"The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same"

“The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same”

Andrew Luzzi


Millenium, Y2K, Series of the Subway,
George Bush, Afghanistan, anthrax attacks

Taliban, 9/11, Earnhardt ascends to heaven
Barry Bonds, terrorists, the patriot act

No child left behind, terror on the airlines,
Mother Teresa, Osama Binladen

Birth of Wikipedia, Enron in the media
Soldiers in the Middle East, the Iraqi war begins

Chorus:
We didn’t start the fire
It just keeps burnin’ and the world keeps turnin’
We didn’t start the fire
But are we learnin’ as the world keeps turnin’?

Patriots, Armstrong, suicide and car bombs
Arafat, same sex marriage legalized

Tsunami in Indonesia, and Hurricane Katrina
Al-Qaeda, the war on terror on the rise

Mars Rover, Pope John Paul, Steroids in baseball
River dolphin, U2, and the birth of youtube

Somalia, Saddam Hussein, 300 million in the states
Castro, Beirut, Iran develops nukes

Chorus:
We didn’t start the fire
It just keeps burnin’ and the world keeps turnin’
We didn’t start the fire
But are we learnin’ as the world keeps turnin’?

Davinci Code, Pope Benedict, Israel leaves the Gaza Strip
Hillary Clinton, protests for peace

No Holocaust after all?, democrats in Nepal
War in Somalia, these problems never cease

Large Hadron Collider, the 7th Harry Potter
Virginia Tech massacre, Jack Kevorkian

Pelosi in the House of Reps, killings at Virginia Tech
Mandela, Iraq again, man this stuff just never ends

Chorus:
We didn’t start the fire
It just keeps burnin’ and the world keeps turnin’
We didn’t start the fire
But are we learnin’ as the world keeps turnin’?

Eliot Spitzer resigns, Gore wins the Nobel Prize
Cyclone in Myanmar, Wenchuan China ‘Quake

Stock Market Crash, AIG, Raid on YFZ
Plummeting Oil prices, Palin and Bill Gates

Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, the Capitol of Chad’s attacked
American consumers become hesitant

Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps surpasses Spitz,
2008 election, Obama becomes president

Chorus:
We didn’t start the fire
It just keeps burnin’ and the world keeps turnin’
We didn’t start the fire
But are we learnin’ as the world keeps turnin’?

Technology and society change
But despite progress we’ve made
All the same problems remain
Human nature is to blame

So throughought the past decade
One reoccuring theme pervades
And it appears the more things change
The more they stay the same

Emma'a Found Song

Pop Culture Take Over:
by Emma Hauer

Derek Jeter, youtube craze, Obama, Y2K,
Pop culture daze, Jonas Brothers, Slumdog Millionaire

War on Terror, Afghanistan, Harry Potter, Aaron Ralston,
Dave Matthew’s Band, Michael Jackson, Miley Cirus

Transformers, Twilight, Jack Johnson, Eat Prey Love,
Merkspages, 9/11, and Across the Universe

Guitar Hero, Swine Flu, Russia invades Georgia,
Lady Gaga, George W. Bush goodbye

We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it

Saddam Hussein, Gardisil, Steroids, Anthrax,
Global Warming, Asian bomb test, Sarah Palin

Darfur, Britney Spears, Union expand, facebook,
The Genome Project, and Virginia Tech

Pluto, homeless, the invisible children, Dennis Tito,
The Notebook, Sustainable, Katrina

iPhone, internet, economy, Ray Jones Jr.
Princess Di, MESSENGER, trouble with SARS

We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it

Bin Laden, Bill Clinton, Da Vinci Code, Rwanda,
Tom’s Shoes, tsunami, American Idol
Jamie Foxx, Brangelina, Napoleon Dynamite,
Ivy League, drug abuse, vegetarian craze

Obesity, O.J., Michael Phelps, gas prices,
Mini Coops, Smart Car, McCain is a no go

Ugg Boots, A.I.G., Chickadee and Mp3
Foreign affairs, The Hills, High School Musical phase

We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it

Backstreet Boys, Myspace, Mosquito West Nile,
iPods, college, “Bring our troops home today”

