1963 CE

U.S. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas; Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama kills four girls; the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam sparks protests and self-immolations; the Ramadan Revolution overthrows Qasim's regime in Iraq; the Soviet Vostok 6 sends Valentina Tereshkova as the first woman in space; Pope Paul VI succeeds John XXIII and continues the Second Vatican Council; the 1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion kills 81 in Indianapolis; and Hurricane Flora devastates the Caribbean, killing thousands.

In the 1960s, the 20th century.

1963 at a glance

World population: about 3.19 billion Our World in Data
United States: John F. Kennedy, then Lyndon B. Johnson (President) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
United Kingdom: Elizabeth II (Queen); Harold Macmillan, then Alec Douglas-Home (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
Soviet Union: Nikita Khrushchev (General Secretary); Leonid Brezhnev (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet); Nikita Khrushchev (Chairman of the Council of Ministers) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
People's Republic of China: Mao Zedong (Chairman; Paramount Leader); Liu Shaoqi (President); Zhou Enlai (Premier) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
France: Charles de Gaulle (President); Georges Pompidou (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
East Germany: Walter Ulbricht (Chairmen of the State Council); Otto Grotewohl (Chairman) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
West Germany: Heinrich Lübke (President); Konrad Adenauer, then Ludwig Erhard (Chancellor) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
$1 in 1963: $11.00 in September 2026 dollars BLS CPI-U
Most weeks at No. 1 in 1963: “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, 5 weeks Wikipedia rev. 1357528700

Who led every country in 1963 →Born in 1963? What it cost, who led, what was No. 1 →

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 19 – Soviet spy Gheorghe Pintilie is removed from his position as Deputy Interior Minister of the Romanian People's Republic, as a step in ensuring Romania's political independence; the Workers' Party Politburo discusses way of neutralizing "Soviet intelligence networks [...] which Gheorghe Pintilie had coordinated."source
February 5 – The European Court of Justice's ruling in Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen establishes the principle of direct effect, one of the basic tenets of European Union law.source
February 27 – Juan Bosch takes office as the 41st president of the Dominican Republic.source
2 March – The Sino-Pakistan Agreement is signed, resolving border disputes between the two countries in Kashmir.Pakistan source
25 March – Terence O'Neill succeeds Viscount Brookeborough as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.Northern Ireland source
March 30 – Indigenous Australians are legally allowed to drink alcohol in New South Wales.source
April 7 – Yugoslavia is proclaimed to be a socialist republic, and Josip Broz Tito is named President for Life.source
April 22 – Lester Bowles Pearson becomes the 14th Prime Minister of Canada.source
April 28 – 1963 general election is held in Italy.source
June 26 – David Ben-Gurion is replaced by Levi Eshkol as prime minister of Israel.source
26 June – Levi Eshkol is elected Prime Minister of Israel. The 11th Government is approved that day and the members are sworn in.Israel source
July 30 – The Soviet newspaper Izvestia reports that British diplomat and double agent Kim Philby has been given asylum in Moscow.source
August 5 – The United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.source
August 30 – The Moscow–Washington hotline (a direct teleprinter link) is inaugurated by U.S. President John F. Kennedy.source
September 1 – Establishment of language areas and facilities in Belgium comes into effect. This will become the foundation for further state reform in Belgium.source
September 16 – Malaysia is formed through the merging of the Federation of Malaya and the British crown colony of Singapore, North Borneo (renamed Sabah) and Sarawak.source
16 September – The Federation of Malaysia was formed through the merging of the Federation of Malaya and the British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.Malaysia source
16 September – Malaysia is formed from Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.Singapore source
September 24 – The United States Senate ratifies the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.source
1 October 1963 - the former Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe became the first President of Nigeria.Nigeria source
October 2 – Nigeria becomes a republic; The 1st Republican Constitution is established.source
October 2 – The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women in the United States issues its final reports to President Kennedy.source
October 10 – Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed on August 5, takes effect.source
October 16 – Ludwig Erhard replaces Konrad Adenauer as Chancellor of West Germany.source
17 October - 1963–64 Balkans Cup: Albania defeats Turkey 2-0 at Selman Stërmasi Stadium, TiranaAlbania source
October 19 – Alec Douglas-Home succeeds Harold Macmillan as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.source
November 12 – Angeles becomes a city in the province of Pampanga through ratification of Republic Act 3700.Philippines source
November 25 – State funeral of John F. Kennedy: President Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Schools around the nation cancel classes that day; millions watch the funeral on live international television. Lee Harvey Oswald's funeral takes place on the same day.source
November 30 – 1963 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies' Liberal/Country Coalition Government is re-elected with an increased majority to an unprecedented eighth term in office, defeating the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell. (This would be the final lower house election won by Menzies, who would retire from office during the term as the longest-serving Prime Minister in Australian history; he would be replaced by Harold Holt.)source
December 10 – Zanzibar gains independence from the United Kingdom, as a constitutional monarchy under Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah.source
December 12 – Kenya gains independence from the United Kingdom, with Jomo Kenyatta as prime minister.source
December 31 – Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland dissolves.source

