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Vietnam War
Althoug the war started and ended outside of the decade, it's effects were still prevalent. War controversy in the United States was a big part of sixties culture. -
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Not so Groovy Sixties
A time for change defines the sixties. The fight of war vs peace, segregation, and women's equality marks the decade as one of the most revolutionary decades this half of the twentieth century. -
Segregation Sit-in at Greensboro NC
Four college students were denied service at a whites only lunch counter. Over the next several weeks they decided to host a sit-in to help fight segregation. More and more people joined thepeaceful protest and the trend swept the nation. Restaurants, schools, and libraries all found groups of civil rights activists flooding their establishments. These sit-ins laregly impacted youth involvement in civil rights and helped encourage equality througout the south. -
JFK Elected
John F. Kennedy won the 1960 election agaisnt VP Republican candidate Richard Nixon. The election was the first one to have broadcasted debates on television, and many believe that this impacted the outcome. -
Ban-The-Bomb Protests
Protests agaisnt nuclear warfare were popular before now, but we see an increase in them in this decade. On this date 50,000 women marched throughout sixty cities in the United States. They, along with many other groups, felt the need to protest against the harsh weapons. This particular event was just the beginning of further peaceful protests. -
The Feminine Mystique Published
This book by Betty Friedan is seen as jumpstarting the second wave of feminism in the United States. She outlines some major sexism problems and gives a new and controversial perspective of women. -
"I Have a Dream" Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial. MLK was heavily involved in civil rights and can be considered the leader of the fight for racial equality in the 20th century. This speech was a turning point in the movement. -
Assassination
President Kennedy is shot in Dallas, Texas. Vice President Lyndon Johnson is sworn in and takes over. -
Civil RIghts Act
This act essentailly bans any form of discrimination based on race, sexy, nationality, or religion. Segregation in public accomodations was finally seen as over in the eyes of the government. It's enforcement was initially very weak and it took years before it was what it is today. -
Gulf of Tonkin
Up to this point the United States had been on the fence about being involved in Vietnam. U.S. ships reported attacks from the enemy of North Vietnam; these reports were later questioned about their accuracy. This was the final push that caused congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resoliion. The US was allowed to go agaisnt Vietnam without actually declaring war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
This idea of controlled bombing of Norhtern Vietnam was approved by Johnson to be carried out for the next three years. The main goal was to destroy northern Vietnamese bases and transportation in order to stop supplies and troops from entering the Republic of Vietnam. -
NOW is here
The National Organization for Women is created by 49 feminist women and men to help fight for female involvment. They believed that the anti-discrimination laws were not being enforced properly and that women were not getting their say in the government as was promised by the Civil Rights Act already in place. (Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, was one of the founders) -
Rolling Stone Magazine
The first issue of Rolling Stone is published. Many pop culture revolutions take place in this decade, and this might be one of the more notable ones. The first issue of this media-driven magazine features John Lennon on the cover and is destined to become one of the best outlets for pop culture news. -
First Black Woman to Congress
Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm finds herself to be the first African American woman in congress. At this time of segregation and racism, this mean a whole lot. She was also the first woman to run for Democratic presidential candidate. -
SFFU Student Strike
At San Francisco University, student begin the longest campus strike in U.S. history. This strike led to anethnic studies classes at many colleges around the country and inspired the creation of the College of Ethnic Studies. As mentioned before, these strikes were very important and apparently effective for activists of the time. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the first manned moon landing made by the United States. This television broadcasted trip was made by Buzz Aldring and Neil Armstrong and is widely seen as one of the more significant and famous events to have happened in the sixties by the public eye. -
Occupation of Alcatraz
Lasting nineteen months, this "occupation" was made by Indians of All Tribes. It sparked a native movement even though it wasn't quite as successful as they might have hoped and ended withe federal government having to forcibly remove the protesters.
