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Viet Cong emerge
Armed group of communists and insurgents emerge in South Vietnam. -
Sit-In Protests
A "whites only" lunch counter at a Greensboro Woolworths is the scene of protests against segregation. -
First televised Presidential Debate
Candidates Kennedy and Nixon's debate is nationally broadcast on all three TV networks. 70 million viewers watch. This changes political campaigning. -
JFK elected
John F Kennedy is elected president after a close election. -
Ban the Bomb
Worldwide protests are coordinated by anti-nuclear activists. -
Freedom Riders
Buses of interracial protesters leave DC and travel to teh South. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
US spy planes discover that Soviets are hiding nuclear missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy orders a naval blockade of Cuba. Tense negotiations go on for a week. Russia agrees to remove the missiles in exchange for the US removing missiles from Turkey. -
"I have a dream..."
Martin Luther King, Jr delivers one of his most famous speeches at the Civil Rights March on Washington. He stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and spoke to 250,000 people about his vision. -
JFK is assassinated
President John F Kennedy is shot and killed while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon Johnson becomes President. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act makes discrimination on the basis or race, color, religion, sex, or national origin illegal. -
MLK awarded Nobel Prize
Martin Luther King Jr receives the Nobel Peace Prize. -
Malcolm X Assassinated
Malcolm X, the leader of Nation of Islam is killed while delivering a speech. -
First Anti-Vietnam Teach In
Anti-war teacher and Students for Democratic Society protest the US involvement in the Vietnam War. 3,000 people attend. -
Medicare
President Johnson signs the bill to establish a health program for elderly citizens. -
Voting Rights Act
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Watts Riots
Race Riots in Watts, California go on for six days. 34 people die and there is $200 million in damages. -
MLK opposes Vietnam War
Opposing the President, Martin Luther King, Jr speaks out against US involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panthers are founded in Oakland, CA by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. This militant group approved the use of violence for defense. They are known to patrol streets in black berets and jackets heavily armed. -
Thurgood Marshall appointed
Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall to the US Supreme Court. He is the first African American to have this role. -
Tet Offensive
Using a Lunar New Year celebration as cover, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong ambush Saigon and other key cities. The US is able to retake most areas in 26 days. 37,000 Vietnamese and 2,500 US soldiers die. -
Cronkite reports from Vietnam
In a atypical style, Walter Cronkite shares his personal feelings while reporting from Vietnam. He believed there would be no winner. Insiders think that this is a key reason for President Johnson's decision to negotiate and not run for reelection is 1968. -
Robert Kennedy assassinated
The day after winning the California Primary, Senator Robert Kennedy is shot and killed in Los Angeles. -
Nixon wins Presidency
Republican Richard Nixon barely wins the election. He runs on a "law and order" platform. -
Stonewall
Judy Garland's funeral attracts gay mourners to Stonewall Tavern in New York. A fight with police occurs when someone resists arrest. The Gay Liberation Movement is launched after this event. -
Chicago 7
Charged with rioting at the '68 Chicago Convention the defendants us the court proceedings to put the war on trial. -
Peace Moratorium
Two million people participate in a one day nationwide peace moratorium. Many protesters are first time activists. The day includes religious services, street rallies, public meetings, school seminars and marches. Black armbands are worn by participants to show their opposition to the war and honor the dead. -
Natives Occupy Alcatraz
Native American Protesters occupy Alcatraz and inspire a native movement.