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The 1960's
The decade of the 1960's was an exuberent, turbulent, facinating time of innovation and change. Everyone felt it but few understood it. Only hte lens of history would reveal its true meaning. -
The Music and Dance of the 1960s.
Chubby Checker on TelevisionIn 1960 Chubby Checker popularized the dance the "Twist" with his cover of the Hank Ballard R&B hit song "The Twist". He appeared on American Bandstand TV show which was enormously popular with the after school crowd, and his charm, good looks, and smooth performance of "the Twist" helped the song and the dance skyrocket in popularity. Other popular dances on the 1960's included The Mashed Potato, The Monster Mash, The Monkey, The Hully Gully, THe Watusi and The Pony. -
First Televised Presidential Debate
For the first time ever, Americans were able to watch their presidential candidates express their views on national television. Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat) debated Vice President Richard M. Nixon (Repulican) and the contrast in personalities and appearance was striking. Kennedy looked and sounded strong and confident and Nixon did not. Kennedy would win the election in November. -
John F. Kennedy is Inauguated President of the United Staes
John F. Kennedy was the youngest man ever to hold the office of the President and the first Catholic. In his address he said that a "torch has been passed to a new generation of Amrican" and encouraged the country to"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." -
John Glenn Orbits the Earth
John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth which he did in the spaceship named Friendship 7. He orbited the earth three times in five hours and landed safely in the Atlantic ocean. In what would become a ritual cocern, Mission Control was worried that the heat shield on Friendship 7 would not survive the reentry into the earths atmospher killing John Glenn and destroying the space ship. -
The Book, Silent Spring, Exposes the Dangers of Pesticides
Many consider the publication of the book Silent Spring, written by scientist and author Rachel Carson, to be the beginning of the contmporary environmental movement. Silent Spring focused on the dangers of pesticides used primarily by farmers to rid their crops of pests. Ms. Carson was particularly concerned with the pesticide DDT. DDT is suspectd to cause birth defects in humans ans well a certain types of cancer. -
Martin Luther King Jr. I Have A Dream
I have a Dream SpeechAbout 200,000 people flooded the mall in Washington D.C. to show support for the civil rights bill and to hear the charismatic Dr. Martin Luther King speak from the steps of the Lincoln memorial. He told the assembled thousands, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin but by the color of their skin but by the content of their character..." Dr. King was considered the leader of the civil rights movement. -
President Kennedy is Assassinated
President and Mrs. Kennedy were riding in an open air car in a parade Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Osward shot and killed the President and the whole world mourned. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetary where an eternal flame marks his grave. His wife, Jackie, and son are buried next to him. -
Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health
On January 11, 1964, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service, released the first report of the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health. The report stated ,unequivically, that there was a stong link between smoking and lung cancer, as well as other resperatory diseases. This led to laws requiring warnings on cigarette packages, the banning of cigarette advertising on electronic media and annual reports on on the health consequences of smoking. -
Beatlemania
Beatles on Ed Sullivan ShowThe rock group, The Beatles, was enormously popuar world wide. Therefore, when they arrived in America for their first appearance on live television, 73 million people gather around their television sets to watch the group perform. -
Civil Rights Legislation Becomes Law
The most comprehensive Civil Right legislation in the history of the country takes effect. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in public places such as hotels and restaurants. It also siad it was illegal to discriminate on the job, in government ownd facilities , in any institution receiving federal funds and in unions. -
Anti-Vietnam War Protests Escalate
Eve of Destruction by Barry McguireIn October, 1965 more than 100,000 people marched down 5th Avenue in New York City to protest the war in Vietnam. Across the country antiwar sentiment continued to grow with citizens buring their draft cards, stuents organizing protest marches and sit-ins on college campuses, and antiwar songs topping the charts. By the end of the year the number of U.S. casualties in Vietnam approached 7,000.
