1968 in Headline News.
Nearly 162 million Americans were born after Dec. 31, 1969. We did good work!
The Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl II (Jan 14)
A US B-52 Stratofortress crashes in Greenland discharging 4 nuclear bombs (Jan. 21)
North Korea seizes U.S. Navy ship Pueblo; holds 83 on board as spies (Jan. 23).
The first Battle of Saigon ends (March 7)
Tet offensive, turning point in Vietnam war (Jan.–Feb.)
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) enters the race for presidential nomination (Mar 16)
My Lai massacre occurs (March 16). Leut. William Calley was convicted September 10, 1971, of premeditated murder for ordering the shootings. He served 4 1/2 months in military prison after an initial sentence of life.
The Congress of the United States repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back U.S. currency. US Citizens may now legally own gold bullion.(Mar 18)
President Johnson announces he will not seek or accept presidential renomination (March 31).
Martin Luther King Jr. is slain in Memphis (April 4)
James Earl Ray, indicted in murder, captured in London on June 8 1968.
1969 Ray pleads guilty and is sentenced to 99 years.
President Lyndon B Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Apr 11)
The US nuclear submarine Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard 400 miles southeast of the Azores (May 22)
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy is shot and critically wounded in Los Angeles hotel after winning California primary (June 5)
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy—dies June 6. Sirhan B. Sirhan is convicted of the murder in 1969.
US Predidential Election: Richard M. Nixon defeats Democrate Hubert Humphery and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace (Nov 5)
Czechoslovakia is invaded by Russians and Warsaw Pact forces to crush liberal regime (Aug. 20).
60 Minutes airs on CBS, beginning its reign as the longest-running prime-time newsmagazine.
Johnny Cash records "Live at Folsom Prison" (Jan 13)
2001: A Space Odyssey premeres in Washington D.C. (Apr 2)
Rowan & Martin's Laugh In debuts on NBC (Jan 23). The last show was May 14 1973.
The motion picture rating system debuts with G, PG, R and X.
The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway.(Apr 29)
The Beatles announce the creation of Apple Records (May 14)
Elvis Presley makes a televised comeback concert special (Dec 3)
Movies: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, Funny Girl, The Lion in Winter, Oliver!
Record of the Year: "Up, Up and Away," 5th Dimension
Album of the Year: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (Capitol Records)
Song of the Year: "Up, Up and Away," Jimmy L. Webb, songwriter
Academy Award, Best Picture: In the Heat of the Night, Walter Mirisch, producer (United Artists)
Apollo 6 is launched as the second and last umanned test flight of the Saturn V Moon Rocket.(Apr 4)
Apollo 7 (Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walter Cunningham) becomes the first manned Apollo mission in Earth orbit for 11 days (Oct 11)
Apollo 8 enters Moon orbit. Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders become the first people to orbit the moon and see the Earth as a whole. (Dec 24)
Prototype of world's first supersonic airliner becomes operational. The Soviet-designed Tupolev Tu-144 made its first flight (Dec. 31). It first achieved supersonic speed on June 5, 1969.
The largest reservoir of American petroleum north of Mexico is discovered in Alaska.
Some content from "1968." Year by Year Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
22 Oct. 2008 Source
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