Save the economy, The greenhouse gases crisis,
Juno, Borat, Dealership Bailout Plan

Go Green, Lance Armstrong, so many become too poor,
Heath Leger gone away, what else do I have to say

We didn't start the fireIt was always burningSince the world's been turningWe didn't start the fireNo we didn't light itBut we tried to fight it

Shark Attack, Everest, Project Runway steals the stage,
Earth day, IM, SATs, U2,
Hungry, Hurting, John Mayer, the new teen driving laws,
Man versus Wild saves young boy, Obama calls time of change

Glaciers melting, Souljaboy, Paris Hilton, Randy Smith,
Jon Stewart, One Tree Hill, Tina Fey, Weed, Pills, Dick Cheney,
Deadly shootings on the streets, China is capitalist,
Pop culture taking over, I can’t take it anymore

We didn't start the fireBut when we are goneWill it still burn on, and on, and on, and on...

Tia's Found Song

We Didn’t Start the Fire

Nine eleven, Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, Uganda,
World Trade Center, Pentagon, Berry Berenson

Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mohamed Atta

Catholic Priests upset moms, North Korea Might have bombs,
Sri Lanka, Daniel Pearl, and Swiss Join the UN

Ukraine, Chinas Plane, Bush's Search Campaign,
K(arzai) survives, Saddam Lies, Flights Cancelled due to bankrupt cries

We didn't start the fireIt was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fireNo we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Phnom Pehn, old man on the mountain,
Protesting arsonists, U2's forced to leave their trip

SARS, Cars, Ridgway's in bars,
Hussein found in a hole and Libya’s gonna blow

John Kerry, Ronald Regan, Islamics got a new series
United Nations and Japan, Hurricane Catrina

TMA, Messenger, Graniteville,
Pope John Paul, Freedom Tower,

CHORUS

George Bush, Time Bomb, Roper vs. Simmons
New Pope, Tung Chee Hwa, Massacre in High School

Chaos, Hand Grenade, California governor
Abortion, children of the stampede

Hazard Waste, Al Gore, Gradisil
Gaza Beach, Castro, Ukraine is a no go

HD, Blue-Ray, Wii and Play station 3
Mars orbiter, Alito, New President in Mexico

CHORUS

Global warming, polar bears, Al Gore, back again
Typhoon, Tsumani, and Radioactive Water

“Shot of love” Gaza Strip, Swine Flu, suicide
Still in debt, homeless men, Human Genome Project
Killer meds in the stores, North Korea under-bombs
Black and White separate Proms, I can’t take it anymore!

CHORUS

We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on...

The Freedom Rides

The freedom rides, part of the Civil Rights Movement, began in 1961. Civil rights activists called freedom riders rode on interstate buses into the segregated southern U.S. in order to test the Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia. The case had outlawed racial segregation in the restaurants and waiting rooms in terminals serving buses that crossed state lines. An African American law student was convicted of trespassing by being in a restaurant in a bus terminal which was “whites only”. The Freedom Ride, which consisted of African Americans and whites, left Washington DC on May 4th, 1961. On May 14th, the freedom riders split up into two groups to travel through Alabama. Both groups faced angry mobs who stoned the bus and slashed tires, and the riders were severely beaten. Despite the violence and resistance that they faced, the riders were determined to continue. On their next trip from Birmingham to Montgomery, they were again assaulted and bloodied when they arrived at their destination. In attempt to protect them, Kennedy called in the US marshals, and when they continued to Mississippi they encountered heavy police presence. The riders were arrested in Jackson and sentenced to the maximum-security Parchman Penitentiary for trespassing. The freedom riders eventually won when Kennedy got the Interstate Commerce Commission to ban segregation in interstate travel. The efforts of these activists bolstered the credibility of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Sources: "The Freedom Rides". PBS. June 1, 2009 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/05_riders.html>.

Cozzens, Lisa. "Freedom Rides". June 1, 2009 <http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/freeride.html>.

