1960s Timeline

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Jul 27, 2021

Communist Viet Cong Terrorize South Vietnam

July 27, 1961 - Communist guerrillas have increased their activity in South Vietnam. Numerous acts of terrorism have occurred throughout...

Jul 27, 2021

President Kennedy's Civil Defense Goals Announced

July 27, 1961 - President Kennedy's immediate Civil Defense goal is to provide fallout shelters in existing buildings for 25 percent of...

Jul 26, 2021

After Kennedy Speech, Draft-Age Americans Make Inquiries

July 26, 1961 - President Kennedy's call for an increase in military manpower touched off a sharp increase in inquiries from the nation's...

Jul 26, 2021

Financier Bernard Baruch Says U.S. Will Manage Berlin Crisis, Praises Kennedy

July 26, 1961 - Bernard M. Baruch, financier and friend of Presidents, said today that the U.S. had "all the resources to do all the...

Jul 26, 2021

Kennedy Administration Wants Home Alarms for National Emergencies

July 26, 1961 - The Kennedy Administration asked Congress today for $10 million to put into operation a home buzzer system that would...

Jul 26, 2021

President Kennedy Asks for Nation's Prayers in Meeting Soviet "World-Wide Threat"

July 26, 1961 - President Kennedy asked last night for an overall increase in the nation's military preparedness to meet a Soviet threat...

Jul 25, 2021

President Kennedy's Televised Speech on Berlin Crisis (Video)

July 25, 1961 - Watch President Kennedy's televised speech on the Berlin crisis: #JFK #americanhistory #politics #communism #communist...

Jul 25, 2021

Castro Appears with Soviet Astronaut Gagarin at Revolutionary Rally

July 25, 1961 - Six Soviet-built MIG's flew over Havana today in the first public display of Cuba's new jet strength. The six jets...

Jul 23, 2021

Asks Khrushchev to Release WWII POW's

July 23, 1961 - West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (pictured) appealed to Premier Khrushchev today to release Germans still held by...

Jul 20, 2021

President Kennedy Emphasizes Civil Defense, Will Address Nation Tuesday

July 20, 1961 - President Kennedy today put the Pentagon in charge of a greatly increased program to protect American civilians against...

Jul 19, 2021

President Kennedy's Press Conference: Main Points

July 19, 1961 - Following are the main points of President Kennedy's news conference today: Berlin - The President defended the Western...

Jul 18, 2021

U.S. Warns Soviets on Berlin: We Will Defend Our Rights

July 18, 1961 - The United States has warned the Soviet Union that it will defend its rights in Berlin. In a note to Moscow, the U.S....

Jul 16, 2021

Special Program on Berlin Crisis on CBS-TV to Air Aug. 11

July 16, 1961 - A special 60-minute news program on the Berlin situation will be televised Aug. 11 at 8:30 p.m. on CBS. A major part of...

Jul 16, 2021

South Vietnamese Troops Kill Over 185 Viet Cong in Bloody Fighting

July 16, 1961 - South Vietnamese Government troops crushed a Communist guerrilla force today in the bloodiest battle since South Vietnam...

Jul 15, 2021

RFK Warns Khrushchev: Don't Underestimate Americans

July 15, 1961 - The U.S. launched its ninth Polaris missile submarine today with a warning to Soviet Premier Khrushchev that America "can...

Jul 13, 2021

Soviet Astronaut Gagarin Mobbed in London

July 13, 1961 - Maj. Yuri A. Gagarin, the Soviet Union's hero of space and now the darling of Londoners, was "imprisoned" in the Tower of...

Jul 13, 2021

Robert Soblen Guilty of Spying for Communists

July 13, 1961 - Dr. Robert Soblen (left) was found guilty in New York today of wartime espionage for the Soviet Union. The defendant,...

Jul 13, 2021

Senator Humphrey: Massive Food Shortages Behind Iron Curtain Driving Berlin Crisis

July 13, 1961 - Senator Hubert H. Humphrey reported today that the Communist bloc was grappling with staggering food shortages and that...

Jul 12, 2021

Hingle joins Brando in Cast of "The Ugly American"

July 12, 1961 - Pat Hingle will portray one of the leading characters in the forthcoming Marlon Brando vehicle, "The Ugly American,"...

Jul 12, 2021

Castro Gets Soviet Military Hardware from Soviets

July 12, 1961 - The regime of Premier Fidel Castro in Cuba has acquired at least 26 MIG jets, officials sources said today. The MIG's are...