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Vietnam War begins
The Vietnam War was a war between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The United States allied with South Vietnam against the Vietcong and the North. The war dragged on 20 years until it ended in 1975 when the North Vietnamese troops invaded the South and took control of the whole country. -
Elvis Presley releases "Hound Dog"
When "Hound Dog" was released by Elvis Presley in 1956, many people described his rendition of this song as an "emblem of the rock 'n' roll revolution." It was favored by the public, and many thought his version surpassed the original. The song was originally intended as a parody making fun of the original, but it blew up into a hit. -
Integration of University of Alabama
Governor George Wallace allowed two African American students enroll at the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963. The governors platform was extremely pro-segregation, so when the day of enrollment arrived, Wallace and many state troopers blocked the door of the enrollment office when the African American students came. President Kennedy sent National Guard troops to remove Wallace and his men from the blockade. -
Assassination of JFK
President John F Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while he was en route to Dallas, Texas. The route Kennedy's car took was to give the public maximum exposure to the public, and unfortunately to the assassin also. The President was shot at 12:30 PM, rushed to the hospital, and after many attempts to save his life, was pronounced dead around 1 PM. -
Founding of the Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. -
The hippie / counterculture movement begins
The hippie movement began around 1967 and influenced much of the youth in America at that time. This new idea was based on a peaceful and harmonious society that promoted drug use, sexual exposure, and rejection of traditional conservative ways. Many fashion trends like tie-dye and bell bottoms originated from this movement. -
First man lands on the moon
Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the surface of the moon. He was joined by Buzz Aldrin as part of the mission Apollo 11. They spent over 2 hours on the surface collecting lunar material to bring back to Earth for research. They returned to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24. -
Watergate Scandal
Five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Their goal was to place bugs on the telephones to intercept phone calls and information. One of President Nixon's aides revealed that Nixon had taped all of the White House conversations regarding the scandal, and the Supreme Court ordered release of the tapes. After much refusal, the tapes were eventually released. Nixon resigned before an impeachment vote could be held. -
George Wallace assassination attempt
In the 1972 election, Richard Nixon ran as a Republican against George McGovern as a Democrat. Governor George Wallace, who was involved in the integration of the University of Alabama, ran as a third party for the American Independent Party. His campaign was cut short after an assassination attempt against him on May 15th. He was hit by 5 bullets and left paralyzed from the waist down. -
Invention of the Apple Computer
The Apple Computer was invented by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and for about 30 years, Apple was the most prominent distributor of personal computers. -
Murder of John Lennon
John Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman at the entrance of the Dakota, an apartment building in Manhattan, New York. He shot Lennon as he approached the entrance after getting out of his limo. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, and Chapman was charged with second degree murder.