The Limits of Non-Violence

Non-violent protests are tactics that have been used for centuries to make a stand against the government. During the 1960’s the Civil Rights Movement began to take a radical change and became a national issue. Although there was a lot of violence in the movement, the non-violence spoke louder than guns and beatings. In 1962 the limits of non-violence tactics were tested. In Albany Georgia, organizers from the SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) arrived in 1961 to help African-Americans fight segregation without violence. After many non-violent protests such as school walk outs, sitting in at white restaurants and doing anything to desegregate the south, more than 500 had been put in jail. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was called down to help get them out and help fight segregation. After police investigations on the tactics of non-violence King and others were jailed as well. In July of 1962 the court orders a restraining order against the jailed protesters, when the SNCC and SCLC leave there is still segregation but the non-violent fight to end segregation continues. Non-violent protest was a new way in dealing with the segregation and changed the movement to become stronger and have more of an impact with a new tactic. Although some limits were reached, it only drove protestors more and the Civil Rights Movement took changed for the duration.

Project “C” in Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama was known as the most segregated city in the United States in the 1960s. Every public facility was segregated including cabs, fitting rooms, and restrooms. A baseball league was discontinued due to the risk of playing against other integrated schools. Only 8 percent of the city’s African American students went to school with white students. Birmingham’s leaders did everything and anything they could to keep the blacks in line. Even the Ku Klux Klan tried to keep the blacks in line. In between the years of 1957 and 1963, Birmingham experienced 50 cross burnings and 18 bombings. With the terror and danger increasing, Martin Luther King Jr.’s concern increased as well.
King helped set up marches, boycotts and protests in order to gain attention to the horrific treatment blacks were receiving in Birmingham, Alabama. Each day people would protest and each day more and more people were arrested, including Martin Luther King Jr. himself. From jail he continued to promote the protests and marches. "I am in Birmingham because injustice is here," Martin Luther King Jr. wrote. "I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham...Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." With these letters, King was able to build confidence in the black community to continue fighting for equality.
Therefore, younger people began to join the protests.
On May 3rd, people were protesting near the 16th street church and where either trapped inside or outside and were soon being threatened. These threats turned into officers beating men, women and children with nightsticks, setting dogs loose on them and/or spraying them with water from a fire hose. People were being injured everywhere because they were protesting for a life with freedom and everyone saw. This type of reaction continued on for other protests. Publicity about Birmingham sky rocketed with all of the smaller protests, so this particular ended up being filmed. With the nation watching the horrific scene from their very living room, the change was already occurring. Blacks then gained their civil rights and integration was finally able to occur. It was one of the fastest integration acceptance rates ever. Within three months, whites and blacks were integrated in cabs, fitting rooms, and restrooms. Martin Luther King Jr. and every other person involved in the Project “C” helped set a new tone for the civil rights movement. The harsh truth shown on thousands of television screens that day was yet again another milestone in creating equal rights for everyone.

Sources: Freedom Now! May 16, 2003. Socailworker.org. May 30, 2009. http://socialistworker.org/2003-1/453/453_08_Birmingham.shtml
The Story of the Movement. 2008. Pbs.org. May 30, 2009. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/07_c.html

The March on Washington

On August 28th 1963, more than 200,000 individuals conglomerate peacefully on the National Mall to promote the civil rights movement. John Lewis had prepared a speech which included scathing remarks against the Kennedy administration, but was eventually persuaded by A. Philip Randolph (a key civil and labor rights leader) to lessen the harshness of the speech in order to prevent any potential violence. Lewis successfully spoke in front of the population, and delivered a toned- down version of the speech that originally possessed a malevolent rhetoric. At this event, Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” while standing before the watchful eye of the Lincoln Memorial. This speech was an outright success, but the march had eventual, unintended repercussions. Soon after, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing 4 and injuring fifteen more. This bombing served to increase turmoil within the civil rights movement by hinting at a lean towards a violent uprising. Despite the retrospectively minimal negative outcome, The March on Washington was a resounding success, and served to demonstrate not only the power of unity, but also the support for the civil rights movement.

Source: "The March on Washington." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/08_washington.html>.

