On This Day

Construction of the Aswan High Dam begins in Egypt

Aswan is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate. The city is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities, with its recorded history spanning over 2,600 years. Aswan...

Aswan is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate. The city is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities, with its recorded history spanning over 2,600 years.

Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract. The city was the southern frontier of Ancient Egypt. Aswan's local quarries supplied granite to many ancient Egyptian monuments, and these quarries are still operating today. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Historical Significance

Aswan is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.

Events Before

  1. Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California

    Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California

  2. Chad becomes an autonomous republic in the French Community

    The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of…

  3. USSR's Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity

    A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement (e.g.

  4. TV western "Rawhide," starring Clint Eastwood, premieres on CBS

    TV western "Rawhide," starring Clint Eastwood, premieres on CBS

  5. Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big

    Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper), and the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa

Events After

  1. Gabrielle Carteris is born

    Gabrielle Carteris is born

  2. Longest recorded strike ends as Danish barbers' assistants end their 33-year strike

    Longest recorded strike ends as Danish barbers' assistants end their 33-year strike

  3. Berry Gordy signs The Supremes to Motown Records

    The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes.

  4. First live, nationally televised presidential news conference, held by JFK

    First live, nationally televised presidential news conference, held by JFK

  5. "I Fall to Pieces" single released by Patsy Cline (Billboard Song of the Year 1961)

    "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline.

More from the 1960s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 9, 1960?
Aswan is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate. The city is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities, with its recorded history spanning over 2,600 years. Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract.
Why is Construction of the Aswan High Dam begins in Egypt significant?
Aswan is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.

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