Life in the 1960s

The 1960s were a decade of revolution and change in politics, music and society around the world. It started in the United States and the United Kingdom, and spread to continental Europe and other parts of the globe.The 1960s were an era of protest. In the civil rights movement blacks and whites protested against the unfair treatment of races. Towards the end of the decade more and more Americans protested against the war in Vietnam. Many people in the United States thought that Americans had no reason to fight in war that was so far away from home. Female activists demanded more rights for women, whose role in society began to change. Many women made life style changes to plan their careers and have babies when they wanted them. The 1960s shattered American politics with the assassination of famous leaders. John F. Kennedy, who became the first Catholic President in American history, was gunned down in Dallas in 1963. When his brother Robert ran for president in 1968 he too was killed by an assassin’s bullet in California. A few months earlier, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, who had done more for African Americans than any other person before him, was killed in Memphis, Tennessee.After World War II people all over the world started working hard and respecting the values they were brought up with. It was an era of recovery and rebuilding. In the 1960s many young people started doubting such values. They protested against society and everything that was mainstream. They had long hair and wore unusual and strange clothes.

Social change was also reflected in the music of the decade. In the 1950s America and the rest of the world danced and sang to rock and roll music. A decade later Bob Dylan (Blowing in the Wind), Joan Baez and other protest singers composed lyrics that showed what was wrong in society.  The Beatles and the Rolling Stones started a new era of beat and pop music. Television dominated the decade as the most important entertainment medium.  By the end of the decade almost all homes in America had at least one TV set.Towards the end of the 1960s hundreds of thousands of young music fans gathered at Woodstock, New York to celebrate the largest pop festival ever held.  All of the popular musicians of the time performed there: Jimmy Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Janis Joplin and others. Many of the young people there called themselves hippies. On the other side of the social scale, many people looked strangely at these protesters. They could not understand them and stuck to hard work and family values.

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Home Life:

The average-go-lucky family was usually consistent with a mom, a dad, and two to four children. Their home? It was often a three-bedroom house, complete with a kitchen, dining, and living

room, often a den accompanied. The thing that set the average family of the sixties from previous decades was the ‘middle class’ style of life. More and more folks had modern appliances and conveniences, like stoves, vacuums, televisions, toasters, blenders, washing machines; all the things we consider necessary in today’s standards, not to mention every suburban household had running water, heat, and electricity.

Money:

Instead of sewing dresses and pajamas for your children, you bought them, from catalogs and malls (a change to many eras before). Along with clothes, you bought all your food and household items, which were usually produced overseas in countries like Japan. Since more and more households had mothers working, a higher income was usual. $100 in the ’60s is equivalent to about $650 today, and the average salary was $45, while today it’s $1200.

School:

In the past 50 years, the schooling system has (unfortunately to many) improved. College prep was not normal in many high schools, unlike today’s standards, which seem to only want to “help us to prepare for the future.” In the social aspect, many more teenagers stayed much more innocent than many today. They also dress much more modestly when attending the good ol’ education station, wearing past the knee skirts. The rules to keep a modern attire were strictly enforced. The bus was necessary to get to school, and most kids got a car for graduation, instead of their 16th birthday (which might be because many families were poorer in the 1960s). A school budget also provided all sports, arts, and music costs, along with special projects.

Counterculture:

When the average American is asked to describe the sixties, they simply exclaim: “Hippies! Drugs! Woodstock!” and although that was some part of the decade, it was not all, not all in the least, to be frank. A small, small percentage of teens and young adults were hippies, and an even smaller amount did drugs. Many families shared similar aspects to the ‘perfect family’ of the fifties. The ‘hippie generation’ claimed its name after all the attention from protests and riots and concerts.

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The nineteen sixties began with the election of the first president born in the twentieth century -- John Kennedy. For many Americans, the young president represented a spirit of hope for the nation. When Kennedy was murdered in nineteen sixty-three, many felt that their hopes died, too. This was especially true of young people, and members and supporters of minority groups.A time of innocence and hope soon began to look like a time of anger and violence. More Americans protested to demand an end to the unfair treatment of black citizens. Many more protested to

