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Newport Jazz Festival
On July 1, 1960, the Daily News announced that the annual Newport Jazz Festival at the Cliff Walk Manor nearly had to be postponed because of sparse attendance. However, the festival continued, and another report was sent out of a string of violent incidents in town. Rioters continued to attend the festival and law enforcement was called in. -
Nixon-Kennedy Debates (1st on Television)
On September 26, 1960, a debate between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon was broadcasted on live television. Kennedy seemed to have won the first four debates as Nixon seemed nervous. Weeks later, Kennedy won the presidential election. -
The Beatles Appear for the First Time on the Ed Sullivan Show
On February 9th, 1964, The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show at 8 o'clock. 45.3% of American homes turned their televisions to watch. This was estimated to be 23 billion people. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the codename for an American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War. From March 1965 to October 1968, U.S. military aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder was intended to put military pressure on North Vietnam’s communist leaders and reduce their capacity to wage war against the U.S. -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John. F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy rode in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. Shortly after noon, President Kennedy was shot and later pronounced dead. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed President Lyndon to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” by the communist government of North Vietnam. The US Congress passed this on August 7, 1964, after an alleged attack on two U.S. naval destroyers stationed off the coast of Vietnam. -
Woodstock
Half a million people waited for The Woodstock Music Festival to begin on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York. The Woodstock Music Festival began on August 15, 1969, and lasted three days. -
March on the Pentagon
On October 21, 1967, an estimated crowd of 70,000–100,000 people gathered by the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to protest the Vietnam War and march on the Pentagon to protest the war. -
Mai Lai Massacre
A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. Over 500 people were killed, including young girls and women who were raped and mutilated before being killed. The carnage was covered up for a year before it was reported in the American press. -
Riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention
On August 28, 1968, thousands of Vietnam War protesters arrived at the Chicago Democratic Convention. Protestors battled police in the streets while the Democratic party fell apart due to a disagreement over the Vietnam War. -
Chicago 8 Trial
A trial for eight antiwar activists charged with inciting violent demonstrations at the August 1968 Democratic National Convention began on September 24, 1969. The case was opened before Judge Julius Hoffman. One defendant, Bobby Seale, accused the judge of being a racist and demanded a separate trial. The other seven did what they could to disrupt the court, and Judge Hoffman held the defendants in contempt of court for their behavior and sentenced them to up to 29 months in jail. -
The Beatles Break Up
The Beatles stopped performing live in 1966. They recorded their final song, "The End," on August 20, 1969. On April 10, 1970, Paul McCartney announced that he was no longer a part of The Beatles, marking the official Beatles break up. -
Kent State Protest
The Kent State Protests began on May 1, 1970. These protests were organized to protest the invasion of Cambodia. That night, police were called because there were calls that protests began getting violent. The National Guard arrived on May 2. The protests continued until May 4, when the National Guard ordered the protesters to disperse. The protesters refused to disperse and began throwing rocks at the guardsmen. 28 guardsmen fired their M-1 rifles, 4 students were killed, and 9 were injured. -
Roe vs. Wade
On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Court decided that a woman’s right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. On June 24, 2022, the court overturned this decision.