August 11 – The return capsule of the U.S. Discoverer 13Corona mission is successfully recovered from the Pacific Ocean, the first time any man-made object has been recovered successfully from orbit.[3]
December 10 – The first underwater park within the United States, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, is formally dedicated; it covers 178 square miles (460 km2) and protects coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves inside its boundaries.[9]
Czech biochemist Emil Paleček discovers that nucleic acids can be studied through electrochemistry, contradicting previous assumptions that DNA molecules are too large to have electrochemical properties and allowing them to be used in the diagnosis of genetic disorders.[10]
May 10 – The nuclear submarine USS Triton, under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr., completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth.
^Hess, H. H. (1960), Evolution of Ocean Basins, Report to Office of Naval Research. Contract No. 1858(10), NR 081-06
^Hess, H. H. (1962-11-01). "History of Ocean Basins"(PDF). In Engel, A. E. J.; James, Harold L.; Leonard, B. F. (eds.). Petrologic Studies: a volume in honor of A. F. Buddington. Boulder, CO: Geological Society of America. pp. 599–620.
^Bilinski, S. (1960), "Über die Rhombenisoeder", Glasnik Mat. Fiz. Astr., 15: 251–263, Zbl0099.15506.