Thursday, November 3, 1960: LBJ photo explained

A campaign appearance in Amarillo, Texas, by the Democratic ticket yields this memorable photo.

The photo has frequently -- and incorrectly -- been described as Johnson shouting back at a heckler. What it actually depicts is Johnson yelling at pilots of nearby planes to cut their engines so that Kennedy could speak. Also, the photo sometimes appears online with Lady Bird Johnson cropped out, putting the focus squarely on LBJ's legendary temper.

There is some debate as to whether the pilots' actions were intentional. The Johnson biography on the U.S. Senate web site describes it this way: "(Johnson) also pressed for a joint appearance of the Democratic candidates somewhere in Texas. They arranged the meeting at the airport in Amarillo, where campaign advance men stopped all air traffic during the brief ceremonies so that the candidates could address the crowd. But they had not counted on the Republican-leaning airline pilots, who deliberately ran the engines of their planes in order to drown out the speakers. At the close of the ruined appearance, a photographer snapped a concerned Kennedy placing his hands on Johnson's shoulder, trying to calm his angry, gesticulating running mate."

Kennedy made light of the noise during his speech, quipping "That is Dick coming in" (Richard Nixon was also campaigning in Texas that day) and "They can't stop the truth anyway. I don't care how much that engine warms up."

The picture was taken by Richard Pipes, a photographer for the Amarillo Globe-News, who described the scene as "a noisy mess."

* Cropped image: @

* Johnson's speech: @

* Kennedy's speech: @

* 2000 story from Amarillo paper: @

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Thursday, November 3, 1960: Carbon-14

Willard F. Libby, a professor at UCLA, is awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry "for his method to use carbon-14 for age determination in archaeology, geology, geophysics and other branches of science."

* More from Nobel Prize website: @

* Time magazine article (November 1960): @

* Time article on Libby's work for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (August 1955): @

* More about carbon dating: @ and @ and @

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Wednesday, November 2, 1960: 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'

A London jury finds that D.H. Lawrence's book is not obscene. The novel, notorious for its sexual passages and four-letter words, had been banned in England since it was first published in 1928; the trial was a high-profile test of England's recently enacted Obscene Publications Act. A week after the verdict, the novel quickly sells out across the country when it reaches bookstores.

* Trial summaries: @ and @ and @

* "Trial and Eros" (from The American Scholar): @

* Excerpt from "Bound and Gagged: A Secret History of Obscenity in Britain": @

* Text of Obscene Publications Act 1959: @

* More from The Times newspaper: @

* Read the book: @

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November 1960: 'Dining with a Cheetah'

This striking image by Leombruno-Bodi (the collective name of photographers-designers Joe Leombruno and Jack Bodi) appeared in the November 1960 issue of Vogue magazine. (Click on image to enlarge.)

* More photos by Leombruno-Bodi: @

* Jack Bodi obituary (from 1986): @

* Short history of Vogue magazine: @

* A collection of Vogue magazine covers: @

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Friday, October 28, 1960: 'Nixonland'

In a speech in Oakland, California, former President Harry Truman mocks Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon. Here is most of the speech (pieced together from various sources):

"I do not feel bitterness tonight toward Richard Nixon. I feel concern and a touch of pity. I have been wondering what he could do after the election returns are in ... He is too young to retire and he will have to have some kind of a job ...

"I think I have discovered what Mr. Nixon can do. He has considerable gifts of showmanship, and the ability to create all kinds of illusions. He should go into this amusement park business and open one of his own, which we could call Nixonland ...

"Nixonland would be an interesting place. It would become in time a national shrine for Republicans, although Democrats would have to pass a loyalty examination before they could be admitted.

"Nixon would be in charge of Nixonland personally, and he would be the guide for all the Nixonland rides, which he could do very well by the way, as he has been taking the American people for a ride for a good many years already.

"One of the rules of Nixonland would be 'no cuss words' because of the children there. Of course, in Nixonland there would be nothing to cuss about, because there our prestige would always be at an all-time high -- and we would all be morally, spiritually, economically and militarily stronger than anybody else anywhere.

"Nixonland would also be very neat. In fact, it would be as clean as a hound's tooth.

"The first thing to do in Nixonland would be to take a ride on the Nixon train. This would go -- rather quickly -- through fifty-odd countries ... The end of this ride would be quite exciting, with howling Communist mobs, and all the passengers would have to be rescued by United States Marines ...

"Then there would be the Nixon trip up the Congo River, through Communistland. And you would see stuffed Communists popping up from behind every bush. And Nixon would stand in the bow of the boat, and shoot them dead -- with blanks.

