1961-1965

1961
1961 Kennedy Inaugurated The morning of the inauguration was cold, but beautiful. Snow had fallen on Washington, and President-Elect Kennedy prepared for the exciting experience. He began the day in church. Then he went to have coffee with the Eisenhowers at the White House and accompany them to the inauguration. After being sworn in, President Kennedy gave a breif but stirring speech that signified the birth of a new era. 1961 Peace Corps Founded One of President Kennedy's first proposals was the creation of a Peace Corps to aid developing nations.
The Peace Corps encouraged young people just out of college to give a year or two of their time to work as teachers, health care workers or other advisors in poor nations in Africa, Asia and South America. The first head of the Peace Corps was the President's brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver. 1961 Us Commitment To Vietnam Grows The US government agreed to increase aid to South Vietnam in the fight against Viet Cong rebels. The agreement included paying for a larger Vietnamese army, as well as for more advisors in the field. 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion The US-supported invasion of was a total failure. The invasion, which began on April 17, was supported by the C.I.A., but rebels were wiped out almost immediately by Fidel Castro's troops. President Kennedy took full responsibility for the debacle, even though the plans had been put in place during the Eisenhower administration. 1961 Kuwait gains Independence In June, Kuwait gained its independence from Great Britain. Britain signed a treaty of friendship and protection with Kuwait. In July, British troops were dispatched at Kuwait's request to defend it against Iraqi threats. Those troops were replaced in the fall by troops of the Arab League. 1961 Vienna Summit - President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev met at a summit conference in Vienna on June 4. The meetings covered a whole range of items, including Laos, disarmament and general issues of ideology. More than anything else, however, the main issue on the agenda was Berlin. Khrushchev was threatening to sign a peace agreement with East Germany that might impinge on the rights of the West. Progress was made on Laos, but on other matters, the two leaders clashed.

At a final meeting with Kennedy, Khrushchev stated: "Force will be met by force. If the US wants war, that's its problem." "Its up to the US to decide whether there will be war or peace." "The decision to sign a peace treaty is firm and irrevocable, and the Soviet Union will sign it in December if the US refuses an interim agreement." Kennedy responded: "Then, Mr. Chairman, there will be a war. It will be a cold winter."
1961 Berlin Crisis-builidng of the Wall- From the time of the Vienna summit, East German exodus to West Germany began to skyrocket. The Soviets began to talk about war and, in July, the Soviets detonated the largest atomic bomb ever exploded, weighing in at 60 megatons. On August 13, the Berlin Wall went up, dividing East and West Berlin and ending the flow of refugees out of East Germany. 1961 Rafael Trujillo Assassinated Rafael Trujillo, dictator of the , was assassinated by members of the Dominican armed forces. While the U.S. was not directly involved in the plot, it was known that the United States did have prior knowledge of the plan. Also, the Americans gave those carrying out the plot tacit support. 1961 Tanganyika Becomes independent In December 1961, Tanganyika was given the status of an independent state within the British Commonwealth, after pressure was exerted by the Tanganyika National Union, led by Julius Nyerere. He subsequently became the first President of Tanganyika.
1962
1962 Agreement Establishes Malaysia Federation An agreement was reached on the establishment of a Malaysian federation comprising Malaysia, Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei and British Borneo. The agreement was signed in London, and was to go into effect on September 16, 1963. 1962 Border War between China and India China and India disputed their mutual border. The terrain was mountainous and often difficult to defend. In 1962, battles broke out between the two countries. On October 20, China launched a full scale attack on Indian positions. The Chinese routed the Indians, and India asked for US support. Two days later, the Chinese announced that they were implementing a cease-fire and withdrawing. 1962 Burundi Becomes Independent Burundi was a part of Belgian Mandated Territory. It petitioned the U.N. for full independence, which was granted in 1962. Burundi remained under the domination of the Tutsi tribe. 1962 Uganda Gains Independence From Great Britian Upon Uganda's achieving independence, Milton Obote became the first leader. A federal form of government was enacted in order to insure the rights of the King of Uganda, Edward Mutesa. 1962 Israel Finds Adolf Eichman Guilty Adolf Eichmann was in charge of the Jewish Department of the Nazi SS (Gestapo). As such, he was directly responsible for carrying out the Nazi's "final solution" - the extermination of European Jewry.

After World War II, Eichmann fled to South America. In May 1960, Eichmann was captured by Israel's Intelligence Agency (the Mossad), smuggled out of Argentina and brought to Israel to stand trial.

Eichmann's trial began on April 11, 1961, at Binyanei Ha Uma, in Jerusalem. A special bullet-proof cage was built for Eichmann's protection. After a 14-week trial, Eichmann was convicted and sentenced to die for crimes against humanity.

After his appeal was denied, Eichmann was executed on May 31, 1962, making him the only person ever officially executed by the State of Israel.
1962 Algeria Granted Independence Algerian Nationalists, organized in the FLN (Front de Libération Nationale), began an armed rebellion against French rule in Algeria. The rebellion gained momentum throughout the 1950's. After DeGaulle became President of France in 1959, he offered Algeria the option of a referendum to determine whether the people wanted independence from France. Cease-fire negotiations began between the government and the FLN.

