The first James Bond film, ‘Dr. No,” starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord and Joseph Wiseman, opened in England on Oct. 2, 1962. But the 007 classic didn’t open in New York and Los Angeles until May 29, 1963. Let’s travel back almost six decades to look at the top events, movie, TV series, books and other cultural events of that year in James Bond history, which was punctuated by the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22.
35th Annual Academy Awards (April 8, 1963)
Best Picture: “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Director: David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Actor: Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, “The Miracle Worker”
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Begley, “Sweet Bird of Youth”
Best Supporting Actress: Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
Top 10 highest grossing films
“Cleopatra”
“How the West Was Won”
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
“Tom Jones”
“Irma La Douce
“Son of Flubber”
“Charade”
“Bye Bye Birdie”
“Come Blow Your Horn”/”Move Over, Darling” (a tie)
“The Great Escape”
PREDICT the 2022 Oscar nominees through February 8
15th Annual Emmy Awards (May 26, 1963)
Outstanding program achievement in the field of humor: “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
Outstanding program achievement in the field of drama: “The Defender”
Outstanding single performance by an actor in a series: E.G. Marshall, “The Defender”
Outstanding single performance by an actress in a series: Shirley Booth, “Hazel”
Outstanding performance in a supporting role by an actor: Don Knotts, “The Andy Griffith Show”
Outstanding performance in a supporting role by an actress: Glenda Farrell, “Ben Casey”
Top 10 TV series
“The Beverly Hillbillies”
“Bonanza”
“The Dick Van Dyke Show”
“Petticoat Junction”
“The Andy Griffith Show”
‘The Lucy Show”
“Candid Camera”
“The Ed Sullivan Show”
“The Danny Thomas Show”
“My Favorite Martian”
17th Annual Tony Awards (April 28, 1963)
Best Play: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Best musical: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Best Actor (Play): Arthur Hiller, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Best Actress (Play): Uta Hagen, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Best Actor (Musical): Zero Mostel, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Best Actress (Musical): Vivien Leigh in “Tovarich”
Best Sellers
Fiction
“The Shoes of the Fisherman” by Morris L. West
“The Group” by Mary McCarthy
“Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenter,” and “Seymour-An Introduction” by J.D. Salinger
“Caravans” by James Michener
“Elizabeth Appleton” by James O’Hara
Non-Fiction
“Happiness is a Warm Puppy” by Charles M. Schulz
“Security is a Thumb and a Blanket” by Charles M. Schulz
“J.F.K.: The Man and the Myth” by Victor Lasky
“Profiles in Courage: The Inaugural Edition” by John F. Kennedy
“O Ye Jigs & Juleps!,” by Virginia Cary Hudson
Top Singles
“Surfin’ U.S.A.” by the Beach Boys
“The End of the World” by Skeeter Davis
“Rhythm of the Range” by the Cascades
“He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons
“Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton
“Hey Paula” by Paul and Paula
“Fingertips” by Little Stevie Wonder
“Can’t Get Used to Losing You” by Andy Williams
“My Boyfriend’s Back” by the Angels
“Sukiyaki” by Kyu Sakamoto
Sports
Chicago Bears win the NFL Championship over the New York Giants; and
San Diego Chargers beat the Boston Patriots for the AFL Championship.
The L.A. Dodgers win the World Series over the New York Yankees; pitcher Sandy Koufax is series MVP
Boston Celtics beat the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Final
Jack Nicklaus wins the Masters and the PGA Golf tournaments
Chateaugay wins the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes
Toronto Maple Leafs defeats the Detroit Red Wings to take the Stanley Cup
Top events
George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama (Jan 14)
The Beatles record their first album, “Please Please Me” in one day (Feb. 11)
Poet Sylvia Plath commits suicide (Feb. 11)
Patsy Cline is killed in a plane crash (March 5)
The federal penitentiary at Alcatraz closes (March 21)
ABC’s daytime drama “General Hospital” premieres (April 1) and is still going strong
Martin Luther King Jr. issues his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (April 16)
Coca-Cola introduces the diet drink, Tab (May 1)
President Kennedy presents his landmark speech on Civil Rights promising a Civil Rights Bill (June 11)
Medgar Evers is murdered in Jackson, Mississippi (June 12)
Pope Paul VI succeeds Pope John XXIII (June 21)
Martin Luther King delivers his “I Have Dream Speech” at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of 250,000 protestors during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Aug. 28)
President Lyndon Johnson announces the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy (Nov. 29)
The Beatles singles “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” are released in the U.S. (Dec. 26).
Celebrity births
Steven Soderbergh (Jan. 14)
Michael Jordan (Feb. 17)
Quentin Tarantino (March 27)
Conan O’Brien (April 18)
Mike Myers (May 25)
Johnny Depp (June 9)
Helen Hunt (June 15)
Greg Kinnear (June 17)
Lisa Kudrow (July 30)
Tatum O’Neal (Nov. 5)
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