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The first televised presidential debate
The first general election presidential debate was held on September 26, 1960, between U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy, the Democratic nominee, and Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee, in Chicago at the studios of CBS's WBBM-TV. -
John F. Kennedy elected president
In the general election on November 8, 1960, Kennedy defeated the Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon in a very close race. At the age of 43, Kennedy was the youngest man elected president. -
Russians send the first man into space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space when he launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft -
Berlin builds a new wall
Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, the Wall completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning Soviet ballistic missiles deployment in Cuba. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was a protest for jobs and freedom and a demand for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It was one of the largest political rallies in U.S. history. -
President Kennedy is assassinated
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He was shot twice, and an hour after his death Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime. -
Martin Luther King awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial judgements in America. At 35 years of age, he was the youngest person ever to receive the award. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the. Tennessee. News of King’s assassination prompted major outbreaks of racial violence, resulting in more than 40 deaths nationwide and extensive property damage in over 100 American cities. -
Richard Nixon is elected President
Nixon served for eight years as vice president. . In 1968 he ran again for the presidency and was elected when he defeated Hubert Humphrey.
