Featured moment
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, a traumatic event that deeply scarred the American psyche.
I have a dream.
MLK delivered his iconic speech, JFK was assassinated, and Doctor Who began its journey through time.
The Cost of Living in 1963
Gallon of Gas
$0.31
Loaf of Bread
$0.21
Gallon of Milk
$1.05
World Population
3.21 billion
Featured moment
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech
MLK delivered his historic speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to 250,000 people.
Featured moment
Doctor Who Premieres in the UK
The BBC launched the sci-fi series about a time-traveling alien, eventually becoming a global cultural phenomenon.
The wider picture
More from 1963
A few more things worth remembering.
Science & Space
First Woman in Space
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first and youngest woman to fly in space.
Literature
The Feminine Mystique Published
Betty Friedan's book sparked the second wave of feminism in the United States.
Technology
Cassette Tape Invented
Philips introduced the Compact Cassette, which would become the dominant format for recorded music and dictation.
World Events
Alcatraz Prison Closes
The infamous federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay shut down due to high operating costs.
You arrivedin 1963.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 1963 to today.