Kindergarten - 1959/1960 - Ages 5/6

January 1, 1959 

US population 175 million, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Pesident                                                                                                       
January 3, 1959

49th State

Alaska admitted as 49th state.
 
January 25, 1959

Vatican II

When Pope John XXIII announced the creation of the Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II) it shocked the world. There hadn't been an ecumenical council — an assembly of Roman Catholic religious leaders meant to settle doctrinal issues — in nearly 100 years.

The council called between 2,000 and 2,500 bishops and thousands of observers, auditors, sisters, laymen and laywomen to four sessions at St. Peter's Basilica between 1962 and 1965. Cultural changes in the aftermath of World War II spelled a need to reconsider church practices. These meetings did just that — 16 documents in total came out of it, laying a foundation for the church as we know it today.

April 9, 1959

Mercury Space Program

NASA announces the Mercury Seven, America’s first astronauts - Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. Members of the group flew on all classes of NASA manned orbital spacecraft of the 20th century — Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.
 
August 21, 1959

50th State

Hawaii admitted as 50th state.
 
October 2, 1959

Twilight Zone

Rod Serling's classic anthology series The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS.
 

October 13,1959

Science in Space

Launch of Explorer 7 an earth science Satellite.  It is still in orbit.
 
February 1, 1960

First Sit-In Protests

A group of black students launch protests against segregation at a "Whites only" lunch counter of the Woolworth store in Greensboro, NC.

February, 1960

US Olympic Hockey Team

U.S. Hockey Team beats Canada to win the Gold Medal at 1960 Winter Olympics  held at Squaw Valley, Idaho   The Soviet Union finishes 3^rd.
 
March 23, 1960

Elvis Leaves Army

Sergeant Elvis Presley receives honorable discharge after two years in the Army.
 
May 1, 1960

U2 Plane Shot Down

Soviet Russia shoots down U.S. spy plane. Pilot Francis Gary Powers is detained for two years.

May 16, 1960

First LASER is Demonstrated

Physicist Theodore Maiman uses a core of man-made ruby to create the first successful LASER (an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation). The invention has an immediate effect on pop culture, heavily promoted in science fiction books and movies. Inspired by the laser, scientists immediately begin work on fiber-optics technology. Four decades later, lasers are used as precision surgical tools and measurement devices, and also appear in everyday objects such as laser printers, or compact disc and DVD players.
 

 
1^st Grade - 1960/1961 - Ages 6/7

August – September, 1960

Summer Olympics

Casius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) wins the  Light Heavywight Gold Medal at Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy.

1960 

SDS - Students for a Democratic Society

SDS held its first meeting in 1960 on the University of Michigan campus at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Alan Haber was elected president. Its political manifesto, known as the Port Huron Statement, was adopted at the organization's first convention in 1962, based on an earlier draft by staff member Tom Hayden.

The Port Huron Statement criticized the political system of the United States for failing to achieve international peace and critiqued Cold War foreign policy, the threat of nuclear war, and the arms race. In domestic matters, it criticized racial discrimination, economic inequality, big businesses, trade unions and political parties. In addition to its critique and analysis of the American system, the manifesto also suggested a series of reforms: it proclaimed a need to reshape into two genuine political parties to attain greater democracy, for stronger power for individuals through citizen's lobbies, for more substantial involvement by workers in business management, and for an enlarged public sector with increased government welfare, including a "program against poverty." The manifesto provided ideas of what and how to work for and to improve, and also advocated nonviolent civil disobedience as the means by which student youth could bring forth a "participatory democracy." 

With the escalation of the Vietnam War, SDS grew rapidly as young people protested the destruction wrought by the US government and military. Polite protest turned into stronger and more determined resistance as rage and frustration increased all across the country

September 26, 1960

First Televised Presidential Debate Airs

The debate between presidential candidates Kennedy and Nixon is broadcast nationally on all TV networks (only three networks exist in 1960), and on network radio. It is a Monday evening, and 70 million viewers are watching. On TV, Nixon is visibly pale and badly attired, while Kennedy appears tan and relaxed. Political campaigning is suddenly a new ballgame, and image can beat substance.

November 8, 1960

Kennedy Elected

John F. Kennedy becomes the 1^st Catholic to be elected president in tightest election since 1884.

December, 1960

Viet Cong Emerge

An armed coalition of communists and insurgents emerge in South Vietnam.

December, 1960

"The Pill" is Born

Here is the first drug developed for social rather than medicinal purposes. At first, the Pill is only available to married women, but American culture rapidly adopts the new contraceptive choice.

