1960s Timeline

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Dec 25, 2021

Somber Christmas for Kennedy Family

Dec. 25, 1961 - President Kennedy and his family observed the customs of Christmas today, but misfortune dimmed the merriment. Joseph P....

Dec 25, 2021

U.S. Army Helicopter Crashes Near Saigon

Dec. 25, 1961 - Two South Vietnamese paratroopers were killed and three Americans injured Saturday when a U.S. Army helicopter crashed...

Dec 25, 2021

President Kennedy Delivers Christmas Message to West Berliners

Dec. 25, 1961 - President Kennedy told West Berliners in a Christmas message today that the beacon of freedom in Berlin “will continue to...

Dec 24, 2021

President's Father Has Pneumonia, Undergoes Surgery

Dec. 24, 1961 - Joseph P. Kennedy (pictured last Christmas Eve with his wife Rose), partly paralyzed by a stroke, has been stricken with...

Dec 24, 2021

Robert F. Kennedy Plays Santa in Negro Ward of St. Mary's Hospital

Dec. 24, 1961 - Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy played Santa Claus today for children in the Negro ward at St. Mary’s Hospital, where...

Dec 23, 2021

President's Father Shows Improvement

Dec. 23, 1961 - Joseph P. Kennedy, President Kennedy’s 73-year-old father, improved “considerably” in the last 24 hours, it was announced...

Dec 22, 2021

Kennedy and Macmillan Conclude Bermuda Meeting

Dec. 22, 1961 - President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan agreed today to seek renewed diplomatic contacts with the Soviet Union on...

Dec 22, 2021

William F. Buckley Sues Hunter College

Dec. 22, 1961 - Hunter College’s refusal to permit programs sponsored by William F. Buckley Jr. (pictured), editor of The National...

Dec 22, 2021

Robert F. Kennedy to Tour Foreign Cities in February

Dec. 22, 1961 - Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy will make a round-the-world tour with his wife beginning in early February. The...

Dec 21, 2021

President's Father's Condition Remains Serious

Dec. 21, 1961 - Doctors held out slightly more hope today for Joseph P. Kennedy (pictured with the President in March), although his...

Dec 21, 2021

Gangster "Crazy" Joe Gallo Gets 7 to 14 Years

Dec. 21, 1961 - Joseph Gallo, a 32-year-old gangland figure, was sentenced today to serve 7 to 14 years in prison on his conviction for...

Dec 21, 2021

President Kennedy Meets with Prime Minister Macmillan in Bermuda

Dec. 21, 1961 - President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan opened a two-day meeting in Bermuda today with discussions of Soviet...

Dec 20, 2021

President's Father Remains in Serious Condition

Dec. 20, 1961 - Joseph P. Kennedy remained in a serious condition tonight as a result of a stroke yesterday. President Kennedy (pictured...

Dec 19, 2021

🚨President Kennedy's Father Suffers a Stroke

Dec. 19, 1961 - Joseph P. Kennedy, 73-year-old father of the President, suffered a stroke at his home in Palm Beach, Fla. today....

Dec 19, 2021

Army Answers Reservists' Questions with Pamphlet Called "Why Me?"

Dec. 19, 1961 - The Army issued today a pocket-size, 12-page pamphlet entitled “Why Me?” to National Guard and Army Reservists who have...

Dec 19, 2021

U.S. Military Takes Part in Tactical Operations in Vietnam

Dec. 19, 1961 - U.S. military men in South Vietnam were understood today to be operating in battle areas with South Vietnamese forces...

Dec 18, 2021

Video: President Kennedy's Trip to Venezuela and Colombia

Dec. 18, 1961 - Here is a film from the U.S. Information Service about President Kennedy’s visits to Venezuela and Colombia. #JFK...

Dec 17, 2021

First Lady Visits Colombian Children's Hospital

Dec. 17, 1961 - The First Ladies of the United States and Colombia visited some of the 200 children in the Lorencita Villegas de Santos...

Dec 17, 2021

Half a Million People Welcome President Kennedy to Bogotá

Dec. 17, 1961 - A crowd of 500,000, nearly half the population of Bogotá, turned out today to give a rousing welcome to President and...

Dec 17, 2021

Thousands in Venezuela Give President Kennedy Cheering Send-Off

Dec. 17, 1961 - President Kennedy received a cheering send-off from thousands of Venezuelans this morning as he ended his 24-hour visit....