Today in 1968

Events this week in 1968:

December:

  • 16 KFIZ-TV channel 34 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, begins broadcasting
  • 16 Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain revoked at Second Vatican Council
  • 18 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh, Semipalitinsk, USSR
  • 19 WCWB- (now WMGT-) TV channel 41 in Macon, Georgia begins broadcasting
  • 20 Zodiac Killer kills Betty Lou Jenson and David Faraday in Vallejo, California.
  • 20 People’s Democracy announces a protest march from Belfast to Derry, Ireland
  • 21 Crosby, Stills & Nash premiere together in California
  • 23 First U.S. case of space motion sickness
  • 23 82 crw members of U.S. intelligence ship Pueblo released by North Korea
  • 23 Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders first men to orbit the Moon
  • 24 Apollo 8 astronauts read passages from “Book of Genesis”
  • 24 WATU- (now WAGT)-TV channel 26 in Augusta, Georgia
  • 25 Frank Borman’s Christmas reading while orbiting the Moon
  • 25 42 Dalits are burned alive in Kilavenmani village, in India
  • 26 Arab terrorists in Athens fire on El Al plane, killing one
  • 26 Jay Allens “Forty Carats” premieres
  • 26 Led Zeppelin’s debuts in Denver as opener for Vanilla Fudge
  • 26 Bruin Ted Green, NHL penalty record: 16 minutes 3 and 2 game misconducts
  • 27 Apollo 8 returns to Earth
  • 27 China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor
  • 28 100,000 attend Miami Pop Festival
  • 28 57th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Adelaide (4-1)
  • 28 Beatles’ “White Album” goes No. 1and stays No. 1 for nine weeks
  • 28 Israeli assault on Beirut Airport
  • 28 KVOF (now KWBB-) TV channel 38 in San Francisco, California broadcasts
  • 29 NFL Championship: Baltimore Colts shutout Cleveland Browns, 34-0
  • 29 Israeli commandos destroy 13 Lebanese airplanes
  • 30 -48°F (-44°C), Mazama & Winthrop, Washington (state record)
  • 31 First supersonic airliner flown (Russian TU-144)
  • 31 New York Jets win AFL championship

Birthdays in 1968:

  • Dec. 16 Darryll Lewis, NFL cornerback (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
  • Dec. 16 Paul Scherrer, American actor (“Children of Corn II,” “Free Spirit”)
  • Dec. 16 Wendy Doolan, Australian LPGA golfer (1991 British Amateur Champ, second
  • Dec. 17 Curtis Pride, outfielder (Detroit Tigers)
  • Dec. 17 Jeffrey Klepacki, rower (Olympics 1992, 1996)
  • Dec. 17 Andrey Golovatiuk, Russian politician
  • Dec. 18 Aaron Craver, NFL running back (Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers)
  • Dec. 18 Casper Van Dien, actor (“Starship Troopers”)
  • Dec. 18 Alejandro Sanz, Spanish singer
  • Dec. 19 Jennifer Devine, rower (Olympics 1996)
  • Dec. 20 Joe Cornish, British comedian
  • Dec. 21 Anthony Lynn, NFL running back (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII)
  • Dec. 21 Khrystyne Haje, American actress (“Simone,” “Head of the Class”)
  • Dec. 22 Lauralee “Bug” Bell, American actress (“Cricket,” “Young & Restless”)
  • Dec. 22 Dina Meyer, American film, television actress
  • Dec. 23 Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician
  • Dec. 24 Joe Scuderi, Australian cricketer (South Australian all-rounder)
  • Dec. 24 Doyle Bramhall II, American guitarist
  • Dec. 24 Marleen Renders, Belgian athlete
  • Dec. 25 Corey Widmer, NFL linebacker (New York Giants)
  • Dec. 25 Don Silvestri, NFL/WLAF kicker (NY Jets, London Monarchs)
  • Dec. 25 Helena Christensen, Danish model, photographer (Inferno)
  • Dec. 25 Jim Dowd, American NHL center (Vancouver Canucks)
  • Dec. 25 Scott Bullett, American baseball outfielder (Chicago Cubs)
  • Dec. 26 Darren Barber, Canadian rower (Olympics 1996)
  • Dec. 26 Mideon (Dennis Knight), American professional wrestler
  • Dec. 27 Dean Palmer, infielder (Texas Rangers)
  • Dec. 28 Darrick Brownlow, NFL linebacker (Washington Redskins)
  • Dec. 29 Carlo Ponti, Italian orchestral conductor and son of Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren
  • Dec. 29 Darren Perry, American NFL free safety (Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • Dec. 29 James Mouton, American baseball outfielder (Houston Astros)
  • Dec. 30 Kevin Dahl, Regina, NHL defenseman (Calgary Flames)
  • Dec. 30 Sean Higgins, NBA guard/forward (Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers)
  • Dec. 31 Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian, actor

Deaths in 1968:

  • Dec. 18 Joan Tabor, American actress (“Teenage Millionaire”)
  • Dec. 19 Norman Thomas, American socialist, pacifist and presidential candidate (1928-48)
  • Dec. 20 Max Brod, Czech-born Israeli composer, writer and biographer of Kafta
  • 22 Louise Granville, entertainer
  • 29 Austin Farrer, English theologian and philosopher
  • 30 Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and First Secretary-General UN (1946-52)
  • 31 Carl Oscar Ahues, German International Chess Master (1950)
  • 31 George Louis Francis Lewis, composer
  • 31 Sabin Drăgoi, Romanian composer