The first Games to be held in Asia had a poignant opening ceremony involving final torchbearer Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima the day the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb in World War Two.
Judo and volleyball - the first team sport for women - were introduced.
American Al Oerter won the discus despite a cervical disc injury that forced him to wear a neck harness and torn rib cartilage incurred a week before the competition.
Ukrainian Larysa Latynina's six medals in gymnastics brought her career medal total to an incredible 18, one of only four athletes in any sport to win nine gold medals.
American swimmer Don Schollander won four gold medals while Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila became the first repeat winner of the marathon - less than six weeks after having his appendix removed.
Britain's Mary Rand claimed gold in the long jump and silver in the pentathlon. There were also golds for Lynn Davies (long jump), Ann Packer (800m) and Ken Matthews (20,000m walk).
British gold medals: 4
