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Major events of the United States in the 1960s.
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U-2 Incident
A United Stetes U-2 reconnaissance plane is shot down over the Soviet Union and pilot Gary Powers is imprisoned. This incident gives fuel to the already happening Cold War. -
John F. Kennedy elected as President.
John F. Kennedy is succeeds Eisenhower to become the 35th President of the United States. Kennedy was the youngest man to ever be elected to the office and was also the first Catholic. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion is a failed attempt by exiled Cubans, under the direction of the United States, to overthrow Fidel Castro. -
First American goes into space
John Glenn becomes the first American to go into outer space. Glenn orbited the earth three times before returning to earth. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
President Kennedy ordered a naval and air blockade of military equipment to Cuba on this date. The crisis was resolved when the Soviet Union agreed to removing its missles from Cuba. -
I Have a Dream Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous "I Have a Dream Speech" from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. This speech eneded the Civil Rights march on Washington in which over 200,000 people participated in. -
JFK Assassinated
John F. Kennedy is shot and killed by Lee Harvey Owwald in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson takes over as President in wake of JFK's death. -
Great Society
Lyndon Johnson announces a plan for a "Great Society" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Great Society was a series of programs aimed at ending poverty and inequality. It also aimed at giving more opportunities to Americans through education. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is enacted. The law banned discrination is hiring, voting, and governmental accomodations. -
Tonkin Resolution
After U.S. destroyers were attacked by North Vietnamese ships boats in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passed the Tonkin Resolution. The resolution gave President Johnson broad power to take military action in Vietnam -
LBJ elected
Lyndon B. Johnson wins the presidency in a landslide over Barry Goldwater. Johnson would prove to be a very important president in his decisions about Vietnam and his new social programs. -
Malcom X Assassinated
Muslim leader Malcom X is assissinated in New York City, New York. Three gunmen from the Nation of Islam, which Malcom X had left, were convicted of the murder. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This bill was signed into law on this date by President Johnson. This bill eliminated the literacy test required for voting and put more equality into voting. -
Vietnam War Protests
This date commemorates the first public burning of a draft card. This was only the start of massive anti-war demonstrations on college campuses and all around the United States. -
North Vietnam bombing raids
The U.S. started bombing the North Vietnamese area of Hanoi and other areas. Nearly 400,000 troops are stationed in South Vietnam. -
Race Riots
Race riots occurred in many cities in July of 1967. Hundreds of people are killed and thousands injured. Property destruction was extremely high. The riots were stopped by federal troops and the National Guard. -
MLK Assissinated
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assissinated in Memphis, Tennessee on a hotel balcony. The murderer was James Earl Ray. -
RFK Assassinated
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan of Jordon. Kennedy was celebrating victory in the Calfornia primary at a hotel in Los Angeles at the time of his assassination. -
Richard Nixon elected
Republican Richard Nixon becomes the 37th President of the United States after defeating Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace. -
Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 are the first two men to set foot on the moon after an aggressive campaign by the U.S. to create the premiere space program in the world.