Civil Rights Act signed into law

July 2 – President Lyndon B Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States of America. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun

Malta

Malta was a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom from 1814 until 1964, when, on Spetember 21, it was granted independence and joined the British Commonwealth.

Mariner 4 Spacecraft

The Mariner 4 spacecraft was launched by he Americans on November 28 with the mission of photographing and studying the atmosphere of Mars. It reached Mars in July 1965 and was the first successful mission to reach the red planet as well as the first to provide images of another planet from deep space. There were a total of 21 black and white photos relayed back to Earth. The spacecraft stopped communicating with NASA in October 1965 when its antenna was no longer pointing in the correct position. The space probe resumed communications in 1967 but was deactivated at the end of that year.

Peter Sellers marries Britt Ekland

On February 18 the British comedian and actor Peter Sellers married the Swedish actress Britt Ekland in Guildford, Surrey.

Southampton becomes a city

Southampton on the coast of the south of England became a city on February 24, 1964. A Royal Charter was granted saying that henceforth it would be known as the City and County of the City of Southampton. This was the culmination of a long process that had begun 30 years earlier. It was the first place to be made a city by the then Queen Elizabeth II.

36th Academy Awards

Best film: "Tom Jones"

Best Actor: Sidney Poitier (Lilies Of The Field). Poitier was the first Black actor in a leading role to win a competitive Oscar.

Best Actress: Patricia Neal (Hud) 

First Top of the Pops Performances Featured

 

First Top of the Pops

At 6.35 pm on January 1 the premiere of the half hour British TV programme Top of the Pops was shown for the first time. Acts performing included (in order of appearance) Dusty Springfield (I only wanna be with you); The Rolling Stones (I wanna be your man); Dave Clark Five (glad all over); The Hollies (Stay); Swinging Blue Jeans (Hippy hippy shake) and The Beatles (I wanna hold your hand, that week's number one). The programme continued until July 30 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its history, it was broadcast on Thursday evenings on BBC 1. Each show consisted of performances of some of the week's best-selling popular music records, usually excluding any tracks moving down the chart, including a rundown of that week's singles chart. This was originally the Top 20, though this varied throughout the show's history. The Top 30 was used from 1969, and the Top 40 from 1984. The first programme was produced in Studio A at Dickenson Road Studios in Rusholme, Manchester. The presenter was the late and now disgraced Jimmy Savile, with a brief link to Alan Freeman in London to preview the following week's programme. The tape was wiped. Throughout its history, the programme proper always (with very few exceptions) finished with the best-selling single of the week, although there often was a separate play-out track over the end credits.

US Number Ones

December 7, 1963 – January 3, 1964:

The Singing Nun – Dominique

January 4, 1964 – January 31, 1964:

Bobby Vinton – There! I’ve Said It Again

February 1, 1964 – March 20, 1964:

The Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand

March 21, 1964 – April 3, 1964:

The Beatles – She Loves You

April 4, 1964 – May 8, 1964:

The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love

May 9, 1964 – May 15, 1964:

Louis Armstrong – Hello, Dolly!

May 16, 1964 – May 29, 1964:

Mary Wells – My Guy

May 30, 1964 – June 5, 1964:

The Beatles – Love Me Do

June 6, 1964 – June 26, 1964:

The Dixie Cups – Chapel of Love

June 27, 1964 – July 3, 1964:

Peter and Gordon – A World Without Love

July 4, 1964 – July 17, 1964:

The Beach Boys – I Get Around

July 18, 1964 – July 31, 1964:

The Four Seasons – Rag Doll

August 1, 1964 – August 14, 1964:

The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night

August 15, 1964 – August 21, 1964:

Dean Martin – Everybody Loves Somebody

August 22, 1964 – September 4, 1964:

The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go

September 5, 1964 – September 25, 1964:

The Animals – The House of the Rising Sun

September 26, 1964 – October 16, 1964:

Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman

October 17, 1964 – October 30, 1964:

Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy Diddy

October 31, 1964 – November 27, 1964:

The Supremes – Baby Love

November 28, 1964 – December 4, 1964:

The Shangri-Las – Leader of the Pack

December 5, 1964 – December 11, 1964:

Lorne Greene – Ringo

December 12, 1964 – December 18, 1964:

Bobby Vinton – Mr. Lonely

December 19, 1964 – December 25, 1964:

The Supremes – Come See About Me

December 26, 1964 – January 22, 1965:

The Beatles – I Feel Fine