1966 History, Facts, and Trivia
Quick Facts from 1966
Top Ten Baby Names of 1966
Girls: Lisa, Kimberly, Mary, Michelle, Karen Boys: Michael, David, James, John, Robert
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols
Ursula Andress, Sunny Bippus, Claudia Cardinale, Julie Christie, Yvonne Craig, Doris Day, Catherine Deneuve, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Eden, Barbara Feldon, Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Virna Lisi, Tina Louise, Ann-Margret, Elizabeth Montgomery, Caroline Munro, Julie Newmar, Ingrid Pitt, Diana Rigg, Tura Satana, Elke Sommer, Twiggy, Raquel Welch, Barbara Windsor
Hollywood Hunks and Leading Men
Robert Goulet, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones
The Quotes
“Beam me up, Scotty.” — William Shatner as Captain James Kirk, Star Trek (He never actually said it — the closest line was “Beam us up, Mr. Scott.” It became one of the most famous misquotes in pop culture history.)
“Have it your way.” — Burger King campaign, 1966
“Fly the friendly skies.” — United Airlines tagline, 1966
Time Magazine Person of the Year
The Generation Twenty-Five and Under — recognizing the Baby Boomer generation as a cultural force reshaping America.
Miss America and Miss USA
Miss America: Deborah Bryant, Overland Park, KS
Miss USA: Maria Remenyi, California
We Lost in 1966
Walt Disney, animator, entrepreneur, and creator of Mickey Mouse, died December 15, at the age of 65, from lung cancer. He did not live to see Walt Disney World, which opened in 1971.
Buster Keaton, silent film comedian — died February 1, age 70
Montgomery Clift, actor — died July 23, age 45
Lenny Bruce, comedian and social satirist, died August 3, age 40, from a morphine overdose
Sophie Tucker, entertainer known as “The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas” — died February 9, age 78
Margaret Sanger, birth control activist and founder of what became Planned Parenthood, died September 6, age 86
Ed Wynn, actor and comedian (Mary Poppins) — died June 9, age 79
C.S. Forester, author of the Horatio Hornblower series, died April 2, age 66
Alberto Giacometti, sculptor — died January 11, age 64
Evelyn Waugh, author of Brideshead Revisited, died April 10, age 62
Chester Nimitz, Fleet Admiral and WWII Pacific commander, died February 20, age 80
The Scandals
Charles Whitman climbed the observation tower at the University of Texas at Austin on August 1, 1966, armed with multiple weapons, and opened fire on the campus below, killing 14 people and wounding 31 over 96 minutes before being shot and killed by police. It was the first major university mass shooting in American history and accelerated national debate about gun control.
The “Paul is Dead” conspiracy theory emerged in 1966, claiming that Paul McCartney had died in a car crash and been secretly replaced by a look-alike named William Campbell. Supposed “clues” were found hidden in the Beatles’ album artwork and in songs played backward. Paul McCartney was alive and had opinions about all of it.
John Lennon’s comment that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus” — made in a March 1966 interview — ignited a firestorm in the United States. Radio stations banned the Beatles’ records. Albums were burned in public. The Beatles were threatened with violence on their U.S. tour. It was their last American tour.
Pop Culture Facts and History
James Faria and Robert Wright of Monsanto Industries invented AstroTurf in 1965. It was first installed and used in the Houston Astrodome in 1966, giving the world the gift of turf burns for decades to come.
Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar in 1965, with the patent awarded in 1966. Pound for pound, it is five times stronger than steel. It has since saved countless lives in bulletproof vests and protective equipment.
Allen Astles tiddlywinkled 10,000 tiddlywinks in 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 41 seconds at the University of Wales. This is a real-world record that real people cared about.
The 8-track tape became a factory-installed option in Ford automobiles in 1966, helping to bring the format into the American mainstream.
Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966. It ran for three seasons, was canceled in 1969, and went on to become one of the most culturally enduring franchises in entertainment history. Sometimes the network is wrong.
The first Super Bowl had not yet been played in 1966 — it was scheduled for January 1967, following the NFL-AFL merger agreement signed in June 1966. The game was formally called the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” until it was retroactively renamed Super Bowl I.
