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1960's Major News Events in History

  1. 1960 Democrat John F. Kennedy wins the U.S. Presidential Election after defeating Republican Richard Nixon.
  2. 1961 The Bay of Pigs invasion is an unsuccessful U,S, backed operation to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba
  3. 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis has the world on the edge of another World War
  4. 1963 United States President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
  5. 1964 United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law.
  6. 1965 Martin Luther King, Jr. leads a peaceful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama.
  7. 1966 Indira Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India.
  8. 1967 The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs play against each other in the first Super Bowl,
  9. 1968 Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in April by James Earl Ray.
  10. 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to arrive on the Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission.

More Detailed Information on each Event and those not included can be found below

1960s Important News and Events, Key Technology Fashion and Popular Culture

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 )

1960

What Happened in 1960 History

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.


1961

What Happened in 1961 History

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.


1962

What Happened in 1962 History

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.

1963

What Happened in 1963 History

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."

Money and Inflation 1960's

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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Childrens Toys From The 1960's

Kids Toys From the 60s

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.

Kids Toy Examples From The 1960s Barbie doll

1964

What Happened in 1964 History

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.

1965

What Happened in 1965 History

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.

1966

What Happened in 1966 History

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.

1967

What Happened in 1967 History

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

1968

What Happened in 1968 History

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.

1969

What Happened in 1969 History

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.

1960's Mens and Womens and Childrens Fashion Clothes

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.

Ladies Dresses From The 1960's
Examples of Ladies Dresses From The 1960's


Part of our Mens Fashion From the Sixties
Examples of Men's Fashions from the 60's


Part of our Collection of Childrens Clothes From the 1960's
Children's Clothing Examples From The 1960s



Electrical Home Goods

The growth of smaller TV's and the continued interest in popular music more and more people buy hi-fi music players, families also purchased more and more kitchen appliances ranging from dish washers to toasters, another common theme is the growth of "Portable" in TV, Music even dishwashers

Electrical Home Furnishings from the 1960's Home Entertainment System , Portable Dishwasher, Portable TV,  Solid State Phonograph, Adding Machine

Furniture From The 60's

Furniture design changed as more modern tastes come to the fore and with the increased use of more modern materials allowed including color-coordinated, vinyl-coated wallpaper with tables including durable high-pressure plastic top in a woodgrain pattern

Technology

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 ".


Inventions The Year Invented Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )

Cash Dispenser ----- 1969 Turkey by Luther Simjian
CCDs ----- 1969 USA Charge Coupled Device - to capture image
Communication Satellite ----- 1962 USA Telstar
Computer Mouse ----- 1964 USA by Douglas Engelbart
Fibre Optics ----- 1966 England by Charles Keo and George Hockham
Heart Pacemaker ----- 1960 USA by Wilson Greatbatch
Human Space Travel ----- 1961 Russia Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space
Hypertext ----- 1965 USA for linking text
Internet ----- 1969 USA US military
Kevlar ----- 1966 USA by Stephanie Kwolek
Laser ----- 1960 USA by Theodore Maiman
LEDs ----- 1962 USA Light Emitting Diodes - used for displays
Manned Moon Landing ----- 1969 USA Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walk on Moon
Moon Landing ----- 1966 Russia Luna 9 lands softly on the Moon
Optical Disk ----- 1965 USA by James Russell - now Compact Disk CD / DVD History of Hifi and Music Players and Media
Portable Calculator ----- 1967 USA Texas Instruments
Space Docking ----- 1966 USA Gemini VIII docks with an orbiting satellite
Space Walk ----- 1965 Russia Aleksei Leonov - first person outside space vehicle
Tape Cassette ----- 1963 Netherlands
Venus Probe ----- 1962 USA Mariner 2 - the first planetary probe
Weather Satellite ----- 1960 USA Tiros I