By 1965, over five million American women are on the Pill, even though many states still have laws prohibiting prescriptions for unmarried women and minors. The Pill does not cause the sexual revolution, but certainly enables it. The Pill also brings contraception out of the bedroom and into the living room. It becomes a common theme of magazine articles and books - and even co-stars with David Niven and Deborah Kerr in a 1968 movie: Prudence and the Pill.

April 11, 1961

Dylan's First Public Performance

Bob Dylan appears at Gerde's Folk City in his first billed performance.

April 12, 1961,

First Man in Space

The Soviets put the first man in space, Uri Gagarin
 
April 16-25, 1961

Bay of Pigs: Failed Invasion of Cuba

CIA-backed Cuban exiles launch a failed attempt to remove Fidel Castro from power. An international embarrassment, the episode puts Kennedy's leadership in question.

May 4, 1961

"Freedom Riders" Leave D.C.

An interracial group of protesters board buses and travel to the South to test President Kennedy's commitment to civil rights.

May 5, 1961

First American in Space - Alan Shepard

The U.S. launched its first astronaut, Alan Shepard, on a suborbital flight.  McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis is the prime contractor for the space craft.
 
 
May 9, 1961

TV Called A "Vast Wasteland"

In a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, Newton Minow, head of the FCC, criticizes broadcasters for not doing more to serve the public interest.

May 25, 1961

U.S. Seeks to Land a Man on the Moon and Deny the Soviet Union Control of Space

President Kennedy delivers a televised speech, before a special joint session of Congress, announcing a new vision for the U.S. in space. His goal is to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade, and before the Soviets do.

The idea of landing a man on the moon was first concieved during Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration as a three-man spacecraft to follow the one-man Project Mercury which put the first Americans in space,  At the time of Kennedy's proposal, only one American had flown in space—less than a month earlier—and NASA had not yet sent an astronaut into orbit.  Even some NASA employees doubted whether Kennedy's ambitious goal could be met. 

Landing men on the Moon by the end of 1969 required the most sudden burst of technological creativity, and the largest commitment of resources ($25 billion; $107 billion in 2016 dollars) ever made by any nation in peacetime.   By 1963, Kennedy even came close to agreeing to a joint US-USSR Moon mission, to eliminate duplication of effort.

Kennedy's goal was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module on July 20, 1969, and walked on the lunar surface, while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the Command/Service Module and all three landed safely on Earth on July 24.

The Apollo program was named after the Greek god of light, music, and the sun by NASA manager Abe Silverstein, who later said that "I was naming the spacecraft like I'd name my baby." Silverstein chose the name at home one evening, early in 1960, because he felt "Apollo riding his chariot across the Sun was appropriate to the grand scale of the proposed program.

At its peak, the Apollo program employed 400,000 people and required the support of over 20,000 industrial firms and universities.

July, 1961

Ban-The-Bomb Protests

Anti-Nuclear Activists coordinate worldwide protests against nuclear weapons.



2^nd Grade - 1961/1962 - Ages 7/8
 
October 6, 1961

Kennedy Warns of Possible Nuclear Attack

President Kennedy advises citizens to be ready for nuclear attack, and build family bomb shelters.

October 29, 1961

USSR Tests Hydrogen Bomb

The Soviet Union fires a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb, the biggest explosion in history.

December, 1961

U.S. Buildup Begins

White Paper advises increased U.S. presence in Vietnam.
 
February 14, 1962

U.S. Will Fire Back

Kennedy declares U.S. advisers in South Vietnam will defend themselves.

February 20, 1962

Astronaut  John Glenn Orbits the Earth

NASA launches the Mercury space capsule call signed Friendship 7 which carries astronaut John Glenn around the Earth three times.  McDonnell Aircraft of St. Louis is the prime contractor in construction of the capsule, part of the Mercury Space Program.
 
August 5, 1962

Marilyn Monroe Dies

Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, 36, is found dead in her bedroom.



3^rd Grade - 1962/1963 - Ages 8/9
 
September 27, 1962

Silent Spring Published

Silent Spring is an environmental science book by Rachel Carson. The book documented the adverse effects on the environment of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. The book made the case for the urgent need to protect the environment. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims unquestioningly.
 
Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, but it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, led to a nationwide ban on DDT for agricultural uses,  and inspired an environmental movement that led to the creation 8 years later of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on December 2, 1970.
 
October 1, 1962

James Meredith Registers at "Ole Miss"

On Sept 20, with the support a Supreme Court ruling, James Meredith arrives at the Univ. of Mississippi in Oxford, intending to enroll as the school's first black student. The Democratic Governor Ross Barnett physically blocks Meredith's progress on Sept 20, and again Sept 25. Talks between the White House and the Governor fail to produce a solution. The Kennedy administration orders federal marshals to Oxford. On Sept 30, rioting kills two students, and wounds 160 marshals. The next morning, Meredith officially registers as a transfer student; he graduates in 1963.

