Story highlights The early 1960s were the most intense years of the Cold War

As Soviets tested nuclear devices, Americans stockpiled canned goods in fallout shelters

How well do you know the '60s? Take our quiz and find out.

East versus West, capitalism versus communism: the Cold War lasted from the end of World War II until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Yet this war was at its height in the 1960s.

Here are five other momentous events of the 1960s Cold War that you might not know:

1. The Soviets shot down an American plane and captured the pilot

The United States had been flying U2 spy planes over the Soviet Union for some time to see if the Soviets were aiming missiles at America and to snap photos of local newspaper headlines.

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The CIA told President Dwight D. Eisenhower that its sophisticated aircraft, which reached altitudes of up to 70,000 feet, could not be shot down. But on May 1, 1960, U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers disappeared on a flight over Russia.

Powers had been shot down and captured, and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev made the wreckage a public exhibition. A humiliated Eisenhower was forced to admit the United States had, in fact, committed espionage.

2. Nikita Khrushchev threatened to "bury" America

Three days after meeting Fidel Castro for the first time, Khrushchev visited the United Nations on September 23, 1960. The Soviet leader believed communism was the future and that America needed to be contained. In his address to the U.N. General Assembly, the Soviet leader threatened to "bury" America.

3. JFK didn't mention a single domestic issue in his inaugural speech

Newly elected John F. Kennedy felt his job was to run the Cold War and defeat the Russians, which he made clear in his January 20, 1961, inaugural speech, stating:

"Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, uphold any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

4. The space race made Americans fear for their lives

When Soviet pilot Yuri Gagarin became the first person to enter outer space on April 12, 1961, orbiting the Earth in one hour and 48 minutes, Americans worried the United States could no longer protect its people. Some thought if you could put a man into space, you could put a nuclear warhead into space.

Khrushchev reacted by saying, "Now let the capitalist countries try to catch up."

5. Panic over a soccer field led to the Cuban Missile Crisis

When a CIA consultant spotted soccer fields along the coast in Cuba in September 1962, he became concerned because, as he put it, "Cubans play baseball, Russians play soccer."

The CIA analyst had deduced that the field indicated the presence of a Soviet military camp nearby.

Kennedy approved U2 flights over Cuba but didn't want to get sucked into another Bay of Pigs, the failed invasion to overthrow Castro in April 1961. He wanted hard evidence. Photographs convinced Kennedy that the Russians were putting missiles in Cuba. After U.S. intelligence indicated which U.S. regions were vulnerable to a possible nuclear attack from Cuban soil, Kennedy feared that 30 million American lives were in danger.

Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 60 iconic moments from the 1960s – Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll defined the 1960s. But the decade was also a time of pivotal change — politically, socially and technologically. Check out 60 of the most iconic moments of the decade. Hide Caption 1 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s The 'Greensboro Four' – On February 1, 1960, four African-American college students made history just by sitting down at a whites-only lunch counter at a Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina. Service never came for the "Greensboro Four," as they came to be known, and their peaceful demonstration drew national attention and sparked more "sit-ins" in Southern cities. Hide Caption 2 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Elvis discharged from the military – Elvis Presley's musical heyday was in the 1950s, but he remained a major star in the 1960s. Here, Presley, 25, is pictured with his future wife, Priscilla, shortly before his discharge from the U.S. Army in 1960 . Presley served two years in the Army. Hide Caption 3 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Sharpeville massacre in South Africa – Wounded people in South Africa's Sharpeville township lie in the street on March 21, 1960, after police opened fire on black demonstrators marching against the country's segregation system known as apartheid. At least 180 black Africans, most of them women and children, were injured and 69 were killed in the Sharpeville massacre that signaled the start of armed resistance against apartheid. Hide Caption 4 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s The laser is born – Theodore Maiman pours liquid nitrogen into a cooling unit around one of the first experimental lasers in his laboratory in Santa Monica, California. Maiman's ruby laser, created on May 16, 1960, is considered to be one of the top technological achievements of the 20th century. It paved the way for fiber-optic communications, CDs, DVDs and sight-restoring surgery. Hide Caption 5 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s FDA approves birth-control pill – On June 23, 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Enovid, the first birth-control pill for women Hide Caption 6 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Nixon-Kennedy debate – The first televised presidential debate was on September 26, 1960, and it involved U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon, left, and Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. The debate is largely credited with helping to make a star out of Kennedy, who won the election later that year. Hide Caption 7 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Bay of Pigs invasion – Cuban leader Fidel Castro, lower right, sits inside a tank near Playa Giron, Cuba, during the Bay of Pigs invasion on April 17, 1961. On that day, about 1,500 CIA-backed Cuban exiles landed at Cuba's Bay of Pigs in hopes of triggering an uprising against Castro. It was a complete disaster for President John F. Kennedy's fledgling administration. Hide Caption 8 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Sex and the Single Girl' – Helen Gurley Brown, editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, published her book "Sex and the Single Girl" in 1962. The book helped spark the sexual revolution and popularize the notion that the modern woman could "have it all," including a successful career and a fulfilling sex life. Hide Caption 9 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First interactive video game – In 1962, Massachusetts Institute of Technology students Steve Russell, Martin "Shag" Graetz and Alan Kotok created "Spacewar!" which is widely considered the first interactive video game. Dueling players fired at each other's spaceships using early versions of joysticks. This photo shows the three "Spacewar!" inventors playing the game at Boston's Computer Museum in 1983. Hide Caption 10 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Turn on, tune in, drop out' – The drug LSD became popular in the 1960s, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to designate it an experimental drug in 1962. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary, pictured here, became an advocate for the drug, coining the phrase, "Turn on, tune in, drop out." Hide Caption 11 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First James Bond movie – Before Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan, there was Sean Connery, who starred in the first James Bond film, "Dr. No," in 1962. With the most recent Bond film released in 2012 ("Skyfall"), the James Bond series is the longest running film series of all time. Hide Caption 12 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Marilyn Monroe dies – Actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her apartment on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. Officials ruled her death as probable suicide from sleeping pill overdose, but to this day there remain many conspiracy theories. Hide Caption 13 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Spider-Man arrives – The No. 15 issue of the "Amazing Fantasy" comic book series, published August 10, 1962, marked the first appearance of Spider-Man. The issue is one of the most valuable comics of all time. Hide Caption 14 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Carson takes over 'The Tonight Show' – Johnny Carson, right, took over "The Tonight Show" on October 1, 1962, with co-host Ed McMahon. They retired from the late-night talk show 30 years later. This year, Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon became the show's new host after Jay Leno, who hosted the show for 22 years. Hide Caption 15 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Cuban missile crisis – U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivers a nationally televised address about the Cuban missile crisis on October 22, 1962. After learning that the Soviet Union had begun shipping missiles to Cuba, Kennedy announced a strategic blockade of Cuba and warned the Soviet Union that the U.S. would seize any more deliveries. Hide Caption 16 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Boeing 727 debuts – Crowds in Seattle gather for the first viewing of the Boeing 727 jet in December 1962. The aircraft's first flight would take place on February 9, 1963. The 727 is credited with opening the door to domestic travel for millions of everyday Americans. Hide Caption 17 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Polaroid adds color – Inventor Edwin