Who was making the headlines the last time Manchester United started so badly?

John Lennon, the Hulk and Sean Connery provided relief amid the threat of a nuclear conflict.

John Lennon, the Hulk and Sean Connery (PA/Royal Mail/Sotheby’s)

Manchester United’s woeful form this term represents their worst start to a season since 1962.

Here, the PA news agency goes back in time to take a look at five things that happened in that year when United last struggled so badly.

The Beatles’ first single

It was in October 1962 that a Liverpudlian four-piece called The Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do, backed by PS I Love You. Its performance in the UK chart gave little indication of the huge success that was to follow for the band, only peaking at number 17.

First comic book appearances of Spiderman and the Hulk

There were also debuts made by two super hero stars of the comic book world – Marvel duo Spiderman and the Hulk. The former’s first appearance came in a comic entitled Amazing Fantasy in August 1962, a few months after the first edition of The Incredible Hulk was published.

Dr No

A big cinematic first that year was the release of Dr No, the maiden James Bond film, which had its world premiere in October. Directed by Terence Young, it saw Sean Connery’s 007 take on the titular villain played by Joseph Wiseman, while Ursula Andress made a famous appearance as Honey Ryder. It would prove the only Bond film not to have a pre-title sequence.

Warhol exhibition

American artist Andy Warhol made his first really big splash in July 1962 with his Campbell’s Soup Cans exhibition in Los Angeles. The famous work consists of 32 canvases, each featuring a different variety of the company’s soups.

Cuban missile crisis

A major news story from 1962 was the Cuban missile crisis, in which the Cold War looked as if it could turn into a nuclear conflict. A confrontation lasting around two weeks between the United States and the Soviet Union over the latter’s nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba ended on October 28 with respective leaders John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev having reached an agreement.