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Integration of University of Alabama
The University of Alabama was ordered to allow two African American students to attend it during its summer session by a federal district court. This decision resulted in a dispute between federal authorities and Governor George Wallace who had pledged to prevent the school's integration even if he had to stand outside the school door. Despite recieving a federal court mandate prohibiting such a move,he executed his pledge on June 11, when he temporarily blocked the entrance. -
March on Washington
A huge march was organized in Washington, D.C. to gain public support for the civil rights movement. More than 200,000 blacks and whites gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the march.It intended to raise awareness on the political and social challenges that African Americans faced in the country. Many musicians and speakers participated in the march, including Martin Luther King, Jr. who gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. (Chap. 31: The Civil Rights Movement, Sect. 1) -
President John F. Kennedy Assassinated
President Kennedy was visiting Dallas with his wife, Jacqueline, on the morning of November 22, 1963. He was shot in the neck and the head by Lee Harvey Oswald as he rode in an uncovered limousine at 12:30. Mrs. Kennedy and the limousine's rear interior were covered with bllod and portions of his brain and skull. Mrs. Kennedy quickly grabbed as much of his remains as she could. President Kennedy was soon rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at 1:00 pm. -
The Hippie Movement
There is no exact date when it began, but it was known to be very popular in the mid-1960s . It was a counterculture started in San Francisco by youngsters who wanted to live life differently. Hippies wanted to move away from the ordinary ways of life and the culture. They did this by dressing up in tie-dye, growing their hair and beards to be long, talking differently, and using drugs such as marijuana and LSD. They even preached to "Make love not war". (Ch. 32: Struggles for Change, Sect. 4) -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The United States officially entered the Vietnam War after Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which gave the president the authority to engage war in Vietnam. President Lyndon B. Johnson had to take these measures after the events in the Gulf of Tonkin became uncontrollable. We had now become involved in a war that we weren't even supposed to be a part of; it all began because of one policy: containment. (Ch. 33: War in Vietnam, Sect. 2) -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King, Jr. had been standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee when he was shot without warning. He was hit by a sniper bullet at 6:01 pm by James Earl Ray. The bullet entered his righth cheek, travelled through his neck, and landed in his right shoulder blade. King was rushed to the hospital immediately but was pronounced dead at 7:05 pm. -
American Astronauts Walk on the Moon
Apollo 11 was the first spacefilght to land the first humans on the Moon in history on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" E. Aldrin, Jr. became the first American astronauts to walk on the Moon, Armstrong being the first of the two. Although the Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin didn't walk on the Moon until the next day, on July 21. This is where he said his famous quote, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". -
Ping-Pong Diplomacy
The American Ping-Pong team was invited to China to play a friendly game of ping pong while they were in Japan for the 31st World Table Tennis Championship. They were the first group of Americans allowed into China since communism took over in 1949. The team crossed over a bridge to China, starting a period of "Ping-Pong Diplomacy". Time Magazine called it "The ping heard round the world".It hinted better relations between the U.S. and China. It was more than just a game of ping pong. -
Watergate Scandal
A security guard at the Watergate Hotel in D.C. found a door that was taped to prevent latching. He removed it and later found it to be re-taped. He called the police, who arrested five men wearing business suits and latex gloves in the offices of the Democratic National Committee.They had supposedly been taking pictures of documents while repairing wiretapping equipment. After investigation, it had been discovered that the mastermind behind this whole plan was President Nixon. He then resigned. -
Hurricane Carmen Hits the U.S.
This was the most intense tropical cyclone of the Atlantic hurricane season in 1974. It started in Africs, and moved westward toward the U.S. The heaviest rainfall occurred during the storm, over 13 inches in Alabama. Gusts were as high as 86 mph and tides were up to 6 feet taller than normal. Louisiana was hit the hardest by the storm since it lost its sugarcane crops, which was crucial to the country. Other crops were damaged in the state as well. A total of eight people died in the storm. -
John Lennon Assassinated
At around 10:50 pm on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot in the back and shoulder four times at the entrance of his apartment building in New York. He was assassinated by his so-called fan, Mark David Chapman who had gotten his autograph earlier that evening. Lennon was carried inro a squad car and rushed to Roosevelt Hospital. Lennon had no pulse and wasn't breathing when he arrived, so doctors opened his chest to attempt manual heart massage, but he was pronounced dead almost immediately. -
HIV/AIDS Epidemic
HIV and AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus & Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) had begun to rise tremendously from June of 1981. The number of people with HIV and AIDS had increased rapidly after the Hippie Movement especially because that is all they were for--peace, love, sex, drugs. During the Hippie Movement, they had been using drugs unsafely and sharing needles, which was a huge factor in the transmission of the virus. These unhealthy habits really triggered the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
