1960s Timeline

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Mar 24

Lady Bird Johnson Visits Alabama

Mar. 24, 1964 - Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson spent a day full of both future and past at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.,...

Dec 16, 2023

Col. Yeager Suffers Burns after Climbing to Near-Record Altitude

Dec. 16, 1963 - Colonel Charles Yeager of the U.S. Air Force, who rode a spinning Lockheed NF-104A space training plane from 90,000 to...

Nov 21, 2023

President Kennedy Visits San Antonio, Flies to Houston

Nov. 21, 1963 - President Kennedy mixed a strong defense of his space program with some old-fashioned, earthbound politics today as he...

Oct 26, 2023

Khrushchev: No Plans To Put Soviet Astronaut on Moon

Oct. 26, 1963 - Premier Khrushchev has declared that the Soviet Union would not race the U.S. to put a man on the moon. The statement...

Oct 10, 2023

President Kennedy Presides at NASA Ceremony

Oct. 10, 1963 - President Kennedy called for greater appreciation of the importance of the space program today as he awarded one of the...

Sep 23, 2023

France To Fire Cat Into Space

Sept. 23, 1963 - France announced today she would fire a cat into space late next month aboard a rocket launched from the Sahara. At the...

Jun 20, 2023

Astronaut Impersonator Behind Bars

June 20, 1963 - There was a packed audience in a Houston nightclub June 13 when entertainer Milton Berle introduced a crew-cut young man...

Jun 19, 2023

Two Soviet Cosmonauts Return Safely to Earth

June 19, 1963 - Valentina Tereshkova, 26, the first woman in space, and cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, 28, holder of all records for manned...

Jun 17, 2023

Soviet Female Cosmonaut Doing Well

June 17, 1963 - The Russians reported Lieutenant Colonel Valery Bykovsky lost altitude today on his fourth day aloft in space. But his...

Jun 16, 2023

NASA: No Plans for Woman in Space

June 16, 1963 - The United States has no plans for putting a woman in space, an official said today. A spokesman for NASA said there...

Jun 16, 2023

Soviets Send First Woman into Space

June 16, 1963 - Junior Lieutenant Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to journey into space, was circling the earth this morning. She...

Jun 15, 2023

Soviets Send New Cosmonaut into Orbit

June 15, 1963 - Lieut. Col. Valery F. Bykovsky (pictured) whirled about the Earth today on what is planned as a prolonged orbital flight....

May 29, 2023

Major Cooper Gets His Wings

May 29, 1963 - The Air Force presented pilot-astronaut wings today to Major Gordon Cooper for his 22-orbit flight around the earth....

May 28, 2023

May 24, 1963 | President Kennedy Decorates Astronaut Gordon Cooper

May 24, 1963 - On Tuesday, President Kennedy awarded Major Gordon Cooper, America's newest space hero, the NASA distinguished service ...

May 23, 2023

Mantle Gave It a Ride

May 23, 1963 - How high is up? A pair of Oklahomans, Major Gordon Cooper and slugger Mickey Mantle, can supply varying answers to the...

May 22, 2023

Cooper a Grateful Man of Few Words in NYC

May 22, 1963 - In 38 words, Major Gordon Cooper gave New York his heartfelt thanks today “for this wonderful day.” “I don’t generally say...

May 22, 2023

Cooper Gets Ticker-Tape Parade in NYC

May 22, 1963 - New York City took Major Gordon Cooper to its heart today with a triumphal parade, a welcome at City Hall, and an official...

May 21, 2023

Cooper Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress

May 21, 1963 - Addressing a joint meeting of the two houses of Congress today, astronaut Gordon Cooper concluded his 9-minute talk with a...

May 21, 2023

May 21, 1963 | JFK Presents NASA Medal to Astronaut Gordon Cooper

May 21, 1963 - President Kennedy today presented Gordon Cooper, the Air Force major who became a national hero by orbiting the Earth 22...

May 21, 2023

Cooper Visits Nation’s Capital

May 21, 1963 - From the highest officials to the youngest children, the nation’s capital gave its praise and its heart today to Gordon...