demand an end to the war in Vietnam. And many protested to demand full equality for women.By the middle of the nineteen sixties, it had become almost impossible for President Lyndon Johnson to leave the White House without facing protesters against the war in Vietnam.In March of nineteen sixty-eight, Johnson announced that he would not seek another term in office.In addition to President Kennedy, two other influential Americans were murdered during the nineteen sixties. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior was shot in Memphis, Tennessee, in nineteen sixty-eight. Several weeks later, Robert Kennedy -- John Kennedy's brother -- was shot in Los Angeles, California. He was campaigning to win his party's nomination for president.The two murders resulted in riots in cities across the country. The unrest and violence affected many young Americans. The effect seemed especially bad because of the time in which they had grown up.By the middle nineteen fifties, most of their parents had jobs that paid well. They expressed satisfaction with their lives. They taught their children what were called middle class values. These included a belief in God, hard work and service to their country.Later, many young Americans began to question these beliefs. They felt that their parents' values were not enough to help them deal with the social and racial difficulties of the nineteen sixties. They rebelled by letting their hair grow long and by wearing unusual clothing. Their dissatisfaction was strongly expressed in music.Rock and roll music had become very popular in America in the nineteen fifties. Some people, however, did not approve of it. They thought it was too open. These people disliked the rock and roll of the nineteen sixties even more. They found the words especially unpleasant.The musicians themselves thought the words were extremely important. As singer and song writer Bob Dylan said, "There would be no music without the words." Bob Dylan produced many songs of social protest. He wrote anti-war songs before the war in Vietnam became a violent issue in the United States.In addition to songs of social protest, rock and roll music continued to be popular in America during the nineteen sixties. The most popular group, however, was not American. It was British -- the Beatles -- four rock and roll musicians from Liverpool.

The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" went on sale in the United States at the end of nineteen sixty-three. Within five weeks, it was the biggest-selling record in the country. Other songs, including some by the Beatles, sounded more revolutionary. They spoke about social freedoms, although not always openly.In the nineteen sixties, "do your own thing" became a common expression. It meant to do whatever you wanted, without feeling guilty.Five hundred thousand young Americans did their own thing at the Woodstock music festival in nineteen sixty-nine. They gathered at a farm in New York state. They listened to musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez, and to groups like The Who and Jefferson Airplane.Woodstock became a symbol of the young peoples' rebellion against traditional values. Many young people called themselves hippies. Hippies believed there should be more love and personal freedom in America.In nineteen sixty-seven, poet Allen Ginsberg helped lead a gathering of hippies in San Francisco. No one knows exactly how many people considered themselves hippies. But twenty thousand attended the gathering.As many Americans were listening to songs about social freedoms, many others were watching television programs with traditional family values. These included "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Beverly Hillbillies." At the movies, some films captured the rebellious spirit of the times.These included “The Graduate” and "Doctor Strangelove.” Others offered escape through spy adventures, like the James Bond films.Many Americans refused to tune in and drop out in the nineteen-sixties. They took no part in the social revolution. Instead, they continued leading normal lives of work, family, and home. Others, the activists of American society, were busy fighting for peace, and racial and social justice.Women's groups, for example, were seeking equality with men. They wanted the same chances as men to get a good education and a good job. They also demanded equal pay for equal work.A widely popular book on women in modern America was called “The Feminine Mystique.” It was written by Betty Friedan and published in nineteen sixty-three. The idea known as the feminine mystique was the traditional idea that women have only one part to play in society. They are to have children and stay at home to raise

them. In her book, Ms. Friedan urged women to establish professional lives of their own.In the early nineteen sixties, a committee was appointed to investigate the condition of women. It was led by Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a former first lady. The committee's findings helped lead to new rules and laws. The nineteen sixty-four Civil Rights Act guaranteed equal treatment for all groups. This included women. After the law went into effect, however, many activists said it was not being enforced. The National Organization for Women -- NOW -- was started in an effort to correct the problem.The movement for women's equality was known as the women's liberation movement. Activists were called "women's libbers." They called each other "sisters." Early activists were usually rich, liberal white women. Later activists included women of all ages, women of color, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. They acted together to win recognition for the work done by all women in America.

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1960s Important News and Events, Key Technology Fashion and Popular Culture

The Sixties dominated by the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Protests, the 60s also saw the assassinations of US President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Cuban Missile Crisis, and finally ended on a good note when the first man is landed on the moon.