October 22-28, 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

Photos by U.S. spy planes reveal the Soviets are positioning camouflaged nuclear missiles in Cuba. Kennedy orders a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent delivery of more missiles. The world holds its breath during a week of tense negotiations to resolve the standoff. The crisis ends when Russia agrees to remove the Cuban missiles, in exchange for the U.S. removing similar missiles from Turkey. It was a week that brought the world to the brink of mutual nuclear annihilation, and spurred one of the greatest quotes of the Cold War, when Secretary of State Dean Rusk observed, "We were eyeball to eyeball, and the other guy just blinked."

November 7, 1962

Nixon Loses Governor's Race

Nixon blames his California defeat on the media, saying, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference."

December 2, 1962

$2 Billion Wasted

Kennedy hears from Senate leader after Saigon trip to see outcome of U.S. aid.

February 19, 1963

The Feminine Mystique Published

Betty Friedan launches the modern feminist movement with her critique of the role of women in society.

April 21, 1963

First Artificial Heart Implanted

Dr. Michael E. De Bakey implants artificial heart in human for first time at a Houston hospital. The Patient survives for only four days

May 15-17, 1963 

Last Mercury Space Flight

NASA launches the Mercury space capsule call signed Faith 7 which carries astronaut L. Gordon Cooper around the Earth twenty-two times.  He spends over 34 hours in space.  McDonnell Aircraft of St. Louis is the prime contractor in construction of the capsule, part of the Mercury Space Program.


June 26, 1963

Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)

U.S. President John F. Kennedy gavea speech in West Berlin that is widely regarded as the best-known speech of the Cold War and the most famous anti-communist speech.

Kennedy aimed to underline the support of the United States for West Germany 22 months after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall to prevent mass emigration to the West. The message was aimed as much at the Soviets as it was at Berliners and was a clear statement of U.S. policy in the wake of the construction of the Berlin Wall. It was a great morale boost for West Berliners, who lived in an enclave deep inside East Germany and feared a possible East German occupation. 



4^th Grade - 1963/1964 - Ages 9/10
 
August 28, 1963

"I Have A Dream..."

During the Civil Rights March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivers one of his most impassioned and memorable speeches to an audience of 250,000. Speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial, King sets aside his prepared notes to describe his vision of an nation that will "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.'" Later this year, King is named TIME's Person of the Year.

August 30, 1963

"Hot-Line" Phones Installed

A pair of "hot line" phones are installed in the Oval Office and Kremlin, a direct result of the prior year's crisis in Cuba.

October 11, 1963

Vatican II Begins

Pope John XXIII opens Vatican II. The council holds four sessions and closes Dec. 8, 1965.

November 22, 1963

Kennedy Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas, Texas.  Lyndon Johnson is quickly sworn in as President.

Two days later Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, is shot and killed by Dallas nightclub operator Jack Ruby as Oswald is being escorted through the basement of  the Dallas Police Headquarters.

November, 1963

U.S. Gets Tough

New in office, President Johnson pushes for stiffer policies on Vietnam.

January 11, 1964

Smoking "Hazardous To Your Health"

The first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health is a landmark document, contradicting decades of tobacco advertising that suggest healthful benefits. The report contains powerful material, and intentionally leaves much to speculation. It is released on a Saturday morning to deter a knee-jerk reaction on Wall Street. Acting voluntarily, The New Yorker and other leading magazines start to refuse tobacco ads. Within months, Congress has passed the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965, requiring health warnings on packages and banning ads on broadcast media.

January 30, 1964

Coup in Saigon

South Vietnam military sets up third government in three months.

February 9 and 16, 1964

Beatles Appear on Sullivan Show

The Beatles make two appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Over 70 million people watch each show, of a total  US population of 192 million

May 22, 1964

President Johnson introduces his vision of a “great society” in a speech given at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He asserts  “The great society rests on abundance and liberty for all.  It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time."

His Great Society plan consisted of a set of domestic programs the main goal was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice.  This became part of his 1964 election campaign's declaration of a  'war on poverty.'

April-June, 1964

U.S. Navy Arrives

After North Vietnam goes into Laos, U.S. moves 2 carriers offshore.


June 22, 1964

Freedom Summer Begins With Murder

The SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) organizes Freedom Summer to increase voter registration and build a grassroots political party in Mississippi. Three young activists disappear on June 22: Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney. Their bodies are found on August 4, buried in an earthen dam. Investigation results in 21 arrests, and conspiracy convictions of seven Ku Klux Klan members in October 1967. Exactly 41 years after the murders, on June 22, 2005, Edgar Ray Killen is convicted on three counts of manslaughter for masterminding the killings.

