-
SNCC formed
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded in the wake of student-led sit-ins at segregated lunch counters across the South and became the major channel of student participation in the civil rights movement. -
First televised presedential debate
The motion picture of the first presidential debate between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon. -
First Airing of "The Fintstones"
The Flintstones first were introduced to television audiences by ABC. -
Election of JFK
Democratic United States Senator John F. Kennedy defeated previous Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican Party nominee. -
Russians send the first man into space
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. -
Berlin Wall Construction
Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, the Wall cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. -
Roger Maris of the Yankees breaks Babe Ruths single sesson home run record
Maris hit 61 home runs during the 1961 season breaking Babe Ruth's MLB single-season home run record of 60 home runs at the time. -
SDS releases its Port Huron statement
Argued that because "the civil rights and peace and student movements are too poor and socially slighted, and the labor movement too quiescent", it should rally support and strengthen itself by looking to universities, which benefit from their "permanent position of social influence". -
Marilyn Monroe dies
Los Angeles police concluded that her death was “caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide.” -
James Meridith registers at Ole Miss
When a deal was reached between Barnett and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to allow Meredith to enroll, a riot broke out on campus. A mob of angry whites confronted U.S. marshals stationed on campus to protect Meredith. -
"Dr. No" the first James Bond movie premiers
The spy film was directed by Terence Young, and it is the first film in the James Bond series. Starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, and Jack Lord -
Cuban Missile Crisis
American spy planes secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba. -
"I Have a Dream Speech"
A public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom -
President Kennedy is assassinated
Kennedy was in the vehicle with his wife, Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally's wife, Nellie, when he was fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. -
The beatles arrive in the US
The Beatles arrived at John F Kennedy airport in New York, greeted by thousands of screaming fans. -
The Beatles appear on Ed Sullivan
73 million people gathered in front their TV sets to see The Beatles' first live performance on U.S. soil. -
New York World's Fair begins
A world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations, 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or attractions at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City. -
Lyndon B Johnson defeats Barry Goldwater
Johnson beat Goldwater in the general election, winning over 61% of the popular vote. Johnson became the only Democrat between 1944 and 1976 to win a majority of the popular vote. -
Malcolm X assassinated
Malcolm X was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. He was fatally shot by two men during one of his speeches. -
Watts race riots
The riots began due to the arrest of Marquette Frye, an African-American man from the Watts community. He was arrested for alleged intoxicated driving by a white California policeman. The riots went on for six days and did not end until the National Guard instated a curfew. -
LSD declared illegal by the US government
The governors of Nevada and California each signed bills into law that made them the first two American states to outlaw the manufacture, sale, and possession of the drug. -
"Star Trek" TV show airs
American television science-fiction series that ran on NBC for only three seasons (1966–69) but became one of the most popular brands in the American entertainment industry. -
San francisco "summer of love" begins
30,000 people gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. They came to take part in counterculture poet Allen Ginsberg and writer Gary Synder's "Human Be-In" initiative, part of the duo's call for a collective expansion of consciousness. -
First NFL Football Suber Bowl
The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first-ever Super Bowl. -
Boxer Muhammed Ali refuses military service
When Ali arrived to be inducted in the United States Armed Forces, however, he refused, citing his religion forbade him from serving. The cost for his refusal would prove to be drastic: the stripping of his heavyweight title, a suspension from boxing, a $10,000 fine, and a five-year prison sentence. -
The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's album
The iconic album was originally scheduled for release on 1 June in the UK, but on 26 May 1967, Sgt. Pepper was given a rushed release. -
Thurgood marshall nominated to the supreme court
Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first Black person to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Marshall was confirmed in a 69-11 floor vote to join the Court. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. -
MLKJ assassinated
Ray had a definite motive for assassinating King: hatred. According to his family and friends, he was an outspoken racist who informed them of his intent to kill Dr. -
Robert Kennedy is assassinated
Sirhan shot Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, moments after the US senator from New York claimed victory in California's Democratic presidential primary. He wounded five others during the shooting. -
Protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention protests were a series of protest activities against the Vietnam War that took place prior to and during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. -
Richard Nixon is elected
Former Vice President Richard Nixon defeated Democratic Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Nixon won the popular vote by less than one point but won the electoral vote by miles. -
Stonewall Riots
A series of spontaneous protests by members of the gay community in response to a police raid. -
American Astronauts land on the moon
American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. About six-and-a-half hours later, Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. -
Woodstock Concert
Woodstock was a music festival held on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, 40 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock. -
The Rolling Stones host the Altamont music festival
About 300,000 gathered at the Altamont Speedway in Tracy, California to see the Rolling Stones perform a free concert