Land, president and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, demonstrates his company's new instant-color film in 1963. Hide Caption 18 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'The Feminine Mystique' – Betty Friedan energized the feminist movement in 1963 with her book "The Feminine Mystique." The book detailed the frustration of women who were expected to rely on their husbands and children for their happiness. Hide Caption 19 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Patsy Cline's death – Patsy Cline performs at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in this undated photo. The country music star and three others were killed in a plane crash March 5, 1963, near Camden, Tennessee. Hide Caption 20 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s The Beatles' first album – The Beatles released their first album, "Please Please Me," in the United Kingdom on March 22, 1963. Here, the band is honored on November 18, 1963, for the massive sales of albums "Please Please Me" and "With the Beatles." Hide Caption 21 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Alabama governor resists desegregation – Federal Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, standing on the right, confronts Alabama Gov. George Wallace at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on June 11, 1963. Wallace is standing in the doorway to prevent two African-American students from entering despite a presidential order. Wallace, who was pro-segregation, later stood aside. Hide Caption 22 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Medgar Evers assassinated – Myrlie Evers, widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, comforts their son Darrell while their daughter, Reena, wipes her tears during Evers' funeral on June 18, 1963. Evers was assassinated days earlier at his home in Jackson, Mississippi. Hide Caption 23 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s JFK's Berlin speech – U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivers his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner") speech to a massive crowd in West Berlin on June 26, 1963. Hide Caption 24 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'I Have a Dream' – The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd in Washington during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as the Freedom March , on August 28, 1963. The speech is considered one of the most important in American history, and it helped rally support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Hide Caption 25 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Cronkite becomes anchor – Walter Cronkite sits behind the news desk on the set of the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" in August 1963. One month later, it became network television's first nightly half-hour news program. Hide Caption 26 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Birmingham church bombing – A coffin is loaded into a hearse at a funeral in Birmingham, Alabama, for victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing . Four African-American girls were killed and at least 14 others were wounded when a bomb blast tore through church services on September 15, 1963. Three former Ku Klux Klan members were later convicted of murder for the bombing. Hide Caption 27 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First push-button phone – The first push-button telephone was made available to AT&T customers on November 18, 1963. The phone had extension buttons at the bottom for office use. Hide Caption 28 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s President Kennedy assassinated – U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated during a motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Hide Caption 29 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Instant replay debuts – CBS used instant replay for the first time during the airing of the Army-Navy game that took place December 7, 1963, in Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium. Hide Caption 30 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Berlin Wall opens – More than two years after it was constructed, the Berlin Wall opened for the first time on December 20, 1963, allowing citizens of West Berlin to visit their relatives in communist East Berlin. Hide Caption 31 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Warhol and pop art – Artist Andy Warhol stands in the doorway of his studio, the Factory, in 1964, holding the acetate he used to make his famous Marilyn Monroe paintings. Warhol's work centered on famous personalities and iconic American objects, making him a leading figure in the pop art movement. Hide Caption 32 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Beatlemania' comes to the U.S. – On February 9, 1964, the Beatles made their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show," kicking off the American strain of "Beatlemania" — a fever that had already infected their native Britain. Hide Caption 33 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Ali becomes heavyweight champ – Boxer Muhammad Ali — then known as Cassius Clay — upsets Sonny Liston in a heavyweight title fight in Miami Beach, Florida, on February 25, 1964. He was 22 years old. A short time later, Clay joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Hide Caption 34 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Ford Mustang debuts – The 1965 Ford Mustang was first officially revealed to the public at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. Standard equipment included carpet, bucket seats and a 170-cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine that was coupled with a three-speed floor-shift transmission. With a price that started at just under $2,400, the car captured America's affection and is still being produced today Hide Caption 35 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Mandela sentenced to life in prison – South African resistance leader Nelson Mandela , left, talks to Cape Town teacher C Andrews in 1964. On June 12, 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life in prison for four counts of sabotage. He was released 27 years later, and when apartheid ended he became the country's first black president. Hide Caption 36 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Civil Rights Act of 1964 – After signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes hands with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The legislation outlawed discrimination in public places and banned discrimination based on race, gender, religion or national origin. It