July 2, 1964

Civil Rights Act

US Congress passes civil rights legislation that outlaws discrimination on basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

August 2, 1964

Gulf of Tonkin

The USS Maddox is on spy patrol 30 miles off the coast of Vietnam when it reports an attack by three enemy vessels. Another U.S. ship reports an attack on Aug 4. (Later inquiries will cast doubt on both reports.) On Aug 7, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing Pres. Johnson to wage war against North Vietnam without a formal Declaration of War.



5th Grade - 1964/1965 - Ages 10/11

October 14, 1964

MLK Awarded Nobel Prize

Martin Luther King Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

October 15, 1964

St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series

The Cardinals went 93–69 and made a dramatic come back from 6.5 games out of first place with 12 games to go to finished first in the National League. On the last day of the season, the Cardinals edged out the co-runners-up Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each.  This was the Cardinals first NL pennant since 1946.

Stan Musial retired at the end of the 1963 season and, after a General Manager Bing Devine trade with the Cubs during the 1964 season, Hall of Famer Lou Brock replaced him in left field. 

In August, with the Cardinals 9.5 game out of 1st place, owner 'Gussie' Busch fired General Manager Bing Devine and later made it known that Manager Johnny Keane would be fired after the season ended. 

The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in the World Series in 7 games.  Winning pitcher of Game 7 and MVP is Bob Gibson.

Manager - Johnny Keane
Announcers: Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Jerry Gross

Starting Line Up: Tim McCarver, C, Bill White, 1B, Dal Maxvill, 2B, Dick Groat, SS, Ken Boyer, 3B,  Lou Brock, LF, Curt Flood, CF, Mike Shannon, RF

Pitchers: Bob Gibson, Ray Sadecki, Curt Simmons

1964

Democrats Hire Ad Agency

Democrats hire a top-10 ad agency for the '64 campaign. Agency produces a number of hard-hitting spots, including the "Daisy Ad".

November 3, 1964

Johnson Defeats Goldwater

Receiving more than 60 percent of the popular vote, incumbent Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeats Republican Barry Goldwater  in a landslide.  During the campaign, Goldwater is an overt hawk regarding the war in Vietnam, while Johnson takes a sharply contrasting stance, suggesting de-escalation. In fact, the war escalates dramatically during the next 4 years of Johnson's administration.
 

November 29, 1964

Mass in the Vernacular

A year after the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was enacted — the “New Mass”, as it was then called, was introduced into US parishes. A fairly typical description of what Catholics experienced at Mass on that day, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, is this:
 
Introduction of the 'vernacular' brought to an end the widespread tradition of the Latin Tridentine Mass, which had lasted since 1570, almost 400 years,  and which was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world.

February 21, 1965

Malcolm X Assassinated

The Nation of Islam leader is killed during while delivering a speech in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom.

March 2, 1965

Operation "Rolling Thunder" Begins

Johnson approves Rolling Thunder in February, believing that a program of limited bombing in North Vietnam will deter support for Vietcong. Rolling Thunder continues for three years and eight months, involving 305,380 raids and 634,000 tons of bombs. Results include: 818 pilots killed and hundreds more captured; 182,000 civilians killed in North Vietnam.

March 24, 1965

First Anti-Vietnam War Teach-In

Anti-war faculty members and the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) publicize and protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam. About 3,000 attend.


April 28, 1965

US Troops Occupy Dominican Republic

In an effort to forestall what he claims will be a “communist dictatorship” in the Dominican Republic, President Lyndon B. Johnson sends more than 22,000 U.S. troops to restore order on the island nation after a revolt against military rule.  Johnson’s action provoked loud protests in Latin America and skepticism among many in the United States.  Politicians and citizens who were already skeptical of Johnson’s policy in Vietnam heaped scorn on Johnson’s statements about the “communist danger” in the Dominican Republic.


June 3, 1965

Spacewalk

Ed White became the first American to make an extravehicular activity (EVA, or "space walk") during Gemini 4.  The Gemini capsule carries two astronauts. 

In 1964 and 1965 two Gemini missions were flown without crews to test out systems and the heat shield. These were followed by ten flights with crews in 1965 and 1966.

McDonnell Aircraft of St. Louis is the prime contractor for construction of the Gemini spacecraft. 


June 8, 1965

U.S. Goes on the Offensive

U.S. troops in Vietnam get permission to go on the offensive.

July 30, 1965

Johnson Signs Medicare Bill

The legislation establishes the US government’s health program for the elderly.