"Another popular attraction would be the great Nixon submarine ride to the offshore islands. This submarine would go to Quemoy and Matsu, but not to Cuba. In fact, there would be a rule in Nixonland against mentioning Cuba. Anybody mentioning Cuba would have to get off the submarine and swim home.

"There would be lots to see in Nixonland, and fun for all -- but nothing would be real.

"And that, my friends, is the danger we face. Nixonland is not the real world, it is a world of dreams concocted to get your votes.

"Let us leave Nixonland behind us, and face the real world and its problems. Let us take the necessary action to meet these problems instead of pretending they don't exist. Let us build for the future of America and for a secure and peaceful world with Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson."

Not that Truman had been a strong supporter of Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy early on; in fact, Truman had resigned in July as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, calling it "a prearranged affair" and saying Kennedy was too young, too inexperienced to be president. But the prospect of a Nixon presidency was enough for Truman to campaign for Kennedy.

* Truman's July 2 remarks: @

* Kennedy's July 4 response: @

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Undated: 'Closer Than We Think!'

The futuristic comic strip by Arthur Radebaugh appeared from 1958 to 1963 in Sunday newspapers. (Click on image for a closer look.) Radebaugh's distinctive style was also featured in advertisements for car companies and other businesses.

* "Closer Than We Think!" selection: @

* More about Radebaugh: @

* Ads for Bohn Aluminum and Brass: @ and @

* Other illustrations: @

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Tuesday, October 25, 1960: First electronic wristwatch

Bulova Corp. introduces the Accutron 214, which needs no winding and relies on a tuning fork rather than springs and a balance wheel. Ads tout its breakthrough mechanism: "First instrument of the space age you can wear and use! First microsonic timepiece ... It doesn't even tick. It hums!"

* More about the Accutron 214: @

* More about Accutrons in general: @ and @ (scroll down) and @

* Life magazine advertisement (November 28): @

* More ads: @

* Bulova timeline: @

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Monday, October 24, 1960: Nedelin Catastrophe

In the worst disaster of the space age, some 120 people are killed when a Soviet R-16 intercontinental ballistic missile explodes on the launch pad. It came to be known as the Nedelin Catastrophe because among the victims was Field Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, the commander of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces (and the R-16 development program). The disaster was not brought to light by the Soviet government until 1989.

* Details of disaster: @ and @ and @

* Footage: @ and @

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September-October: Presidential debates

Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon meet in a series of four debates, the first to be televised. An estimated 60 to 70 million people watch -- a third of the entire U.S. population. Another 15 million listen on radio. Policy differences aside, Kennedy appears youthful and vigorous, especially in the first debate, while Nixon (who had recently been hospitalized for two weeks for a staph infection) seems pale and drawn. (It's been said that most people who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon won, while TV viewers tended to side with Kennedy; I've included links to both.)

* Monday, September 26: Held in Chicago, it dealt primarily with domestic issues.

-- TV telecast: @

-- Radio broadcast: @

-- Transcript: @

-- "The Great Debate" from Museum of Broadcast Communications: @

-- New York Times article (September 27): @

-- Los Angeles Times pages: @

-- Remembrances from key figures: @

* Friday, October 7: The second debate, held in Washington, went straight to questions on any subject, with no opening statements by either candidate. Among the topics: meeting the Communist challenge, and the state of the United States' economy.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

-- Observations from Eleanor Roosevelt: @

* Thursday, October 13: The candidates were in different cities for their third debate: Kennedy in New York and Nixon in Los Angeles. Much of the debate focuses on what the U.S. would do should the Asian islands of Quemoy and Matsu be attacked by China.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

-- More about Quemoy and Matsu: @ and @ and @

* Friday, October 21: The fourth and final debate, from New York. It centers on foreign policy. America's stature and image in the world bring the best exchange:

Nixon: America gained by continuing the dignity, the decency that has characterized us and it's that that keeps the prestige of America up -- not running down America the way Senator Kennedy has been running her down.

Moderator: Comment, Senator Kennedy?

Kennedy: I really don't need Mr. Nixon to tell me about what my responsibilities are as a citizen.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

Other resources:

* Highlights of the debates (from CNN.com): @ 

* From Archive of American Television: @

* From the book "Television and Politics" (Kurt Lang, Gladys Engel Lang, 2002): @
* Article from Smithsonian magazine: @

* Nixon writes about the debates (from the book "Six Crises"): @

* Highest-rated TV debates, 1960 to 2008: @

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Thursday, October 20, 1960: First automated post office

Providence, Rhode Island, is the site of the United States' first fully automated post office, dedicated on October 20. It was designed to process a million pieces of mail a day, though a 1962 report found that it fell far short of that number.

