1963

What Was Happening in 1963

A president was assassinated in Dallas and Beatlemania swept Britain as innocence gave way to upheaval.

Born in

Number 1 Songs in 1963 — UK and US Charts

UK #1

"She Loves You"

The Beatles

The Beatles' breakthrough hit spent six weeks at number one across two separate runs and became the best-selling single of 1963 in the UK with 1.89 million copies sold.

US #1

"Sugar Shack"

Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs

Topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and was named the number one single of 1963 by Billboard, outselling even the early Beatles releases in the US.

Biggest Films of 1963 — Box Office Hits

Cleopatra

Box Office: $57.8 million

The notoriously troubled and expensive Elizabeth Taylor epic nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox with a then-record budget of $44 million. Despite being the highest-grossing film of 1963, it initially lost money.

Fashion and Style of 1963

Fashion, clothing and visual culture from the era

Architecture and Buildings of 1963

Buildings completed and structures opened in 1963

More About 1963

What Was Happening — A journey through the years