Hemingway

July 2nd, 1961 marks the death of a famed and accomplished writer. Born in Illinois on July 21, 1899, Hemingway would end up traveling to different parts of the country and various areas of the world. As a child, he was a star in the classroom, showing excellent writing skills, and as an athlete, boxing and playing football. Instead of going to college, Hemingway became a reporter for the Kansas City Star, and shortly after this he joined the United States Army as an ambulance driver for World War I, in which he received the Silver Medal of Military Valor for, despite his own wounds, aiding a wounded Italian soldier. After returning from the war, Hemingway moved into a neighborhood in Toronto, Canada, working for a local newspaper, and beginning to write his first novels. In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises were among Hemingway’s first pieces. In 1936, Hemingway traveled to Spain to report for America during the Spanish Civil War. Later, in 1941, Hemingway was active in World War II, participating in naval battles, and later traveling to Europe and reporting for Collier’s magazine on D-Day and other wartime events. During his lifetime, Hemingway traveled to Cuba, Spain, and various places in Europe as a result of military duties, journalism duties, or sheer pleasure. In 1953, Hemingway received the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea, and the following year he won the Nobel Prize for literature. Hemingway’s style is characterized by terse sentences and “macho,” nature-loving protagonists, evolving writing during the 1900s. During Hemingway’s later years, the writer’s health was declining. During the early 50s, Hemingway suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion and lacerations and burns to his face, arms, and legs, due to two plane crashes and a bushfire accident. Hemingway ended his life on July 2nd, 1961 by shooting himself with a shotgun, possibly the result of alcoholism and constant depression. It is without question that Hemingway will be considered “one of the great innovators of twentieth-century [writing] form,” and that he will have much influence on future novelists. (The Influence of Ernest Hemingway)

Source: "The Influence of Ernest Hemingway." Enotes. 2009. 1 June 2009 <http://www.enotes.com/twentieth-century-criticism/influence-ernest-hemingway>.

The End of Eichmann

Adolf Eichmann was born in Solingen, Germany in 1906. In 1932, Eichmann joined the Nazi party and the following year he entered a terrorist school and began his military training. Through the following years, Eichmann gained power and reputation in the Nazi party, becoming a corporal and being promoted to the head of the Nazi Jewish department. Eichmann was eventually appointed to Lieutenant in 1939, at which point unfair legislation had been created against Jews. In 1940, Eichmann’s department forced the evacuation of Jews from parts of Germany, resulting in 230 deaths. The following year, unable to find a place for 8,000 other Jewish civilians, Eichmann proposed to solve the problem by death through shooting. Eichmann was later promoted to Major, and shortly after 15,000 Jews were deported from Holland to extermination camps. After the responsibilites of "confiscation of property of persons hostile to the people and the state, and the cancellation of German nationality" were given to Eichmann, he ordered the deportation of 50,000 Jews by foot. Eichmann was captured by American forces but escaped, traveling to Argentina and getting a fake identification. He was once again captured by the Americans and put on trial in 1961. May 31, 1962 marks the day that "the man in charge of the extermination program against the Jews" was hanged. (Eichmann Timeline)

Source:
"Eichmann Timeline." Remember. 2009. PBS. 1 June 2009

<http://remember.org/eichmann/timeline.htm#ghetto>.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land is a science fiction book that was first published in 1961 in the U.S. The story tells readers about a Valentine Michael Smith, a Martian being raised on the planet Mars. Smith returns to Earth and has to live life as a human; the novel captures the ways of humans and the events that change the world. In the novel, Smith explores the human world by finding love and opening his own church, the Church of all Worlds, where he preaches free love. The story deals with topics that typically would not address because of what society expects. But this book has strong themes such as the use of institutions versus corruption, religion, and importance of sexuality spiritually. Stranger in a Strange Land was popularized by the hippie movement in the 60’s as it discussed free love, individuality, self-responsibility and religion. Because of the parallels with religious figures in the bible the book also became a classic within cults. By appealing to a vast audience it left an impact on society that promoted people to change some of their views and take more radical actions. It started revolutions amongst rebels in society, and was the beginning for the formation of many cults that existed during the 60’s and some today.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is a singer, songwriter, poet, and painter who came into the music industry and was able to become one of the leaders with his unique style and vocal protests to events occurring. Bob Dylan had a tough break in the sixties, he struggled with his first album and to get his music recognized. But once he released his second album, which was mostly songs he wrote, he began to climb to the top. His music was unique, it was folk with a little bit of everything that’s lyrics incorporated politics, the economy, literature and philosophy. Some of Dylan’s most famous songs, such as “The Times are Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” (which is considered the anthem for the Civil Rights Movement) were written in the opposition of the Vietnam War. Dylan is most known for capturing the mood, and the events of the time period while incorporating his opinion into the music. For some, he became a “spiritual leader” during the Cold War and people looked to his music for support and help to fight for their cause. He did not just write music to get involved though, he appeared at protests and marches for the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement. By writing songs to help groups such as CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and performing at civil rights marches and protest of the Cold War, he was gaining the love and respect of those who shared similar views. Bob Dylan became one of the most influential song writers during the sixties, and his legacy still carries on today.