Conflict & Security

January 2 – Vietnam War – Battle of Ap Bac: The Viet Cong win their first major victory.source
January 13 – 1963 Togolese coup d'état: A military coup in Togo results in the installation of coup leader Emmanuel Bodjollé as president.source
20 January – Confrontation was announced.Singapore source
January 26 – The Australia Day shootings rock Perth; 2 people are shot dead and 3 others injured by Eric Edgar Cooke.source
February 8 – Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F. Kennedy Administration.source
March 4 – In Paris, six people are sentenced to death for conspiring to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle pardons five, but the other conspirator, Jean Bastien-Thiry, is executed by firing squad several days later.source
June 3 – Huế chemical attacks: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam rains liquid chemicals on the heads of Buddhist protestors, injuring 67 people. The United States threatens to cut off aid to the regime of Ngô Đình Diệm.source
8 June – Haim Boger (born 1876), Russian (Crimea)-born Zionist activist and Israeli politician.Israel source
June 11 – In Saigon, Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức commits self-immolation to protest the oppression of Buddhists by Ngô Đình Diệm's government.source
June 26 – John F. Kennedy gives his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in West Berlin, Germany.source
July 7 – Double Seven Day scuffle: Secret police loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, attack American journalists including Peter Arnett and David Halberstam at a demonstration during the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.source
July 11 – South Africa: police raid Liliesleaf Farm to the north of Johannesburg, arresting a group of African National Congress leaders.source
27 July – The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation began. War broke out.Malaysia source
August 15 – Trois Glorieuses: President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of Congo after a three-day uprising in the capital, Brazzaville.source
August 21 – Xá Lợi Pagoda raids: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, vandalise Buddhist pagodas across South Vietnam, arresting thousands and leaving an estimated hundreds dead. In the wake of the raids, the Kennedy administration by Cable 243 orders the United States Embassy, Saigon to explore alternative leadership in the country, opening the way towards a coup against Diệm.source
August 28 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to an audience of at least 250,000, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It is, at that point, the single largest protest in American history.source
30 August - 1963–64 Balkans Cup: Albania is defeated by Turkey 1-0 at Mithat Paşa Stadium, IstanbulAlbania source
September 15 – American civil rights movement: The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, in Birmingham, Alabama, kills 4 and injures 22.source
September 18 – Rioters burn down the British Embassy in Jakarta, to protest the formation of Malaysia.source
September 25 – In the Dominican Republic, Juan Bosch is deposed by a coup d'état led by the military with civilian support.source
October 3 – 1963 Honduran coup d'état: A violent coup in Honduras pre-empts the October 13 election, ends a period of reform under President Ramón Villeda Morales and begins two decades of military rule under General Oswaldo López Arellano.source
October 7 – Buddhist crisis: Amid worsening relations, outspoken South Vietnamese First Lady Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu arrives in the US for a speaking tour, continuing a flurry of attacks on the Kennedy administration.source
October 14 – A revolution starts in Radfan, South Yemen, against British colonial rule.source
30 October – The national football team shocks the Netherlands by winning 2–1 in the second qualifying round for the 1964 European Nations' Cup, progressing 3–2 on aggregate.Luxembourg source
November 2 – 1963 South Vietnamese coup: Arrest and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, the South Vietnamese President.source
November 6 – 1963 South Vietnamese coup: Coup leader General Dương Văn Minh takes over as leader of South Vietnam.source
November 22 – Assassination of John F. Kennedy: In a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, U.S. President John F. Kennedy is fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, and Governor of Texas John Connally is seriously wounded at 12:30 CST. Upon Kennedy's death, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the 36th president of the United States.source
November 29 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson establishes the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy.source
November - The Battle of Lak Sao begins.Laos source
December 3 – The Warren Commission begins its investigation into the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy.source
December 18 — Ghanaian students protest in Red Square during the 1963 Moscow protestSoviet Union source
Kuwaiti general election, 1963Kuwait source

