MAJOR EVENTS OF 1960
OPEC
(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is formed during a meeting in Baghdad, Iraq.
Civil Rights Act—President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law. The purpose was to close loopholes from the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and dealt primarily with voter disenfranchisement.
The Summer Olympics
are held in Rome, Italy, the first games to be fully covered on television. 83 countries sent 5,000 athletes to participate in the 150 sporting events. The Soviet Union, United States, and Italy won the most medals.
Vietnam War—The United States announces that 3,500 American soldiers are going to be sent to Vietnam.
Psycho—The classic suspenseful horror film “Psycho” premiered in New York City. The film was produced and directed by legendary film maker Alfred Hitchcock, and it was considered the mother of modern slasher films.
The classic American novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”
by Harper Lee was published. It was Lee’s first novel and an immediate success, earning her critical acclaim and a Pulitzer Prize the following year.
Presidential Debate—The first televised U.S. Presidential debate takes place between Kennedy and Nixon.