Berlin

The Berlin Wall is a physical testament to the tension between the Soviets and the United States and how the Cold War affected other nations. The Wall encompassed the entirety of West Berlin and served as a barrier to not only prevent a majority of movement between the two halves of Berlin, but also to demonstrate the Soviet ownership of the region. While the construction of the Berlin Wall was not the initial conflict between the US and the Soviets, it exacerbated the hostility between the two nations. On August 12th 1961 at 4 pm Walter Ulbricht, leader of East Germany approved the command to close the border, and the next night the city watched as a wall was built encircling it. During the construction, all transport lines are cut, and East Berliners will not be able to travel to the west until 1989. The wall began as merely a fence and barbed wire entanglements, as time progressed, the wall was developed into a complex system including multiple walls and fences and guard towers. This menacing wall served to demoralize the Western Berliners, cutting them off from their families, jobs, and any real outside connection. The East German government argued that the wall was established for the purpose of preventing Western aggression, yet West Berliners could travel to East Berlin. Throughout the era of the Berlin wall, many escape attempts were made, some of which failed. While approximately 5,000 East Berliners managed to escape to West Berlin, reports say around 200 failed and were shot and killed. The Berlin Wall is a perfect example of change for the worse, the Berlin Wall solidified a boundary which not only claimed the lives of many citizens, but also drastically impacted its population. This conflict is a prime example of the struggle for power between the US and Soviets because while the US could assist Western Berliners with the little support it could provide, it was powerless to interject in the affairs of East Berlin. The Berlin Wall remained for more than 28 years, and served as a detriment to Allied forces, as well as the Berlin population.

Source: Burkhardt , Heiko. "Berlin Wall Online." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/>.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a moment in history where the US failed to achieve the task it set out to do. The principle behind this operation was to support Cuban exiles in order to overthrow Fidel Castro. The intention was to make the operation have the illusion of being a Cuban operation when in reality the US was behind the scenes pulling the strings. The US disguised its bombers to look like Cuban aircraft, and proceeded to bomb Cuban airfields. The issue with the operation was the fact that the human variable worked against the fighting force. The US approached the attack with the belief that the rebel force would garner support from the local population that didn’t support Castro. The US failed to consider that a majority of the population supported Castro, and instead fought back against the attacking force. Kennedy attempted to aid the assault with the use of air support, but this solution failed as the Cubans also controlled the skies. The operation was a complete failure, and led to the death of over 200 men on both sides and the capture of 1,197 others. The ineffectiveness of the invasion exemplifies how the US is in fact fallible, and its loss indicated that the US was no longer as much of a superpower as originally perceived.

Sources: "Bay of Pigs Invasion." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1765.html>.

"The Bay of Pigs." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/bay_of_pigs.html>.