Exploration & Expansion

18 March – The president of the United States John F. Kennedy began a three-day visit to Costa Rica to meet with the presidents of Central America to promote his Alliance for Progress programme to resist the influence of communism, from Cuba and the Soviet Union, by providing American economic aid to promote economic development and political reform in Latin America.Costa Rica source
April 19 – Amataro Sweets Teahouse, as predecessor of Colowide Restaurant Group, founded in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture.Japan source
May – A&W's first store in Asia Pacific and Malaysia opened at Kuala Lumpur's Batu Road.Malaysia source
August 15- King of Prussia Mall opens to the public in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area and is one of the top ten largest malls in the U.S.source
1 September – The declaration of Port of Hualien to be an international port.Taiwan source
28 October – Belfast Aldergrove opened as the principal airport for Northern Ireland, civilian facilities transferring from Nutts Corner.Northern Ireland source
William Dobell – Dahl CollingsAustralia source
Indo Swizz project started at Kerala for developing new cattle breed.India source
New Zealand Trotting Cup – Cardigan BayNew Zealand source

Religion & Belief

24 March – Peder Holt, politician (b.1899)Norway source
April 11 – Pope John XXIII issues his final encyclical, Pacem in terris, entitled On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity and Liberty, the first papal encyclical addressed to "all men of good will", rather than to Roman Catholics only.source
April 21–23 – The first election of the Supreme Institution of the Baháʼí Faith (known as the Universal House of Justice, whose seat is at the Baháʼí World Centre on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel) is held.source
23 April – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (born 1884), Russian (Ukraine)-born Labor Zionist leader and the second President of Israel.Israel source
6 May – Switzerland joins the Council of Europe.Switzerland source
May 8 – Huế Phật Đản shootings: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam opens fire on Buddhists who defy a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, killing 9. Earlier, President Ngô Đình Diệm allowed the flying of the Vatican flag in honour of his brother, Archbishop Ngô Đình Thục, triggering the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.source
June 17 – In Abington School District v. Schempp, the US Supreme Court ruled that compulsory prayer and Bible-reading violated the First Amendment.source
June 21 – Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) succeeds Pope John XXIII as the 262nd pope.source
September 29 – The second period of the Second Vatican Council in Rome opens.source
18 October – Governor of East Pakistan Abdul Monem Khan lays the foundation stone of Jhenaidah Cadet College.Pakistan source
26 October – Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah was installed as the 33rd Sultan of Perak.Malaysia source
November 16: Santos FC becomes the first Brazilian club to win a second Intercontinental Cup (football).Brazil source
December 4 – The second period of the Second Vatican Council closes.source
15 December - Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan established following recommendations of Second Pay Commission.India source
The Chatham Cup was won by North Shore United who beat Nomads of Christchurch 3–1 in the final.New Zealand source

