page_title: 1968
section_title: January
hierarchical_section_title: 1968 / Events / January
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy signal intelligence gatering ship USS Pueblo (AGER-2) off San Diego, California (USA), on 19 October 1967.
context_page_description: 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1968th year of the Common Era and Anno Domini designations, the 968th year of the 2nd millennium, the 68th year of the 20th century, and the 9th year of the 1960s decade.
  The year was defined by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
context_section_description: January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
  January 8 – British Prime Minister Harold Wilson endorses the I'm Backing Britain campaign for working an additional half-hour each day without pay.
  January 10 – John Gorton is sworn in as the 19th Prime Minister of Australia, taking over from John McEwen after being elected leader of the Liberal Party the previous day, following the disappearance of Harold Holt. Gorton became the first and so far only Senator to become Prime Minister; though he immediately transferred to the House of Representatives through a by-election in Holt's vacant seat of Higgins.
  January 14 – The Green Bay Packers defeat the Oakland Raiders by the score of 33–14 in Super Bowl II at the Miami Orange Bowl.
  January 15 – An earthquake in Sicily kills 380 and injures around 1,000.
  January 17 – Lyndon B. Johnson requests a bill ending the gold convertibility of the U.S. dollar.
  January 21
  Vietnam War – Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins, ending on April 8.
  A U.S. B-52 Stratofortress crashes in Greenland, discharging 4 nuclear bombs.
  January 22 – Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In debuts on NBC.
  January 23 – North Korea seizes the USS Pueblo, claiming the ship violated its territorial waters while spying.
  January 25 – The Israeli submarine INS Dakar sinks in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 69.
  January 28 – The French submarine Minerve sinks in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 52.
  January 30 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive begins, as Viet Cong forces launch a series of surprise attacks across South Vietnam.
  January 31
  Việt Cộng soldiers attack the US Embassy, Saigon.
  Nauru president Hammer DeRoburt declares independence from Australia.
caption: January 23 USS Pueblo
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