In 1966, there was a sharp decrease in the Japanese birth rate because the year was Hinoeuma, a fire horse year in the Chinese zodiac, considered unlucky for women born during it. The birth rate dropped by nearly 25%.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” — wait, that’s 1975. In 1966, Queen hadn’t formed yet. But the seeds of a decade of rock were very much being planted.
The Miranda warning — “You have the right to remain silent…” — became required by law following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miranda v. Arizona ruling in 1966.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966 by Betty Friedan and others, marking a significant moment in the modern women’s rights movement.
The first episode of The Newlywed Game aired in 1966. Americans have been discovering just how little married couples know about each other ever since.
The Saturn V rocket — which would eventually carry astronauts to the moon — made its first unmanned test flight in 1966.
1st Appearances and Christmas Gifts of 1966
Spirograph, Twister, Barrel of Monkeys, Crazy Maze, View-Master with TV-themed reels (View-Master itself dates to 1939)
Nobel Prize Winners
Physics — Alfred Kastler Chemistry — Robert S. Mulliken
Medicine — Peyton Rous and Charles Brenton Huggins
Literature — Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs (shared)
Peace — No prize awarded in 1966
Economics — Prize not yet established (first awarded 1969)
Popular and Best-Selling Books of 1966
The Adventurers — Harold Robbins
Against Interpretation — Susan Sontag
All in the Family — Edwin O’Connor
Capable of Honor — Allen Drury
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal — Ayn Rand
The Crying of Lot 49 — Thomas Pynchon
The Double Image — Helen MacInnes
The Embezzler — Louis Auchincloss
The Fixer — Bernard Malamud
In Cold Blood — Truman Capote
The Little Red Book (Quotations from Chairman Mao) — Mao Tse-tung
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress — Robert A. Heinlein
Octopussy and The Living Daylights — Ian Fleming
Paradiso — José Lezama Lima
Tai-Pan — James Clavell
Tell No Man — Adela Rogers St. Johns
The Source — James Michener
The Secret of Santa Vittoria — Robert Crichton
Valley of the Dolls — Jacqueline Susann
Wide Sargasso Sea — Jean Rhys
Broadway in 1966
Mame (musical) opened May 24, 1966, and closed January 3, 1970.
Cabaret (musical) opened November 20, 1966, and closed September 6, 1969 — both shows opened the same year and became two of the most celebrated musicals of the decade
Best Film Oscar Winner
The Sound of Music, directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews, won Best Picture at the 1966 Academy Awards, presented for the 1965 film year.
The Bomb
Movie: The Oscar — a Hollywood film about a Hollywood film awards ceremony, so self-congratulatory it earned its own Razzie-level reputation before Razzies existed. TV: It’s About Time — a CBS sitcom about astronauts who travel back to the Stone Age. It lasted one season.
Top Movies of 1966
Most Popular TV Shows of 1966
1966 Billboard Number One Songs
January 1 – January 7: “The Sound of Silence” — Simon and Garfunkel
January 8 – January 22: “We Can Work It Out” — The Beatles
January 29 – February 4: “The Sound of Silence” — Simon and Garfunkel (returned to #1)
February 5 – February 18: “My Love” — Petula Clark
February 19 – February 25: “Lightnin’ Strikes” — Lou Christie
February 26 – March 4: “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” — Nancy Sinatra
March 5 – April 8: “The Ballad of the Green Berets” — Sgt. Barry Sadler (5 weeks at #1)
April 9 – April 29: “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration” — The Righteous Brothers
April 30 – May 6: “Good Lovin'” — The Young Rascals
May 7 – May 27: “Monday, Monday” — The Mamas and the Papas
May 28 – June 10: “When a Man Loves a Woman” — Percy Sledge
June 11 – June 24: “Paint It, Black” — The Rolling Stones
June 25 – July 1: “Paperback Writer” — The Beatles
July 2 – July 8: “Strangers in the Night” — Frank Sinatra
July 9 – July 15: “Paperback Writer” — The Beatles (returned to #1)
July 16 – July 29: “Hanky Panky” — Tommy James and the Shondells
July 30 – August 12: “Wild Thing” — The Troggs
August 13 – September 2: “Summer in the City” — The Lovin’ Spoonful
September 3 – September 9: “Sunshine Superman” — Donovan
September 10 – September 23: “You Can’t Hurry Love” — The Supremes
September 24 – October 14: “Cherish” — The Association
October 15 – October 28: “Reach Out I’ll Be There” — Four Tops
October 29 – November 4: “96 Tears” — ? and the Mysterians
November 5 – November 11: “Last Train to Clarksville” — The Monkees
November 12 – November 18: “Poor Side of Town” — Johnny Rivers
November 19 – December 2: “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” — The Supremes
December 3 – December 9: “Winchester Cathedral” — The New Vaudeville Band
December 10 – December 16: “Good Vibrations” — The Beach Boys
December 17 – December 30: “Winchester Cathedral” — The New Vaudeville Band (returned to #1)
December 31, 1966 – February 17, 1967: “I’m a Believer” — The Monkees
The Supremes had two separate #1 hits in 1966. “The Ballad of the Green Berets” — a pro-military anthem — was the year’s biggest chart hit, spending five weeks at #1 during the height of the Vietnam War debate.
