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JFK Wins Presidency
Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy is elected president of the United States. -
Peace Corps
President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps. The Corps aims to disseminate good will and practical knowledge by enlisting volunteers, most under age 30, to two-year terms of service. -
JFK's Man on the Moon Speech
JFK stated that the United States should set as a goal the "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth" by the end of the decade. -
Berlin Wall Built
East German soldiers and construction workers quickly constructed a barrier made of concrete posts and barbed wire along the border. -
National Guard Desegregates Ole Miss
JFK orders federal troops and the federalized National Guard to the campus of the University of Mississippi to enforce the court-ordered admission of James Meredith -
Kennedy Assassination
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas -
LBJ Declares War on Poverty
President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty and outlines an ambitious domestic agenda aimed at reducing unemployment, increasing support for education and job training, and expanding public services for the poor -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act outlaws discrimination in public facilities, such as parks, and in public accommodations, such as hotels and restaurants, and it prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act abolishes literacy tests and other tests used by local and state governments to inhibit African-American voting. -
Minimum Wage Increase
The minimum wage is raised in stages from its current $1.25 per hour to $1.60 by February 1968 -
Che Guevara killed
Che Guevara took part with Fidel Castro and other Cuban rebels in the successful attempt to overthrow the Cuban government -
My Lai Massacre
U.S. soldiers entered the Vietnamese village of My Lai on a search and destroy mission during the Vietnam War. The soldiers massacred somewhere between 347 and 504 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr. was hit by a sniper's bullet when he was standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, -
Tet Offensive
reveals that the communist forces are still strong and, thus, American administration claims that the war is nearing conclusion are discredited. -
Neil Armstrong Becomes the First Man on the Moon
The Apollo 11 was the first successful mission with the objective of step on the moon