Active Baby BoomersA Look Back At The Sixties 60's For Baby Boomers
What Happened in the 60's?
Some people called it the "decade of discontent" because of the demonstrations against the war and the race riots in Detroit, Los Angeles, and other cities. Others called it the decade of "peace, love, and harmony" because of the peace movement and the emergence of the "flower children." To some, it was acid trips and mind expansion: "Far out, man." For us teenagers, it was surely the decade of rock and roll... from Elvis to the Beatles... and a thousand places in between. It was an active decade in the Congress as President Johnson signed major civil rights legislation and the laws enacting Medicare and the first round of the war on poverty. Oh wait; the race to the moon, major political assassinations, the Berlin Wall.....
The country was a far different place in 1960 than it was in 1969. No, you cannot describe what happened in the sixties in a single paragraph... perhaps not in a thousand. That is part of its fascination. All these significant events occurred in the span of just one decade. Imagine yourself as an impressionable teenager turning into a young adult, in the midst of all his turmoil and excitement.
Let me try to take you back there: It is early 1960... many of us have barely learned where Russia is on the map. We are taught that Russia has "the bomb"; they are the enemy. The Russians shoot down an American spy plane over the Soviet Union and capture pilot Captain Francis Powers, thus proving to the world that the U.S. was spying on its adversaries. This gave the Russian leader all the reason he needed to cancel disarmament talks with the U.S.... a precursor of tough times to come in the rest of the decade. The "cold war" is very hot. - 1960.
Just as we begin listening to rock n' roll music, the Twist becomes the newest dance craze. Starting with the Twist, our dances had much more movement, and a whole lot less direction.
The transistor was invented in the '50's; it's first big impact in consumer products was the battery-operated transistor radio. I bought my first one in about 1960 through a mail-order catalog; they were not available in retail stores in the U.S. till the mid-sixties. There might be 3-4 rock and roll radio stations in a major city; they all played the same 40-60 songs. Singles were about two to two and a half minutes long; stations did not like to play songs longer than that. (Listeners might switch stations when they play a song the listener did not like; shorter songs reduced that occurrence.) Radio stations promised "All the hits, all the time," and "More music, more often."
The Doors released two versions of "Light My Fire," a short one for the radio, and a longer one for the album.
Richard Harris broke ranks when his record company released only a 4-5 minute version of "MacArthur Park" in 1968. It was all AM radio in the 60's. (Oh, I guess FM was around, but FM was mostly for eggheads.) The transistor radios picked up only AM stations. Radio stations encouraged listeners to call in and make requests and dedications. FM started to gain popularity in the late 60's, and became "standard" in the mid-70's.
Billboard magazine published its top 100 list every week, but many local stations printed their own hot 100 lists. You could pick one up at the station or a local record shop. The hot new songs were recorded on 45 rpm (rotations per minute) records. (Seventy-eight rpm records faded into history after WWII.) A 45 single cost 97 cents, plus 3 cents tax.
When an artist or group had 5-6 hits to their credit, they would put them on an album, along with 4-5 songs that had not been released as singles. Albums were recorded at 33 rpm; don't ask us why. An album cost about four dollars. - 1960.
In the first presidential election that many of us remember, Vice-President Richard Nixon loses to John Kennedy, the youngest man ever to be elected president. Some people say that Kennedy's father, Joe Kennedy, bought or stole the election - and there is considerable evidence of that. But Nixon refused to contest the results, saying, "I would not want the presidency on those terms." This is the first national election in which television played a major role. The two candidates debated three times on television and radio. Those who listened on radio said Nixon won the debate; but many more watched on television; they thought Kennedy won. Two years later, in an attempt to make a political comeback, Nixon runs for governor of California... and loses again. After his loss in California, in an angry statement to the press announcing his retirement from politics, he says, "Just look at all you're going to be missing; you don't have Nixon to kick around any more. - 1960/1962.
We feared Communism, which had come to the western hemisphere in a small country 90 miles from Florida. Rebels backed by the U.S. attempt a coup to overthrow Fidel Castro in an event known as the Bay of Pigs. Although the plan was hatched during the Eisenhower administration, the failure is a horrible embarrassment to the young, new president who let it proceed. The CIA made other attempts to get rid of Castro; but he has outlasted nine U.S. presidents. - 1961. Germany is divided into two separate and highly unequal countries. Perhaps because he sees the U.S. as weak, Russian Premier Khruschev exerts his country's authority in Europe by constructing a huge concrete wall around the Soviet's portion of Berlin, thus imprisoning its citizens. This stark symbol of oppression lasts for thirty years. Can you imagine being trapped in your own country, unable to leave for any reason? While the wall stood, hundreds of East Germans escaped to the west, but dozens were killed by East German guards while trying to make a desperate run. Such was the price people were willing to pay for freedom. That is why our parents never take it for granted.
