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Presents |
| January 8~ In his State of the Union Address, President calls for a national "war on poverty." Within eight months Congress will enact a key weapon in that war, the Economic Opportunity Act, aimed at a coordinated attack on multiple fronts: illiteracy, unemployment and inadequate public services for minorities. Boom p. 245 |
| February 7~The Beatles arrive in the U.S. to appear on the top-rated Ed Sullivan Show. Their single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," has just sold 3.5 million copies in a few weeks and their first album, Meet the Beatles, has become the fastest-selling album in American history. Boom p. 44 |
| February 8~After a heated debate, the House of Representatives votes to add the word "sex" to Title VII of the proposed Civil Rights Act, joining race, color, or religion, and national origin as outlawed forms of discrimination. Boom p. 246 |
| February 25~Cassius Clay wins the world heavyweight boxing crown, beating Charles "Sonny" Liston, who will be unable to leave his corner when the bell announces Round Seven. The flamboyant 22-year-old Clay has become known for his fast feet, which never stop dancing in the ring, and his fast tongue, which never stops chattering out of the ring. Boom p. 186 |
| April 13~Millions of viewers are shocked when Ann Bancroft not only presents Sidney Poitier with a best actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field, but gives him a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. Poitier is the first black man to win an Oscar; cap to a career in which he becomes the first black to establish a name in film without singing or dancing. Boom p. 127 |
| June 8~The topless bathing suit is modeled in the flesh for the first time, to clothing store buyers in New York. The suit, later called a "monokini," is the creation of designer Rudy Grenreich and will immediately generate a swell of controversy. Boom p. 188 |
| July 2~President Johnson signs the Civil Right's Act of 1964, the nation's first broad-based civil rights bill, barring discrimination of all kinds. Boom p. 246 |
| August 4~Following the second of two attacks by the Viet Cong against U.S. ships, President Johnson goes on national TV to announce retaliatory air strikes and military reinforcements. Within three days Congress will vote 88-2 to pass the "Tonkin Gulf Resolution" permitting the President "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and prevent further aggression." Although he continually emphasizes on the campaign trail that "the United States seeks no wider war," Johnson will later view the resolution as a virtual blank check to expand the war. Boom p. 247 |
| September 12~Students for a Democratic Society gives a qualified endorsement to President Johnson's re-election bid against Barry Goldwater. In its literature, SDS will modify Johnson's slogan, "All the way with LBJ," to suit its lack of enthusiasm with the Democratic Party and its candidate: "Half the way with LBJ." Boom p. 247 |
| October 1~Hair styles inspired by the Beatles are causing problems between teenagers and their parents, according to a variety of reports. At a Catholic high school in the Bronx a dean used a pair of shears to lop off students' long locks. A young man was kicked out of Houston's Lamar High School for refusing to get a "proper haircut." And in Kenosha, Wisc., 175 boys were refused admission to public schools because of their long hair. Boom p. 192 |
| October 15~At the Tokyo Olympics Don Schollander, 18, swims to a world record in the 400-meter freestyle, becoming the first swimmer to win four gold medals. Boom p. 192 |
| October 16~China explodes its first nuclear bomb, joining the U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union in the "nuclear club." Boom p. 248 |
All facts and statements are for amusement purposes only! They in no way should be relied upon for any other reason! |
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