French Nationalists attempted to derail the peace process, staging two revolts in Algeria: the first in 1960, and the second in 1961. The revolt by the OAS (Organization de L'Armée Secrete) was suppressed in a few days, but the OAS continued to oppose the independence of Algeria until the bitter end.

On July 1, Algerians voted overwhelmingly for independence. On July 3, Algeria declared its independence. In September, Be Bella became Premier.
1962 Steel Prices Rolled Back The steel industry voluntarily rolled back its prices. It did this after President Kennedy exerted both public and private pressure to do so. He stated publicly that it was unacceptable for a tiny handful of steel executives to show utter contempt for the American people. 1962 US Commitment to Vietnam Deepens The US commitment to Vietnam grew in early 1962 as troop strength was increased to 8,000 men. President Kennedy gave the order to US troops to fire on the Viet Cong if they encountered hostile fire themselves.
1962 Prayer Unconstitutional in School In the decision of Engel v. Vitale, the US Supreme Court ruled that state-sponsored prayer in schools was unconstitutional. The Court did not outlaw prayer in school entirely, only school-sponsored prayer. The Supreme Court decision launched a controversy that has continued unabated until today.
1962 Environment Movement Launched Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, was published in September 1962. By describing the effects of the use of pesticides and other chemicals on the enviroment, Carson launched the enviromental movement.
1962 First Black at University of Mississpi Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black ordered the immediate admittance of James Meredith to the University of Mississippi. Mississippi's governor, Ross Barnett, attempted to bar Meredith's entry. President Kennedy, however, federalized the National Guard, which then forced his admittance.
1962 First American in Space On July 21, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Shepard's flight lasted only 15 minutes. Earlier in the year, President Kennedy had announced the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade, and on February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to go into orbit.
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis In late August, 1962, American spy planes detected the building of missile sights in Cuba. Initially the government believed that these sites were defensive in nature. In fact, the Soviets, under Khrushchev, had decided to redress the strategic gap between the two world powers in one quick swoop by placing missiles in Cuba, thus providing the US with a very limited warning if attacked.

On October 15th, US intelligence brought the President conclusive proof that the Soviets were installing medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. After much discussion with his advisors, Kennedy ruled out an early air-strike as too risky, and instead decided on a blockade of Cuba.

On the evening of October 22nd President Kennedy addressed the nation, announcing the discovery of missiles in Cuba and the imposition of a blockade on all Soviet ships attempting to deliver weapons to Cuba. The US made it clear that it would fire on Soviet ships which did not observe the "quarantine."

Many felt that nuclear war was imminent. Suddenly, those Soviet ships en route to Cuba reversed course.