August 6, 1965

Voting Rights Act

The legislation ends discrimination at the polls.

August 11-16, 1965

Watts Race Riots

Six days of rage and riots in Los Angeles leave 34 dead and $200 million in damages
 


6^th Grade -1965/1966 - Ages 11/12

September 5, 1965

The "Hippie" Comes Into Being

Michael Fallen starts a series of stories for the San Francisco Examiner, introducing the word "hippie" to readers. Fallen's articles describe the migration of beatniks from North Beach to Haight-Ashbury in search of cheaper rents, some popular hippie hangouts such as the notorious Blue Unicorn, and the generally bohemian lifestyle of the beatnik/hippie community. Fallen's articles are widely read, but "hippie" doesn't appear in mainstream language for two more years.

November 30, 1965

Nader Examines Auto Industry

Ralph Nader's book, Unsafe At Any Speed: The Designed in Dangers of the American Automobile  is a book accusing car manufacturers of resistance to the introduction of safety features such as seat belts, and their general reluctance to spend money on improving safety. It was a pioneering work containing substantial references and material from industry insiders. It was a best seller in non-fiction in 1966.

Senate hearings prompted by the book led to the creation of the Department of Transportation and the predecessor agencies of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1966.

GM responded to the book's criticism of the Corvair by trying to destroy Nader's image and to silence him. It "(1) conducted a series of interviews with acquaintances of the plaintiff, 'questioning them about, and casting aspersions upon [his] political, social, racial and religious views; his integrity; his sexual proclivities and inclinations; and his personal habits'; (2) kept him under surveillance in public places for an unreasonable length of time; (3) caused him to be accosted by girls for the purpose of entrapping him into illicit relationships; (4) made threatening, harassing and obnoxious telephone calls to him; (5) tapped his telephone and eavesdropped, by means of mechanical and electronic equipment, on his private conversations with others; and (6) conducted a 'continuing' and harassing investigation of him."

On March 22, 1966, GM President James Roche was forced to appear before a United States Senate subcommittee, and to apologize to Nader for the company's campaign of harassment and intimidation. Nader sued GM in November 1966 for invasion of privacy. Nader won the case on appeal in January 1970, being paid $425,000 which enabled him to create the Center for Auto Safety. He went on to lobby for consumer rights, helping drive the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act, among others.

Former GM executive John DeLorean asserted in On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors (1979) that Nader's criticisms were valid. Former Ford and Chrysler President Lee Iacocca said the Corvair was 'unsafe' and a 'terrible' car in his book, Iacocca: An Autobiography.

May 25, 1966

Cold War Satire Premiers

The film The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, tells the story of the comic chaos which ensues when a Soviet submarine runs aground near a small New England town.

June 16, 1966

Stokely Carmichael Takes Over at SNCC

Soon after taking charge at the SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) Carmichael rejects nonviolence and invokes "Black Power"
.
June 30, 1966

NOW is Born

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is founded with the stated purpose of bringing "women into full participation in the mainstream of American society."



7^th Grade -1966/1967 - Ages 12/13


Fall -  1966

Television - From Black & White to Color

Programs that had started prior to the 1965-1966 season, or premiered in black-and-white during it, were forced to convert to color at the start of the 1966-1967 season, when all three networks were broadcasting their entire prime time line-ups in color, aside from news specials and films originally shot in black-and-white (much of the daytime programming on ABC and CBS was still in black-and-white)

Shows that had to convert from black-and-white to color included, among others: The Wild, Wild West on CBS, one season in black-and-white (1965-1966) and three seasons in color (1966-1969); Gilligan’s Island on CBS, one season in black-and-white (1964-1965) and two seasons in color (1965-1967); The Andy Griffith Show on CBS, five seasons in black-and-white (1960-1965) and three seasons in color (1965-1968); Twelve O’Clock High on ABC, two seasons in black-and-white (1964-1966) and one season in color (1966-1967); I Dream of Jeannie on NBC, one season in black-and-white (1965-1966) and four seasons in color (1966-1970); and Bewitched on ABC, two seasons in black-and-white (1964-1966) and six seasons in color (1966-1972).


September 8, 1966

Star Trek Debuts

For next three years, science fiction program goes where no TV series has gone before.

October 15, 1966

Black Panther Party Founded

Bobby Seale and Huey Newton found the Black Panthers in Oakland, CA. In stark contrast to the nonviolence endorsed by civil rights activists, the militant Black Panthers approve the use of violence for defense. The Black Panthers gain notoriety for patrolling streets in black berets and jackets, heavily armed with weapons. Their doctrine of self-determination and strength initially draws thousands of converts.

November 8, 1966

Edward Brook Elected

The Republican from Massachusetts becomes the first African American Senator in 85 years.

