Born in 1960: the Rat

Metal Rat is the full name of the 1960 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 庚子 (gēngzǐ), which puts it at number 37 of 60, and 1960 is a yang year, the cycle's active, outgoing half. Expect the Rat's usual traits (quick-witted, resourceful, adaptable) with a determined, disciplined and self-reliant edge from the Metal element.

The 1960 lunar year ran from January 28, 1960 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1961 (February 15, 1961). If you were born on or after January 28, 1960 you are a Rat; if you were born earlier in 1960, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Pig. Someone born in 1960 turns 66 in 2026 (or 65 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1960's Chinese New Year fell on a Thursday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.

What the Metal element adds

Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Rat year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1960 was 1900, and the next is 2020. People born in it are said to combine quick-witted and resourceful with the element's determined nature. Every Rat year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Rat profile.

1960 at a glance

Animal	🐀 Rat (鼠)
Element	Metal
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	庚子 (gēngzǐ)
Place in the 60-year cycle	37 of 60
Zodiac year runs	January 28, 1960 to February 14, 1961
Age in 2026	65–66
Traditional best match	Ox
Traditional hardest match	Horse
Lucky numbers	2, 3
Lucky colors	blue, gold, green

Rat compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1960 Rat gets on best with the Ox (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Dragon and Monkey. The hardest pairing is the Horse, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rat compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1960 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1960 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 27, 1960	Pig (the 1959 year)
January 28, 1960 to December 31, 1960	Rat
January 1, 1961 to February 14, 1961	Rat (still the 1960 year)
February 15, 1961 onward	Ox (the 1961 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1960 Rat

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1960 is 2032, around age 72, then 2044, around age 84. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1960 and 1961

Metal years come in pairs. 1960 is the yang year and 1961 is the yin year, the Ox. So a 1960 Rat and a 1961 Ox share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Rat and Ox pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Rat and Ox pairing.

Other Rat years

1936 1948 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020 2032 2044

Full Rat personality profile →   Rat compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Metal year changes for the Rat

Talking. What marks a 1960 Rat in conversation is the Metal element: it gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking.

Work. Expect a 1960 Rat to work with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most, because Metal sharpens and hardens the sign's usual approach. The element affects execution more than the field.

Love. In 1960's Metal version, the Rat shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures, since metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve.

For the sign as a whole (how the Rat communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Rat profile. This page covers what is different about 1960.

Known Rats

The Rat's quick-witted streak is often illustrated with names like King Charles III, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Katy Perry — none of whom was born in the 1960 lunar year. They illustrate the animal's general reputation, not this exact element combination.