1960s Timeline

Silent Spring

1962

Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson in 1962. It is a very famous book from the 20th century and it is one of the most culturally and politically influential books in American history. Silent Spring talked about the overuse of chemical pesticides and talked about it’s effects on the environment. The language Carson used in her book had a huge impact on people and the language was accessible to everyone.

The Feminine Mystique

1963

The Feminie Mystique is a book written by Betty Freidan in 1963. This book was very important to women and inspired women to find their own dreams. After women read this book they started going out into the world to finish their education, find a job, or study a new field of work.

Stokely Carmichael

1964

Stokely Carmichael was a civil rights activist that was known for fighting with the “Black Power” movement. Carmichael was born on June 29th, 1941 in Trinidad but moved to the US when he was two years old. As he grew up he was always interested in politics and was influenced by African American socialist, Bayard Rustin. When Carmichael graduated from college in 1964 he stayed in the south to help with the civil rights movement and helped the leaders of SNCC.

Students for a Democratic Society

1965

Students for a Democratic Society was founded in 1960 by a group of Michigan students. This organization was inspired by the civil rights movement and they mainly focused on racism, poverty and social justice. SDS sponsored the first anti-Vietnam war march on Washington in 1965. By 1965 there were SDS groups all across the country, mainly at college campuses.

Selma March

1965

The Selma march was a series of three marches that took place in 1965. These marches were from Selma to Montgomery Alabama and were a part of the civil rights movement. After three tries, the march is successful with about 30 thousand people taking part. Some parts of the march did have violence in it but they were able to keep going to reach their goal.

Sonny and Cher

1965

Sonny (aka Bono) and Cher were a duo that was popular musicians during the late 1960s. In August 1965 their song “I Got You, Babe,” was number one for three weeks. This song really was what got them so much attention during this time because they weren't getting as much before this point.

The Graduate

1967

The Graduate is a film from 1967 and is a romantic comedy with lots of drama too. It was directed by Mike Nichols and is about a college graduate named Benjamin who returns from college. In the film Benjamin questions the value system around him, has to decide what’s important to him and acts upon everything honestly.

My Lai Massacre

1968

The My Lai Massacre was a massacre in 1968 where U.S troops murdered over 300 unarmed Vietnamse women, children, and elderly persons This was one of the darkest moments in the Vietnam war and caused anti-war movements in the U.S to grow. This massacre took place in the My Lai village in South Vietnam and eyewitnesses report seeing horrible things.