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First airing of “The Flintstones”
"The Flintstones" was already prehistoric by design when it premiered Sept. 30, 1960. Sixty years after its launch, primetime TV's first animated series seems even older in some ways, surprisingly contemporary in others and still gets callbacks in today's popular culture. -
President Kennedy is elected
In the 1960 election, John F. Kennedy was elected as the 35th President of the United States, defeating Richard Nixon in a closely contested race. Kennedy's charisma, televised debates, and a narrow popular vote victory contributed to his success, and he was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. -
Russians send the first man into 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 is constructed
The construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961, by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), as a physical barrier separating East and West Berlin, symbolizing the division of Germany during the Cold War and restricting the movement of people between the two sides until its eventual fall in 1989. -
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. -
Marilyn Monroe dies
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. -
James Meredith registers at Ole Miss
James Meredith's registration at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) on October 1, 1962, marked a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement as he became the first African American student to enroll at the university, breaking the racial segregation barrier. -
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. -
Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, passionately advocating for racial equality and civil rights in the United States. -
John F Kennedy is assassinated
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade, leading to a profound national tragedy and the subsequent swearing-in of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 36th President of the United States. -
The Beatles arrive in the United States
The Beatles arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York for the very first time to thousands of screaming fans on Feb. 7, 1964. -
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. -
San Francisco “Summer of Love” begins
The San Francisco "Summer of Love" began in 1967, characterized by a cultural and social phenomenon marked by the convergence of thousands of young people in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, celebrating countercultural ideals, music, and experimentation with psychedelic substances. -
First NFL Football Super Bowl
The first NFL Super Bowl, then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, took place on January 15, 1967, between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, marking the beginning of the annual championship tradition in American football. -
Boxer Muhammed Ali refuses military service
Muhammad Ali, the reigning world heavyweight boxing champion, entered the combative ring of politics and culture by refusing to serve in the United States military at the height of the Vietnam War on this day in history, April 28, 1967. -
Beatles release Sgt. Pepper’s album
The Beatles released their groundbreaking album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" on May 26, 1967, marking a pivotal moment in the history of popular music with its innovative approach to recording, eclectic musical styles, and artistic concept, becoming one of the most influential and acclaimed albums of all time. -
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. -
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. -
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 was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Robert Kennedy is assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, shortly after winning the California Democratic primary for the presidential nomination, marking a tragic end to his bid for the presidency. -
Richard Nixon is elected
Richard Nixon was elected as the 37th President of the United States in the 1968 election, securing victory over Hubert Humphrey. -
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The Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. -
American astronauts land on the moon
Millions of people gathered in front of their TVs to witness two American astronauts accomplish a feat that had never been accomplished before. -
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Woodstock concert
The Woodstock Festival, held in August 1969, was a historic three-day music event in Bethel, New York, symbolizing the counterculture of the 1960s, featuring iconic performances and drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees. -
The Rolling Stones host the Altamont music festival
As the final show of their American tour, the Rolling Stones held a one-day rock festival at Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California, on December 6, 1969