More Detailed Information on each Event and those not included can be found below
The Sixties dominated by the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Protests, the 60s also saw the assassinations of US President John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Cuban Missile Crisis, and finally ended on a good note when the first man is landed on the moon .
The events listed below we have tried to put a small paragraph on the specific year page providing additional information )
Democrat John F. Kennedy wins the U.S. Presidential Election after defeating Republican Richard Nixon. Kennedy became the first president and was the youngest person to have been elected into the highest office at the time.
Togo, Cote D'Ivoire, Chad, Benin, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Central African Republic gain independence from France.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is created.
The United States decides to send 3,500 U.S. troops to Vietnam.
TIROS-1, the first weather satellite, is launched by the U.S.
Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space. One month later, Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
Construction on the Berlin Wall begins in an effort to separate East and West Berlin.
The Bay of Pigs invasion is an unsuccessful U,S, backed operation to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba.
The Peace Corps is created.
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is created.
The Cuban Missile Crisis has the world on the edge of another World War as the United States and USSR come close to launching nuclear attacks.
James Meredith becomes the first African-American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.
The comic book character of Spider-Man makes his debut in the Amazing Fantasy #15 comic.
The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do," in the United Kingdom.
Sam Walton opens the first Wal-Mart store in Arkansas.
United States President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
U.S. Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. gives is famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
The United States begins to use Zip Codes.
Yugoslavia becomes a socialist federal republic and President Josip Tito is appointed as "President for Life."
The BBC broadcasts the very first episode of the iconic television show "Doctor Who."
To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money
If you have $100 Converted from 1960 to 2021 it would be equivalent to $922.31 today
In 1960 a new house cost $12,700.00 and by 1969 was $15,500.00
In 1960 the average income per year was $5,315.00 and by 1969 was $8,540.00
In 1960 a gallon of gas was 25 cents and by 1969 was 35 cents
In 1960 the average cost of new car was $2,600.00 and by 1969 was $3,270.00
A few more prices from the 60's and how much things cost
Volkswagen beetle $1,769
Ford Mustang 2 door hardtop $2368
Misses Swinging Shifts Skirts $5.00
Oxford men's Shoes $12.95
1960 Men's Pocket Watch $9.44
Automatic Can Opener $8.88
Automatic Electric Blanket $9.94
Oranges 89 cents for 2 dozen
Oven ready Turkeys 39 cents per pound
Modern Walnut Bookcase $29.97
Coal $14.95 ton
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Popular toys of the 1960s were related to space travel and the moon. For girls the Barbie doll was a must-have and for boys the G.I. Joe action figure was popular. A heavy influence from Children's TV shows and pop culture of the time also meant that toys featuring specific characters like Caspar and The Flintstones were featured heavily. Music was also a factor with many toys featuring the most popular band of the time, the Beatles. Games were also popular with more variety of board games, table games, and puzzles available.
United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law.
NASA's Mariner 4 space probe successfully approaches Mars and becomes the first spacecraft to take images of a planet from deep space.
Sidney Poitier wins the Academy Award for "Best Actor" becoming the first black actor to win that honor.
The computer coding language BASIC (Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is introduced.
The Ford Motor Company begins to produce and sell the Ford Mustang.
The Voting Rights Act is signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.
Soviet Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to perform a space walk.
Martin Luther King, Jr. leads a peaceful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama.
The Vietnam War escalates and opposition to it begins to mount as anti-Vietnam protests become more common.
Mary Quant designs the mini-skirt in London and it becomes a fashion craze.
The first episode of the popular television show "Star Trek" airs.
The Soviet Union's Luna 9 unmanned spacecraft lands on the Moon.
Botswana and Lesotho gain independence from England.
Indira Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India.
The Canada Pension Plan is introduced in Canada.
Rolling Stone publishes its first magazine issue.
The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs play against each other in the first Super Bowl, with the Packers winning 35 to 10.
South African doctor Christiaan Barnard completes the first heart transplant operation.
The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified.
Thurgood Marshall is appointed to the Supreme Court and becomes the first African-American
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in April by James Earl Ray.
Egypt's Aswan Dam is completed.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is signed into law by President Johnson.
Richard Nixon wins the United States presidential election.
The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, is launched by NASA.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to arrive on the Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission.
The Woodstock music festival takes place in New York and features such acts as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and The Who.
ARPANET, the predecessor to the Internet, relays its first communications between UCLA and Stanford.
The popular children's television show "Sesame Street" debuts.
The United Kingdom abolishes the death penalty.
Early 60's for women wore mini skirts and leather boots and men wore Paisley shirts and velvet trousers Later 60's from 1966 started the introduction of Psychedelic clothes with bright colors for both men and women and the age of the Hippie is born. Men started to wear hair longer and women identified with the hippie look by wearing skirts and dresses longer often known as Maxies and anything and everything had color including the body
The examples below are from Our new updated Sixties Fashion Section, with examples of Ladies, Mens and Children's Fashion Clothes and Accessory examples including dresses, hats, shoes and much more take a little time to browse through them.
Although the USSR appeared to be ahead in the space race in the 50's and 60's the ultimate prize went to the United States in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were landed on the moon and returned safely back to earth, many who remember the immortal words " One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind ".
This was the Decade of the Smiley Face found on anything and everything around the world including T Shirts , it's popularity was at it's peak in the mid to late 1960's
This decade can also be summed up with a few well chosen phrases which epitomize the decade " The Space Race ", " Cuban Missile Crisis" , " Continuing Cold War", "Kennedy Assassination", " Martin Luther King", "Vietnam", "Civil Rights and Riots", "Hippies and Flower Power" , "The Beatles and Rock and Roll"
This was the start of the skateboarding era which was started by some surfing enthusiasts in California who were frustrated by the weather and put roller skates on the front and back end of wooden planks
Some of the Most Well Known Movie Stars of the Sixties
John Wayne
Elizabeth Taylor
Richard Burton
Paul Newman
Elvis Presley
Julie Andrews
Doris Day
Roch Hudson
Perry Mason 1957 - 1966.
Route 66 1960 - 1964.
Rawhide 1959 - 1966.
The Monkees 1966 - 1968.
The Saint 1966 - 1969.
The Prisoner 1967 - 1968.
Ironside 1967 - 1975. .
Hogan's Heroes 1965 - 1971.
Lassie 1954 - 1973.
Flipper 1964 - 1967.
The Benny Hill Show 1969 - 1989.
Monty Python's Flying Circus 1969 - 1974.
Bonanza 1959 - 1973.
The Brady Bunch 1969 - 1974.
Peyton Place 1964 - 1969.
The Fugitive 1963 - 1967.
77 Sunset Strip 1958 - 1964.
The Man From Uncle 1964 - 1968.
Doctor Who 1963 - 1989.
Gilligan's Island 1964 - 1967.
Gunsmoke 1955 - 1975.
Columbo 1968 - 2003.
The Virginian 1962 - 1971.
Mr Ed 1961 - 1966.
The Twilight Zone ( Original Series ) 1959 - 1964.
I Dream of Jeannie 1965 - 1970.
Bewitched 1964 - 1972.
Steptoe and Son 1st Series 1962 - 1965. 2nd Series 1970 - 1974
Get Smart 1965 - 1970
Green Acres 1965 - 1971.