1961. May, 5: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to fly into space aboard the "Freedom 7." The entire flight lasts about 15 minutes; nearly every radio in the country is tuned to the coverage. Buses, taxis, and schoolroom classes across the country come to a complete halt so that people can listen. (Most people cannot get to a television set at 9:30 in the morning to watch this on TV.) The Russians beat us into space (by a couple weeks), but the race had just begun. - 1961. President Kennedy challenges his country to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. - 1961.
Baseball is "America's pastime"; the major sport in the country. The whole nation watches with excitement as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris compete against each other in an effort to break Babe Ruth's home run record. Roger Maris does it, with 61 home runs. - 1961.
John Glenn orbits the earth three times in the "Friendship 7." The first seven astronauts are scheduled to fly in the Mercury series of space flights. After that, the Gemini series. And then, the Apollo series... to the moon! - 1962.
Marilyn Monroe dies suddenly under a murky cloud of suspicion, although her death is officially ruled a suicide. Marilyn Monroe was one of the few, and certainly the biggest of the Hollywood "bombshells" of the time. Her connection to the Kennedy's (the extent of which was largely unknown at the time) added to her mystique and popularity, both before and since her death. - 1962.
The National Guard is called out to oversee the integration of the University of Mississippi as James Meredith becomes the first Black to enroll. - 1962.
The U.S. prepares for war against the Soviet Union because of the presence of Russian nuclear missiles in Cuba. Throughout the sixties the government conducts "civil defense drills," and some people bought air raid shelters to protect them in case of an attack. President Kennedy negotiates a deal with Chairman Khruschev, who removes the missiles in exchange for a promise from Kennedy not to invade Cuba. This time, "We faced them eyeball to eyeball... and they blinked." - 1962.
Johnny Carson begins a 30-year reign as host of the "Tonight Show." The future of late night television seemed in doubt when network executives give a young comedian named Johnny Carson a shot at hosting the "Tonight Show." Five years later, nearly everyone was talking about whatever happened the night before on "the Carson show." Johnny remained the undisputed leader of late night television until he retired. - 1962.
Dr. Martin Luther King, preaching non-violence, offers his "I Have a Dream" speech before an audience of 200,000 in Washington, D.C. 1963.
The women's liberation movement takes off with the publishing of "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan. - 1963.
President Kennedy is assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. Two days later, in front of a national television audience, Jack Ruby shot and killed Kennedy's accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. - 1963.
As Paul Harvey likes to say, wash your ears out with this: Three months later, the Beatles led the "British invasion" by landing in New York, and proceeded to change rock music forever. - 1964.
Ted Kennedy nearly dies in a plane crash. He broke his back, but went on win election to the Senate, and continues to hold that position nearly 40 years later. - 1964.
President Lyndon Johnson declares a war on poverty. That this war is indeed winnable is never questioned. Director Sargent Shriver says it will take about a billion taxpayer dollars to achieve this victory. Let the battle begin. - 1964.
The U.S. surgeon general declares that cigarette smoking, a habit "enjoyed" by 60% of the adult population, is a major health hazard. In the back of their minds, our parents had known this all along. But commercials for tobacco had claimed it was refreshing and even healthy. It took another thirty years for the government and the people to get serious about breaking this devastatingly destructive habit. - 1964.
Sam Sheppard, defended by unknown attorney F. Lee Bailey, is found not guilty of murdering his wife. This was perhaps the most grizzly and heinous murder ever thrust onto the national scene. Dr. Sheppard had been convicted of the crime a decade earlier. F. Lee Bailey became famous for getting the verdict overturned and his client acquitted. And yes, it is the crime that inspired "The Fugitive." - 1966.
With hardly anybody paying attention, the Green Bay Packers beat Kansas City in the first Super Bowl. - 1967.
Three U.S. astronauts (Grissom, Chaffee, White) die in a fire on the launch pad during a practice session. A faulty wire ignited a fire, and the absence of an effective hatch release trapped the astronauts in their capsule. This is the first serious accident associated with the U.S. space program; it is a devastating setback. But plans for a lunar landing this decade proceed. - 1967.
