Events of the 1960s

U2 incident

May 1, 1960

occurred during the cold war, an american U2 spy plane was shot down over the soviet union.

First televised presidential debate

Sep 26, 1960

70 million u.s. viewers tuned in to watch nixon and kennedy in the first ever televised presidential debate.

The Berlin Wall was built

Aug 13, 1961

The Berlin Wall was built to close off access to the west.

First person shot Trying to cross Berlin Wall

Aug 17, 1962

18 year-old Peter Flechter,a bricklayer from East Berlin was shot and left to bleed to death.

Martin Luther King "I have a Dream"

Aug 28, 1963

M.L.K. gave his "i have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, it was a defining moment in the American civil rights movement.

John F. Kennedy assassination

Nov 22, 1963

Lee harvey oswald assissinated J.F.K. in his car during a parade in Dallas, Texas.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

Was a landmark piece of legislation in the U.S. that outlawed racial segregation in school, public places, and employment.

U.S. sends troops to Vietnam

Mar 8, 1965

3,500 troops were sent to Da Nang in South Vietnam. They were the first troops to arrive in Vietnam.

First Heart Transplant

Dec 3, 1967

South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard conducted the first heart transplant on 53 year old Lewis Washkansky.

Martin Luther King assassination

Apr 4, 1968

King was shot dead, he was shot in the neck and later died in the hospital.

Man on the moon

Jul 21, 1969

Man takes first steps on the moon