November 11, 1966

Gemini XII

Gemini XII marked the successful conclusion of NASA's Gemini program, achieving the last of its goals by successfully demonstrating that astronauts can effectively work outside of spacecraft without life-threatening exhaustion. 

Prior manned flights demonstrated the 8 day endurance necessary for an Apollo Lunar Mission (one Gemini mission lasted 14 days) and the feasibilitity of a space rendezvous and space docking.  Collectively, these achievements paved the way for the Apollo program to achieve President Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.

McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis is the prime contractor for the Gemini spacecraft.

December, 1966

Martin Luther King Opposes War

Breaking with the President Johnson, Martin Luther King announces his opposition to the war.

January 15, 1967

First Super Bowl

Fifty-two million TV viewers watch the NFL Green Bay Packers led by QB Bart Starr and coached by Vince Lombardi beat the AFC Kansas City Chiefs led by QB Len Dawson and coached by Hank Stram at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  Score: 35-10.

January 27, 1967

Apollo 1 Astronauts Die in Fire

NASA planned to launch Apollo 1 on February 21, 1967  Tragically, a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal test at Cape Kennedy less than a month before launch killed all three crew members—Command Pilot Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee—and destroyed the Command Module. 

The ignition source of the fire was later determined to be electrical, and the fire spread rapidly due to combustible nylon material, and the high pressure, pure oxygen cabin atmosphere. The astronauts' rescue was prevented by the plug door hatch, which could not be opened against the higher internal pressure of the cabin. The astronauts were asphyxiated before the hatch could be opened.

In addition, the failure to identify the test as hazardous (because the rocket was unfueled) led to the rescue being hampered by poor emergency preparedness.

The name Apollo 1, chosen by the crew, was officially retired by NASA in commemoration of them on April 24, 1967.

The prime contractor for the Apollo program is North American Aviation/North American Rockwell.

April 15, 1967

Anti-War Protesters March to U.N.

Four Hundred Thousand (400,000) anti-war protestors turnout for a massive march against the Vietnam War from Central Park to the United Nations. Protestors include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harry Belafonte, James Bevel, and Dr. Benjamin Spock, who marched and spoke at the event. 

Sponsored by the Spring/National Mobilization Committee to the the Vietnam War - a coalition of anti-war activists formed in 1967 - protests take place all across the country. 

During the event many draft cards were burned, according to the New York Times. A simultaneous march in San Francisco was attended by Coretta Scott King.


June 10, 1967

St. Louis Arch Opens to Visitors

The visitor center of the the 630 foot tall Gateway Arch opens.  The tram to the observation area on the top begins operating on July 24th, 1967 

Construction of the Arch began on February 12, 1963 and is completed on October 28, 1965. 


June 20, 1967

Muhammad Ali

Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. When notified of his draft status, he declared that he would refuse to serve in the U.S. Army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector. Ali stated that "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." Ali also famously said in 1966: "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong ... They never called me nigger."

On June 28, 1971, the US Supreme Court ruled 8-0 to reverse his conviction. The Supreme Court held that, since the appeal board gave no reason for the denial of a conscientious objector exemption to Ali, and it was impossible to determine on which of the three grounds offered in the Justice Department's letter that board relied, Ali's 1967 conviction must be reversed   
Summer, 1967

Summer of Love

Usually this description refers to 1967, in and around San Francisco when the "hippie movement" was in full flower. Particularly during the summer months, thousands upon thousands of young people flocked to the Haight-Ashbury to take part in a somewhat pale imitation of the true hippie experience. Many were drawn by the gentle lyrics of a song penned by John Phillips, member of The Mamas & the Papas. Phillips' song San Francisco (written in anticipation of the Monterey Pop Festival in June) romanticizes the era and atmosphere. Scott McKenzie's cover-version of the song is on the airwaves by May -- just in time for summer vacation.

If you're going to San Francisco,
be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...
If you come to San Francisco,
Summertime will be a love-in there.



8^th Grade - 1967/1968 - Ages 13/14 - Graduation!

August 30, 1967

Thurgood Marshall Confirmed

President Johnson nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall US Supreme Court.  He becomes the first African American Supreme Court Justice. 

October 11, 1967

St Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues play their first game against the Minnesota North Stars.  The 1967–68 season was the inaugural season for the St. Louis Blues. The Blues were one of the six new teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion.
 
October 12, 1967

1967 World Series

Featuring four future Hall of Famers in Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Orlando Cepeda, "El Birdos" went 101–60 during the season and won the NL pennant by 10½ games over the San Francisco Giants. 