The state of Israel was less than twenty years old; its chances for long-term survival were still questionable. Bordering Arab neighbors took advantage of this uncertainty by attacking Israel, but the determined and skilled Israeli Army clobbered them all in what became known as the "Six Day War." - 1967.
Huge and horrible race riots in Detroit surpass those in the Watts section of Los Angeles two years earlier, in terms of both financial cost and lives lost. Forty-one people die; Detroit's mayor says, "It looks like Berlin in 1945." The face of America has serious blemishes. - 1967. With hundreds of American soldiers dying every week, the "troop strength" in Vietnam increases to 475,000. - 1967.
In an televised address to the nation, President Lyndon Johnson suddenly and unexpectedly declares, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president." The Vietnam war claims another soldier. - 1968.
Dr. Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. We begin to think that things are out of control. James Earl Ray is caught, confesses to the murder and spends the rest of his life in prison. But suspicions of conspiracy linger on. - 1968. Two months later, Bobby Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles while running for president. The assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, is caught at the scene, and remains in jail over 30 years later. But the Kennedy "claim to the presidency" is pushed even further away. - 1968.
Protestors disrupt the Democratic nominating convention in Chicago, and hundreds are arrested as the youth try to make their voices heard. Now we know that things are out of control. - 1968. The voting public looks for a change. In a political comeback unmatched in the twentieth century, Richard Nixon wins the presidential election in a close race against Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. - 1968.
President Kennedy's widow, Jackie, marries Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. - 1968.
Senator Ted Kennedy drives his car off a bridge in Massachusetts, killing his young passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. This major story was partially drowned out by the moon landing that took place just days later. A week after the accident, Kennedy received a suspended sentence, and that was the end of it. But many Americans would never look at Kennedy the same way (and few would ever ride in a car with him at the wheel.) - 1969.
The U.S. wins the space race convincingly by landing a man on the moon. "Houston... Tranquility Base, here; the Eagle has landed." Neil Armstrong is the first man to step onto the surface of the moon. His crew member, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin steps out soon afterwards while Michael Collins circles above in the command module. Event of the century? Possibly; we all thought so at the time. We met the late president's challenge and conquered outer space. This gave Americans confidence that we could beat the Russians in anything... if put to the test. - 1969.
Half a million party-goers sludge through the mud to experience four days of rock n' roll at an event called Woodstock. Heavy press coverage makes the event seem much larger than it was and shows the passing of baby boomers from young children to adult children. - 1969.
Charles Manson and other members of his cult murder actress Sharon Tate and six others in a horrible event that was referred to as "Helter Skelter." The death penalty is later overturned in California, so Charlie and his "family" can spend the rest of their lives in prison at the taxpayers' expense - 1969.
250,000 protestors march against the war in Washington, D.C. It is only fitting that the decade ends with as much excitement and turmoil as it began. - 1969. What a decade!!
Take a look at 1969... all the events listed for 1969 took place within a period of five months! It was simply awesome! Let's compare that to the major events of the nineties. Many things may pop into your head today (the birth of Madonna's baby may loom large in your mind), but what do you think we'll remember about the nineties 30 years from now? Let's see...
- The Berlin Wall came down.
- The Soviet Union ceased to exist.
- Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, tried to take over Kuwait, but was beaten back by a coalition of forces led by the U.S. Nonetheless, he continued an attempt to build up an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction throughout the decade.
- Former NFL running back and celebrity O. J. Simpson beat a murder wrap.
- The president was impeached and tried in the Senate on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice relating an affair he had with a White House intern.
- The U.S. enjoyed the longest period of economic growth since the sixties.
- Millions of people throughout the world died from a disease contracted largely by careless and dangerous personal behavior.
- The personal computer and the Internet connected ordinary citizens to information, people, and events around the world.
- Even the public schools are not safe as more than a dozen times kids deal with their anger by shooting their classmates and teachers at school.
- Elvis is sighted at a trailer park outside Tupelo, Mississippi.