* From Rhode Island Historical Society: @

* From National Postal Museum: @

* From "Rhode Island Curiosities": @

* Photos: @

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Wednesday, October 19, 1960: Martin Luther King arrested

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested in Atlanta after taking part in a sit-in protest at a department store. He remains in jail until October 26, when he is taken to a state prison; because he had been arrested, he was found to have violated probation from a May traffic ticket in Georgia. John F. Kennedy calls King's wife to express his concern. Robert F. Kennedy calls the judge in the case and secures King's release on October 27. The end result: the Democrats are cast as the party of civil rights, and blacks vote their appreciation for Kennedy's actions. Some historians (as well as President Eisenhower) believe it helped tip the balance in the presidential election.

* Account from "The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Volume V": @

* Account from "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.": @

* Account from "John F. Kennedy: A Biography": @

* "The Case of Martin Luther King" (pamphlet distributed in black churches in the days before the election; scroll down to second and third pages): @

* Transcript of King interview (October 27): @

* Audio interview about events of October 19: @

* TV interviews:

-- King (October 19): @

-- Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield (October 24): @

-- King's attorney, Donald Hollowell (October 27): @

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Wednesday, October 19, 1960: Cuban embargo

The United States imposes a partial economic embargo on Cuba, prohibiting practically all exports to the island nation other than food and medicine. The move comes just days after Cuba had nationalized all U.S. banks. According to the State Department, the aim of the embargo is to "exert a serious pressure on the Cuban economy and contribute to the growing dissatisfaction and unrest in the country." However, a National Intelligence Estimate published in December says that "Economic dislocations will occur but will not lead to the collapse or significant weakening of the Castro regime."

* "Economic Sanctions as an Instrument of U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case of the U.S. Embargo Against Cuba" (book): @

* "Cuba and Economic Sanctions: A Cold War Strategy in the 21st Century" (U.S. Army War College, 2004): @

* Embargo timeline (through 2007): @

* "Cuba: The Battle of America" (CIA film, 1960): @

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Undated: Housewife syndrome

Three years before Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," the major media are busy reporting on the disenchanted American housewife, particularly those who are well-educated and/or living in the suburbs. The traits -- frustration, exhaustion, emptiness -- are collectively called "housewife syndrome."

On weekday afternoons, NBC broadcasts the "Purex Special for Women," dramatizing such topics as "The Cold Woman" (frigidity), "The Trapped Housewife," "The Single Woman," "The Problems of the Working Mother," "The Glamour Trap" and "Change of Life."

From The New York Times: "Many young women -- certainly not all -- whose education plunged them into a world of ideas feel stifled in their homes. They finish their routine lives out of joint with their training. Like shut-ins, they feel left out. ... No one, it seems, is appreciative, least of all herself, of the kind of person she becomes in the process of turning from poetess to shrew."

From Newsweek: "A good education, it seems, has given this paragon among women an understanding of the value of everything except her own worth."

Even the Journal of the American Medical Association takes note; this synopsis of "Change of Life" appeared in its TV listings: "The worries which beset women at this point in their lives -- fear of mental illness, loss of attractiveness, loss of husband's love, loss of usefulness to children -- form the focal point of the program. The necessity of a change of attitudes and values is stressed so that the menopause may be faced with confidence and serenity."

* "The Roots of Home" (Time magazine, 1960): @

* "Tiddely-Pom" (Time, 1962): @

* "The Intelligent-Housewife Syndrome": @

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Friday, October 14, 1960: Beginnings of the Peace Corps

Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy makes a middle-of-the-night appearance at the University of Michigan. He challenges the students to serve their country and help promote peace by taking their energy and abilities to less-developed nations -- an idea that would evolve into the creation of the Peace Corps. Kennedy would first use the phrase in a Nov. 2 speech.

* Summary and transcript (from Peace Corps website): @

* More about the event (from Michigan Today): @

* "Celebrating JFK's Peace Corps Speech" (from Michigan Radio): @
* Excerpt from "John F. Kennedy: A Biography": @

* Transcript of Nov. 2 speech: @

* Entry from "Safire's Political Dictionary": @

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Thursday, October 13: Pittsburgh Pirates win World Series

In what's considered the most dramatic ending to a World Series, second baseman Bill Mazeroski hits a home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates the victory over the New York Yankees, 10-9. Pittsburgh wins the series, 4 games to 3. (While a few highlights exist, video of the entire game was long thought lost; however, complete footage was discovered in September 2010 in the home of entertainer Bing Crosby, a part-owner of the Pirates at the time.)

* Series summary: @

* Audio of home run and postgame interviews: @

* Sports Illustrated story (October 24, 1960): @

* Pittsburgh Post-Gazette commemorative website: @

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