The Boeing 747 makes its first flight in 1969. The enormous wide-body jet promises room for far more passengers than earlier airliners, with its twin aisles and distinctive upper-deck hump offering a new image of the coming age of mass air travel.
Apollo 11 lands on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong steps onto the surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin, while Michael Collins remains in lunar orbit. Around the world, viewers gather at television sets to watch an achievement that had once belonged to science fiction.
The Chicago conspiracy trial begins in 1969 after the previous year’s convention protests. The defendants become known as the Chicago Seven after Bobby Seale’s case is separated, with courtroom clashes turning the proceedings into another stage for the argument over the war and protest.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! debuts in 1969. A group of teenagers and their easily frightened Great Dane investigate apparently supernatural mysteries, with disguises, clues and plenty of snacks becoming the ingredients of a familiar Saturday-morning routine. First broadcast: September 13, 1969.
Joe Namath leads the New York Jets to a 16–7 victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The upset gives the American Football League a major boost and makes the quarterback’s bold confidence part of football legend.
Charles Manson and several followers are arrested following a series of Los Angeles-area murders. The 1969 killings, including the death of actress Sharon Tate, horrify the country and bring a dark, violent story of the counterculture into the headlines at the end of the sixties.
Cleveland’s polluted Cuyahoga River catches fire in June 1969. Although the river has burned before, the incident becomes a lasting symbol of industrial pollution, adding urgency to a growing environmental movement and demands for cleaner waterways.
In response to a police raid at New York City's Stonewall Inn, a series of protests by the gay community occur and lead to the development of the gay liberation movement and LGBTQ rights.
Golda Meir becomes Israel’s first woman prime minister in 1969. Raised partly in Milwaukee, she brings a long career in politics and diplomacy to the job, leading the country through a difficult period before leaving office in 1974.
Yasser Arafat becomes chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1969. The appointment places him at the center of the Palestinian national movement, beginning decades in which his image and leadership will be closely tied to the conflict in the Middle East.
British troops are sent in to Northern Ireland to quell protests and violence. This would be the longest continuous troop deployment in British history, lasting until 2007.
Some young people take the counterculture beyond clothes and music by joining communes. Shared homes, cooperative work and a different approach to family life offer an alternative to the expectations they grew up with.
Dodge's Charger advertisement pairs a powerful-looking car with a flirtatious line about the sort of men mother warned against. The car is being sold with attitude as well as bodywork.
White Horse whisky joins a fashionable cocktail-party scene. Bright dresses, statement jewelry and an intimate gathering give the advertisement its late-sixties picture of grown-up leisure.
A striped shirt and patterned tie bring plenty of color to men's fashion. Long hair and an expressive mix of patterns make a strong contrast with the restrained business suit of only a few years earlier.
Two young women walk along a New York City sidewalk in 1969. Short hemlines, long hair and casual tops bring the decade's fashion into everyday street life.
Teenage girls ham it up outside their high school. A few friends and a willing photographer are enough to turn a break in the day into a picture worth keeping.
Children set up a neighborhood lemonade stand in 1969. A homemade sign, a table and a few glasses turn the front yard into a small business for the afternoon.
The Brady Bunch debuts on ABC in 1969. A widower with three sons and a widow with three daughters combine households, with the cheerful blended family finding enough misunderstandings and growing pains to fill five seasons and a long life in reruns. First broadcast: September 26, 1969.
Sesame Street debuts on public television in November 1969. Friendly neighbors, Muppets, songs and short films make letters and numbers part of a lively city block, offering preschool children a program built around both learning and the pleasures of everyday curiosity. First broadcast: November 10, 1969.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuts on the BBC in 1969. The British comedy group mixes sketches, animation and absurd surprises, often abandoning a joke just when a conventional punch line seems due. The series runs until 1974 and helps launch a series of films. First broadcast: October 5, 1969.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford play charming outlaws in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The 1969 Western mixes pursuit, friendship and humor, with the stars’ easy chemistry giving the familiar story of men on the run a fresh appeal. Released October 1969. U.S. box office: No. 1 among 1969 releases.
Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight find an unlikely friendship in Midnight Cowboy. The 1969 drama follows two outsiders trying to survive in New York, becoming the only film released with an X rating to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Released May 1969. U.S. box office: No. 3 among 1969 releases.
Founded in 1952, but reaching its’ zenith in the late 60’s, Mad Magazine was an American satirical humor magazine poking fun at popular culture, the news and everything in between. The magazine is thought to have influenced young people in developing a "skeptical" or "outsider" view of the world.