Highlights of 1960
MAJOR EVENTS
John F. Kennedy elected President in narrow contest over Richard Nixon Soviet Union shoots down an American U-2 reconnaissance airplane over Soviet airspace and captures pilot Gary Powers, forcing U.S. to admit to aerial spying Black students stage a sit-in at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC to protest segregated seating at the establishment; the event inspires a wave of such sit-ins across the South Belgian Congo wins independence U.S., Britain, France and the Soviet Union conduct summit talks, but without results U.S. relations with Cuba deteriorate as Castro regime seizes U.S. assetsSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
U.S. launches: Tiros I, first weather satellite Echo I, first communications satellite (experimental) Transit I-B, first navigational satellite Corona, first spy satellite Soviet Sputnik 5 launches two dogs into orbit and returns them safely to earth U.S.-French team aboard the deep-sea vessel Trieste dives to a record 35,800 feet in the Pacific First studies linking cigarette smoking with heart disease
SPORTS
World Series: Pittsburgh over New York Yankees, 4-3 Olympics held in Rome
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Movies: Psycho, The Entertainer, The Apartment Songs: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Let's Do the Twist, Never on Sunday, Teen Angel, Stay, Are You Lonesome Tonight TV Shows: Perry Mason, Bonanza, My Three Sons, The Untouchables, Andy Griffith Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Walt Disney Presents
Books: The Affair, C.P. Snow; The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Allan Sillitoe; To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee; Rabbit, Run, John Updike; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer Pioneering rock-and-roll DJ Alan Freed arrested in national investigation of "payola" in radio industry Presidential candidates Kennedy and Nixon engage in a televised debate that helps set the precedent for future TV political coverage Clark Gable dies
EVERYDAY LIFE
The number of television sets in the U.S. reaches 85 million, nearly one set for every two Americans First "Teflon" non-sticking cookware goes on sale at Macy's in New York First oral contraceptives made available to the publicHighlights of 1961
MAJOR EVENTS
Outgoing President Eisenhower issues warning of a "military industrial complex" developing in America President Kennedy establishes Peace Corps Cuban exiles fail in their bid to invade Cuba through the Bay of Pigs; President Kennedy accepts responsibility Soviets build wall dividing East and West Berlin Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann tried in Israel, found guilty
"Freedom Riders" travel throughout the South to test and promote integration measures; many are assaulted and beatenSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space during a single-orbit flight Commander Alan Shephard Jr. becomes first American in space in a suborbital flight aboard Mercury 3; Virgil Grissom follows in similar fashion two months later Soviet space probe Venera 1 becomes the first man-made vehicle to reach another planet when it arrives at Venus First lasers developed Anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey discover Homo habilis in the Olduvai Gorge in TanzaniaSPORTS
World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati, 4-1 Ty Cobb diesARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Movies: West Side Story, The Hustler, Judgment at Nuremburg Songs: Moon River, Where the Boys Are, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Blue Moon, The Lion Sleeps Tonight
TV Shows: Bullwinkle, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Hazel, Dick Van Dyke Show, Top Cat Books: Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein; Catch-22, Joseph Heller; The Carpetbaggers, Harold Robbins; The Making of the President: 1960, Theodore White; The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone; The Winter of Our Discontent, John Steinbeck Henry Miller's 1934 novel Tropic of Cancer published legally in the U.S. for the first time Ernest Hemmingway dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Gary Cooper diesEVERYDAY LIFE
Electric toothbrushes introduced "Frito" corn chips appearFUN FACTS
"Barbie" gets a boyfriend when the "Ken" doll is introducedHighlights of 1962
MAJOR EVENTS
Soviet missile bases detected in Cuba; President Kennedy demands their removal. The confrontation is the closest the U.S. and U.S.S.R. ever come to war. Crisis is resolved when Soviets agree to remove Cuban missiles in exchange for removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey.
Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann executed in Israel U.S. establishes semi-permanent military presence in Vietnam Pope John XXIII convenes the Second Vatican Council, which will modernize many practices of the Catholic Church when it concludes three years laterBUSINESS & ECONOMY
Industrial robots introduced to perform repetitive manufacturing tasksSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. becomes first American to achieve earth orbit; his Mercury 6 mission is followed by two other Mercury flights Ranger IV first U.S. space probe to reach the moon, where it crash lands by design. Telstar becomes the first communications satellite intended for regular service; relays television signals between North America and Europe Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, bringing attention to a number of environmental crises for the first time br>Morning sickness drug thalidomide found to be causing birth defects Niels Bohr diesSPORTS
World Series: New York Yankees over San Francisco, 4-3ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Songs: Blowin' in the Wind, Go Away Little Girl, Days of Wine and Roses, The Loco-Motion, Sherry, Monster Mash, Big Girls Don't Cry
TV Shows: I've Got a Secret, Beverly Hillbillies, Route 66, The Flinstones, Price is Right, Ben Casey Books: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee; Letting Go, Philip Roth; Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck; One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey; The Thin Red Line, James Jones; Happiness is a Warm Puppy, Charles Schultz Marilyn Monroe dies, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pillsEVERYDAY LIFE
Phil Knight develops the first Nike running shoeHighlights of 1963
MAJOR EVENTS
President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas; Vice President Lyndon Johnson becomes President. The accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, is shot and killed a short time later.
