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The Sixties
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The Tet Offensive
North Vietnamese general Vo Nguyen Giap launched an offensive of over one hundred coordinated attacks on South Vietnam targets, even going so far as to attack the US Embassy in Saigon. The offensive took place during the Vietnamese festival Tet, a celebration of the lunar new year that had previously been a time of informal truce. The true impact was a psychological blow to the US, as the war had been reported back in the United States to be winding down and leading to a victory. -
Walter Cronkite Vietnam Report
Walter Cronkite was the nations most reputable news reporter of the era in the year 1968, and he was very influential in the reporting of the news to the nation. The nation listened when he spoke, and his reporting on the Tet Offensive further delivered the psychological blow to the United States as he stated:
“Vietnam is to end in a stalemate. To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past”. -
LBJ Decides Not to Run for Reelction
After a tough couple of years with many issues both domestic and abroad, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to run for reelection in 1968. The failures of the “Great Society”, a growing national discontent for the War in Vietnam, and health issues led to President Johnson’s decision to withdraw from the Presidential Race and to step aside. This was a huge shock but LBJ decided that a campaign for reelection would stretch him too thin to handle the issues at hand as well. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis Tennessee. He was in Tennessee for a march conducted by the striking Memphis sanitation workers, and he was killed while speaking to people below his room. James Earl Ray confessed to the crime but there are many conspiracy allegations. His fight for civil rights had been waged for years and he was a household name due to his success in leading peaceful protest that led to reform. -
Hey Jude
In 1968 the Beatles released Hey Jude. The song is ranked as the Billboard Hot 100 #1 song of the year in 1968 and tied the longest run at the top of the US charts at the time. The song is regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time. The US nation took to the songs somber and hopeful message during a tough time period in the nation. the songs uplifting and comforting message must have clicked with Americans as it became a simple anthem of encouragement during the times. -
1968 Olympics Black Power Salute
During the ‘68 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a gloved fist into the air during the playing of the national anthem as they stood on the winner's podium of the 200 m race. The men described their actions as a “human rights salute” not a “black power salute”. The men were suspended from the US team and the two were expelled from the games, as the gesture was not an acceptable form of statement for an apolitical, international games. -
Richard Nixon is Sworn In
After winning the 1968 election over Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States and is sworn in in January 1969. The Republican Nixon took back the office of the Presidency for the Republicans (ending Democrat dominance post-New Deal) and promised a gradual end to American involvement in Vietnam called Vietnamization. -
The Moon Landing/Apollo 11
1969 was a crucial year for the United States space program, as it was the culmination of a decade of funding that resulted in an American Lunar Module landing on the moon. Apollo Eleven touched down on the moon’s surface with two Americans on board, reaching President Kennedy’s goal of putting a man on the moon before the decade finished, and more importantly showing dominance over the Soviets, which won an important battle in the Cold War of Communism vs Capitalism. -
The Manson Murders
On August 9-10 1969, Charles Manson and his “cult” group of followers go on a murder spree and kill five people including the pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the heiress to Folger coffee, and other prominent Hollywood figures. These murders were carried out by Manson’s followers in his name. Manson was sentenced to death for the murders but was later commuted to life in prison. -
Woodstock
In the famous summer of 1969, one event stands out that defines the free spirit of the times (particularly with the Hippie movement).That event is one of the most popular and widely known concerts of all time, Woodstock. This free concert attracted over 350,000 rock-n-roll fans to attend three days of peace and music, with performances from acts such as Janis Joplin, Arlo Guthrie, Joe Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jimi Hendrix.
