- Canada had neither an official national anthem nor an official flag. (The Maple Leaf was introduced and became the flag in 1965; O Canada became official in 1980)

- Conservative John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister, and Liberal Lester Pearson was Leader of the Opposition. (In 1957 he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for resolving the Suez Canal Crisis by creating the first United Nations Peacekeeping Emergency Force).

- Tommy Douglas was elected federal leader of the newly formed New Democratic Party.

- Saskatchewan moved toward government-run universal medicare, the first in Canada.

- Population of Canada was 18,238,247 (now 41,798,407, a 129% increase).

- Population of British Columbia was 1,629,082 (now 5,646,420, a 246% increase).

- CTV was launched, Canada’s second national television network.

- CBC created the Massey Lectures, an annual five-part series of lectures by distinguished writers, thinkers, and scholars exploring ideas and issues of contemporary interest (the Massey Lectures still continue, 65 years later).

- the 49th Grey Cup football game-- played in Toronto-- was the first Grey Cup game to go into overtime, after Winnipeg and Hamilton had tied 14-14 in regulation time. Winnipeg then defeated the Ti-Cats 21-14.

- Canada and the USA signed the Columbia River Treaty, laying the groundwork to develop cooperative water storage, flood control, and hydroelectric power across the Upper Columbia River Basin.

- The Transatlantic Telephone System was officially launched, with a phone call from Queen Elizabeth II to Prime Minister Diefenbaker.

- The first Canadian BOMARC surface-to-air missile squadron was formed.

         ~  compiled by Lois Grierson