The early 1960s in America was fraught with fear looming over from .docxssuser454af01
The early 1960's in America was fraught with fear looming over from the onset of the cold war. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn into office as the 35th President in January of 1961. Within a few months of taking office, he helped orchestrate the
Bay of Pigs Invasion
, which had a negative result. In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded, and the fear of communism in the United States was stronger than ever. 1963 signaled the beginnings of unrest in Laos and Vietnam, due to a perceived communist threat. Kennedy was preparing to face the crisis mounting in Southeast Asia when he was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963. The
assassination of JFK
was a pivotal moment not just for American history, but also for American popular culture.
The term
counterculture
has been defined as a culture with values and mores that run counter to, or against those, of established society. There has always been a counterculture to oppose the dominant culture in America, but this group tended to be in the minority of the population until the mid to late 1960's. The assassination of JFK, which was all the more shocking due to the fact that it was the first televised assassination in American history, changed the fabric of the United States. Young people were not merely beginning to question the authority of their parents; they were questioning their rights as citizens, and to have a mistrust of their government.
The 1960's countercultural revolution in the US was not only brought on by political events. The birth of rock and roll in the late 1950's had changed the face of popular music forever, and many new musicians were emerging with a new look, and a new sound. Arguably, the most important band to emerge in the 1960's were not American, but British musicians. Ladies and gentlemen...
The Beatles!
The Beatles
The Beatles were part of the "British Invasion" of bands during the early to mid 1960's, who were becoming extremely popular with American youth. When they first appeared, they sported a clean-cut look, with short hair and suits. As their popularity grew into an international phenomenon, they began to change their appearance, and began to experiment with drugs. Both British, and American youth cultures were transformed by "Beatlemania", as it was called. As the band changed, young people changed with them. Not everyone was a fan of the strong opinions of John Lennon, one of The Beatles two front men. During an interview in 1966, John Lennon remarked that The Beatles had become "
more popular than Jesus
". This caused outrage in the Southern United States, and in Birmingham, Alabama, young people were urged by religious and social leaders to burn Beatles records. Consequently, this was the same part of the country where the civil rights movement was also taking place.
Bob Dylan
Another notable musician, and also an American, Bob Dylan also helped shape the countercultural structure of the 1960's. Dylan, who is still recording music today, started o.
Hadj Ounis's most notable work is his sculpture titled "Metamorphosis." This piece showcases Ounis's mastery of form and texture, as he seamlessly combines metal and wood to create a dynamic and visually striking composition. The juxtaposition of the two materials creates a sense of tension and harmony, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between nature and industry.
This document announces the winners of the 2024 Youth Poster Contest organized by MATFORCE. It lists the grand prize and age category winners for grades K-6, 7-12, and individual age groups from 5 years old to 18 years old.
Fashionista Chic Couture Maze & Coloring Adventures is a coloring and activity book filled with many maze games and coloring activities designed to delight and engage young fashion enthusiasts. Each page offers a unique blend of fashion-themed mazes and stylish illustrations to color, inspiring creativity and problem-solving skills in children.
1. 1950’s Speakers on for the Song Many People Think Signifies the Birth of Rock and Roll Bill Haley and the Comets’ 1955 #1 Hit “ Rock Around the Clock” Click to Advance
2. The Price of Gas Goes From 18.9 Cents a Gallon in 1950 to a Whopping 25.9 Cents in 1959 And, They Pumped the Gas, Wiped Your Windshield, Checked Your Oil, Checked Your Battery And Checked the Tire Pressure
3. On November 1, 1950 Oscar Collazo and Grisello Torresola attempted to assassinate President Truman to call attention to Puerto Rico and advance the cause of Puerto Rican independence. The attack took place at the Blair House where the Truman family stayed while the White House was being renovated. Collazo and Torresola approached Blair House from opposite directions intending to shoot their way inside. The ensuing gun battle with White House policemen and secret service agents left Torresola and one policeman dead and Collazo and two policemen wounded. The picture below is of the wounded Collazo at the front steps of the Blair House. Neither of the Assasins were able to gain entry into the Blair House where Truman was taking a nap upstairs.
5. Soldiers on a nuclear training exercise during a November 1, 1951, 21 kiloton, B-50 airdrop, nuclear test at the Nevada Proving Grounds. For twelve years, an average of one bomb every three weeks was detonated, for a total of 235 bombs. A Limited Test Ban went into effect in 1963 banning above ground tests.
6. Opening of the Thruway Plaza Shopping Center in Buffalo, N.Y in 1952 Heralding the Shift of Shopping From Downtown to the Suburbs
7. November 1, 1952 - First Hydrogen Bomb Was Tested at Eniwetok Atoll in the South Pacific
8. 1953 Pontiac Convertible 1953 was the first year Pontiac had a one piece windshield and still sported the double chrome strip in the center with a Plastic Indian head that lit up when the lights were turned on. Both were dropped in 1957. The Pontiac was named after the town in Michigan where it was first built, which in turn was named after an Indian Chief.
9. On June 30, 1953 Chevrolet introduces the Corvette. Billed as a 1954, there were only 300 built in 1953. Fifty-six years later, approximately 225 of them are still known to exist. All of the cars were Polo White with a red interior and a black canvas top. There were two options offered: a signal seeking AM radio ($145.15) and a heater ($91.40). Although listed as options, all 1953 Corvettes were equipped with both items. The radio had an interesting feature: since fiberglass is electrically inert, the antenna was simply incorporated in the trunk lid. This would not be possible with a conventional steel body.
17. Mrs. Rosa Parks being fingerprinted by Deputy Sheriff D.H.Lackey in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955 after refusing to give up her bus seat so that a white man could sit, kicking off the bus boycott and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
23. History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1 and kicked off the competition that led to the race to the moon.
25. President Dwight Eisenhower, Alaska Territorial Governor Mike Stepovich and Secretary of Interior Fred A. Seaton at the signing of the Alaska Statehood Bill on July 7, 1958 adding our 49 th state.
26. Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro speaks to supporters after the Cuban revolution triumphed on January 1, 1959 after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country. Fidel Castro and his band of rebels descended from the Island’s eastern mountains, where they had waged a guerrilla war against government troops. Cuba celebrated the 50 th anniversary of the triumph of the revolution on January 1, 2009.
27. Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara at play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. During a trip to Europe in 1956, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. Handler reworked the design of the doll and the doll was given a new name, Barbie , after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut on March 9, 1959.
28. Hawaii was admitted to the United States as its 50 th state on August 21, 1959. Celebrations swept through the islands on news of them joining the union of States of the U.S.A. Communities lit bon fires, neighborhoods held impromptu dances, cars blared their horns and people walked the streets with broad grins and greetings, seeing themselves as full-fledged Americans. Hawaii’s Democrats and Republicans were together in the quest for Hawaiian Statehood. Hawaii's media were in full support as well.