Sports Champions of 1966
World Series: Baltimore Orioles
NFL Champions: Green Bay Packers (Note: The first Super Bowl was not played until January 1967 — the NFL and AFL operated separately in 1966)
AFL Champions: Kansas City Chiefs
NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens
U.S. Open Golf: Billy Casper
U.S. Open Tennis — Men: Fred Stolle | Women: Maria Bueno
Wimbledon — Men: Manuel Santana | Women: Billie Jean King
NCAA Football: Michigan State and Notre Dame (shared title — their famous 10-10 tie on November 19 remains one of the most debated games in college football history)
NCAA Basketball: Texas Western (now UTEP — their all-Black starting lineup defeated an all-white Kentucky team in the championship, a watershed moment in college sports integration)
Kentucky Derby: Kauai King
FIFA World Cup: England (their only World Cup title, won on home soil at Wembley)
FAQ — 1966 History, Facts and Trivia
Q: What was the biggest cultural event of 1966?
A: Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in China, a political purge that devastated Chinese society, destroyed cultural artifacts and institutions, and resulted in millions of deaths and persecutions over the following decade.
Q: What was the #1 song of 1966?
A: “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees ended 1966 at #1 and held the position through February 1967. “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Sgt. Barry Sadler was the year’s longest-running #1 at five weeks.
Q: What famous TV show premiered in 1966?
A: Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966. It was canceled three seasons later and went on to become one of the most enduring entertainment franchises in history.
Q: Who died in 1966 who was considered the most famous American at teh time?
A: Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, at age 65. He did not live to see Walt Disney World, which opened in Florida in 1971.
Q: Did Capt. Kirk ever say, “Beam me up, Scotty”?
A: No. The exact phrase was never spoken in Star Trek. The closest line was “Beam us up, Mr. Scott.” It became one of the most famous misquotes in television history.
Q: What invention from 1966 has saved thousands of lives?
A: Kevlar, invented by Stephanie Kwolek and patented in 1966, is five times stronger than steel by weight and became the primary material in bulletproof vests and protective equipment worldwide.
Q: What famous legal ruling changed American law in 1966?
A: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Miranda v. Arizona ruling in 1966 required police to inform suspects of their rights before interrogation — producing the now-familiar “You have the right to remain silent” warning.
Q: Who won the 1966 FIFA World Cup?
A: England won their only World Cup title on home soil at Wembley Stadium, defeating West Germany 4–2 in the final.
Q: What college basketball milestone happened in 1966?
A: Texas Western (now UTEP), with an all-Black starting lineup, defeated an all-white Kentucky team in the NCAA championship — a defining moment in the integration of college sports.
Q: What was the biggest toy of Christmas 1966?
A: Spirograph, Twister, and Barrel of Monkeys all debuted in 1966, making it one of the strongest years for new toy introductions in the decade.
More 1966 History and Trivia Resources
Popular and Notable Books (popculture.us)
Broadway Shows that Opened in 1966X
1966 Calendar, courtesy of Time and Date.com
Fact Monster
1960s, Infoplease.com World History
Miranda Warning
1966 in Movies (according to IMDB)
Pop Culture in 1966
Retrowaste Vintage Culture
1966 Television
1960s Slang
Wikipedia 1966