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Newport Jazz Festival
The 1960 Newport Jazz Festival was marred by a major riot, leading to its cancellation and a temporary pause on the festival. Thousands of attendees, unable to enter the sold-out event, turned to violence. which resulted in numerous arrests and the call of the National Guard. The festival was eventually canceled, and the organizers took a year-long break before returning in 1962. -
Nixon-Kennedy Debates (1st on Television)
The first presidential debate on television between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy was held at the WBBM-TV studios in Chicago, Illinois. -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy was shot at around 12:30 pm in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and his wife, Nelly Connally. -
The Beatles Appear for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show
The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They performed five songs: "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". It was broadcast from New York on CBS and was viewed by over 70 million people. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed by the U.S. Congress, authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take any necessary measures to repel armed attacks against U.S. forces and prevent further aggression in Southeast Asia. Essentially, it granted the President broad authority to escalate military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a sustained bombing campaign conducted by the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy against North Vietnam from March 1965 to October 1968 during the Vietnam War. The operation aimed to weaken North Vietnam's ability to support South Vietnam by targeting its military, industrial, and infrastructure resources. -
March on the Pentagon
The March on the Pentagon was a major anti-war protest. About 100,000 people gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to protest the Vietnam War, with a significant portion marching to the Pentagon. -
Mai Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was a horrific event during the Vietnam War in which unarmed South Vietnamese civilians were killed by U.S. Army soldiers. About 400-500 South Vietnamese were killed. -
Riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention
The Democratic National Convention was marked by violent anti-war protesters who clashed with police, and the events became known as the "Battle of Michigan Avenue". The protests were fueled by opposition to the Vietnam War and the divisive political climate of the time. -
Chicago 8 Trial
The Chicago Eight trial was of 8 anti-war activists who were accused of conspiring to start riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The defendants were all charged with violating the Anti-Riot Act. Five of the defendants were convicted of crossing state lines to start a riot, but these convictions were later overturned. Judge Julius Hoffman's attempts to control the proceedings led to numerous contempt of court charges against the defendants and their attorneys. -
Woodstock
Woodstock was a legendary three-day music festival held from August 15-18, 1969, in Bethel, New York, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm. About 400,000 - 500,000 attended. The event became a defining moment of the counter-culture movement of the 1960s and is still considered a landmark event in music history. -
The Beatles Break Up
The Beatles officially broke up in 1970 when Paul McCartney announced he was no longer working with the band. While Lennon had left the band earlier in 1969, the official public announcement came in April 1970 during the promotion of McCartney's solo album. -
Kent State Protest
Students were protesting the US involvement in the Vietnam War and President Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia. On May 4, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd of unarmed students, killing 4 and wounding 9. -
Roe vs. Wade
In the 1973 landmark decision of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a pregnant person's right to choose an abortion, until the fetus reaches the viability to live outside the womb. The Court found that this right to privacy was implicit in the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process. This decision overturned many state laws that prohibited or heavily restricted abortions.