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SNCC formed
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed to enable students to make their own decisions about priorities and tactics. The tactics of nonviolent protest, including sit-ins and boycotts, challenged segregation and brought about change. -
First Televised Presidential Debate
It was between Nixon and Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy. An estimated total of sixty to seventy million viewers watched the first and the successive debates, which came to be known as “the Great Debates.” -
First Airing of the Flintstones
It was originally broadcast on ABC from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966, and was the first animated series with a prime-time slot on television. The show follows the lives of Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their pet dinosaur, Dino, and they later on have a baby girl named Pebbles. -
President Kennedy Elected
John F. Kennedy, a wealthy Democratic senator from Massachusetts, was elected president in 1960, defeating Vice President Richard Nixon. Though he clearly won the electoral vote, Kennedy's received only 118,000 more votes than Nixon in this close election. -
Russians Send First Man to Space
Yuri Gagarin from the Soviet Union was the first human in space. His vehicle, Vostok 1 circled Earth at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour with the flight lasting 108 minutes. -
Berlin Wall Constructed
The Wall was designed to prevent people from escaping to the West from East Berlin. In 1961, the SED began adding additional obstacles to the border, expanding the Wall into a complex multi-layered system of barriers. -
Roger Maris of the Yankees Breaks Babe Ruth’s Single Season Home Run Record
In 1961, the New York Yankees' Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record by belting 61 round-trippers. At the time, it was listed as one of the most historic events in baseball, alongside Ted Williams batting . -
SDS Releases its Port Huron Statement
The Port Huron Statement, ultimately, was a document of idealism, a philosophical template for a more egalitarian society, a call to participatory democracy where everyone was engaged in issues that affected all people - in civil rights, in political accountability, in labor rights, and in nuclear disarmament. -
Marilyn Monroe Dies
Marilyn Monroe, who often tried without success to shut herself off from the world, early yesterday did so. The 36-year-old actress was found dead in bed in her Brentwood home, apparently the victim of an overdose of sleeping pills. -
James Meredith Registers at Ole Miss
After a protracted court battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 10, 1962, that Meredith was to be admitted to the university. Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett tried to prevent Meredith's enrollment by assuming the position of registrar and blocking his admission. -
“Dr. No” the First James Bond Movie Premiers
Fleming's novel Dr. No (1958) was adapted for film by the British movie production company Eon Productions in 1962. Directed by Irish filmmaker Terence Young and starring Scottish-born actor Sean Connery as Bond, Dr. No launched one of the most successful film franchises in history. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict. -
Watts Race Riots
The Watts district gained widespread notoriety on August 11–16, 1965, as the scene of racial disturbances. Angered by long-standing social injustices, thousands of African Americans rioted, burned stores, and pillaged the area. -
Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech
"I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. -
Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots were followed by several days of demonstrations in New York and was the impetus for the formation of the Gay Liberation Front as well as other gay, lesbian and bisexual civil rights organizations. It's also regarded by many as history's first major protest on behalf of equal rights for homosexuals. -
John F Kennedy is Assassinated
On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. -
The Beatles Arrive in the United States
Beatles' historic arrival in New York City 50 years ago gave Big Apple unforgettable lift. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison arrive at New York's Kennedy Airport on Feb. 7, 1964 for their first U.S. appearance. -
The Beatles appear on Ed Sullivan
At 8 o'clock on February 9th 1964, America tuned in to CBS and The Ed Sullivan Show. But this night was different. 73 million people gathered in front their TV sets to see The Beatles' first live performance on U.S. soil. -
New York World’s Fair Begins
The 1964 fair boasted the still-standing Unisphere and United States Space Park, pledging "Peace through Understanding." It was dominated by futuristic, so-called "Googie" architecture and fantastic fairway rides and attractions. -
Lyndon B Johnson Defeats Barry Goldwater
The 1964 United States presidential election was the 45th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee, in a landslide. -
Malcolm X Assassinated
Malcolm X, an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a popular figure during the civil rights movement, was shot multiple times and died from his wounds in Manhattan, New York City on February 21, 1965 at age 39. -
“Star Trek” TV Show Airs
The show depicts the adventures of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise and its five-year mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before", under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. -
San Francisco “Summer of Love” Begins
During the summer of 1967, nearly 100,000 young people descended on the city of San Francisco for what became known as the “Summer of Love.” Similar pilgrimages and celebrations occurred in cities across the United States, but San Francisco is where the “hippie” movement reached its zenith. -
First NFL Football Super Bowl
It was played on January 15, 1967 in front of a star-studded Hollywood crowd at the Los Angeles Coliseum and in front of a TV audience of 65 million. The two conferences did not play head-to-head in the regular season and this first game between the two leagues wasn't close. -
Beatles Release Sgt. Pepper’s Album
The album marked a cultural and artistic watershed for the Beatles in 1967, as their image shifted from one of lovable moptops, which they despised, to a creative force wired by drugs, disaffection, self-exploration, and a mandate to push the musical envelope as far as it would go. -
Thurgood Marshall Nominated to the Supreme Court
On June 13, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated distinguished civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall to be the first African American justice to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. -
Boxer Muhammed Ali Refuses Military Service
Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer and cultural icon, did refuse to be drafted into the Vietnam War in 1967. He cited his religious beliefs and opposition to the war as reasons for his refusal. -
Richard Nixon is elected
However, in 1968, he made another run for the presidency and was elected, defeating Hubert Humphrey by less than one percentage point in the popular vote, as well as defeating third-party candidate George Wallace. Nixon ended American involvement in Vietnam combat in 1973 and the military draft in the same year. -
Tet Offensive
In late January, 1968, during the lunar new year (or “Tet”) holiday, North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against a number of targets in South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses before finally repelling the communist assault. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated as he stood on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel. On May 7, 1968, the Shelby County Criminal Court named James Earl Ray in an indictment for the first-degree murder of Dr. -
Robert Kennedy is Assassinated
On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California and pronounced dead the following day. Kennedy lies mortally wounded on the floor immediately after the shooting. -
Protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention protests were a series of protests against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War that took place prior to and during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The protests lasted approximately seven days, from August 23 to August 29, 1968. -
LSD Declared Illegal By the U.S. Government
LSD was declared a "Schedule I" substance, legally designating that the drug has a "high potential for abuse" and is without any "currently accepted medical use in treatment." LSD was removed from legal circulation. -
The Rolling Stones Host the Altamont Music Festival
During the show, 18-year-old fan Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by Hells Angels security — all while the Rolling Stones played on stage, unaware of what they were witnessing. Jagger was also punched in the face by a concertgoer upon arrival at the venue. “I think it affected all of us very profoundly. -
American Astronauts Land on the Moon
This was accomplished with two US pilot-astronauts flying a Lunar Module on each of six NASA missions across a 41-month period starting 20 July 1969, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on Apollo 11, and ending on 14 December 1972 with Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Apollo 17. -
Woodstock Concert
It might be the most famous rock concert and festival ever held. For many, it showed the counterculture of the 1960s and the "hippie era". Many of the most famous musicians at the time showed up during the rainy weekend, as can be seen in a 1970 movie, Woodstock.