Civil rights protests continue throughout the South, during which nonviolent activists are frequently met with beatings and arrests 200,000 people march on Washington in support of civil rights; Dr. Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech U.S., Soviet Union and Britain sign a nuclear test ban treaty Scandals in British Parliament leads to resignations of key officials "Great train robbery" in Britain yields £2.5 million for thieves Kenya gains independence Pope John XXIII dies; Cardinal Montini elected Pope, takes name of Paul VI Washington-Moscow "hot line" established Congress expands its investigation of organized crimeBUSINESS & ECONOMY
Unemployment reaches 6.1 percentSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space Dr. Michael DeBakey pioneers use of artificial heart for use during heart surgery Quasars discovered First successful liver transplantSPORTS
World Series: Los Angeles over New York Yankees, 4-0 Jack Nicklaus wins his first Masters golf tournament; with over $125,000 in winnings, Arnold Palmer becomes golf's all-time top money winnerARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Movies: Dr. Strangelove, The Birds, Tom Jones Songs: Go Away Little Girl, He's So Fine, It's My Party, Blue Velvet, My Boyfriend's Back, Call Me Irresponsible TV Shows: My Favorite Martian, 77 Sunset Strip, McHale's Navy, The Fugitive, Petticoat Junction Books: In the Clearing, Robert Frost; The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John Le Carré; The American Way of Death, Jessica Mitford "Pop" artists Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns gain national notoriety, as does the entire genre of Pop ArtEVERYDAY LIFE
Journalists and political commentators begin taking note of U.S. government's "credibility gap" in foreign affairs Audio cassettes introduced The sedative Valium is made availableHighlights of 1964
MAJOR EVENTS
After completing what would have been the final year of John F. Kennedy's first term, President Johnson re-elected in a landslide over Barry Goldwater President Johnson declares "war on poverty," introduces a variety of federal welfare programs, including Medicare (initially proposed by Kennedy in 1960) Three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi during "Freedom Summer" 24th Amendment to Constitution adopted, ensuring fair voting practices Race riots break out in Harlem and other U.S. cities Investigating the Kennedy assassination, the Warren Commission determines that "Oswald acted alone" in killing the president U.S. military forces launch attacks on North Vietnam in response to an alleged attack on a U.S. destroyer off the Vietnamese coast; Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin resolution that gives the President greater freedom to authorize combat actions in Vietnam Soviet leader Khrushchev falls from power, is ultimately replaced by Leonid Brezhnev Anchorage, Alaska hit by massive earthquake Turkey attacks CyprusBUSINESS & ECONOMY
Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa convicted of fraud, conspiracy and jury tampering The average hourly wage for blue collar workers has increased from between 50 and 75 percent since 1949SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Space probe Mariner IV flies by Mars, transmitting pictures of the planet's surface back to earth The world's longest suspension bridge, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York, opens Concern in Britain over "brain drain," or the mass emigration of British scientists to the U.S. World's Fair held in New York First lung transplantSPORTS
World Series: St. Louis over New York Yankees, 4-3 Olympics held in Tokyo Cassius Clay (the future Muhammad Ali) defeats Sonny Liston to win heavyweight boxing titleARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Movies: Lord of the Flies, A Hard Day's Night, My Fair Lady, Goldfinger, Zorba the Greek, Mary Poppins Songs: I Want to Hold Your Hand, Hello Dolly!, She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Oh Pretty Woman, Baby Love, My Guy TV Shows: The Munsters, The Virginian, Daniel Boone, Outer Limits, Gilligan's Island, Man From UNCLE, Flipper, Dr. Kildare, Voyage the the Bottom of the Sea Books: A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemmingway (posthumous publication); Herzog, Saul Bellow; In His Own Write, John Lennon "Beatlemania" spreads as the Beatles become a global phenomenon Musicals Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof debut Elizabeth Taylor marries Richard Burton after divorcing Eddie Fisher 10 days before Cole Porter diesFUN FACTS
According to some reports, not a single juvenile crime is reported in New York City the night of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964Highlights of 1965
MAJOR EVENTS