The Cardinals win the World Series over Boston Red Sox, beating them at Fenway Park 7-2 in game 7. Like the 1964 World Series, the winning pitcher of Game 7 and MVP is Bob Gibson (3-0).

Owner: August 'Gussie' Busch
General Manger: Stan Musial
Manager: Red Schoendienst 
Announcers: Jerry Gross, Jack Buck, Harey Caray

Starting Line Up: Tim McCarver, C, Orlando Cepeda, 1B, Julian Javier, 2B, Dal Maxvill, SS, Mike Shannon, 3B, Lou Brock, LF, Curt Flood, CF, Roger Maris, RF

Pitchers: Dick Hughes, Bob Gibson, Nelson Briles, Steve Carlton


October 1967

St. Louis Hawks

St. Louis Hawks begin last season (67-68) in St. Louis.
 
October 21-22, 1967

March on the Pentagon

100,000 Vietnam War Protestors march on the Pentagon, organized by the Spring/National Mobilization Committee to End the Vietnam War - a coalition of anti-war activists formed in 1967.

About 650 people, including novelist Norman Mailer, were arrested for civil disobedience on the steps of the Pentagon. A few individuals such as Allen Ginsberg, Ed Sanders, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin (Hoffman and Rubin would co-found the Yippies later in '67) attempted by means of meditation and chanting to "levitate" the building and "exorcise the evil within." These events were chronicled by Norman Mailer in his non-fiction novel The Armies of the Night.

November 7, 1967

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 into law on November 7, 1967. The law established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—a nonprofit corporation funded by the federal government to promote public broadcasting. The CPB distributes money to approximately 1,400 locally-owned and -operated public radio and television stations. In fiscal year 2014, the CPB distributed nearly $396.5 million to support public radio and television stations and their programming.

November 9, 1967

Rolling Stone Magazine Premiers

The first issue of Rolling Stone, a new magazine devoted to music and popular culture, debuts featuring John Lennon on the cover.

November 29, 1967

Secretary of Defense McNamara Resigns

Robert McNamara is ousted following months of increasing conflict with the President and military leaders. McNamara's removal is precipitated by private communications with the President, and public remarks questioning Johnson's policies. Just weeks before, McNamara had testified in a Senate hearing that U.S. bombing raids against North Vietnam were not achieving their objectives, movement of supplies to South Vietnam had not been reduced, and that neither the economy nor the morale of the North Vietnamese had been broken.
 
December 31, 1967

385,300 U.S. Troops in 'Nam

More troops are on their way: 33,000 are stationed in Thailand; 60,000 sail offshore.
 
December 31, 1967

Youth International Party Founded - Yippies

The Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was an American radically youth-oriented and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s. The Yippies, founded by Abbie and Anita Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Nancy Kurshan, and Paul Krassner had no formal membership or hierarchy.  Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin became the most famous Yippies—and bestselling authors—in part due to publicity surrounding the five-month Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial of 1969.

January 30-31, 1968

Tet Offensive Launched by Vietcong

To the Vietnamese, Tet is a culturally important celebration of the Lunar New Year. U.S. planners and troops are unprepared when the North Vietnamese and Vietcong use festivities as cover, surging into Saigon and other key cities. Within days, U.S. forces retake most areas; an intense battle for Hue rages for 26 days. Retaking the area, U.S. troops discover mass graves containing the bodies of thousands of people who had been executed during the Communist occupation during and after Tet. The Offensive is a military disaster for the guerillas, with 37,000 dead. The U.S. lost 2,500 men, undermining public support for the war and giving the Vietcong a political victory.

February 27, 1968

Cronkite Urges Negotiations to End War

CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, known as America's "most-trusted man," files a special report from Vietnam. He experiences intensive combat in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive. Departing from accepted news style, Cronkite shares his personal feelings, telling viewers he is "more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate." Insiders see this as a key factor in Johnson's decision to offer negotiations and not seek re-election in '68.

March 16, 1968

My Lai Massacre

Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, is on a "search and destroy" mission in the hamlet of My Lai. Something goes horribly wrong, resulting in violent death for approximately 500 unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

After one and a half years, the officer at My Lai, Lt. William Calley, is brought up on murder charges. News of atrocities at My Lai doesn't reach public media until November 1969. In March 1971, Calley is convicted and sentenced to life; he is paroled in September 1975 after serving three and a half years.