Economy & Finance

January 29 – French President Charles de Gaulle vetoes the United Kingdom's entry into the European Common Market.source
29 January – President Charles de Gaulle vetoes the United Kingdom's entry into the EEC.France source
11 March – The National Language Act 1963 was gazetted.Malaysia source
14 June – Olav Hindahl, trade unionist and politician (b.1892)Norway source
7 September – City Developments Limited is formed as a property group.Singapore source
The Cyprus Development Bank was established.Cyprus source
The founding of the kibbutz Grofit.Israel source
Increase since 31 December 1962: 51,100 (2.03%).New Zealand source
Unknown – As part of de-satellization from the Soviet Union, street names with Soviet influences are renamed. For example, Strada Kirov becomes Strada Onesti.Romania source

Technology & Infrastructure

15 February – The first TV station was launched on Channel 5. Regular television transmissions only started from 2 April.Singapore source
April 1 German broadcaster ZDF started.Germany source
3 April – Pakistan Shell Oil Company starts work on the Habiganj-I exploratory well.Pakistan source
April 29 – Buddy Rogers becomes the first WWWF Champion.source
June 4 – President of the United States John F. Kennedy signs Executive Order 11110, authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to continue issuing silver certificates.source
June 13 – The New York Commodity Exchange begins trading silver futures contracts.source
June 15 – The AC Cobra makes its first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will go on to win its class the following year.source
June 20 – Establishment of the Moscow–Washington hotline (officially, the Direct Communications Link or DCL; unofficially, the "red telephone"; and in fact a teleprinter link) is authorized by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Geneva by representatives of the Soviet Union and the United States.source
July 1 – ZIP codes are introduced by the United States Postal Service.source
August 28 – Philips introduces the Compact Cassette primarily for dictation and voice recording purposes. By 1965, hardware improvements eventually allow for it to reliably function as a music format.source
23 September – British Enkalon synthetic fibre factory opens in Antrim.Northern Ireland source
October 1 – Construction company GK Međimurje, one of the largest Croatian construction and civil engineering companies (with more than 8,000 employees in 1980s), founded in Čakovec.source
1 October 1963 - appeals from the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London were abolished, but cases then pending retained their right of appeal to the J.C.P.C. from the Nigerian court system.Nigeria source
October 30 – The car manufacturing firm Lamborghini is founded in Italy.source
November 20 - Commissioning of Otori DamJapan source
30 November – The Romanian and Yugoslavian governments agree to develop the Iron Gate Hydroelectric Power Station.Romania source
December 7 – The first instant replay system to use videotape instead of film is used by Tony Verna, a CBS-TV director, during a live televised sporting event, the Army–Navy Game of college football played in Philadelphia, United States.source
December 20 – The Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials begin.source
28 December – The launch of Television Malaysia by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.Malaysia source
The TAT-3 transatlantic communications cable goes into operation.source
The classic Porsche 911 is first produced.source
Ivan Sutherland writes the revolutionary Sketchpad program and runs it on the Lincoln TX-2 computer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.source

