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Newport Jazz Festival
1954 was the first of the Newport Jazz Festival but they still go on to this day. The Newport Jazz Festival and its importance are based on challenging gender and cultural norms and opened its doors to hip-hop and jazz music as well as rock. -
Nixon-Kennedy Debates (1st on Television)
This was the 1st televised debate. This is important because it changed and put a shift in how presidential campaigns were conducted. This debate was watched live by more than 70 million Americans. -
Kent State Protest
The Kent State shooting resulted in 4 dead and 9 wounded. Members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed kids protesting the Vietnam War. -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
JFK was the youngest president to take office and he was the youngest to die in office. He was shot and assassinated while in a parade-type event. His accused killer was Oswald and before he could take trial he was shot and killed by Jack Ruby. -
The Beatles Appear for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show
73 million Americans gathered to watch the Beatle's first live show on U.S. soil. They later had 2 more appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show after seeing the fan's reactions to them in London. After this one of their songs was leaked to the radio. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress passed The Gulf of Tonkin on August 7th, 1964. This meant that they authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate in war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a frequently interrupted bombing campaign that began on 24 February 1965 and lasted until the end of October 1968. The U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft took part in a bombing campaign designed to force Ho Chi Minh to abandon his plan to take over Vietnam. -
The Beatles Break Up
After the Beatles broke up the members went their separate ways. Each Beatle went on to have his own successful solo career. Even though they were successful on their own they never again reached the critical and commercial heights that they had been able to achieve as a group. -
March on the Pentagon
The March on the Pentagon was a massive demonstration against the Vietnam War on October 21, 1967. This protest included more than 100,000 attendees at the Lincoln Memorial. After that about 50,000 people marched across the Potomac River to The Pentagon. -
Mai Lai Massacre
Mai Lai Massacre otherwise known as the Pinkville Massacre is the mass killing of as many as 500 unarmed villagers by U.S. soldiers on March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War. -
Riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention
The convention was about the continuing American military involvement in the Vietnam War and voting reform. This expanded the right to vote for draft-age soldiers (age 18) who were unable to vote as the voting age was 21. -
Woodstock
Woodstock is a festival that many people wanted to attend. They didn't do a very good job of getting enough ticket takers and organizing everything so people got angry. Eventually, the kids just tore down the fences and poured into the festival. -
Chicago 8 Trial
This was a trial for eight antiwar activists that were charged with inciting violent demonstrations at the August 1968 Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago before Judge Julius Hoffman. -
Roe vs. Wade
Roe v. Wade is a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court where the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States ideally protects a pregnant individual's liberty to have an abortion.