 

Money and Inflation 1960's

To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money If you have $100 converted from 1960 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $679.09. In 1960 a new house cost $12,700.00 and by 1969 was $15,500.00 In 1960 the average income per year was $5,315.00 and by 1969 was $8,540.00 In 1960 a gallon of gas was 25 cents and by 1969 was 35 cents In 1960 the average cost of new car was $2,600.00 and by 1969 was $3,270.00

A few more prices from the 60's and how much things cost

Volkswagen beetle $1,769 Ford Mustang 2 door hardtop $2368 From Car Prices in the 60's Misses Swinging Shifts Skirts $5.00 Oxford men's Shoes $12.95 1960 Men's Pocket Watch $9.44 Automatic Can Opener $8.88 Automatic Electric Blanket $9.94 Oranges 89 cents for 2 dozen Oven ready Turkeys 39 cents per pound Modern Walnut Bookcase $29.97 Coal $14.95 ton

  

What Happened in the 1960s1960

Democrat John F. Kennedy wins the U.S. Presidential Election after defeating Republican Richard Nixon. Kennedy became the first president and was the youngest person to have been elected into the highest office at the time.

Togo, Cote D'Ivoire, Chad, Benin, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Central African Republic gain independence from France.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is created. The United States decides to send 3,500 U.S. troops to Vietnam. TIROS-1, the first weather satellite, is launched by the U.S.

  

1961 Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space. One

month later, Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space. Construction on the Berlin Wall begins in an effort to separate East and

West Berlin. The Bay of Pigs invasion is an unsuccessful U.S. backed operation to

overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba. The Peace Corps is created. WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is created.

   

1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis has the world on the edge of another World

War as the United States and USSR come close to launching nuclear attacks.

James Meredith becomes the first African-American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

The comic book character of Spider-Man makes his debut in the Amazing Fantasy #15 comic.

The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do," in the United Kingdom.

Sam Walton opens the first Wal-Mart store in Arkansas.   

1963 United States President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey

Oswald. U.S. Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. gives is famous "I Have a

Dream" speech. The United States begins to use Zip Codes. Yugoslavia becomes a socialist federal republic and President Josip Tito

is appointed as "President for Life." The BBC broadcasts the very first episode of the iconic television show

"Doctor Who."  

1964 United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of

1964 into law. NASA's Mariner 4 space probe successfully approaches Mars and

becomes the first spacecraft to take images of a planet from deep space.

Sidney Poitier wins the Academy Award for "Best Actor" becoming the first black actor to win that honor.

The computer coding language BASIC (Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is introduced.

The Ford Motor Company begins to produce and sell the Ford Mustang.   

1965 The Voting Rights Act is signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Soviet Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to perform

a spacewalk. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads a peaceful civil rights march from Selma to

Montgomery in Alabama. The Vietnam War escalates and opposition to it begins to mount as

anti-Vietnam protests become more common. Mary Quant designs the mini-skirt in London and it becomes a fashion

craze.    

1966 The first episode of the popular television show "Star Trek" airs.

The Soviet Union's Luna 9 unmanned spacecraft lands on the Moon. Botswana and Lesotho gain independence from England. Indira Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India. The Canada Pension Plan is introduced in Canada.

   

1967 Rolling Stone publishes its first magazine issue. The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs play against each

other in the first Super Bowl, with the Packers winning 35 to 10. South African doctor Christiaan Barnard completes the first heart

transplant operation. The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. Thurgood Marshall is appointed to the Supreme Court and becomes the

first African-American   

1968 Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in April by

James Earl Ray. Egypt's Aswan Dam is completed. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is signed into law by President Johnson. Richard Nixon wins the United States presidential election. The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, is launched by NASA.

  

1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to arrive on the

Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. The Woodstock music festival takes place in New York and features

such acts as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and The Who. ARPANET, the predecessor to the Internet, relays its first

communications between UCLA and Stanford. The popular children's television show "Sesame Street" debuts. The United Kingdom abolishes the death penalty.

 

Other Major Events From The 60's The 60's were a decade once again dominated by a war (VIETNAM) not

a world war but the effects were still felt throughout the world. It is also the start of showing how the people can affect politics through the power of "peaceful" demonstrations, students were the driving force because with education comes empowerment and with empowerment comes a voice, and in the 60's students learned how to use that voice.

In the West although politicians would have liked to stopped demonstrations (and tried) against their policies, due to "freedom of speech" it was not possible.

Many of the conflicts during the 60's could be considered to be part of the ongoing cold war between the East and the West (Communism -- Capitalism), but due to the Nuclear Capabilities of both sides nether wanted to start a full-scale war as they realized there could be no winner but both believed their ideology was best, they tried in other ways to influence the politics throughout the world.