In Washington D. C., U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appoints Abe Fortas to replace Arthur Goldberg on the U. S. Supreme Court. President Johnson announces that he is sending 50,000 more troops to fight in Vietnam. Dr. Martin Luther King calls for an end to the war in Vietnam. Maxwell Taylor resigns as U. S. ambassador to South Vietnam. In other news, the French government accuses the United States of photographing atomic sites. In London, the Beatles´ second film "Help" is released. The Soviet Union launches a rocket into the solar orbit. President/V.P. - Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert H. HumphreyCUST OF LIVING
Gallon of Milk 1.05 Loaf of Bread .21 New Auto 2,350.00 Gallon of Gas .24 New Home 40,000.00 Average Income 5,942.00SPORTS
The National Football League title goes to the Green Bay Packers after a 23-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Boston Celtics win the National Basketball League championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA coach of the year is Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics. W. Shoemaker rides "Lucky Debonair" and emerges victorious in the Kentucky Derby. Roy Emerson and Margaret Smith win singles titles in tennis at Wimbledon. In Boxing, for the second year in a row, Cassius Clay KOs Sonny Liston.Songs
"Downtown" performed by Petula Clark; "Eight Days a Week" performed by The Beatles; "Help Me, Rhonda" sung by The Beach Boys; as well as "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher. Also topping the musical charts that year were: "I hear a Symphony" by The Supremes; "My Girl" by The Temptations; "Stop! In the Name of Love" by The Supremes; and the ever popular "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles. Movies Best Movie: "The Sound Of Music" - Directed by Robert Wise Best Actor: Lee Marvin - "Cat Ballou" Best Actress: Julie Christie - "Darling"Highlights of 1966
MAJOR EVENTS
President Balaguer is inaugurated as president of the Dominican Republic. The French government announces that it is pulling armed forces out of NATO. Israel unveils a monument of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. In Moscow, the Soviet decides to boycott a track meet to protest the United States´ war in vietnam. In Vietnam, U.S. planes bomb the demilitarized zone between the North and South. The United States officially recognizes the new government in Argentina. North Vietnam announces plans to try U.S. pilots for war crimes. Cost Of Living Gallon of Milk 1.11 Loaf of Bread .22 New Auto 2,410.00 Gallon of Gas .23 New Home 40,000.00 Average Income 6,004.00SPORTS
Baltimore shuts out Los Angeles four games to none to capture baseball´s World Series. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 34-27 to earn the National Football League title. Montreal defeats Detroit to win the Stanley Cup. billie Jean King captures the women´s singles title at Wimbledon. Peggy Fleming takes the gold medal in world championship figure skating. The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers to capture the NBA title. A hoorse named Kauai King wins the Kentucky Derby. The winning jockey is D. Brumfield.Songs
"Good Lovin´" performed by The Young Rascals; "Lightnin´ Strikes" performed by Lou Christie; "My Love, Rhonda" sung by Petula Clark; as well as "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones Also topping the musical charts that year were: "Summer in the City" by The Lovin´ Spoonful; "We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles; "When a Man Loves a Woman" by P. Sledge; and the ever popular "You Can´t Hurry Love" by The Supremes. Movies Best Movie: "A Man For All Seasons" - Directed by F. Zimmerman Best Actor: Paul Scofield - "A Man For All Seasons" Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor - "Who´s Afraid of Virginia Wolf"Highlights of 1967
MAJOR EVENTS
Military Coup in Greece
Six Day War in Israel
Johnson meets Kosygin
Che Guevera Killed
Heart Care improvesSPORTS
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Francisco Warriors Series: 4-2
NCAA Football: USC Record: 10-1-0
Heisman Trophy: Gary Beban, ucla, QB points: 1,968
Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens Series: 4-2
Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Score: 35-10
US Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus Score: 275 Course: Baltusrol GC Location: Springfield, NJ
World Series: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox Series: 4-3Top Music of 1967
1."Kind of a Drag" ... The Buckinghams
2."Ruby Tuesday" ... The Rolling Stones
3."Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" ... The Supremes
4."Penny Lane" ... The Beatles
5."Happy Together" ... The Turtles
6."Somethin' Stupid" ... Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra
7."The Happening" ... The Supremes
8."Groovin'" ... The Young Rascals
9."Respect" ... Aretha Franklin
10."Windy" ... The AssociationPopular Movies
1. The Dirty Dozen
2. You Only Live Twice
3. Casino Royale
4. A Man for All Seasons
5. Thoroughly Modern Millie
6. Barefoot in the Park
7. Georgy Girl
8. To Sir With Love
9. Grand Prix
10. HombreAcademy Awards
Best Picure: "In the Heat of the Night"
Best Director: Mike Nichols ... "The Graduate"
Best Actor: Rod Steiger ... "In the Heat of the Night"
