Contemporary
Kitchen Debate (1959): Nixon and Khrushchev Argue in Moscow
The unscripted exchange became a symbol of Cold War competition over living standards and helped raise Nixon's profile before the 1960 election.
Region
Europe
Contemporary
Anti-Apartheid Movement (1959-1994): Britain's Boycott Campaign
The movement helped isolate apartheid South Africa through boycotts and sanctions campaigns and dissolved after South Africa's first democratic election in 1994.
Contemporary
U-2 Incident (1960): Francis Gary Powers Shot Down Over USSR
The pilot was captured, the US cover story collapsed and the Paris summit of May 1960 broke down, deepening Cold War tensions.
Contemporary
Checkpoint Charlie Standoff (1961): US and Soviet Tanks Face Off
Both sides withdrew their tanks on 28 October after a quiet agreement between Washington and Moscow; the division of Berlin was left unchanged.
Contemporary
Tsar Bomba (1961): The Largest Nuclear Weapon Ever Detonated
A thermonuclear device with an estimated yield of 50 to 58 megatons was detonated, the largest man-made explosion in history.
Contemporary
Construction of the Berlin Wall (1961): A City Divided Overnight
East Germany closed the border around West Berlin, stopping mass emigration and dividing the city for 28 years until November 1989.
Contemporary
Annexation of Goa 1961: India Ends Portuguese Rule in Goa
Portuguese forces surrendered on 19 December 1961 and Goa, Daman and Diu became part of India; Portugal recognised Indian sovereignty in 1974.
Contemporary
Yuri Gagarin and Vostok 1 (1961): First Human in Space
Gagarin completed one orbit of the Earth in 108 minutes and returned safely, giving the Soviet Union the first human spaceflight.
Contemporary
Evian Accords 1962: The Agreement That Ended the Algerian War
France and the FLN agreed a ceasefire and a path to Algerian independence, approved by referendums and achieved on 3–5 July 1962.
Contemporary
Telstar 1 (1962): First Live Transatlantic Satellite TV
Telstar 1 proved that an orbiting satellite could relay live television, telephone calls and data between continents, opening the age of satellite communications.
Contemporary
Ich bin ein Berliner (1963): Kennedy's Speech in West Berlin
The speech affirmed US commitment to West Berlin and became one of the most famous addresses of the Cold War.
Contemporary
Bristol Bus Boycott (1963): Challenging the Colour Bar in Britain
The Bristol Omnibus Company ended its colour bar on 28 August 1963, and the campaign helped build support for Britain's first Race Relations Act in 1965.