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1961
John F Kennedy moves into the White House. He gives his famous speech - "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
The soviets have sent the first man into space and the Americans need a man in space, too. The event came on May 5, 1961. Alan Shepard was sent to space in the "Freedom 7". On May 25, Kennedy wanted to have a man on the moon and back before the decade was over. -
1962
John Glenn became the first man to orbit the earth - 3 times.
Rachel Carson, a scientist and writer, warned that our earth would die of pollution and chemicals. . -
1963
Martin Luther King Jr. made the speech, "I have a Dream" on August 28, 1963. More than 200,000 peaceful demonstrators came to Washington DC to demand equal rights for Black and Whites. Part of the speech was - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character…"
President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was never s -
1964
The Beatles became very popular. The "Fab Four", John, Paul, George, and Ringo, were played on radio stations all over the world. They performed concerts that were quickly sold out. All the frenzy over the group became known as "Beatlemania"
This was the first year the cigarette boxes had a warning printed on it "Smoking can be hazardous to your health". It had not occurred to the US government -
1965
President Johnson ordered bombing raids on North Vietnam and Americans begin protesting the war.
The world's first roofed stadium was built, the Houston Astrodome. -
1966
Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse and a Pioneer of animated films, died of cancer on December 15, 1966, but his legend lives on. -
1967
The first heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town, South Africa.
Referendum held that resulted in Aboriginal people being given the right to vote and to be counted in the census -
1969
Nearly half a million people headed over to a 600 acre farm in New York for the Woodstock Festival. Many top rock musicians were there.
July 20, 1969, one of the biggest events of history happened, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong's famous speech for the historical steps "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -
1968
Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Two months later, Robert Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's brother was assassinated. Both were civil rights leaders.
On November 5, 1968, Shirley Chisholm was elected America's first black woman to Congress. -
1960
The first debate for a presidential election was televised. It was between Senator John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Nixon seemed nervous, but Kennedy stood tall. The debate on TV changed many people's minds about Kennedy.
This year NASA sent up ECHO, the first communications satellite to be seen with the naked eye.
American "U2" spy plane shot down over the USSR.
The Olympic Games were held in Rome and Wilma Rudolf won three gold medals.