Best Actress: Katherine Hepburn ... "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"Nobel Prizes
Chemistry
The prize was divided, one half being awarded to: EIGEN, MANFRED, Federal Republic of Germany, Max-Planck-Institut fÙr Physikalische Chemie, Goettingen, b. 1927; and the other half jointly to: NORRISH, RONALD GEORGE WREYFORD, Great Britain, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Cambridge, b. 1897, d. 1978; and PORTER, Lord (GEORGE), Great Britain, The Royal Institution, London, b. 1920: "for their studies of extremely fast chemical reactions, effected by disturbing the equlibrium by means of very short pulses of energy" Literature ASTURIAS, MIGUEL ANGEL, Guatemala, b. 1899, d. 1974: "for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America" Peace The prize money was allocated to the Main Fund (1/3) and to the Special Fund (2/3) of this prize section. Physiology or Medicine The prize was awarded jointly to: GRANIT, RAGNAR, Sweden, The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, b. 1900 (in Helsinki, Finland), d. 1991; HARTLINE, HALDAN KEFFER, U.S.A., The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, b. 1903, d. 1983; and WALD, GEORGE, U.S.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, b. 1906, d. 1997: "for their discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye" Physics BETHE, HANS ALBRECHT, U.S.A., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, b. 1906 (in Strasbourg, then Germany): "for his contributions to the theory of nuclear reactions, especially his discoveries concerning the energy production in stars"
Pulitzer Prizes Drama: Edward Albee ... "A Delicate Balance" Fiction: Bernard Malamud ... "The Fixer" Hisotry: William H. Goetzmann ... "Exploration and Empire: The Explorer and Scientist in the Winning of the American West" International Reporting: R. John Hughes ... "Christian Science Monitor" National Reporting: Stanley Penn & Monroe Karmin ... "Wall Street Journal" Public Service: "Louisville (KY) Courier Journal" & "Milwaukee Journal"Most Popular Books
Fiction
1."The Arrangement"... Elia Kazan. Stein & Day
2-3."The Confessions of Nat Turner" ...William Styron. Random House
2-3."The Chosen"... Chaim Potok. Simon & Schuster
4."Topaz"...Leon Uris. McGraw-Hill
5."Christy"...Catherine Marshall. McGraw-Hill
6."The Eighth Day"...Thornton Wilder. Harper & Row
7."Rosemary's Baby"...Ira Levin. Random House
8."The Plot"...Irving Wallace. Simon & Schuster
9."The Gabriel Hounds"...Mary Stewart. Morrow
10. "The Exhibitionist"...Henry Sutton. Bernard GeisNonfiction
1."Death of a President,"... William Manchester. Harper & Row
2."Misery Is a Blind Date" ...Johnny Carson. Doubleday
3."Games People Play"... Eric Berne, M.D. Grove Press
4."Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows"... Rod McKuen. Random House
5."A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church"... Father James Kavanaugh. Trident Press
6."Everything but Money"... Sam Levenson. Simon & Schuster
7."Our Crowd"...Stephen Birmingham. Hai-per & Row
8-9-10."Edgar Cayce-The Sleeping Prophet"...Jess Stearn. Doubleday
8-9-10."Better Homes and Gardens Favorite Ways with Chicken"... Meredith Press
8-9-10."Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual"...Phyllis Diller. DoubledayMost Popular Television Shows
1.The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)
2. The Lucy Show (CBS)
3. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (CBS)
4. Gunsmoke (CBS)
5. Family Affair (CBS)
6. Bonanza (NBC)
7. The Red Skelton (CBS)
8. The Dean Martin Show (CBS)
9. The Jackie Gleason Show (CBS)
10. Saturday Night at the Movies (NBC)Highlights of 1968
MAJOR EVENTS
The first emergency 911 telephone system is installed in New York. Green Bay beats Oakland in the second Super Bowl. "60 Minutes" debuts on CBS television. The cost to mail a 1-ounce, first class letter goes up to 6 cents. Congress enacts legislation requiring banks to disclose the true annual rate of interest and other financing costs. Gees, is that fair to the banks? First Philadelphia Bank installs the first automated teller machine in the U.S. An enormous supply of oil is discovered in Alaska. The price of a Hershey bar doubles... to 10 cents. March 31: President Johnson announces that he will not accept nomination for another term as president. The Vietnam war claims another victim. Students at Columbia University force the closing of the university. They object to the construction of a gymnasium where they believe low-cost housing should be built. San Francisco College students strike for five months; they are demanding open admission and the creation of a third-world studies department. North Korea captures the U.S.S. Pueblo, claiming it was in Korean territory. The crew is released 11 months later. U.S. General William Westmoreland claims that "the enemy has been defeated at every turn." Many Americans believe that. April 4: Dr. Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis. Fingerprints identify James Earl Ray as the assassin; Ray confesses to the killing. June 5: Senator and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy is assassinated in California. Assassin Sirhan Sirhan is captured at the scene. Demonstrations against the war receive more attention than the Democratic convention in Chicago. Abbey Hoffman, Tom Hayden, Bobby Seale, and Jerry Rubin are among those arrested in Chicago. President Johnson halts bombing in Vietnam to try to promote peace talks with the Vietnamese and give his party a better chance at winning the presidential election. Former Vice-President Richard Nixon narrowly defeats Vice-President Hubert Humphrey in the presidential election. Pope Paul VI condemns all artificial birth control methods. Detroit wins the World Series. U.S. cigarette sales decline slightly; manufacturers respond by adding more tar and nicotine to their products. The first of numerous U.S. jet airplanes is hijacked and forced to fly to Cuba. November: National Turn in Your Draft Card Day features burning of draft cards and war protest rallies at many U. S. campuses. The U.S. Vietnam death toll approaches 30,000; U.S. troop strength in Vietnam reaches 550,000. The Academy award for Best Picture goes to "Oliver!"Highlights of 1969
MAJOR EVENTS
Sesame Street debuts on television. Penthouse begins publication. June: President Nixon announces his "Vietnamization" designed to help the Vietnamese deal with their own problems, and extricate the U.S. from southeast Asia. July 18: Senator Ted Kennedy drives his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island off Martha's Vineyard, killing his young passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. This major story was partially drowned out by the moon landing that took place just days later. A week after the accident, Kennedy received a suspended sentence, and that was the end of it. But many Americans would never look at Kennedy the same way (and few would ever ride in a car with him at the wheel.) July 21: The U.S. wins the space race convincingly by landing a man on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins fly on board Apollo 11. "Houston... Tranquility Base, here; the Eagle has landed." Event of the century? Possibly; we all thought so at the time. We met the late president's challenge and conquered outer space. This gave Americans confidence that we could beat the Russians in anything... if put to the test. Thousands of party-goers sludge through the mud to experience four days of rock n' roll at a place called Woodstock. Heavy press coverage makes the event seem larger than it was and shows the passing of baby boomers from young children to adult children. August 10: Charles Manson and other members of his cult murder actress Sharon Tate and six others in a horrible event that was referred to as "Helter Skelter."The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) claims that marijuana is harmless to both the user and society in general. The U.S. spends no more money than it takes in. . Hurricane Camille hits the Mississippi gulf coast killing 248; damage is set at $1.5 billion. An oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara spreads over 30 miles of the shoreline. This is the first major of dozens to follow in the next 25 years. Dr. Laurence Peter introduces the world to his "Peter Principle," which states that workers rise to their level of incompetence. President Nixon bans the production of chemical weapons. the cost of medical care begins to rise sharply. October: "I will say confidently that looking ahead just three years the war will be over." - President Nixon. The "Chicago 7" (even though there were actually 8) have their day on court. Attorney William Kunstler, defends David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Black Panther leader Bobby Seale, Jerry Rubin, Lee Weiner, and chemistry professor John R. Froins. Bobby Seale is gagged and chained to his chair because of his courtroom outbursts and sentences him in November to 4 years in prison for contempt of court. The others get off with relatively light sentences. Defying all conventional wisdom, the New York Mets win their first World Series. Meanwhile, the New York Jets win the Super Bowl, defying all logic... except that of Joe Namath. November: President Nixon appeals to the "great silent majority" to support his Vietnam policy. "Marcus Welby" and "Monthy Python's Flying Circus" debut on television. The Academy award for Best Picture goes to "Midnight Cowboy." John Wayne wins for Best Actor in "True Grit." Paul Newman and Robert Redford star in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." November 15: 250,000 protestors (mostly students) march against the war in Washington, D.C. It is only fitting that the decade ends with just as much excitement and turmoil as it BEGAN.
I hope this has brought back some wonderful memories for you, but if you are not old enough to remember the sixties, I hope that now you have a little better understanding of what the greatest decade in the history of planet earth was all about. in the true spirit of Peace I wish you well.
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