• Payola - The NAB (National Assoc. of Broadcasters) address the Payola scandal by threatening fines for any and all disc jockeys who take money from record promoters for playing particular records.
• USA - November, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) defeated Richard Nixon for the Presidency of the United States.
• Cold War - The USSR shoot down an American U-2 spy plane over Russia. The international incident intensifies tensions in the Cold War.
• December 31, 1960 - Great Britain ceases the use of the farthing coin as legal tender. The farthing had been in use since the 13th century in Great Britain.
Notable Deaths -
* Giro d'Italia / Tour de France / World Road Race Champion: Fausto Coppi, 1919-1960, the great Italian “Campionissimo” died January 2, 1960 after a missed diagnosis of malaria. (See L'Equipe Sports Figure of the Decade 1940's). He was a five time Giro champion (1940, 1946, 1949, 1952, 1953). He was a two time Tour champion (1949, 1952). He won the World Road Race in 1953.
Clark Gable, 1901-1960, American actor, died of a massive heart attack. Mr. Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1934 for his role in the film It Happened One Night .
L'Equipe Sport Figure of the Decade1960-1969 -
L'Equipe's athlete of the decade was Pele of Brazil, a superstar soccer player. He played on 3 World Cup championship teams (1958, 1962, & 1970). Pele and his Brazil teams helped the sport of soccer gain worldwide popularity. He was described as "the father of the beautiful game."