The affair was officially resolved when the United States agreed not to invade Cuba, and the Soviets agreed to withdraw their forces and missiles from Cuba. The event was a serious setback for the Soviets. Their strategic weakness forced them to withdraw from what had been a very risky venture.
1962 Last Bendix Race Won by B- 58 The end of an era was reached when the B-58 won the last Bendix race. The race, that had been held for nearly 30 years, symbolized man's continued striving for a faster aircraft. That striving ended in the 1960s. In fact, one of the aircraft designed in the early 1960s, the SR-71, is still in service, and still holds the world aircraft speed record.
1962 Telstar Broadcast Live Satellite The first international satellite broadcast of television took place. Satellite TV communication slowly tranformed the way the world received news information.
1963
1963 French veto Britain's Joining Common Maket The French vetoed the British bid to join the Common Market. The reason given by French President DeGaulle was Britain's lower food prices and cash subsidies to farmers.
1963 Diem Government overthrown in Vietnam The Vietnamese military, with the backing of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), overthrew the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem. The US backed the action, since the Administration felt Diem was both corrupt and not pursuing the war against the Communists with enough vigor. US support for the action effectively deepened the US commitment to South Vietnam.
1963 Kenya Declares Independence On December 12, Great Britain granted Kenya independence within the British Commonwealth. Its first leader was Jomo Kenyatta.
1963 OAU Founded Representatives of 30 of the 32 independent nations of Africa met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU). An outgrowth of the Pan-Africanist movement begun by W. E. B. Du Bois and other African-American intellectuals, the OAU was intended to foster unity among African nations. Headquarters were established in Addis Ababa. The organization stood for the eradication of colonialism, mutual defense and the promotion of the economic and social welfare of member states. The OAU was successful in mediating conflicts between Algeria and Morocco (1965), Somalia and Ethiopia and Somalia and Kenya (1965-67), but fared poorly in its dealings with the Nigerian-Biafra Civil War (1968-70). Repeated attempts in the 1970's and 1980's to move the continent toward greater economic integration also failed and, by the 1990's, the OAU spoke with a voice that rang with little authority.
1963 Nuclear Test Ban Planned The first test ban agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union was ratified by the Senate on October 10. The agreement banned the above-ground testing of nuclear weapons.
1963 Feminine Mystique Published Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique in 1963. The book issued a call to modern women to throw off their traditional roles, which were dependent on men, and establish independent identities.
1963 Universtiy of Alabama Integrated On June 11, 1963, two black students were admitted to the University of Alabama. This occured after an unsuccessful attempt by Governor George Wallace to block their admission. President Kennedy ordered the national guard federalized to insure their admittance, and gave an impassioned speech to the nation on the subject.
1963 Medgar Evers Slain On June 12, Medgar Evers, the NAACP field secretary for Mississippi, was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith. It took almost 33 years to bring the assassin to justice.
1963 March on Washington Two hundred thousand people participated in the largest non-violent demonstration ever held to support the passage of civil rights legislation. At the rally, Dr. Martin Luther King stated: "I have a dream that one day this nation 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."
1963 Kennedy visits Berlin President Kennedy made a truimphant visit to Europe. He visited West Germany and West Berlin, where he was met by a degree of enthusiasm usually reserved for a movie star. He also visited his ancestral home, Ireland. While in Rome, John F. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, was greeted by the Pope as President Kennedy, Head of State.
1963 President Kennedy Assassinated On November 22, while visiting Dallas, Texas, President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The assassination shocked the world and marked the end of an era in American history.
1963 Vaccine Against Measles Approval was given for a vaccine against measles. John Enders developed the vaccine in 1963.
1963 USS Thresher Sinks In the worst post-war US submarine disaster, the USS Tresher sunk in the Altantic with all men aboard. None of the men were
1964
1964 China Explodes A Bomb On October 16, the Chinese exploded their first atomic weapon. The Chinese thereby became the fifth nation to produce the bomb. The US, U.S.S.R., Great Britain and France were the other nuclear powers. China pledged that it would not be the first to use nuclear weapons.
1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar merge to become Tanzania Zanzibar had become independent in 1963. In January 1964, the predominately Arab government was overthrown by Black nationalists. President Nyerere of Tanganyika suggested that the two countries merge. The suggestion was accepted by Zanzibar, and a new country by the name of Tanzania was born.
1964 Tonkin Gulf Resolution The US Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which gave the President the authorization to "take all necessary steps and measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Following the resolution, American involvement in the war grew rapidly.
1964 The Beatles In America On February 9, 1964, the British rock group the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, introducing their unique sound and stylish appearance to millions of American teenagers. By the week of April 4, the Beatles held the top five slots on the American pop charts.
1964 Civil Right Act of 1964 After a long fight, the Civil Rights legislation of 1964 was passed. It gave the federal government broad powers to fight discrimination of all kinds.
1964 Warren Commission Report The Warren Commission delivered its final report on September 27, 1964. The Commission concluded that President Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone. The commission reports were critized by many and are not fully accepted to this day.
1964 Dr. King Receives Nobel Prize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became the second African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the first having been Ralph Bunche. King, who was 35 years of age when he received the prize in Oslo, Norway, was the youngest recepient of the prize in history
1964 President Election President Johnson won a handy victory over Senator Goldwater. Senator Johnson came into the election with all the advantages of the incumbency together with latent sympathy from the assasination of JFK. Senator Goldwater's extreme postion on Vietnam, advocating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, and his opposition to Civil Rigths legislation sealed his defeat.
1964 Surgeon General Reports on Smoking The United States Surgeon General issued a report in which it was reported that cigarrette smoking posed a clear health danger to smokers. Thus began a concerted effort to reduce smoking in the United States.
1964 IBM Introduced System 360 International Business Machines (IBM) introduced the system 360 Comptuter. The computer, which was a second generation computer based on transistors, was a huge success, and became the mainstay computer of many businesses for many years.
1964 Verrazano Bridge Opened The Verrazano Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Staten Island, was completed. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was opened.

1965

A consortium of civic leaders and others led by, and under the initiative of John D. Rockefeller III, built Lincoln Center as part of the "Lincoln Square Renewal Project" during Robert Moses' program of urban renewal in the 1960s. Rockefeller was its inaugural president from 1956 and became its chairman in 1961. He is credited with raising more than half of the $184.5 million in private funds needed to build the complex, including drawing on his own funds; the Rockefeller Brothers Fund also contributed to the project.
The first structure to be completed and occupied as part of this renewal was the Fordham Law School of Fordham University in 1962. Located between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, from West 60th to West 66th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the Lincoln Center complex was the first gathering of major cultural institutions into a centralized location in an American city.

Lincoln Center cultural institutions also make use of facilities located away from the main campus. In 2004 Lincoln Center was expanded through the addition of Jazz at Lincoln Center's newly built facilities (Frederick P. Rose Hall) at the new Time Warner Center, located a few blocks to the south. In March 2006 Lincoln Center launched construction on a major redevelopment plan that will modernize, renovate, and open up the Lincoln Center campus in time for its 50th anniversary celebration in 2009.