Born in 1962

What things cost in 1962

1962 figures are annual averages of the published monthly (or quarterly) values. “Today’s dollars” uses the Consumer Price Index for September 2026; “latest” is the most recent published price. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, via FRED. Average retail prices are only published from 1976 on; 1962 has the CPI alone.

Who was in charge in 1962

United States

John F. Kennedy (President)

United Kingdom

Elizabeth II (Queen); Harold Macmillan (Prime minister)

Soviet Union

Nikita Khrushchev (General Secretary); Leonid Brezhnev (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet); Nikita Khrushchev (Chairman of the Council of Ministers)

People's Republic of China

Mao Zedong (Chairman; Paramount Leader); Liu Shaoqi (President); Zhou Enlai (Premier)

France

Charles de Gaulle (President); Michel Debré, then Georges Pompidou (Prime minister)

East Germany

Walter Ulbricht (Chairmen of the State Council); Otto Grotewohl (Chairman)

West Germany

Heinrich Lübke (President); Konrad Adenauer (Chancellor)

Japan

Hirohito (Emperor)

Republic of India

Rajendra Prasad, then Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (President); Jawaharlal Nehru (Prime minister)

From Wikipedia’s List of state leaders in the 20th century (1951–2000) (revision 1371751893), each name checked against Wikidata. Every country in 1962 →

No. 1 songs of 1962

1. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” — The Tokens (1 week)
2. “The Twist” — Chubby Checker (2 weeks)
3. “Peppermint Twist” — Joey Dee and the Starliters (3 weeks)
4. “Duke of Earl” — Gene Chandler (3 weeks)
5. “Hey! Baby” — Bruce Channel (3 weeks)
6. “Don't Break the Heart That Loves You” — Connie Francis (1 week)
7. “Johnny Angel” — Shelley Fabares (2 weeks)
8. “Good Luck Charm” — Elvis Presley (2 weeks)
9. “Soldier Boy” — The Shirelles (3 weeks)
10. “Stranger on the Shore” — Mr. Acker Bilk (1 week)
11. “I Can't Stop Loving You” — Ray Charles (5 weeks)
12. “The Stripper” — David Rose (1 week)
13. “Roses Are Red (My Love)” — Bobby Vinton (4 weeks)
14. “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” — Neil Sedaka (2 weeks)
15. “The Loco-Motion” — Little Eva (1 week)
16. “Sheila” — Tommy Roe (2 weeks)
17. “Sherry” — The Four Seasons (5 weeks)
18. “Monster Mash” — Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers (2 weeks)
19. “He's a Rebel” — The Crystals (2 weeks)
20. “Big Girls Don't Cry” — The Four Seasons (5 weeks)
21. “Telstar” — The Tornados (2 weeks)

Weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with issue dates in 1962, from List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1962 (Wikipedia revision 1354719738).

Famous people born in 1962

• November 23 – Nicolás Maduro, 63rd President of Venezuela source
• 2 September – Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2024 source
• 31 December – Heather McCartney, born Heather See, adopted daughter of Sir Paul McCartney source
• 2 May – Jimmy White, British snooker player source
• October 13 – Jerry Rice, American football player source
• September 6 – Chris Christie, 55th Governor of New Jersey source
• March 30 – MC Hammer, American rapper and actor source
• November 28 – Jon Stewart, American actor, comedian, media critic and television personality, host of The Daily Show (1999–2015) source
• June 18 – Mitsuharu Misawa, Japanese professional wrestler (died 2009) source
• February 8 – Malorie Blackman, British author of young adult fiction source
• 8 February – Martin Wuttke, German actor source
• June 24 – Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico source
• March 18 – Thomas Ian Griffith, actor, producer, screenwriter, musician and martial artist source
• November 11 – Demi Moore, actress, film producer, film director, songwriter and model source
• 12 March – Andreas Köpke, footballer source

What happened in 1962

• January 13 – Albania allies itself with the People's Republic of China. source
• January 12 – The Indonesian Army confirms that it has begun operations in West Irian. source
• January 26 – U.S. spacecraft Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon; it later misses the Moon by 22,000 mi. source
• February 14 – First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes television viewers on a tour of the White House. source
• February 18 – 1962 NHRA Winternationals: Carol Cox becomes the first woman allowed to race at a National Hot Rod Association national event in the United States; she wins in the Super Stock class. source
• January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the worst Dutch rail disaster. source
• January 15 – French designer Yves Saint Laurent launches his own fashion house. source
• 1 January - Sweden's GNP increases by 4.5%. source