60's timeline

SNCC Formed

Apr 15, 1960

SNCC, also known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was formed at Shaw University by a civil rights activist named Ella Baker.

First Televised Presidential Debate

Sep 25, 1960

This was a debate between Kennedy and Nixon during their campaigns.

First Airing of “The Flintstones”- September 30, 1960

Sep 30, 1960

This first episode was aired on ABC and it was the first animated series to hold a prime time slot on television.

President Kennedy is Elected

Nov 8, 1960

JFK defeated Vice President Richard Nixon to become the 35 President of the USA. He was also the youngest man to be elected President.

Russians Send the First Man Into Space

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin was aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, and became the first human to travel in space. He was also the first to orbit the planet.

Berlin Wall is Constructed

Aug 13, 1961

The East German army started to build this giant wall to cut off West Berlin from East Germany not allowing East Germans to pass into West Germany.

Roger Maris of the Yankees Breaks Babe Ruth’s Single Season Home Run Record

Oct 1, 1961

He was the first ever MLB player to hit more than 60 home runs in a single season breaking Babe Ruth's record.

SDS Releases its Port Huron Statement

Jun 15, 1962

SDS, also known as the Students for the Democratic Society, released this statement of dissatisfaction and disillusion the young people were feeling about the 1960s.

Marilyn Monroe Dies

Aug 4, 1962

Famous actress and public figure, Marilyn Monroe, overdoses and it was ruled a probable suicide.

James Meredith Resisters at Ole Miss

Oct 1, 1962

James was the first African American to register for college at Ole Miss.

“Dr. No” the First James Bond Movie Premiers

Oct 5, 1962

This was historic for pop culture, James Bond movies are very famous and still made to this day.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 16, 1962

The Cuban Missile crisis was launched on this day which led to a 13 day confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union.

Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech

Aug 28, 1963

MLK, an American Civil Rights Activist, gave this speech for rights and jobs and freedom for an end to racism in the US.

John F Kennedy is Assassinated

Nov 22, 1963

President JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while in his car driving through Dallas, Texas.

The Beatles Arrive in the United States

Feb 7, 1964

A British Group, The Beatles, came to the US and made their debut 2 days later on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The Beatles Appear on Ed Sullivan

Feb 9, 1964

This British group took the world and music by storm and had 73 million people watch them while they preformed on this show.

New York World’s Fair Begins

Apr 22, 1964

The fair was held in Queens, NY and brought excitement for the space age and technology that would change the culture of the world. "It was a beacon of light at a very dark time" people said because the US was still grieving the assassination of their President.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Aug 2, 1964

This was a major turning point for the US's involvement in Vietnam. North Vietnamese ships attacked US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, the body of water near Vietnam.

Lyndon B. Johnson Defeats Barry Goldwater

Nov 3, 1964

Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater to be the 36 President of the USA.

Malcolm X Assassinated

Feb 21, 1965

Malcolm X, an African American religious leader and nationalist was assassinated by Black Muslims while giving a speech to his organization of the Afro-American Unity.

Watts Race Riots

Aug 11, 1965

These riots were caused when an African American was arrested for reckless driving and the white police office may have used excessive force.

“Star Trek” TV Show Airs

Sep 8, 1966

This show aired on NBC and became a cult classic. However the original show was canceled after 3 seasons.

San Francisco “Summer of Love” Begins

Jan 14, 1967

30,000 people gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to take part in Allen Ginsburg and Gary Synder's initiative for a collective expansion of conscience.

First NFL Football Super Bowl

Jan 15, 1967

This was a game between the Packers and the Chiefs. It was first known as the NFL World Championship but now it is known as the Super Bowl.

Boxer Muhammad Ali Refuses Military Service

Apr 28, 1967

Muhammad Ali refuses to go into the military due to religious reasons.

Beatles Release Sgt. Pepper’s Album

May 26, 1967

This album made it onto the UK charts and was #1 for 23 weeks, In total it was on the charts for a consecutive 148 weeks.

Monterrey Music Festival Held

Jun 16, 1967

This was held in Montgomery, California and was pivotal for Rock music.

Protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention

Aug 23, 1967

These people were protesting the Vietnam War and they wanted to disrupt the convention.

Thurgood Marshall Nominated to the Supreme Court

Aug 30, 1967

Marshal was the first African American justice to serve on the US Supreme Court.

Tet Offensive

Jan 30, 1968

This was a series of attacks on South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese. Over 100 cities were affected. This was the North Vietnamese's attempt to create a rebellion of the South Vietnamese in hopes to make the US pull out of the Vietnamese War.

Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated

Apr 4, 1968

MLK was shot standing outside on a balcony of his second story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Robert Kennedy is Assassinated

Jun 5, 1968

Presidential candidate RFK was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in LA after he was declared the winner of 2 Presidential primary elections.

LSD Declared Illegal By the U.S. Government

Oct 24, 1968

LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that was deemed too unpredictable to use so the government made it illegal.

Richard Nixon is Elected

Nov 5, 1968

Richard Nixon defeated incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey to become the 37 President of the USA.

Stonewall Riots

Jun 28, 1969

This event began when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club, located in NYC. This started the gay rights movement.

American Astronauts Land on the Moon

Jul 20, 1969

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the humans to land on the moon. The US won the space race because we made it to the moon first and Neil was also the first person to actually walk on the moon.

Manson Family Murders Sharon Tate

Aug 9, 1969

Charles Manson' "family," really a cult, murdered around 7 people in 3 days. This included a 8.5 month pregnant women and an 18 year old boy.

Woodstock Concert

Aug 15, 1969

A famous music festival that took place in NY with over 400,000 audience members.

The Rolling Stones Host the Altamont Music Festival

Dec 6, 1969

This event was known for going perfectly wrong. It was a counterculture rock concert held at the Altamont Speedway, in Northern California, where approximately 300,000 people attended.