In terms of history, the significance of My Lai remains unambiguous. The massacre and its aftermath intensified a growing public call to end the war in Vietnam — and not only by antiwar groups. Calley’s conviction and sentence led supporters of the war to insist that if their soldiers were not allowed the freedom to kill the enemy, they must pull out of Vietnam.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/16/it-was-insanity-at-my-lai-u-s-soldiers-slaughtered-hundreds-of-vietnamese-women-and-kids/?utm_term=.ee683a5a3dbf


March 31, 1968

LBJ will not seek Re-Election

President Lyndon B. Johnson in a national address announces that he would not seek a second full term, saying "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

April 4, 1968

Abbie Hoffman Protest at NY Stock Exchange

Abbie Hoffman creates chaos on floor of the New York Stock Exchange by tossing currency from the gallery. News coverage is massive. If the prank accomplished nothing else, it helped cement Hoffman's reputation as one of America's most outlandish and creative protestors. Along with Jerry Rubin and others, Hoffman had founded the Youth International Party earlier that year, and the "Yippie" movement quickly became a prominent part of America's counterculture.

June 6, 1968

Robert Kennedy Assassinated

Senator Robert Kennedy dies of gunshot wounds in Los Angeles, a day after
winning the California Presidential primary.

July 29, 1968

Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life)

The Vatican publishes Pope Paul VI's  encyclical Humanae vitae which rejects most forms of artificial contraception.

August 20, 1968

End of the Prague Spring

Alexander Dubcek's effort to establish “communism with a human face” was celebrated across the country, and the brief period of freedom became known as the Prague Spring.

The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II . It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and continued until 21 August 1968 when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country with 600,000 troops to halt the reforms.

August 25-29, 1968

Violence Scars Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Turmoil and Robert Kennedy's death push the 1968 Democratic party convention toward chaos, while anti-war and counter-culture demonstrators outside the convention clash with the Chicago Police. 

The Chicago Seven (originally Chicago Eight, also Conspiracy Eight/Conspiracy Seven) were seven defendants—Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner—charged by the federal government with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to the anti-Vietnam War and countercultural protests that took place during the Democratic National Convention.

Bobby Seale, the eighth man charged, had his trial severed during the proceedings, lowering the number of defendants from eight to seven.  Seale was eventually sentenced to four years in prison for contempt of court, although this ruling was later reversed.

After a federal trial resulting in both acquittals and convictions, followed by appeals, and reversals, some of the seven defendants were finally convicted, although all of the convictions were reversed.

October 10, 1968

1968 World Series

The Cardinals went 97–65 during the season, winning their second consecutive NL pennant, this time by nine games over the San Francisco Giants.

For the third time in the decade, the  St. Louis Cardinals play in the World Series.  But this time (for the first time in their history) they lose game 7 to the Detroit Tigers, 4-1. The Tigers completed an improbable comeback, winning the last 3 games of the series.

In game 7 series MVP Mickey Lolich (3-0) pitched on two days rest and outduels Bob Gibson at Busch Stadium.  In the decisive seventh inning the key play is a Jim Northrup triple that was misplayed by center fielder Curt Flood.  If he had caught the ball it would have been the third out and prevented any runs from scoring.

Owner: August 'Gussie' Busch
General Manager: Bing Devine
Manager: Red Schoendienst 
Announcers: Harry Carey, Jack Buck

Starting Line-Up:Tim McCarver, C, Orlando Cepeda, 1B, Julian Javier, SB Dal Maxvill, SS Mike Shannon, 3B, Lou Brock, LF, Curt Flood, CF, Roger Maris, RF

Pitchers: Bob Gibson, Nelson Briles, Ray Washburn


October 11, 1968

Apollo 7

The first manned test flight of the Command and Service Module of the Apollo spacecraft following the Apollo 1 tragedy.  The crew orbited the Earth 163 times and spent 10 days and 20 hours in space.

November 5, 1968

Richard Nixon Wins Presidency

Running on a platform of "law and order," Republican Richard Nixon and running mate Spiro Agnew narrowly defeat incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey and running mate Edmund Muskie.  Nixon receives 43.4% of the popular vote, just seven-tenths of 1% more than Humphrey. Third-party segregationist candidate George Wallace receives about 15 percent of the popular vote. Nixon wins a second term in 1972, and resigns from office due to the Watergate scandal in 1974.

November 5, 1968

Shirley Chisholm Elected to Congress

Shirley Chisholm becomes first African American woman elected to Congress.

November 6, 1968

SSFU Student Strike

Five-month student strike begins at San Francisco University. The protests result in the creation of the nation's first ethnic studies program.

December 21, 1968

Apollo 8

The second manned spaceflight mission of the Apollo space program became the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit, reach the Earth's Moon, orbit it and return safely to Earth.

The crew entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts held a live broadcast, showing pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from space.

The famous 'Earthrise' photo is shot on this mission.

December 31, 1968

US Population: 201 million – an increase of 26 million (15%) from 1959. 

Lyndon B. Johnson, President