The Groovy days of the 1960's

Broadcaster and host of American Bandstand Mr. Dick Clark, from Philadelphia, he introduced teen idols like Bobby Rydell, and Frankie Avolon and Fabian to young audiences.. A civil rights person on screen as well as off screen insisted on racial diversity in the audiences and performers. Performers such as Little Richard , James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Barry, the Miracles and lets not forget Smokey Robinson. The kids who taught the latest dance steps and rated the records became almost as famous as the music stars.

{Image Credit: of a copyrighted television program American Bandstand

The Pittsburgh Pirates became baseball's world champions in the seven game 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. The Pirates down in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring five and taking the lead 9-7. The Yankees tired it up in the ninth. Pittsburgh second baseman Bill Mazeroski, smashed a home run over the left field wall winning the game that brought the fans to their feet. The fans poured into the field to celebrate the first World Series ending homer in histor

{Image Credit: http://http://bit.ly/neXUP

In 1960 Detroit continued to make large, heavy duty cars that measured sometimes more than 19 feet bumper to bumper. Lincolns were styled to look big. The Lincoln Continental Mark V convertible cost $7,056.00 While the average American family earned $5,600.00. The three big auto makers started introducing the compact cars such as the Valiant made by Chrysler. The Chevy Corvair and the Ford Falcon.

{Image Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/9348005@N06/sets/72157610373313812/

The World's Fair in Seattle Washington, in 1962, hosted 24 countries around the world and was visited by 20,000 visitors a day. Attendance reached 9.5 million people. Nick named "The Century 21 Exposition" the fair lasted six months. The fairs theme was world of science in the future. The crown of the fair was The Space Needle that measured 605 feet tall. The cost of building the needle made of steel and glass cost $4.5 million. Architect John Graham' design of a flying saucer on a tripod which would include an observation deck and revolving restaurant. He was indeed envisioning the 21st century.

{Image Credit:www.epicpuck.net/?p=126

Cleopatra, staring Elizabeth Taylor, playing the Egyptian queen and Marc Antony played by actor Richard Burton. Fall in love on set both were married people and the two begun a very public affair making headlines around the world. The Vatican condemned the illicit lovers.Taylor and Burton managed to get married in 1964 but got divorced a short ten years later. Only to get married again and divorce again in 1976.

The movie Cleopatra, originally budgeted at $2 million finished at a cost of $44 million. Cleopatra became the most expensive movie ever made at that time.

{Image Credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_(1963_film)

"My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you---ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) in Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was fatally wounded by gunfire while riding with his wife Jacqueline in a Presidential motorcade. Wikipedia

{Image Credit: http://usliberals.about.com/od/pastliberalpresidents/ig/President-John-F--Kennedy/JFK-Portrait.htm

" I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

One August 28, 1963, almost a quarter of a million citizens came to demonstration on the Lincoln Memorial for jobs and freedom. The first demonstration to be televised nationally. Famous people such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Paul Newman ,Lena Horne, Sidney Poitier, Marlon Brando and many more.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he died when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

{Image Credit:www.writespirit.net/.../

Domino"s under the name of (DomNick's) delivered the first pizza in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1960.

The ATM machine was invented 1960.

Jean Nidetch, an over weight housewife from Queens, New York developed a support system to lose weight and called it Weight Watchers.

Telstar communications satellite, started using real time television images in 1962.

Silicon chips came on the market and so did silicon breast implants in 1962.

CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite compared Beatlemania to the D-Day invasion.

The Free Speech movement was born in UC Berkeley, pitting protesting students against school administrators By January 1965, the Free Speech Movement succeeded on college campuses across America.

An estimated 70 million viewers watched The Ed Sullivan show to see John, Paul, George, Ringo better known as the Beatles!

The Rolling Stones became known as the "bad boys" of rock 'n' roll.

In 1964 Rudi Gernreich designed a "monokini" better known as the "topless bathing suit." If you were brave enough to wear it, you were arrested for indecency.

The Mustang an American sports car grabbed everyone's attention at the New York World's Fair in April 1964. The Mustang looked like no other car priced at just over $2,000.00.

The number one prescription drug in America a tranquilizer known as Valium.By the mid 60's making $250 million a year.

Fashion designer Andre Courreges claimed to be "the father of the miniskirt."

Hasbro GIJoe "the complete fighting man."

The 8-track tape cartridge made in 1966.

Protest the war and burn your draft cards.

The mod look was here the ultra skinny teenage Twiggy.

The end of the Baby Boom, produced 78 million children came to an end from 1946 to 1964.

The Houston Astrodome opened in April 1965.

Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, "Sock it to me."

Fresh new clothes are out, ragged, sloppy styles were in.

Tom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test 1968

Women's Lib feminist leader Gloria Steinem, supported the campaign against female oppression.

The first humans to set foot on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, as America held its breath. Neil Armstrong, stepped off the ladder of the LM lunar module, and utters those famous words, "That's one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind." The astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin "Buzz" took the first walk in the Sea of Tranquility. Our universe became smaller.

{Image Credit: NASA, Photo

My children were my inspiration to write this lens they wanted to know more about how I grew up. The 1960's was a fascinating decade that will live on through us flower children. Thank you Youtube and WikiPedia and some of my old books and magazines hanging around the closet.