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia was a British film made in 1962 that was based off of the life of Thomas Edward Lawrence, professionally known was T. E. Lawrence. The film opens with Lawrence riding his motorcycle down a narrow street. As he swerved to avoid to boys on their bikes, he was thrown over the handlebars. Lawrence died six days after this accident, at the age of 46. The film flashes back to Cairo during World War I, where Lawrence served as a British Army Lieutenant. In 1916, he was given leave to look at the progress of the Arab revolt against the Turks. Lawrence organizes a guerilla army, and leads in the Arabs in harassing the Turks with various attacks. In 1917, he arranged an action against the city of Aqaba, which soon fell to Arab forces. The film also covers Lawrence’s involvement in the capture of Damascus. The Arabs set up a council in the city, but were unable to maintain it, and soon gave most of it up to the British. Lawrence was promoted to colonel, but was soon deactivated and sent home. The film ends as a dejected Lawrence rides in a staff car on his way back to England.

Sources:

"Lawrence of Arabia". The Internet Movie Data Base (IMBD). May 27, 2009 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/>.

Wilson, Jeremy. "T.E. Lawrence Studies". Society for T.E. Lawrence Studies.. May 27, 2009 <http://telawrence.info/telawrenceinfo/index.htm>.

British Beatlemania

British Beatlemania is a term that refers to when the band, the Beatles, burst into the music industry changing pop culture. The Beatles became popular in 1961 and 1962. They started out small, a group of four that played in local bars and clubs in Liverpool, England. After struggling for a few years, the group was finally able to get a record deal and released “Please Please Me” which hit number two in the UK. From there on the Beatles only increased in popularity and Beatlemania occurred. Beatlemania is a phrase that was first coined by newspapers to describe what happened when the Beatles took the stage. The Beatles revolutionized pop culture and made the mark that it was time for the youth. They themselves said that “Youth is on our side, and it`s youth that matters right now." Not only did the Beatles capture the new feel for the new generation but their music was so crazed about that pop and rock and roll had finally become accepted by most parts of society, and even became desirable. The Beatles was one of the biggest bands to exist in the music industry, they changed the way pop/rock and rock was viewed, had the attention of the youth and provided relief to those who were suffering from the Cold War.

Ole Miss

The event at Ole Miss occurred in 1961 and led to the reform of the Ole Miss which if formally known as The University of Mississippi. In the fall of 1962 a riot was formed in Oxford, Mississippi which all started because of James Meredith. James Meredith was an African American who attempting to register to attend the University of Mississippi. The violence evolved because the University of Mississippi was an all-white school. On February 4 1961, Meredith receives a rejection letter from Ole Miss’ admission center. With this, Meredith and NAACP go to the court to fight for equal rights. Meredith gains the support of the federal government, yet Mississippi still denies equal rights to all citizens. Therefore, the court case carried out in 1962 became a fight between federal and state government. Segregationist mobs riot on campus and kill two people while injuring many others. Yet, by the end, this small town was changed forever due to one man, James Meredith. The idea of fighting for change was driving Meredith to continue on through the violence. Since the 1960s was a time of reform with protest, Meredith was able to change the ideal and turn Ole Miss into an equal reality when he attended class in the fall of 1962.

Sources: Meredith graduates from Ole Miss. 2004.History.com. May 27, 2009. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5272

Integrating Ole Miss. June 2002. John F. Kennedy Library. May 27, 2009. http://www.jfklibrary.org/meredith/home.html

John Glenn

John Glenn’s flight around the world thrilled the world. John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born in 1921 and in 1962 he traveled into space. John Glenn received doctoral degrees from nine different colleges including Muskingum College. After receiving numerous special honors and special training in various programs before, during and after World War II, Glenn joined NASA. He was assigned to the NASA Space Task Group in April 1959 and by the end of his work with NASA in 1998 he had logged 218 hours in space. However, Glenn’s first flight around the world was the one that he became famous for. On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 "Friendship 7" spacecraft into outer space. It was the first manned orbital mission launched from the United States in Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During Glenn’s mission he completed three orbits around the earth. In the four hours, fifty five minutes and twenty three seconds of Glenn’s mission, he reached a maximum altitude of 162 miles. Also, in those four hours, fifty five minutes and twenty three seconds, Glenn was able to raise the spirits of all Americans. Successfully traveling to space and orbiting the earth three times put the United States ahead in the “Space Race.” The United States were lagging behind the Soviet Union before the launch of Mercury Atlas 6 “Friendship 7” spacecraft. This mission acted not only as a scientific milestone but also as a political one. Across the United States, John Glenn was acknowledged as a hero. This change in status of the United States to the Soviet Union created a reality which greatly affected the reform the United States was under going into the 1960s.

