Timeline: 1961-1965

Jan 20, 1961

The Inaugural Address

Newly elected President John F. Kennedy gave his famous inaugural address. In this speech, he talks about his hopes for world peace in the mist of the Cold War and about his hopes for the fight against “tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.” President Kennedy also says his most famous line asking all Americans to put their part on this road for change, “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

Jan 31, 1961

First Chimpanzee in Space

A Chimpanzee named Ham was the first chimpanzee to go up into space, he was used as an experiment to see how it work sending an actual human into space. His mission was successful, it lasted about 16 minutes at the speed of 5800 mph, and 157 miles above the Earth. However, when Ham came back into Earth, he was terrified.

Apr 1, 1961

First Human in Space

“Yuri Gagarin from the Soviet Union was the first human in space. His vehicle, Vostok 1 circled Earth at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour with the flight lasting 108 minutes.”
NASA

Jul 1, 1961

Birth of Princess Diana

Diana Spencer was born in Norfolk, England. When she was older, she when married King Charles III, making her the Princess of Wales. Diana donated and volunteered for various charities, especially charities that helped with people AIDs. She unfortunately died in 1981 leaving behind a huge impact.

Sep 2, 1961

Eugenio Derbez Birth

Famous Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez was in Mexico City, Mexico. Derbez is most known for his work in “La Familia P. Luche,” “Under the Same Moon,” and many more films/shows. In 2014 he was named the most influential Hispanic Male in the World.

Oct 18, 1961

West Side Story

The famous film musical West Side Story was released on October 18, 1961. The musical focuses on two gangs in the west side that fight for control of the turf. Things take a turn when one gang member falls in love with their gang rival’s sister. This movie/musical has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

1962

Auto Cassette was Created

“The first compact audio cassette was created in 1962 by Phillips Co. of the Netherlands.”
Interesting Engineering

1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

This was a 13-day event that occurred in October of 1962 when a U.S. spy found Soviet Union missiles in Cuba. This alarmed the U.S., and in response the U.S. did a naval blockade around Cuba. The Soviet Union took this as a threat and both countries were on the brink of a nuclear war with each other. However, President Kennedy met with Nikita Khrushchev (leader of USSR), the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles if the U.S. did not invade Cuba and removed their missiles from Turkey.

Jun 17, 1962

The 1962 FIFA World Cup

The winner of the 1962 FIFA World Cup was Brazil. Brazil won against Czechoslovakia in the finals. Them runner-upper of that year was Czechoslovakia, third place was Chile, and fourth place was Yugoslavia.

Jul 2, 1962

Guerrero Earthquake

In July 1962 the coast state of Guerrero, Mexico, experienced an earthquake that struck mountain villages. The number of people that died was 40 and many more were injured, other Mexican states also felt the earthquake, however, Guerrero was the most impacted by it.

Aug 5, 1962

Death of Marilyn Monroe

Iconic actress, model, and singer Marilyn Monroe (one of the most famous persons during this time), was found dead in her Los Angeles home. The cause of death was suicide by overdose, however, there have been suspicion and conspiracies about her dead whether if there was foul play involved.

1963

First Women in Space

Valentina Tereshkova, “made history as the first women in space aboard the then-Soviet Union’s Vostok 6 spacecraft in 1963.”
The UN specialized agency for ICTs

1963

Bob Dylan Famous Song

In 1963, famous singer/songwriter Bob Dylan wrote and released The Times They Are a-Changin. This song was written because of everything that was happening in the world, specifically the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. In the song, Dylan tells people that the world is changing and instead of fighting the against the change; people must accept it because it’s for the better and change is happening whether they like it or not.

1963

Measles Vaccine Created

A measles vaccine was created and licensed in the United States. Together, it was created by John Enders and other colleagues.

1963

Go-Go Boots

These boots became a huge fashion trend of the 60s, staring around in 1963. Women would wear these boots with a miniskirt or dress, and they were usually white or a bold color. Singer Nancy Sinatra would constantly wear these boots and even made a song called These Boots are Made for Walkin.

1963

Invention of Valium

Valium is a drug used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, and insomnia. It was created and introduced by a man named Leo Sternbach in 1963. While today there are more safer drugs used, valium was the most prescribed drug in the U.S. between the years of 1969-1982.

Jun 10, 1963

Equal Pay Act of 1964

“President John F. Kennedy signs into law the Equal Pay Act, prohibiting sex-based wage discrimination between men and women performing the same job in the same workplace.”
History

Jun 11, 1963

First Lung Transplant

James D Hardy and his team preformed the first ever human lung transplantation at the University Hospital in Jackson Mississippi.

Aug 28, 1963

March on Washington

On August 28, 1963, 200,000 people of all races peacefully marched in Washington D.C. “with main purpose of forcing civil right legislation and establishing job equality for everyone.” This is where civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. gave his infamous, I Have a Dream Speech. In the speech King states about his dream for equality in the United States.
History

Nov 22, 1963

Death of John F. Kennedy

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was riding in a motorcade in the streets of downtown Dallas, Texas for a presidential campaign. At around 12:30 p.m., at least two bullets struck President Kennedy in the neck and head. President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, and many citizens watched their beloved president die.

1964

North Vietnam Receives Aid

In November of 1964, two communist countries (Soviet Union and China) support North Vietnam which is fighting for communist control in the Vietnam War. Soviet Union sends various supplies while China sends troops to help build defense plans against South Vietnam.

1964

Computer Mouse Creation

“The mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1964 and consisted of a wooden shell, circuit board and two metal wheels that came into contact with the surface it was being used on.”
Centre for Computing History

1964

Abortions

“Planned Parenthood joined doctors and laypeople leading the ASA (Association for the Study of Abortions) in advocating for abortion law reforms and for studies that would advance abortion procedure safety.”
Planned Parenthood

Jul 2, 1964

Civil Right Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was sign into law, this act ensured equal employment for everyone. It prohibited employers to discriminate against potential employees on their race, sex, religion, and color.

1965

U.S Enters Vietnam War

After years of indirectly helping South Vietnam (non-communist) in the Vietnam War, the first U.S. troops (Marines) enter Vietnam on beaches around Da Nang, South Vietnam.