Science & Discovery

January 9 – A total penumbral lunar eclipse is visible in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, and is the 56th lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 114. Gamma has a value of −1.01282. It occurs on the night between Wednesday, January 9 and Thursday, January 10, 1963.source
January 17 – A last quarter moon occurs between the penumbral lunar eclipse and the annular solar eclipse, only 12 hours, 29 minutes after apogee.source
17 January – Prototype Short SC.7 Skyvan short-haul freighter first flies.Northern Ireland source
January 25 – A large annular solar eclipse covers 99.5% of the Sun and a narrow path (at most 19.6 km (12.2 mi)). It is visible in Chile, Argentina, South Africa and Madagascar, and is the 26th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 140. Gamma has a value of -0.48984.source
3 March – Dixie Willis breaks Lyudmila Shevtsova's world record (2:04.3) in the women's 800 metres, clocking 2:01.2 in Perth.Australia source
21 April - The first prize of Miss World Chile is given to Maria Pilar Aguirre Gómez.Chile source
May 2 – Berthold Seliger launches near Cuxhaven a 3-stage rocket with a maximum flight altitude of more than 62 mi (the only sounding rocket developed in Germany).source
May 15 – Project Mercury: NASA launches Gordon Cooper on Mercury-Atlas 9, the last Mercury mission (on June 12 NASA Administrator James E. Webb tells Congress the program is complete).source
May 21 - Establishment of the Seppiko-Mineyama Prefectural Natural ParkJapan source
May 23 – Fidel Castro visits the Soviet Union.source
June 13 – The cancellation of Mercury-Atlas 10 effectively ends the United States' crewed spaceflight Project Mercury.source
June 16 – Vostok 6 carries Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman into space.source
June 16 — Valentina Tereshkova, aboard Vostok 6, is the first woman in spaceSoviet Union source
June 19 – Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, returns to Earth, landing in the Soviet Union.source
July 19 – American test pilot Joe Walker, flying the X-15, reaches an altitude of 65.8 miles (105.9 kilometers), making it a sub-orbital spaceflight by recognized international standards.source
July 26 – NASA launches Syncom 2, the world's first geostationary (synchronous) satellite.source
August 22 – American test pilot Joe Walker again achieves a sub-orbital spaceflight according to international standards, this time by piloting the X-15 to an altitude of 67.0 miles (107.8 kilometers).source
9 October – Jeunesse Esch beat FC Haka 4–0 to become the only Luxembourgian side to progress to the last sixteen of the European Cup.Luxembourg source
November 1 – Arecibo Observatory, a radio telescope, officially begins operation in Puerto Rico.source
21 November - India's first ever rocket launch was carried out at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Thiruvananthapuram. The launch was successful and it sent NASA-made Nike-Apache rocket to space.India source
December 5 – The Seliger Forschungs-und-Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH demonstrates rockets for military use to military representatives of non-NATO-countries near Cuxhaven. Although these rockets land via parachute at the end of their flight and no allied laws are violated, the Soviet Union protests this action.source
Harvey Ball invents the ubiquitous smiley face symbol.source
David H. Frisch and J.H. Smith prove that the radioactive decay of mesons is slowed by their motion (see Einstein's special relativity and general relativity).source
The Spanish nuclear program, Project Islero, is born.Spain source

Health & Medicine

January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove River, Sydney, Australia.source
4 January – May-Britt Moser, neuroscientist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.Norway source
February 10 – Five Japanese cities located on the northernmost part of Kyūshū are merged and become the city of Kitakyūshū, with a population of more than 1 million.source
April 1 – The long-running soap opera General Hospital debuts on ABC Televisions.United States source
May 1 – The Coca-Cola Company introduces its first diet drink, Tab cola.source
May 13 – A smallpox outbreak hits Stockholm, Sweden, lasting until July.source
August 20 – Mauritius bars South Africa and Portugal from her sea- and airports.South Africa source
22 October – The establishment of National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine in Beitou District, Taipei.Taiwan source
November 9 – Miike coal mine explosion: A coal mine explosion kills 458 and sends 839 carbon monoxide poisoning victims to the hospital.source
Supreme Court of India mandates that reservation should not exceed 50% for any institution.India source
First issue of Margaret magazineJapan source
Chief Minister of Sarawak: Stephen Kalong NingkanMalaysia source
Otago: King Edward Technical College OBNew Zealand source

