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The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while in a riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.
His vice president -LBJ- is sworn in quickly after. -
Newport Jazz Festival
A music festival in Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, plunges into a major riot because of alcohol and the large crowd. About 200 people were arrested, a town record. This festival has been held every year since it was first held in 1954, and has been a pivotal event in the history of jazz. -
Nixon-Kennedy Debates (1st on Television)
The first televised presidential debates with John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. People who watched though JFK won and people who listened thought Nixon won. -
The Beatles Appear for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show
The band "the Beatles" appear in their first show. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take "all necessary measures" to defend U.S. forces in Southeast Asia. -
March on the Pentagon
People march on the Pentagon in protest of the Vietnam War. Approximately 100,000 protesters, including hippies, black activists, and other social groups, gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a continuous bombing campaign conducted by the U.S. Air Force and Navy against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Mar 2, 1965 – Nov 2, 1968 -
My Lai Massacre
The mass murder of unarmed civilians by a US troop in Sơn Mỹ village, South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. -
Woodstock
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a three-day rock and roll festival held on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York, from August 15 to 18. It was a defining moment in the 1960's because of how many attended (estimated 400,000). -
Riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention
Approximately 10,000 protesters gathered in Grant Park for a demonstration and march on the International Amphitheatre, where the convention was being held, in protest of the Vietnam War. -
Chicago 8 Trial
The trial of anti-war (Vietnam) activists who had been arrested during the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The eight included: Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Bobby Seale, all of whom were charged with violating the Anti-Riot Act. Five of them were charged with crossing state lines for the protest. Judge Julius Hoffman has trouble controlling the courtroom because of the chaotic atmosphere. -
The Beatles Break Up
The hit band "The Beatles" publicly announced their breakup. -
Kent State Protest
Students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University are fired on by the Ohio National Guard. Four students were killed, and nine others were wounded. -
Roe vs. Wade
This U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the Constitution (14th Amendment)protects a woman's right to have an abortion before fetal viability after a woman named Jane Roe (not her real name) sued Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, for the right to have a doctor perform an abortion to save a woman's life.
(The woman with the light colored hair in the photo is Jane.)