The following events occurred in August 1960:
August 1, 1960 (Monday) Typhoon Shirley struck Taiwan, killing 126 people. At a dinner at the Swiss Embassy in Beijing, Communist Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai proposed negotiating a peace treaty with the United States, to create "a non-nuclear zone in Asia and the Western Pacific" region. A press officer for the U.S. State Department rejected the idea as "another meaningless propaganda gesture". The Republic of Dahomey, formerly part of French West Africa as French Dahomey, became independent, with Hubert Maga as its first president. In 1975, it would change its name to the Republic of Benin. Died: Eldon Edwards, 51, imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan
August 2, 1960 (Tuesday) The Continental League, proposed as a third major league for baseball, came to an end after CL President Branch Rickey and co-founder William Shea concluded a meeting in Chicago with representatives of the National League and American League. The NL and AL, each with eight teams, had been confronted with the proposed eight team CL. By agreement, each established league would place franchises in proposed CL cities. For 1962, three Continental sites had franchises, with the National League adding the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s (later the Astros), while the American League allowed its Washington Senators to relocate to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as the Minnesota Twins. In later years, teams would be placed in Atlanta (1966), Dallas (1972), Toronto (1976) and Denver (1993). Buffalo, New York, was the only Continental site that would still be without a major league team nearly 60 years later.
August 3, 1960 (Wednesday) The Republic of Niger, formerly part of French West Africa as the Colony of Niger, became independent, with Hamani Diori as its first president. Hector Trujillo resigned abruptly as president of the Dominican Republic. The brother of de facto leader Rafael Trujillo had served as a figurehead and was succeeded by Joaquín Balaguer. Redstone launch vehicle No. 1 was delivered to Cape Canaveral for the Mercury-Redstone 1 mission. A fire at the Soviet research center at Mirny Station in Antarctica, fed by gale-force winds and hampered by a lack of equipment, killed eight meteorologists.
August 4, 1960 (Thursday) NASA test pilot Joseph A. Walker became the fastest man in history as he flew a North American X-15 at a speed of , breaking a record set in 1956 by Milburn Apt, who had been killed while flying a Bell X-2. Born: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain from 2004 to 2011; in Valladolid
August 5, 1960 (Friday) The Republic of Upper Volta, formerly part of French West Africa as French Upper Volta, became independent, with Maurice Yaméogo as its first president. In 1984, the nation changed its name to Burkina Faso. Died: Arthur Meighen, 86, Prime Minister of Canada from 1920 to 1921, and briefly in 1926
August 6, 1960 (Saturday) In response to a United States embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalized American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
August 7, 1960 (Sunday) Côte d'Ivoire (also referred to as the Ivory Coast), formerly part of French West Africa, became independent of France, with Félix Houphouët-Boigny as its first president. The Bluebell Railway, in Sussex, England, began regular operation as the first standard gauge steam-operated passenger preserved railway in the world. Born: David Duchovny, American actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter, in New York City.
August 8, 1960 (Monday)
The Mining State of South Kasai, with its capital at Bakwanga (now Mbuji-Mayi), seceded from the rest of the Republic of the Congo, by declaration of Chief Albert Kalonji. Congolese troops recaptured Bakwanga two weeks later on August 24.
August 9, 1960 (Tuesday) The government of Laos was overthrown in a coup led by Captain Kong Le, and supported by rebellious units within the Laotian Army. Prime Minister Samsonith was in Luang Prabang, making preparations for the funeral of the late King of Laos, when the army units struck in Vientiane. Former Premier Souvanna Phouma formed a new cabinet on August 15, and civil war was averted after the new King asked, on August 29, that a new ministry be created, and to include members of the old regime. The legislature approved the new ministry on August 31. Voters in a referendum in Alaska elected (by a margin of about 19,000 to 17,000) against moving the state capital from Juneau to a new site to be constructed between the Cook Inlet and Fairbanks.