1969: A Man In the Moon
"It’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”. These historic words were spoken by American cosmonaut Neil Armstrong, as he stepped outside of the Apollo XI Space Shuttle and nailed the American flag on the Moon, becoming the first human to walk on our natural satellite. By the start of the 1960s, the Soviet Union appeared to be ahead on the Space Race. By 1961, they had even managed to launch the first man into space. America had a plan to outbest its rival: To put a man in the moon. On 1969, the Apollo XI Space Shuttle departed from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins. After a week of orbitting the Earth’s atmosphere, the module reached the moon, which enabled its tripulants to explore.
The Apollo XI moon landing is perhaps the most fundamental moment in 60’s history, as it proved once and for all that America was a superior nation in every aspect. Interest in space exploration faded after such pinnacle, and there are conspiracies that it was a setup. However, the moon landing was, as Armstrong worded, "One giant leap for mankind”. Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins exited the Earth as cosmonauts, and re-entered as legends.
1962: Cuba, Missiles, and Near-World War III
In 1961, a US-backed invasion of Cuba to overthrow the leftist regime of Fidel Castro failed precipitously. The US government concealed its involvement in the operation. The country had recently suffered a shift in leadership. Kennedy was the youngest man to become president and the Soviets believed him to be unexperienced. In 1962, spy planes flying over Cuba photographed a group of newly-installed Soviet missile bases, pointing straight on Florida. The US had also installed a missle base in Turkey pointing to Moscow. During two weeks, the US and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense standoff. President Kennedy informed America about the presence of the missiles and ordered a naval blockade and of Cuba. The world watched on with fear. World War III seemed to be very near. Fortunately, Soviet premier Khrushchev agreed to remove his missile base from Cuba if America removed its base from Turkey. The world took a big sigh of relief.
The two weeks of the Cuban Missile Crisis were the closest the war had ever come to nuclear holocaust. The crisis had been left behind, but it left a mark. Both countries agreed to take measures to reduce nuclear development. The Cuban Missile Crisis helped pave a path towards healthier relationships between the two blocs.
1960s: The Air Smells to Palm at Vietnam
Vietnam is a tiny country in the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. In 1954, the area known as Indochina broke its colonial ties to France. The country of Vietnam was split into a Northern communist part, under Ho Chi Minh, and a Southern capitalist part. Both governments were led by corrupt power-mongers. Back in America, the US noted the strong influence that Ho Chi Minh had in North Vietnam. They feared that, if they didn’t intervene, Vietnam would fall to communism, and all of Southeast Asia would follow. They called for an undeclared war on North Vietnam. The war had been going on since 1955, but during the 1960s, it became a very painful and devastating carnage. The war featured bombings, helicopters, and napalm.
The Vietnam War was possibly the longest and most destructive proxy war in the postwar world. With an estimated 1,353,000 casualties, it’s still not as destructive as World War II was, but it still proved to be a painful, frustrating, and devastating experience for America, and one of the longest memories of the Cold War era.