Crime & Justice

11 January – The opening of Taipei Prison in Taoyuan County (now Taoyuan City).Taiwan source
2 February – Operation Coldstore was mounted to stop communist influence, resulting in 113 people being arrested.Singapore source
April 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. issues his "Letter from Birmingham Jail".source
April 20 – In Quebec, Canada, members of the terrorist group Front de libération du Québec bomb a Canadian Army recruitment center, killing night watchman Wilfred V. O'Neill.source
June 20 – Swedish Air Force Colonel Stig Wennerström is arrested as a spy for the Soviet Union.source
30 June - Taça de Portugal FinalPortugal source
August 8 – The Great Train Robbery takes place in Buckinghamshire, England.source
August 11 – Four of the defendants who had been arrested on 11 July, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC. Harold Wolpe and Arthur Goldreich, who were both white, were confined at Johannesburg's Marshall Square Police Station, in the same cell with Indian South Africans Abdulhay Jassat and Moosa Moolla, separate from the black South African defendants. Their white guard, Johannes Greeff, served three years of a six-year sentence, and later received 2,000 African pounds. Wolpe and Goldreich would elude a nationwide search and, "disguised as priests", make it to Swaziland (which was surrounded by South Africa), and on 8 September, would charter a plane to fly to Tanganyika.South Africa source
September 10 – Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano is indicted for murder (he is captured 43 years later, on April 11, 2006).source
December 4: Senator Arnon de Melo, who was trying to shoot Senator Silvestre Péricles, shot and killed alternate Senator José Kairala.Brazil source
December 7 - Decision on the Ryuichi Shimoda v. The State caseJapan source
27 December - Theft of the Holy Relic from the Hazratbal ShrineIndia source
Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz ShahMalaysia source

Disasters & Accidents

1 February – Two airplanes collided over Ankara. 87 deathsTurkey source
February 12 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705 crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing all 43 aboard.source
February 26 - According to Japan Coast Guard official confirmed report, a passenger ship Tokiwa Maru sank by collision with logistic ship Richmond Maru off Kobe Port, Hyogo Prefecture, total 47 passengers and crew were fatalities.Japan source
April 10 – The U.S. nuclear submarine Thresher sinks 220 smi east of Cape Cod; all 129 aboard (112 crewmen plus yard personnel) die.source
April 12 – The Soviet nuclear powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish Straits. Although severely damaged, both vessels make it to port.source
May 4 – The Le Monde Theater fire in Dioirbel, Senegal, kills 64 people.source
May 28 - Cais do Sodré disaster - the roof of the Cais do Sodré train station in Lisbon collapsed. The accident caused 49 deaths and 63 people were injured.Portugal source
July 2 – Cameroon closes its airports and harbours to both Portugal and South Africa.South Africa source
3 July – New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 crashes into the Kaimai Ranges, killing all 23 aboard.New Zealand source
August 1: An explosion kills 8 people, including 5 children, in the town of Hanmer near Sudbury, OntarioCanada source
August 14 – A huge and devastating forest fire hits the region around Paraná State, Brazil. According to government documents, two million hectares (4.94 million acres) are lost to burning and 110 persons perished.source
September 15 – The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, kills four children and injures 22.United States source
2 October – Second Short SC.1 VTOL research aircraft (XG905), flying from Belfast Harbour Airport, crashes due to a control malfunction, killing the pilot, J. R. Green.Northern Ireland source
October 31 – 1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion: 81 die in a gas explosion during a Holiday on Ice show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis, United States.source
November 7 – 11 German miners are rescued from a collapsed mine after 14 days in what becomes known as the "Wunder von Lengede" ("miracle of Lengede").source
November 8 – Finnair aircraft OH-LCA crashes before landing at Mariehamn Airport on Åland.source
November 9 – Tsurumi rail accident: A triple train disaster in Yokohama kills 161.source
November 23 – The Golden Age Nursing Home fire kills 63 elderly people near Fitchville, Ohio, United States.source
November 29 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831, a Douglas DC-8 crashes into a wooded hillside after taking-off from Dorval International Airport near Montreal, killing all 118 on board, the worst air disaster for many years in Canada's history.source
December 8 – A lightning strike causes the crash of Pan Am Flight 214 near Elkton, Maryland, United States, killing 81 people.source
December 10 – Chuck Yeager narrowly escapes death while testing an NF-104A rocket-augmented aerospace trainer when his aircraft goes out of control at 108,700 feet (nearly 21 miles up) and crashes. He parachutes to safety at 8,500 feet after vainly battling to gain control of the powerless, rapidly falling craft. In this incident he becomes the first pilot to make an emergency ejection in the full pressure suit needed for high altitude flights.source
December 22 – The cruise ship TSMS Lakonia burns 180 mi north of Madeira, with the loss of 128 lives.source
British nuclear tests at Maralinga ceasedAustralia source

