21st Ecumenical Council
Pope John XXIII opens the 21st Ecumenical Council (Vatican II) with a call for Christian unity. This is the largest gathering of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in history; among delegate-observers are representatives of major Protestant denominations, in itself a sign of sweeping change.
Uganda
Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts, including an eight-year-long military dictatorship led by Idi Amin.
“Love Me Do”
The Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do,” was released in the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of a musical revolution that would sweep the world.
“We choose to go to the Moon”
President John F. Kennedy delivered his historic “We choose to go to the Moon” speech at Rice University on September 12th, setting the stage for the Apollo program and lunar exploration.
James Meredith
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, a Black student.