The 1960s was a decade in the Anno Domini and Common Era in the Gregorian calendar. It began on January 1, 1960 and ended on December 31, 1969. It is distinct from the decade known as the 197th decade which began on January 1, 1961 and ended on December 31, 1970. Many things happened in the sixties, including the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War.
The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called the Sixties. This was a set of cultural and political trends around the globe. This "cultural decade" is loosely defined as beginning around 1963 and ending around 1974.
The social revolution of the 1960s was part of a wider counterculture. Old ways were changed, new ways taken up. Typical was the introduction of the birth control pill, and its effect on sexual activity, widespread use of certain drugs and a general disrespect for traditional ways.
Pop art also started in the 1960s.
Events
Decolonization of much of Africa
1961 - Yuri Gagarin is first human in the space during Soviet Vostok 1 mission. 1961 – Berlin Wall built. 1961 – Bay of Pigs invasion. 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis. 1963 – Assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22. 1965 – Indiainvades Pakistan on September 6. 1967 - Six-Day War. 1968 – Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. 1969 – Under the Apollo 11 program Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans on the Moon. Unix created.