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Publishing of "The Affluent Society"
Robert Galbraith was a economist and intellectual who published his book "The Affluent Society" in 1958. The book observed current trends in the economy and warned against basing an entire system on the production of material goods. More importantly, the title of the book became a term which summarized the entire period after the Great Depression and World War II. The 'Affluent Society' referred to the seemingly unparalleled level of American prosperity. -
First Man-Made Object on the Moon
The Soviet Union was the first to send a human-made object, the Luna 2 capsule, to actually touch the moon. The so called Space Race was another example of the ideological conflicts between America and the Soviet Union. In this case, the Soviets were much faster to send objects and eventually living animals into space. The fears of communist influence from space was another motivator for America to increase its technological game. -
First Televised Presidential Debate
The Presidential Election of 1960 primarily involved Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat John F. Kennedy. Unlike other debates, however, both candidates took part in the first nationally televised debate. Television had integrated itself into average American life, so the results of the debate are commonly held to have effected the entire election. Due to his better showing during the debate, Kennedy won the Presidency. -
Bay of Pigs
When the Cuban government was taken over by the more liberal leaning Fidel Castro, the American government mistakenly thought the new leaders lacked popular support. In an attempt to remove this potential threat, America sent a group of Cuban exiles and CIA agents to the Bay of Pigs. The group was quickly overwhelmed, and the entire incident only helped validate the new Cuban leadership. -
March on Washington
As a part of the continuously growing Civil Rights movement, activists organized a March on Washington. As a part of the march, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The movement epitomized the growing sense of urgency overtaking many American citizens to obtain equal rights and promote other domestic reforms. -
President Kennedy Assassinated
When traveling to Dallas, President Kennedy was assassinated. As a result, the previous Vice President Lyndon Johnson became America's new leader. Johnson placed a greater emphasis on reform and was a direct influence on the success of later Civil Rights and Voting Acts. Johnson also called for an end to poverty through his reforms known collectively as The Great Society. -
Gulf of Tonkin
Despite already sending troops to South Vietnam, most Americans were unaware of the upcoming Vietnam war until the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The USS Maddox reported incoming fire from North Vietnamese troops while in the Gulf of Tonkin, which was used as a pretext for America becoming more involved. The quickly passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Johnson the heightened ability to deploy the American military to South Vietnam. -
Woodstock Concert
The Woodstock Concert in New York became a lasting symbol of the rebellion culture of the late 1960s. In stark contrast to the conformist society of previous years, young adults became dissatisfied with society and used popular culture as an expression outlet. While some elements of this culture would be short lived, the feeling of breaking free from rules would continue to inspire generations of teenagers and young adults for years to come.
