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SNCC formed
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded in 1960 in the wake of student-led sit-ins at segregated lunch counters across the South. -
First televised Presidential debate
The first televised presidential debate was the 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. -
First airing of "The Flintstones"
The Flintstones first were introduced to television audiences by ABC. -
President Kennedy is elected
John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard Nixon and became the 35th President of the United States. -
Russians send the first man into space
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. -
Berlin Wall is constructed
East German soldiers laid down more than 30 miles of barbed wire barrier through the heart of Berlin. -
Roger Maris of the Yankees breaks Babe Ruth's single season home run record
Roger Maris of the Yankees mashed 61 home runs, breaking the major league record set by another Yankees star, Babe Ruth -
Marilyn Monroe dies
Marilyn Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose late in the evening at her house in Los Angeles, California. She was 36 years old. -
James Meredith registers at Ole Miss
After the riot was crushed, the military continued to occupy Oxford for almost ten months. James Meredith then officially became the first African American student at the University of Mississippi -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War that lasted 13 days. -
"Dr. No" the first James Bond movie premiers
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film directed by Terence Young, and it is the first film in the James Bond series. -
Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech to a massive group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. -
John F Kennedy is assassinated
John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas -
The Beatles arrive in the United States
The Beatles arrived at John F Kennedy airport in New York, greeted by thousands of fans. -
The Beatles appear on Ed Sullivan
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
New York World's Fair opens in New York City. The opening ceremony ushered in the first day of television broadcasting in New York. -
Lyndon B Johnson defeats Barry Goldwater
Johnson beat Goldwater in the general election, winning over 61% of the popular vote. Johnson became the only Democrat between 1944 and 1976 to win a majority of the popular vote. -
Malcom X assassinated
Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. He was shot multiple times and killed. -
Watts race riots
The riot began from an incident when Marquette Frye, a young African American motorist, was pulled over and arrested by Lee W. Minikus, a white California Highway Patrolman, for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. -
LSD declared illegal by the US government
In 1966 Congress passed the Drug Abuse Control Amendment, which banned the individual manufacturing or sale of LSD and other similar hallucinogens. -
"Star Trek" TV shows airs
The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as The Original Series, debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on NBC. -
San Francisco "Summer of Love" begins
People gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to take part in counterculture poet Allen Ginsberg and writer Gary Synder's "Human Be-In" initiative. -
First NFL Football Super Bowl
The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first-ever Super Bowl. It was hosted in Los Angeles, California, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. -
Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses military service
Muhammad refused because his religion forbade him from serving. This caused the stripping of his heavyweight title, a suspension from boxing, a $10,000 fine, and a five-year prison sentence. -
Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's album
The Beatles release their landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the UK. -
Thurgood Marshall nominated to the Supreme Court
President Johnson nominated Marshall to replace the retiring Justice Tom Clark, who left the Court after his son, Ramsey Clark, became Attorney General. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. -
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 -
Robert Kennedy is assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan shortly after midnight at the Ambassador Hotel, in Los Angeles. -
Stonewall riots
A series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protesters that lasted over six days. -
Protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention protests were a series of protest activities against the Vietnam War that took place prior to and during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. -
Richard Nixon is elected
Richard Nixon was elected the 37th President of the United States, defeating Vice President Hubert Humphrey. -
American astronauts land on the moon
Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle. Armstrong then became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface. -
Woodstock concert
The National Register Woodstock Music Festival site commemorates a three-day music festival. -
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.