1960 - The Year in NEWS

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In this series, I’m gonna take a look back at different years and explore the main events in politics, music and sport that were happening around the world. I will start in 1960 as this is usually thought of as when the media-age started. I wasn’t born then, but those who were will be nearing retirement age, so if there are any golden-oldies on Steemit, I hope you enjoy reminiscing. If, like most Steemians, you’re too young to know what 1960 was like, I hope you learn a thing or two.

The new decade started and the 60s promised so much. On January 1st legendary country singer Johnny Cash played the first of many free concerts to prisoners. It became a thing that Cash was renowned for, and arguably his best hit Folsom Prison Blues was later recorded live at Folsom Prison.

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Sticking with music and politics, a few weeks into 1960, The King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley was promoted to sergeant in the US Army. He had served for two years only, and actually left the army a few weeks after. His promotion to sergeant was deemed to be very quick. I wonder why… His hit It’s Now or Never was one of the biggest songs of the year.

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Other big songs of 1960 were The Everly Brothers Cathy’s Clown and the one and only Chubby Checker’s The Twist:

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The late-great Hugh Hefner opened the first of his Playboy Clubs in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club Room. Members and their guests were served food and drinks by Playboy Bunnies, some of whom were featured in Playboy magazine. The infamous clubs began to open around the world, and made Hefner a household name, and also popular with some of the most beautiful women.

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Starring Charlton Heston and Simone Signoret, Ben Hur won the award for best movie at the 32nd Academy Awards. With the biggest budget ever for a movie $15m the movie swept the awards that year. It won an unprecedented 11 Oscars including all the big ones. If you haven’t seen it, do.

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The legendary Motown record label was founded this year by Berry Gordy. Shop Around by The Miracles was their first Number One song, and the label went from strength to strength. It was African-American owned and it’s thought to have helped break down many doors in the 1960s America in the fight for racial equality.

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Speaking of which, President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960, in a bid to update the one signed in 1957. The southern states had found many loopholes in the previous one and African-Americans continued to be discriminated against in the southern states especially.

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US and Cuba were at loggerheads and Cuba, who nationalized Esso, Shell and Texaco. That same year Fidel Castro delivered a 4hr and 29 minute speech to the UN. Obviously he wasn’t heard. He also had a famous meeting with Malcolm X in Haarlem to discuss everything that was good about the US, no doubt.

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In sport:

The Philadelphia Eagles beat Green Bay Packers 17-13 in NFL Championship

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Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the European Cup final at Hampden Park, Glasgow. there was a record 127,621 fans in attendance to see Madrid win it for the 5th time.

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Tottenham won the English First Division and FA Cup beating Leicester in the final. They haven’t won the league since, but are getting closer.

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Arnold Palmer won the Masters and US Open that year.

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In literature:

To Kill a Mockingbird was released and has gone on to become one of the biggest selling books of all time. Schools around the world study it. It’s a beautiful story narrated by Scout and deals with rape and racial inequality. The protagonist Atticus Finch has become a moral hero for many readers.

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Penguin Books were cleared of obscenity charge for publishing Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Not the best of reads, if I’m being honest with you, and only gained its fame because of its raunchy theme. The author DH Lawrence is a fantastic author, however, and if you get time, I recommend reading Women in Love, it’s one of the best reads ever.

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And last but certainly not least: 1960 was the year Cassius Clay had his first professional fight. He won a 6 Round Decision against Tunney Hunsaker. It was the first of many fights for the Greatest of all time.