Sources: Astronaut Bio: John Glenn Jr. 1/99. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. May 6, 2009. May 28, 2009. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/glenn-j.html

John Glenn. The John and Annie Glenn Historic Site and Exploration Center. 2009. May 28, 2009. http://www.johnglennhome.org/john_glenn.shtml

http://www.dailyhistory.net/images/john-glenn-friendship-7.jpg
http://www.dailyhistory.net/february-20-1962-john-glenn-first-american-to-orbit-earth/

Liston beats Patterson!

58 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw. This is the impressive record of Floyd Patterson, who at one point was the youngest man to win the world heavyweight championship. Patterson, a negro and one of eleven children, was born into a poor family in North Carolina. Shortly after his birth, Patterson and his family moved to New York, where the future world champion participated in constant robberies and other crimes as young as the age of ten. Patterson started his boxing career at a boy’s reform school he was sent to at the age of fourteen for his misdemeanors. Three years later Patterson won gold in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and also won the National Amateur Middleweight Championship and New York Golden Gloves Middleweight championship. After battling through an elimination tournament, the 21 year old Patterson knocked out Archie Moore in five rounds, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Patterson continued to fight and held his heavyweight title by fighting numerous less formidable contenders, which he was criticized for. Affected by the criticism, Patterson, one of the most successful boxers in the history of the sport, agreed to fight Sonny Liston on September 25, 1962.
The birth date of Charles Liston is not confirmed; his mother claims that he was born in January of 1928, while he claims that he was born on May 8, 1932. Sonny Liston, as he is more commonly known, was a negro as well. Born into a family of thirteen, he escaped his dad’s control, hitchhiking to St. Louis and reuniting with his mother. Liston, like Patterson, became involved in criminal activity, and he was arrested and jailed as a teenager for robbing a gas station. A Catholic priest discovered Liston’s boxing talents, and helped him leave jail early and start a professional career. In 1953, Liston made his debut against Don Smith, knocking out his opponent. From 1953-1961 Liston continued to fight and win. In 1955 Liston won six fights but was temporarily banned from boxing in 1957 for assaulting a police officer. Liston returned to boxing in 1958 where he won eight more fights. If anyone was going to pose a threat to Floyd Patterson, the reigning heavyweight champion, it was Charles L. Liston.
On September 23, 1962 Sonny Liston and the defending champion Floyd Patterson met in Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois. The battle for America’s heavyweight crown between the two black superstars came to an end as Liston knocked out Patterson in the first round.

Sources:
"Sonny Liston." Find A Grave. 2009. 1 June 2009

<http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=632>.

"Patterson an all-time great outside the ropes." ESPN. 2009. 1 June 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2441796>.

Pope Paul VI: Breaking Barriers

June 21, 1963 marks the day that the papacy of Pope Paul VI began. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, one of fourteen children, was born in Sotto il Monte, Italy, into a family of sharecroppers. Previously, Popes were known to be from aristocratic families. Nevertheless, Pope Paul’s papacy has been successful and productive, being selected a cardinal in 1958 and beginning his papacy in 1963. He has established an international synod of bishops, and the bishops are instructed to set up councils of priests. Along with this, the Pope has enlarged the College of Cardinals, even placing cardinals in third world countries. While the traditions of papacy, changing what is generally accepted from a Pope; he was the first pope in 150 years to leave Italy, which he has done multiple times during his papacy. Pope Paul VI traveled to the Holy Land in 1964; the same year, the Pope made multiple trips to India, and, a year later, Pope Paul traveled to the United States to address the United Nations. He is undoubtedly looking to travel to other various places in the future, and in the process he will be gaining further support and uniting Roman Catholics across the world.

Source:"Pope Paul VI." Catholic Forum. 2009. 1 June 2009

<http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0262.htm>.