Many believe the closest the world has come to a World Wide Nuclear War was in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States from January 20, 1961 till his assassination on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald. His presidency, although cut short due to his murder is remembered for multiple reasons including his commitment that the United States of America should commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him back safely to the earth before the end of the decade. The Cuban Crisis and Bay of Pigs Invasion. And creating the Peace Corps to help underdeveloped nations in areas such as education, farming, health care and construction. For such a short term in office his achievements endeared him to the American People.

During the 60's the charismatic Martin Luther King who was a civil rights advocate and exceptionally gifted speaker, followed other great leaders throughout history by using non-violent means together with the power of speech and managed to create change through his influence created by the strong following he had. He was assassinated on April 4th 1968 By James Earl Ray.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed the lives of the African Americans minority by ensuring equal rights for all.

The Sixties also bought the space race to new heights and ended the race to land a man on the moon and bring him back when America through the Apollo 11 mission on July 20,1969 put Neil Alden Armstrong and Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. became the first humans to land on the Moon fulfilling the American Dream to place a man on the moon before the Russians (Space Race). The words spoken by Neil Armstrong, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," going into the history books for now and future generations to come.

Both Martin Luther King and John F Kennedy were assassinated during the 60's.

   

1960's Men’s and Women’s and Children’s Fashion Clothes

Early 60's for women wore mini-skirts and leather boots and men wore paisley shirts and velvet trousers. Later 60's from 1966 started the introduction of psychedelic clothes with bright colors for both men and women and the age of the Hippie is born. Men started to wear hair longer and women identified with the hippie look by wearing skirts and dresses longer often known as Maxies and anything and everything had color including the body.The examples below are of Ladies’, Men’s, and Children's Fashion Clothes and Accessory examples including dresses, hats, shoes and much more.

Ladies’ Dresses From The 1960's

 

Part of our Men’s Fashion From the Sixties

 

Part of our Collection of Children’s Clothes From the 1960's

   

Children’s Toys From The 1960'sPopular toys of the 1960s were related to space travel and the moon. For girls the Barbie doll was a must-have and for boys the G.I. Joe action figure was popular. A heavy influence from Children's TV shows and pop culture of the time also meant that toys featuring specific characters like Caspar and The Flintstones were featured heavily. Music was also a factor with many toys featuring the most popular band of the time, the Beatles. Games were also popular with more variety of board games, table games, and puzzles available.

 

 

Sixties Cars

Chevrolet Corvette The First two seater sports car from General Motors Jaguar E Type Truly one of the great classic cars to appear in the 60's Prices From $5990 Austin Mini Cooper S This was one of the cars that epitomized the 60's and who can forget the original Italian Job Price Mini Cooper $1595 and Mini Cooper S $1950 Dodge Charger RTThe Muscle Car from the 60's Fast with 7.2 Litre Engine and looks to match

  

Sporting Changes In The 60'sBaseball Old ballparks including Ebbett's Field, Sportsman's Park, Forbes Field and Crosley Field are torn down, making way for newer, shinier stadiums many as indoor pitches. Players Association forces owners to up salaries and provide better benefits including pensions. Basketball 1963 - 1964 Season Clash Between Owners and Players (who refuse to play) just before All-Star Game over wages and pensions. Owners agree to

demands allowing match to continue. New League, the ABA or American Basketball Association formed in 1967 luring away NBA stars and rookies out of college. Association Football (Soccer) Pele and Brazil dominate the game in the 60's Pele real name was Edison Arantes do Nascimento and he broke records each time he played. Britain, the home of soccer, win the world cup in 1966. American Football Offensive formations evolve in both the college and pro ranks including the wishbone and the shotgun FormationAmerican Football League ALF Created and Later Merge With NFL Super Bowls Born As A (Championship Game Between NFL and AFL 1967 and 1968) Green Bay Packers Win Under Vince Lombardi Ice Hockey The Red Wings and the Canadiens Dominate The GameNHL Expands

   

Technology Although the USSR appeared to be ahead in the space race in the 50's

and 60's the ultimate prize went to the United States in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were landed on the moon and returned safely back to earth, many who remember the immortal words " One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind ".

