1962

1962 was a year in the Gregorian calendar marked by significant political, scientific, and cultural developments around the world. It occurred during the early stages of the space age and amid decolonization, civil rights struggles, and shifting geopolitical tensions.

In decolonization and geopolitics, Algeria gained independence from France after the Evian Accords were signed on March 18, with formal independence on July 5. The Sino-Indian War broke out in October and lasted until November along the Himalayan border, producing a brief but intense military confrontation. The Cuban Missile Crisis in October brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of war; it ended with a naval blockade and a resolution to remove Soviet missiles from Cuba, accompanied by a public pledge not to invade Cuba and a later secret understanding to withdraw U.S. missiles from Turkey.

In space exploration and science, John Glenn orbited the Earth aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, becoming the first American to do so. Telstar 1, launched on July 10, demonstrated the first live transatlantic television transmissions via satellite. Mariner 2, launched on August 27, became the first successful mission to another planet by flying past Venus. The Second Vatican Council opened on October 11, initiating major reforms within the Roman Catholic Church.

Culturally and socially, Marilyn Monroe died on August 5, 1962. The first James Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in 1962, introducing a new era of espionage cinema. The British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from November 22 to December 1. In the United States, James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi in October, escorted by federal troops, marked a watershed moment in the civil rights movement.