Climate & Environment

January and February - 1963 Snowstorm in Japan, a heavy snowstorm with blizzard, following avalanche hit in northeastern Honshu, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, 231 people lost their lives, 356 people were wounded.Japan source
13 February – The 7.3 Mw Su-ao earthquake occurred off the coast of Yilan County, causing some injuries and deaths.Taiwan source
February 21 – The 5.6 Mw Marj earthquake affects northern Libya with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), causing 290–375 deaths and 375–500 injuries.source
13 March – The Irazú Volcano overlooking San José erupted powerfully and began a cycle of abnormal activity that lasted nearly two years, ending on 13 February 1965.Costa Rica source
March 17 – Mount Agung erupts on Bali, killing approximately 1,500.source
July 26 – An earthquake in Skopje, Yugoslavia (present-day North Macedonia) leaves 1,800 dead.source
August 9 – According to Chinese government official confirmed document on 1986, a torrential heavy massive rain, with many dam collapse, flood swept hit in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province, total 5,154 persons were human fatalities.China source
October 4 – Hurricane Flora, one of the worst Atlantic storms in history, hits Hispaniola and Cuba, killing nearly 7,000 people.source
9 October – Vajont Landslide (Disastro del Vajont) resulted in the overtopping of the Vajont Dam and an estimated death toll of around 2,000.Italy source
November 14 – A volcanic eruption under the sea near Iceland creates a new island, Surtsey.source
14 November – The island of Surtsey is formed following a volcanic eruption off the coast of Iceland.Iceland source
18 December – Luxembourg is knocked out at the final stage of qualifying for the 1964 European Nations' Cup, losing a play-off against Denmark 1–0, having drawn 5–5 with the Danes on aggregate.Luxembourg source
December 21 – Cyprus Emergency: Inter-communal fighting erupts between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.source
Sultan of Johor: Sultan Ismail Al-KhalidiMalaysia source

Culture & Society

13 February – Daniel Auster (born 1893), Austro-Hungarian (Galicia)-born Israeli politician, the first Jewish Mayor of Jerusalem.Israel source
March 22 – The Beatles first album Please Please Me was released in the UK and became a huge commercial success.source
March 23 – "Dansevise" by Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann (music by Otto Francker, text by Sejr Volmer-Sørensen) wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1963 (staged in London) for Denmark.source
March 28 – Civil rights movement: Over one hundred high school students conduct a sit-in protest in Rome, Georgia.source
April 6 – The Kingsmen record their influential cover of "Louie Louie" in Portland, Oregon, released in June.source
April 8 – The 35th Academy Awards ceremony is held. Lawrence of Arabia wins Best Picture.source
April 14 – The Institute of Mental Health (Belgrade) is established.source
29 April – Grand Duchess Charlotte pays a state visit to the United States until 4 May.Luxembourg source
May 22 – A.C. Milan beats Benfica 2–1 at Wembley Stadium, London and wins the 1962–63 European Cup (football).source
May 25 – The Organisation of African Unity is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.source
June 5 – The first annual National Hockey League Entry Draft is held in Montreal, Canada.source
16 June – The first tree in Singapore is planted in Farrer Circus by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, which is a mempat tree.Singapore source
June 20 – War film The Great Escape (starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough) is premiered in London.source
July 31 – August 2 – A Summit Conference on the proposed Confederation of Malaysia, involving leaders of the Philippines, Malaya and Indonesia, is held.Philippines source
August 24 – First games played in the Bundesliga, the primary professional Association football league in West Germany, replacing the Oberliga.source
September 6 – The Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) is founded.source
September 19 – Iota Phi Theta fraternity is founded at Morgan State College in Baltimore, Marylandsource
September 23 – King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is established by a Saudi Royal Decree as the College of Petroleum and Minerals.source
October 1 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy toasts Emperor Haile Selassie at a luncheon in Rockville, Maryland.source
November 7 – The star-studded movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World premieres in Los Angeles.source
November 10 – Malcolm X makes a historic speech in Detroit, Michigan ("Message to the Grass Roots").source
November 23 – The long-running sci-fi television series Doctor Who premieres on BBC TV in the United Kingdom.source
November 29 – Foundation stone for Mirzapur Cadet College is laid in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh).source
The IEEE Computer Society is founded.source
Boavista FC won the Cape Verdean Football ChampionshipCape Verde source
Estonian Sports Museum was established.Estonia source
7:30am – Proclamation of Malaysia ceremonies were held in Kuala Lumpur (Peninsular Malaysia), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) Kuching (Sarawak) and Singapore.Malaysia source
1963 North Korean local elections.North Korea source

