The world in
What happened in 1964?
25 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Zanzibar Revolution
On 12 January 1964, an uprising in Zanzibar led the island’s Black African majority to depose Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah and his Arab-dominated administration. Soon after, Zanzibar united with Tanganyika to create Tanzania.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Portuguese Colonial WarArmed conflicts took place between Portugal and independence movements in its African colonies from 1961 to 1974, primarily in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. The war stemmed from the Salazar regime's refusal to relinquish its colonial empire. It ended after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974 brought down the Estado Novo regime.
Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (Axum)The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia, is the holiest site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and is claimed to house the Ark of the Covenant. The current structure dates from later periods, and its precise founding date is unknown.
Establishment of the University of MalawiThe University of Malawi was established in 1964 in Zomba as a public university. It initially comprised several colleges, including the country's only medical school and the largest college, Chancellor College, forming a key part of Malawi's higher education system.
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Founding of the University of EswatiniThe University of Eswatini, the national university of Eswatini, was founded as a public comprehensive university. Its main campus is in Kwaluseni, Manzini District.
- Simba rebellion
In 1964, the Simba rebellion erupted in eastern Congo, led by followers of Patrice Lumumba, opposing the central government. The uprising occurred within the Congo Crisis and Cold War, contemporaneous with the Kwilu rebellion in central Congo. In November, government forces, aided by Belgian paratroopers, US air support, and British troops, recaptured the rebel stronghold of Stanleyville.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
Outbreak of the Vietnam WarIn 1955, armed conflict erupted between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), marking the start of the Vietnam War. This war was simultaneously a civil war, a Cold War proxy war, and a postcolonial independence conflict, with North Vietnam backed by the Soviet Union and China, and South Vietnam supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The fighting later spread to Laos and Cambodia, ending with all three countries under communist rule in 1975.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. U.S. Marine Corps. James K. F. Dung, SFC, Photographer Ronald L. Haeberle / Public domain ↗
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Gulf of Tonkin IncidentOn 2 and 4 August 1964, US Navy destroyers clashed with North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. The 4 August attack reported by the US was later found to be likely non-existent. The incident led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, enabling direct US military escalation in the Vietnam War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontationThe Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, also known as the Borneo confrontation, broke out in 1963 as Indonesia opposed the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. The core issue was the status of northern Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah), which Indonesia claimed. Malaysia received direct military support from the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, while Indonesia had indirect backing from the USSR and China, making it an episode of the Cold War in Asia.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: British Army official photographer / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Kinabalu ParkKinabalu Park was established in 1964 in Sabah, Malaysia, covering about 754 sq km, as one of Malaysia's first national parks. It was later recognized as a natural heritage site of outstanding universal value.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: kallerna / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
Chiang Mai University foundedChiang Mai University was founded in 1964 as the only national university in Chiang Mai.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Chiang Mai University / Public domain ↗
West Asia
- Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was an armed conflict in Oman's Dhofar Governorate from 1962 to 1976, led by the Marxist-Leninist Dhofar Liberation Front against Sultan Said bin Taimur and British influence. The Omani government, backed by Britain and Iran, fought the rebels, who received support from South Yemen, the Soviet Union, and China, making it a Cold War proxy war. The rebellion ended in July 1976 with the Sultan's forces regaining full control.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Outbreak of the Aden EmergencyThe Aden Emergency broke out on 14 October 1963 with an attack on British forces by Radfan tribesmen, initiating an armed revolt aimed at ending British rule in southern Arabia.
- Launch of Iran's White Revolution
On 26 January 1963, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran launched a series of far-reaching reforms known as the White Revolution. The program included land reform, women's enfranchisement, industrial growth, and public health improvements, aiming to modernize the country. The reform era ended with the Shah's overthrow in 1979.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
Nicaraguan RevolutionThe Nicaraguan Revolution was a revolutionary movement in Nicaragua from 1961 to 1990, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, aiming to overthrow the Somoza family dictatorship and, after its success in 1979, to carry out social and economic reforms.
1964 Brazilian coup d'étatFrom March 31 to April 1, 1964, the Brazilian Armed Forces staged a military coup, overthrowing elected president João Goulart, ending the Fourth Republic, and initiating the military dictatorship.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Arquivo Público do Distrito Federal (Public Archive of the Federal District) / Public domain ↗
- Outbreak of the Escambray rebellion
In 1959, an armed rebellion broke out in the Escambray Mountains of Cuba, with several insurgent groups fighting against the government led by Fidel Castro. The conflict lasted until 1965, and the Cuban government termed the counterinsurgency operation the 'Struggle Against Bandits'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Europe
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
Monument to the Conquerors of Space InauguratedIn 1964, a rocket-shaped monument about 110 m tall was inaugurated in Moscow to commemorate Soviet achievements in space exploration. The tilted titanium structure houses a museum of cosmonautics.
North America
- Peak Phase of the African American Civil Rights Movement (1954–1968)
Between 1954 and 1968, the African American civil rights movement peaked, using nonviolent means to challenge racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. Originating in the Reconstruction era and influenced by Gandhi's nonviolent philosophy, it involved mass protests and civil disobedience. This led to new federal protections, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
1964 Alaska earthquakeAt 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964, a powerful earthquake struck south-central Alaska, including the Anchorage area and Prince William Sound. It triggered tsunamis and caused about 139 deaths.
East Asia
Construction of St. Mary's Cathedral, TokyoSt. Mary's Cathedral (Sekiguchi Church) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo, located in Sekiguchi, Bunkyo, Tokyo. Its construction established it as the central church of the archdiocese.
North Africa
- Sand War
In October 1963, Algeria and Morocco fought the Sand War over border disputes, with Morocco claiming parts of Algeria's Tindouf and Béchar provinces. The war ended through mediation by the Organization of African Unity, leading to a ceasefire and a formal peace treaty in February 1964, but tensions between the two countries persisted for decades.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
Establishment of Mount Aspiring National ParkIn 1964, New Zealand established Mount Aspiring National Park in the Southern Alps of the South Island. Located at the boundary of Otago and Westland, the park encompasses alpine, glacial, and river valley landscapes, becoming the country's tenth national park. The area later became part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: en:user:Psychoticfish / Public domain ↗
Around 1964
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Green Revolution
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins