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1960s

The 1960s were one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history, marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

National Guardsmen with rifles and fixed bayonets march outside South Carolina State College following the Orangeburg Massacre

Orangeburg Massacre

Larry Itliong

Larry Itliong

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Woodstock

Apollo 11

The 1969 Moon Landing

Aerial view of burning buildings in Detroit on July 25, 1967 during riots that erupted in Detroit following a police operation

1967 Detroit Riots

circa 1955: Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (1891 – 1961), Dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his death. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Rafael Trujillo

BIRMINGHAM, AL – NOVEMBER 02: Parishioners enter the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on November 2, 2008 in Birmingham, Alabama. Four young girls were killed in the bombing of the church in 1963 which served as a meeting place in Birmingham, along with Selma and Montgomery, for civil rights activists including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The bombing was a touchstone event in the civil rights movement resulting in Dr. King leading massive protests which eventually produced the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ending voter disfranchisement against African-Americans. The United States is gearing up for the first presidential election featuring an African-American candidate, Democratic contender Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) running against Republican Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Birmingham Church Bombing

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1968 Democratic Convention

28 Aug 1963, Washington, DC, USA — Dozens of civil rights marchers pass the U.S. Capitol on the Mall during the March on Washington. — Image by © Flip Schulke/CORBIS

The 1960s History

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Watts Rebellion

HISTORY: Satanism

Satanism

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Jack Ruby

070210-N-7643B-079 San Diego (Feb. 10, 2007) – The statue ÒUnconditional Surrender,Ó which represents a famous photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt of a Sailor kissing a nurse in Time Square, New York City 1945, was dedicated to the city of San Diego. Edith Shain, the nurse in the photo and guest of honor at the ceremony greeted the crowd. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David A. Brandenburg (RELEASED)

Baby Boomers

1967 Detroit Riots

Why the 1967 Kerner Report on Urban Riots Suppressed Its Own Expert Findings

A portrait of the American politician Robert F. Kennedy (1925 – 1968), with his hands clasped upon his knee, Massachussetts, mid-20th century. He served as the 64th Attorney General of the United States from 1961 to 1964. (Photo by Bachrach/Getty Images)

Robert Kennedy

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Great Society

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Joseph Kennedy Jr

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Hubert H. Humphrey

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Richard Daley

Videos

History Shorts: Woodstock Almost Never Happened
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Woodstock Almost Never Happened

How Did Charles Manson Recruit His Followers?
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How Did Charles Manson Recruit His Followers?

LBJ: Before the War on Poverty
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LBJ, Before the War on Poverty

In the middle of his 1964 New York Senatorial bid, Robert Kennedy visits Columbia University to participate in a student-led Q&A session. From this excerpt, one can easily see why Kennedy was a rising star of the Democratic Party and a future presidential hopeful.
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Flashback: RFK Speaks at Columbia University

As the Cold War wore on, the American government became increasingly concerned about a potential Soviet strike on the U.S. mainland. In this footage from the early 1960's, children are used to test the effectiveness of gas masks.
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Children Testing Gas Masks for the U.S. Government

What did President Lyndon B. Johnson envision with his suite of domestic programs known as the Great Society? What did the programs entail, and what became of them after the 1960s?
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The Great Society