Homemaker
Suzy Homemaker
Major Matt Mason (action figure)
Major Matt Mason (action figure)
Captain Action (action figure)
Captain Action (action figure)
Operation
Operation
Scalextric
Scalextric
Barrel of Monkeys
Barrel of Monkeys
Motorific (slot car toys)
Motorific (slot car toys)
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

Were you born on January 1, 1968?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1968.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out January 1, 1974, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 1.

J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the FBI Deceased
Born on January 1, 1895
He turned 73 on this day in 1968.

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash

Hip Hop DJ
Born on January 1, 1958
He turned 10 on this day in 1968.

Verne Troyer

Verne Troyer

Actor Deceased
Born on January 1, 1969
He was born exactly one year after this date.

Ice Spice

Ice Spice

Rapper
Born on January 1, 2000
She was born exactly 32 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on January 1:

USA

US President

Lyndon Baines Johnson was the President of the United States on January 1, 1968.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Harold Wilson was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Jack Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on January 1, 1968 was most likely conceived around April 10, 1967.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 1, 1968 is close to September 23, 1968.

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Stats for January 1, 1968

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 1, 1968:

  • 20,780 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,968 weeks have passed.
  • 1,795,392,000 seconds have passed since January 1, 1968.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,094,624,000 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 926,422,272,000 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 299,232,000 times.
  • You have taken approximately 154,403,712 steps. That's roughly 68,624 miles.
  • 21,544,704 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1968?

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