Other Major Events From The 60's

  • The 60's were a decade once again dominated by a war ( VIETNAM )not a world war but the effects were still felt throughout the world. It is also the start of showing how the people can effect politics through the power of "peaceful" demonstrations , students were the driving force because with education comes empowerment and with empowerment comes a voice , and in the 60's students learnt how to use that voice.
  • In the West although politicians would have liked to stopped demonstrations ( and tried ) against their policies, due to "freedom of speech" it was not possible
  • Many of the conflicts during the 60's could be considered to be part of the ongoing cold war between the East and the West ( Communism -- Capitalism ) , but due to the Nuclear Capabilities of both sides nether wanted to start a full scale war as they realized there could be no winner but both believed their ideology was best, they tried in other ways to influence the politics throughout the world.
  • Many believe the closest the world has come to a World Wide Nuclear War was in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis
  • John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States From January 20, 1961 till his assassination on November 22, 1963 at Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald. His presidency although cut short due to his murder is remembered for multiple reasons including his commitment that the United States Of America should commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him back safely to the earth before the end of the decade. The Cuban Crisis and Bay of Pigs Invasion. And creating the Peace Corps to help underdeveloped nations in areas such as education, farming, health care and construction. For such a short term in office his achievements endeared him to the American People.
  • During the 60's the Charismatic Martin Luther King who was a civil rights advocate and exceptionally gifted speaker , followed other great leaders throughout history by using non-violent means together with the power of speech and managed to create change through his influence created by the strong following he had. He was assassinated on April 4th 1968 By James Earl Ray
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed the lives of the African Americans minority by ensuring equal rights for all
  • The Sixties also bought the space race to new heights and ended the race to land a man on the moon and bring him back when America through the Apollo 11 mission on July 20,1969 put Neil Alden Armstrong and Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. became the first humans to land on the Moon fulfilling the American Dream to place a man on the moon before the Russians ( Space Race ). The words spoken by Neil Armstrong "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" going into the history books for now and future generations to come.
  • Both martin Luther King and John F Kennedy were assassinated during the 60's

Sporting Changes In The 1960s

Baseball
Old ballparks including Ebbett's Field, Sportsman's Park, Forbes Field and Crosley Field are torn down, making way for newer, shinier stadiums many as indoor pitches.
Players Association forces owners to up salaries and provide better benefits including pensions.
Basketball
1963 - 1964 Season Clash Between Owners and Players ( who refuse to play ) just before All-Star Game over wages and pensions. Owners agree to demands allowing match to continue.
New League The ABA or American Basketball Association formed in 1967 luring away NBA stars and rookies out of college.
Association Football (Soccer)
Pele and Brazil dominate the game in the 60's Pele real name was Edison Arantes do Nascimento and he broke records each time he played.
Britain the home of soccer win the world cup in 1966.
American Football
Offensive formations evolve in both the college and pro ranks including the wishbone and the shotgun Formation
American Football League ALF Created and Later Merge With NFL
Super Bowls Born As A ( Championship Game Between NFL and AFL 1967 and 1968 ) Green Bay Packers Win Under Vince Lombardi
Ice Hockey
The Red Wings and the Canadiens Dominate The Game
NHL Expands

Popular 60s Music


In the 1960s popular music began to diversify and more sub-genres emerged as the worlds of R&B and Rock 'n' Roll became more profitable. It became easier to classify types of music in a very specific way with psychedelic, surf, folk, roots, hard rock, Motown, Acapella, all becoming recognizable in their distinctiveness. Music became a huge influence on the younger generation and was used to define the lifestyles of rockers, hippies, and protesters. The music of the time often reflected the changing social norms of the decade like the fight for civil rights for minorities and women and the anti-war movement. The British Invasion also made its mark with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as two of the most popular bands emerging from the decade, gaining worldwide notoriety and popularity that has lasted up to the present.


Sixties Cars

Cars From the 60s
Chevrolet Corvette
The First two seater sports car from General Motors
Jaguar E Type
Truly one of the great classic cars to appear in the 60's Prices From $5990
Austin Mini Coopper S
This was one of the cars that epitomized the 60's and who can forget the original Italian Job Price Mini Cooper $1595 and Mini Cooper S $1950
Dodge Charger RT
The Muscle Car from the 60's Fast with 7.2 Litre Engine and looks to match

Popular Culture 1960s

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

TV Shows 1960s

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.