Inventions The Year Invented Inventors and Country (or attributed to First Use)

Cash Dispenser ----- 1969 Turkey by Luther Simjian CCDs ----- 1969 USA Charge Coupled Device - to capture image Communication Satellite ----- 1962 USA Telstar Computer Mouse ----- 1964 USA by Douglas Engelbart Fibre Optics ----- 1966 England by Charles Keo and George Hockham Heart Pacemaker ----- 1960 USA by Wilson Greatbatch Human Space Travel ----- 1961 Russia Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space Hypertext ----- 1965 USA for linking text Internet ----- 1969 USA US military Kevlar ----- 1966 USA by Stephanie Kwolek Laser ----- 1960 USA by Theodore Maiman LEDs ----- 1962 USA Light Emitting Diodes - used for displays Manned Moon Landing ----- 1969 USA Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walk on Moon Moon Landing ----- 1966 Russia Luna 9 lands softly on the Moon Optical Disk ----- 1965 USA by James Russell - now Compact Disk CD/DVD

Portable Calculator ----- 1967 USA Texas Instruments Space Docking ----- 1966 USA Gemini VIII docks with an orbiting satellite Space Walk ----- 1965 Russia Aleksei Leonov - first person outside space vehicle Tape Cassette ----- 1963 Netherlands Venus Probe ----- 1962 USA Mariner 2 - the first planetary probe Weather Satellite ----- 1960 USA Tiros I   

Popular Culture 1960sThis was the Decade of the Smiley Face found on anything and everything around the world including T Shirts , it's popularity was at its peak in the mid to late 1960's.This decade can also be summed up with a few well-chosen phrases which epitomize the decade "The Space Race,” "Cuban Missile Crisis,” "Continuing Cold War,” "Kennedy Assassination,” "Martin Luther King,” "Vietnam,” "Civil Rights and Riots,” "Hippies and Flower Power,” "The Beatles and Rock and Roll." This was the start of the skateboarding era which was started by some surfing enthusiasts in California who were frustrated by the weather and put roller skates on the front and back end of wooden planks

Some of the Most Well Known Movie Stars of the Sixties

John WayneElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonPaul NewmanElvis PresleyJulie AndrewsDoris DayRock Hudson

TV Shows 1960s

Perry Mason 1957 - 1966. Route 66 1960 - 1964.

Rawhide 1959 - 1966. The Monkees 1966 - 1968. The Saint 1966 - 1969. The Prisoner 1967 - 1968. Ironside 1967 - 1975. . Hogan's Heroes 1965 - 1971. Lassie 1954 - 1973. Flipper 1964 - 1967. The Benny Hill Show 1969 - 1989. Monty Python's Flying Circus 1969 - 1974. Bonanza 1959 - 1973. The Brady Bunch 1969 - 1974. Peyton Place 1964 - 1969. The Fugitive 1963 - 1967. 77 Sunset Strip 1958 - 1964. The Man From Uncle 1964 - 1968. Doctor Who 1963 - 1989. Gilligan's Island 1964 - 1967. Gunsmoke 1955 - 1975. Columbo 1968 - 2003. The Virginian 1962 - 1971. Mr Ed 1961 - 1966. The Twilight Zone ( Original Series ) 1959 - 1964. I Dream of Jeannie 1965 - 1970. Bewitched 1964 - 1972. Steptoe and Son 1st Series 1962 - 1965. 2nd Series 1970 - 1974 Get Smart 1965 - 1970 Green Acres 1965 - 1971.

Popular 60s Music In the 1960s, popular music began to diversify and more sub-genres emerged as the worlds of R&B and Rock 'n' Roll became more profitable. It became easier to classify types of music in a very specific way with psychedelic, surf, folk, roots, hard rock, Motown, Acapella, all becoming recognizable in their distinctiveness. Music became a huge influence on the younger generation and was used to define the lifestyles of rockers, hippies, and protesters. The music of the time often reflected the changing social norms of the decade like the fight for civil rights for minorities and women and the anti-war movement. The British Invasion also made its mark with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as two of the most popular bands emerging from the decade, gaining worldwide notoriety and popularity that has lasted up to the present.

   

Sixties Homes1963 New Homes Lowell Massachusetts large tree wooded plots, colored bath and kitchen fixtures, full basement Formica kitchen 3 bedrooms From $15,500

Electrical Home GoodsThe growth of smaller TV's and the continued interest in popular music more and more people buy hi-fi music players, families also purchased more and more kitchen appliances ranging from dish washers to toasters, another common theme is the growth of "Portable" in TV, Music even dishwashers

From Our 1960's Home Appliances Page

 

Homes and Furniture From The SixtiesFurniture design changed as more modern tastes come to the fore and with the increased use of more modern materials allowed including color-coordinated, vinyl-coated wallpaper with tables including durable high-pressure plastic top in a woodgrain pattern