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Last Update: November 17, 2008

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There has never been a decade quite like the 60s; the diversity, conflicts, hope, anger, the music, the dance crazes and the fun that characterized these years are captured here. The 60s decade was a decade of change. Not only were those changes evident in fashions but world events, music of the 60s, automobiles, toys, and individual self expression as displayed during the largest outdoor rock concert ever performed, Woodstock. The television shows of the 50s and 60s depicted the morals and values of our society. The simplicity of our lifestyle were so evident at that time. The westerns on the televisons series were about the good guys always winning. Click Here to view a video with a soundtrack of TV themes of the 50s and 60s. (You must have flash enabled to view)

The 60s - Hippie Guy and Girl The 60s - Woodstock Couple at concert

Music and events of the day interacted with one another as we progressed through one of the most turbulent decades in modern history. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy illustrated the turbulent and restless society. Lance Morrow said "The real 1960s began on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. It came to seem that Kennedy's murder opened some malign trap door in American culture, and the wild bats flapped out."

In contrast the 60s decade has been described by historians as the decade that resulted in the most significant changes in our history. In 1969 the race to space was won by the U.S. by putting a man on the moon. This one event caught more press and attention second to only the Vietnam War. The 60s were also time of turmoil, probably described as such for the racial unrest during this period, social injustice and because of

our involvement in the war in Vietnam. The magnitude of violence in the streets of U.S. cities as well as on college campuses in protest of the War in Vietnam was unprecedented in our history. The burning of the flag and draft cards were widely used as tools for protest.

Even though the 60s had its periods of unrest and violence, it was a great decade to have grown up in. If you don't believe it just ask anybody who was a baby boomer. (Anybody who was born from 1946-1964.) Even though you may have not lived during this decade, you will still enjoy browsing this significant history and if you were fortunate enough to experience the 60s, when baseball was the favorite past time, just sit back and remember how great the 60s really were! Look how fashions and ideals of today were shaped by baby boomers. Try to remember when life seemed so much more carefree and slower. The music was clean and fun and we actually understood the lyrics. We knew all our neighbors on the street where we lived. Innocent fun was the game not violence against our fellow man.

The school dances with the crazy dance steps of the popular dances at the time were fond memories. We invented steps to add to the ridiculous steps these dance crazes had. We were having fun just as the 60s were meant to be. Check out these popular dances of our times. See if you can remember more and email me at webmaster@the60sofficialsite.com or leave a comment in the guestbook.

Stumbling through the 60s you will recall the famous and not so famous written and spoken words that were so much part of the 60s culture. Margot Kidder said it well with "It was a wonderful time to be young. The 1960s didn't end until about 1976. We all believed in Make Love, Not War. We were idealistic innocents, despite the drugs and sex." And John Lennon said "The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility." I don't know about the possibilities but I do know that the 60s was an event that even today's school children try to research and understand why the 60s decade had so much impact on today.

The 60s were a time of fun and innocence and much of it was reflected in the music and the lyrics such as "The message may not move me, or mean a great deal to me, but it feels so groovy to say "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" from Peter, Paul and Mary's 1967 hit "I Dig Rock and Roll Music.

Spiro Agnew described all the segments of the 60s with his quote "Yippies, Hippies, Yahoos, Black Panthers, lions and tigers alike - I would swap the whole damn zoo for the kind of young Americans I saw in Vietnam."

How Did We Survive?

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

Many of you may have listened to stories about this era from your parents or grandparents. Feel free to write and share your experiences of the 60s even if it is story you may have heard from your parents or grandparents. For those of you that lived during this great time, I know you have some experiences you could share. Come on baby boomers and share your experiences and the fun and heartache we had during the 60s. I have shared a tidbit memory from my past in home town of Circleville Ohio. Enjoy my recollection about my experience with that favorite fragance of the 60s, Jade East. Continue to enjoy each and everyday but nothing wrong with strolling back to our era of the 60s now and then. With that in mind read "A Story of Life; A Thousand Marbles." As I continue to build this site I will share even more.

Watch a snapshot of 60s history with a fabulous soundtrack just click here.

Enjoy the tribute to the Vietnam Veteran by clicking here.

How do you like the site? Leave your comments. Also send us your fondest moment of the 1960s and have it posted in the Guestbook. JUST CLICK HERE

Or send them to webmaster@the60sofficialsite.com I will review all stories and if I feel they fit within the scope of this site I will include them. Don't be shy because you don't have to be a great writer to share your experiences. Any articles pertaining to 60s are more than welcome.

Where were you on a particular day in the 1960s? What was the top ten songs on that particular day? Who were you with? Who was your special love interest then? Find out here what songs were in the top ten on that special day in your life. JUST CLICK HERE AND BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY.

Kick up your feet and start clicking your way through the 60s and I hope you enjoy the trip! Feel free to send me your comments.

If your thing is music from the 60s era, then you are at the right place. Be sure to visit the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame 1960s artists inductees. Just click here.

Visit our The Official 60s Site Store for items with our logo. Click Here.

Check your knowledge of the 60s with our Baby Boomer Quiz.

High School Class Reunion time rolling around? Need some ideas or tips? Click Here.

60s - Drive-in Movie