British Politician Sex

In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, a political scandal known as the Profumo affair emerged in the United Kingdom. It was named after Jon Profumo, who was the secretary of State for war. Profumo had had a relationship with a showgirl named Christine Keeler, who was also the mistress of a Russian spy. The two had met at a house party in 1961. Although the affair only lasted a few weeks, rumors became public in 1962. Given his position in government amongst the events of the Cold War, the rumors quickly elevated into a public scandal. During this time, it was suspected that Keeler also had an affair with Yevgency “Eugene” Ivanov, a naval attaché at the Soviet embassy in London When Profumo was questioned about his relationship in the House of Commons in 1963, he claimed that he had done nothing wrong, but later confessed that he had lied in his testimony. The scandal caused him to resign that same year. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan also resigned due to health issues, which he claimed were exacerbated by the affairs, as his conservative reputation had been severely damaged. Christine Keeler was found guilty on perjury charges, and sentenced to nine months in prison. John Profumo died in 2006, after suffering a severe stroke.

Sources:

"Scandalous Women: Christine Keeler and The Profumo Affair". May 25, 2009 <http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/2008/03/christine-keeler-and-profumo-affair.html>.

Sullivan , Monica. "Scandal". Movie Magazine International. May 25, 2009 <http://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/scandal.html>.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X was an African American man who was a Muslim minister, public speaker and human rights activist. In the eyes of his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, who indicted white Americans in the harshest terms for their crimes against black Americans. In the eyes of his detractors, he was accused of preaching racism and violence. Malcolm X was an activist that changed the American society. He was known to be one of the most sought after speakers in the United States. He participated in numerous debates, radio stations, and television programs. On June 29, 1963 Malcolm X lead a Unity Rally in Harlem which was one of the largest civil rights events in the nation. He speaks of unity and harmony which inspires the black community to continue to fight for freedom. Malcolm X created an outlet for people and guidance to freedom.
In the following links, you will be able to personally hear Malcolm X’s speeches. You will hear the desire in his voice in which he was able to give to others. http://www.brothermalcolm.net/mxwords/whathesaid5.html

Sources: Biograpraghy. 2000. http://www.malcolmx.com/ June 1, 2009. http://www.malcolmx.com/about/bio.html

Malcolm X Speaks. 2006. http://www.brothermalcolm.com/. June 1, 2009. http://www.brothermalcolm.net/mxwords/whathesaid5.html

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United States. Prior to his presidency, the Eisenhower Administration created a plan to overthrow Fidel Castro, and in 1961, Kennedy ordered the planned invasion to proceed. However, he ordered the invasion to take place without the U.S. Air Support. This attempt to overthrow the Castro regime failed.

Kennedy sought to contain communism in Latin America, and in 1961, he initiated a new foreign aid program. This program known as the Alliance for Progress aimed to strengthen the economies of Latin American nations in order to prevent communism from spreading. In order to provide more aid to foreign countries, Kennedy asked Congress to establish the Peace Corps. Through this program, American volunteers would travel to underprivileged nations to provide help in areas such as education and healthcare. The Peace Corps were authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961.

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began when American spy planes photographed a Soviet missile site in Cuba. Kennedy faced a tough decision because if the U.S. attacked the sites it could lead to nuclear war, but if they did nothing, there would be the threat of nuclear weapons launching from close range. Kennedy ordered a naval quarantine on all weapons bound for Cuba. He soon reached a cordial agreement with Soviet Premiere Khrushchev. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles if the U.S. publicly promised never to invade Cuba, and to remove missiles stationed in Turkey.

During his electoral battle tour, Kennedy visited Dallas Texas on November 22, 1963. As his Limousine turned from Main Street to Houston Street the first shot was fired. The second shot hit Governor Connally in the back. Seconds later, after the third shot was fired, Jackie Kennedy turned to her husband to see him being wounded by a fatal headshot. 45 minutes after the shooting, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder of John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy was shot twice, in the back and neck, and died younger than any U.S. president to date. There was a stunned reaction to the assassination around the world, and the event left a lasting impression on many people.

Sources:
"The John F. Kennedy Assassination Home Page". May 31, 2009 <http://www.jfk-assassination.de/articles/index.php>.

"About The White House- Presidents". May 31, 2009 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/JohnFKennedy/>.