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The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded to coordinate civil rights sit-ins and other grassroots efforts for racial equality. -
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon participated in the first televised presidential debate. -
“The Flintstones,” the first animated prime-time television series, premiered, becoming a cultural classic. -
John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon to become the 35th President of the United States. -
James Meredith became the first African American student to register at the University of Mississippi, challenging segregation. -
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, marking a milestone in the Space Race. -
East Germany built the Berlin Wall to prevent people from fleeing to West Berlin, symbolizing the Cold War’s division. -
Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his 61st home run, surpassing Babe Ruth’s 60 in a single season. -
Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead at age 36 from a suspected overdose, leaving a cultural legacy. -
The first James Bond film, Dr. No, starring Sean Connery, introduced audiences to the iconic spy franchise. -
A 13-day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union brought the world to the brink of nuclear war over missiles in Cuba. -
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech during the March on Washington, calling for an end to racism. -
Thurgood Marshall was nominated as the first African American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, a landmark in civil rights. -
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, shocking the nation and the world. -
Lyndon B. Johnson won a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater in the presidential election. -
Civil rights leader Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City, silencing a powerful advocate for African American rights. -
Riots erupted in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, fueled by racial tensions and economic inequality. -
Star Trek, a groundbreaking science fiction television series, premiered and gained a devoted following. -
Thousands of young people flocked to San Francisco, making it a center for counterculture and the hippie movement. -
The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, considered one of the greatest albums in music history. -
Anti-Vietnam War protests erupted during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, leading to clashes with police. -
A surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War shocked American forces and altered public opinion on the war. -
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking national mourning and unrest. -
Robert F. Kennedy, a presidential candidate, was assassinated after delivering a speech in Los Angeles. -
Police raids on the Stonewall Inn in New York City sparked riots that marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. -
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon, a historic achievement. -
The Woodstock Music Festival in New York attracted hundreds of thousands of people and became a symbol of the 1960s counterculture. -
The Altamont festival, marred by violence, marked the end of the 1960s as a tumultuous cultural era.