Morina Gael However, being brought up in the 1960s was to live in a decade that transformed music, politics, technology and day to day family life in ways that continue to resonate. It was the era of rotary telephones, black and white TV, past events in the history, and a change of culture that has formed the perception of a whole generation. Had you been there, some of the memories do not seem so much like history, so much as like yesterday.
Moon Landing
The Apollo 11 mission was about to happen in front of you on a mere television screen and it seemed that you were watching the beginning of science fiction come to life. In 1969, as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, families around America were seated together as they were witnessing a historic event around the world.
Vinyl Records
The music was listened to by rotating vinyl records which needed attention, time, and treatment. Recordings by such bands as The Beatles and The Supremes were not mere background music; they were the great values that were listened to repeatedly both at living rooms and in bed rooms.
Drive In
The regional craze in the movie theater was a Friday night outing whereby families packed in station wagons to see two movies under the moonlight. The loudspeakers attached on car windows and the light of the huge screen outside made the atmosphere of a shared and fairy-tale.
Rotary Phones
To make a phone call, one had to reach over to a friend and pull a long cord and dial every number on a rotary phone. The gradual coming back of the dial after every digit was patient and made each call seem premeditated.
TV Antennas
Tilting rabbit ear antennas was almost a home hobby, particularly when the image became snow-white. Somebody would be forced to lean close to the television with the antenna in the right position as other people would tell whether the picture was clear.
Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Movement influenced every day speech and lesson covering because Americans saw marches, speech and historic laws. The history of the country was changed by the speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Space Race
The rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States to achieve new heights in the space sector was ever present in the news channel. Space launches and the space men were as enthusiastically followed as the big games are to-day by children.
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music and Art fair 1969 turned out to be a cultural icon of peace, music and expression of youth. Those who were not even present knew that it was a voice of the generation that wanted change.
School Drills
Safety drills practiced at school such as air raid procedures were a true reflection of the cold war tensions. Instructions were taken seriously and the students knew that the happenings around the world can affect even the format of a common school day.
Comic Books
Colored comic books were shared among friends and were read to tatters. Superheroes provided escapist fantasies and became enduring iconography that has been shaping entertainment well into the 1960s.
Transistor Radios
The portable transistor radios enabled the music and news to be relayed everywhere including the beaches and backyards. The power of holding one was contemporary and liberating because it placed the audience in touch with the newest music and live events.
Black White
Most houses continued to have black and white TVs throughout the majority of the decade, and it influenced the tones and textures of major broadcasts. Change to color TV later in the decade seemed like entering the brighter side.
Protest Signs
Demonstrations to civil rights and protests against the Vietnam War made the protest signs written by hand a strong symbol. Juveniles found out that they could influence the discourse and policy by using their voices.
Soda Shops
Neighborhood soda fountains were community centers where people talked with each other about the news and adolescents would tell stories. The mere fact that one sat at a counter and had a fizzy beverage made it feel like a small town life.
Home Movies
The family memories were shot on film reels that had to be stored on projectors and stored carefully. The experience of watching home movies was a dimming of the light and a constant low humming projector as time passed by with glimpses of birthdays, holidays on the wall.