Births

January 21 - Hakeem Olajuwon, basketball playerNigeria source
January 26 – José Mourinho, Portuguese football managersource
February 17 – Michael Jordan, American basketball playersource
March 2 – Anthony Albanese, 31st Prime Minister of Australiasource
April 6 – Rafael Correa, President of Ecuadorsource
April 13 – Garry Kasparov, Russian chess playersource
April 18 – Conan O'Brien, American television entertainer and talk show hostsource
24 April - Osama Al-Khurafi, fencerKuwait source
April 27 – Russell T Davies, Welsh television producer and writersource
April 30 – Michael Waltrip, American race car driver and sportscastersource
8 May - Soulivong Savang, current Lao royal pretenderLaos source
May 31 – Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungarysource
June 9 – Johnny Depp, American actor and film directorsource
June 25 – George Michael, British singer-songwriter (died 2016)source
August 9 – Whitney Houston, American singer (died 2012)source
August 13 – Sridevi, Indian actress (died 2018)source
September 6 – Geert Wilders, Dutch politician and critic of Islamsource
31 December – Azalina Othman Said – Politician.Malaysia source

Deaths

12 January – Tun Leong Yew Koh, 1st Governor of Malacca and former Minister of Justice.Malaysia source
23 January – Mohammad Ali Bogra, Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1909)Pakistan source
February 11 – Sylvia Plath, American poet and novelist (born 1932)source
March 5 – Patsy Cline, American singer (born 1932)source
March 5 – Country music star Patsy Cline is killed in a plane crash along with country performers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and manager Randy Hughes, during a flight from Kansas City, Missouri, back to Nashville.source
March 18 – Sir Hubert Gough, British general (born 1870)source
1 April - Quinim Pholsena, Laotian foreign minister, assassinatedLaos source
May 28 – Ion Agârbiceanu, Romanian writer, journalist, politician and priest (born 1882)source
June 12 – Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers is assassinated by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwithsource
August 27 – W. E. B. Du Bois, American civil rights activist (born 1868)source
October 9 – In northeast Italy, over 2,000 people are killed when a large landslide behind the Vajont Dam causes a giant wave of water to overtop it.source
November 2 – Ngô Đình Diệm, South Vietnamese politician, 1st President of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) (assassinated) (born 1901)source
November 5 – Luis Cernuda, Spanish poet (born 1902)source
November 22 – C. S. Lewis, Irish-born British critic, novelist (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Christian apologist (born 1898)source
November 22 – John F. Kennedy, American politician, 35th President of the United States (assassinated) (born 1917)source
November 24 – Lee Harvey Oswald, American assassin of President John F. Kennedy (murdered) (born 1939)source
8 December - Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, Thai Prime MinisterThailand source
December 25 – Tristan Tzara, French poet (born 1896)source