--- title: "What Chinese Zodiac Is 1960? Year of the Metal Rat" description: "1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat in the Chinese zodiac, from January 28, 1960 to February 14, 1961. Personality, Lunar New Year dates and numerology." canonical: https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1960 last-updated: 2026-10-23 reviewed: false author: Unified Reading editorial --- # What Chinese Zodiac Is 1960? Year of the Metal Rat In Chinese astrology, 1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat, a Yang year. It began at Lunar New Year on January 28, 1960 and ended on February 14, 1961, so people born in 1960 before Jan 28 belong to the Earth Pig year. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Animal · element · polarity | Rat · Metal · Yang | | Starts (Lunar New Year) | January 28, 1960 | | Ends | February 14, 1961 | | Born in 1960 before Jan 28 | Earth Pig (the 1959 year) | | Rat's fixed element | Water (Metal generates Water) | | Other Metal Rat years (1924-2044) | 2020 | | Stem-branch name | Geng-Zi | | Lunar New Year weekday · Sun sign | Thursday · Aquarius | | Numerology year number | 7 | ## When the 1960 Metal Rat year starts and ends The 1960 Metal Rat year began at Lunar New Year on January 28, 1960 and lasted until February 14, 1961, the day before the next new year. Anyone born between January 1 and Jan 28 1960 therefore belongs to the Earth Pig year that started in 1959, while someone born in early 1961, up to Feb 14, is still a Metal Rat. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which is why the start date moves between January 21 and February 20 instead of staying on January 1. The same Metal Rat combination also falls in 2020, sixty years apart, because five elements and twelve animals realign only once in each sixty-year cycle. Lunar New Year 1960 fell on a Thursday, while the Western Sun was in Aquarius. ## Metal Rat personality Ambitious, disciplined and persuasive, the Metal Rat pursues goals with uncommon tenacity. Metal generates the Rat's Water, so tradition describes a sign strengthened and supplied by its year. People born now often have refined tastes and a talent for planning and money. A guarded heart and stubbornness are the usual cautions, eased by unstructured time with loved ones. Their plans are usually thought through several steps ahead. Metal is the element of autumn and harvest, and a Metal year is traditionally said to sharpen whatever animal it meets. Descriptions associate it with determination, discipline, clear judgement and a strong code of principle. Metal-year people are often portrayed as decisive, self-reliant and willing to do difficult things because they are right. The element is linked with refinement and with cutting away what is unnecessary, so it tends to bring focus and high standards. Its traditional shadow is rigidity: Metal can become inflexible, proud or emotionally guarded, preferring to be correct over being close, and finding it hard to bend once a position is taken. ## 1960 in numerology and the twelve-year cycle In numerology the year reduces to 7, the number of reflection, analysis and inner work, giving a 7 year a quieter, more searching character. The digits of 1960 add up to 16, which reduces to 7. In the twelve-year cycle the Rat is the first animal, earthly branch Zi, with Water as its fixed element and Yang polarity. The year element is Metal, and in the five-element cycles metal generates Water. The year before was the Earth Pig and the year after is the Metal Ox. In the traditional sexagenary count the year is called Geng-Zi: Geng is the Metal heavenly stem and Zi is the Rat's earthly branch. Stems and branches alternate between yang and yin together, which is why yang stems only ever meet yang animals. ## Frequently asked questions ### What Chinese zodiac is 1960? 1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat. It started on January 28, 1960 and ended on February 14, 1961. ### What if I was born in January or February 1960? Check the date against Jan 28. Born before January 28, 1960, you are a Earth Pig; born on or after it, you are a Metal Rat. ### What element is 1960 in the Chinese zodiac? Metal, a Yang year. The Rat's own fixed element is Water; the year element changes every two years, while the fixed element stays with the animal. ### What is the traditional Chinese name for 1960? Geng-Zi. The first part is the heavenly stem, which carries the year's element and polarity; the second is the earthly branch, which carries the animal. Almanacs, calendars and Four Pillars charts identify years this way rather than by animal alone. ### When is the next Metal Rat year? 2020, sixty years later, when the five elements and twelve animals line up again; the table also has 2020. ## Related pages - [Metal Rat](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/metal-rat) - [Rat](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/rat) - [Chinese zodiac years](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/years) - [1959 (Earth Pig)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1959) - [1961 (Metal Ox)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1961) - [1948 (Earth Rat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1948) - [1972 (Water Rat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1972) - [2020 (Metal Rat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/2020) - [1936 (Fire Rat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1936) - [1984 (Wood Rat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1984) - [Chinese zodiac calculator](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac-calculator) - [Chinese zodiac](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac) ## About Unified Reading Unified Reading combines Pythagorean numerology, the Western Sun sign (Moon and rising with a birth time), the Chinese zodiac and life-stage context in one reading. The preview is free at https://unifiedreading.com/#details; the full reading is $4.99, paid once through Stripe, with no subscription. A fictional sample is at https://unifiedreading.com/sample. With a birth time and place it adds whole sign houses and the chart ruler; it does not calculate planetary aspects or transits, and it is a framework for reflection, not a prediction.