1960 at a glance
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Article summary
As the USSR won the inaugural UEFA European Championship, hosts France found some solace in their Eurovision triumph in a year when the world's first female prime minister was elected.
Article top media content
Article body
It took a flurry of late applicants to take the number of entries for the inaugural UEFA European Championship beyond the required minimum of 16 – but the effort was rewarded. After a home-and-away knockout competition the four-team final tournament got under way in thrilling style as Yugoslavia twice came from two goals down to beat hosts France 5-4. It set up a meeting in Paris with USSR, 3-0 victors over Czechoslovakia, where Viktor Ponedelnik's extra-time goal earned the Soviets a 2-1 win and their place in history.
Teams
Winners: USSR
Runners-up: Yugoslavia
Third: Czechoslovakia
Fourth: France
Top scorers: Jean Vincent, Just Fontaine (France) – 5
Did you know?
Yugoslavia had the consolation two months later of beating Denmark in Rome to take Olympic gold, after a run of three consecutive silvers.
Also in 1960
European Champion Clubs' Cup winners: SL Benfica (3-2 v FC Barcelona)
European Footballer of the Year: Luis Suárez (FC Barcelona)
Eurovision Song Contest winner: Jacqueline Boyer (France) singing Tom Pillibi
Nobel Peace Prize: Albert Lutuli (African National Congress president, South Africa)
Men's Olympic 100m champion: Armin Hary (Germany) running 10.2 seconds
Formula 1 world champion: Jack Brabham (Australia) driving a Cooper
Oscar for Best Picture: The Apartment
Key events
20 July – Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) elects Sirimavo Bandaranaika, the world's first female prime minister
8 November – John F Kennedy beats Richard Nixon to become youngest man voted in as United States president