also encouraged the desegregation of public schools. Hide Caption 37 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Daisy Girl' ad – "Peace, Little Girl," a 1964 political ad for U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, was arguably the most famous — and the most negative — campaign ad in U.S. history. The ad, which played only once, showed a little girl counting daisy petals before an image of a nuclear explosion. Known as the "Daisy Girl" ad, it was credited with helping Johnson defeat U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater in the landslide 1964 election. Hide Caption 38 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s U.S. troops in South Vietnam – On February 9, 1965, the United States deployed its first combat troops to South Vietnam, significantly escalating its role in the war. Here, the U.S. Marines' 163rd Helicopter Squadron discharges South Vietnamese troops for an assault against the Viet Cong hidden along the tree line in the background. Hide Caption 39 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Malcolm X assassinated – Civil rights activist Malcolm X is carried from the Audubon Ballroom in New York, where he had just been shot on February 21, 1965. He died shortly after. Hide Caption 40 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Bloody Sunday' – State troopers swing batons to break up a civil rights voting march in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. "Bloody Sunday," as it became known , helped fuel the drive for passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Hide Caption 41 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Voting Rights Act – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson hands a pen to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the signing of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. The landmark legislation helped protect minorities who had previously encountered unfair barriers to voting. Hide Caption 42 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s The Watts Riots – Two youths, carrying lampshades from a looted store, run down a street in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 13, 1965. The Watts Riots were sparked by tensions between the city's black residents and police. The six days of violence left 34 dead and resulted in $40 million of property damage. Hide Caption 43 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s 'Batman' – The "Batman" TV series debuted in 1966, starring Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as his sidekick, Robin. The show aired for only three seasons, but it was a pop culture sensation at the time and a cult classic for future generations. There was also a feature film in 1966. Hide Caption 44 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s China's Cultural Revolution – Chinese leader Mao Zedong, standing front and center, rides through a Tiananmen Square rally in Beijing in 1966. In May of that year, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution to enforce communism and get rid of old institutions and his political enemies. The political movement careened out of control and led to massive political purges, deaths and destruction before it ended in 1976. Hide Caption 45 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First Super Bowl – The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs played the first Super Bowl on January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles. The Packers won the football game 35-10. Hide Caption 46 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Six-Day War – Israeli soldiers stand in front of the Western Wall on June 9, 1967, in the old city of Jerusalem following its recapture from Jordanian rule in the Six-Day War. Hide Caption 47 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Marshall on Supreme Court – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, with his family at his side, takes his seat at the court for the first time on October 2, 1967. Marshall was the first African-American to be appointed to the high court. Hide Caption 48 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Anti-Vietnam protests – A demonstrator offers a flower to military police at the Pentagon during an anti-Vietnam protest in Washington on October 21, 1967. Marches such as this one helped turn public opinion against the war. Hide Caption 49 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First human heart transplant – Dr. Christiaan Barnard is shown after performing the first human heart transplant on patient Louis Washkansky on December 3, 1967, in Cape Town, South Africa. Hide Caption 50 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Tet Offensive – South Vietnamese Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, chief of the national police, executes suspected Viet Cong officer Nguyen Van Lem — also known as Bay Lop — on a Saigon street on February 1, 1968. It was early in the Tet Offensive, one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. Hide Caption 51 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s My Lai massacre – Houses in My Lai, South Vietnam, burn during the My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968. American troops came to the remote hamlet and killed hundreds of unarmed civilians. The incident, one of the darkest moments of the Vietnam War, further increased opposition to U.S. involvement in the war. Hide Caption 52 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Martin Luther King assassinated – This photo was taken on April 4, 1968, moments after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed by a sniper as he stood on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. Hide Caption 53 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Robert F. Kennedy assassinated – U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of former President John F. Kennedy, was shot shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Kennedy and wounding five other people inside the kitchen service pantry of the former Ambassador Hotel. Hide Caption 54 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Democratic National Convention unrest – Members of the New York delegation protest against the Vietnam War during the 1968 Democratic National Convention held in Chicago. Outside, riots erupted, with tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters clashing with Chicago police and National Guard forces. Hide Caption 55 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Prague Spring – Residents of Prague, Czechoslovakia, throw burning torches in an attempt to stop a Soviet tank on August 21, 1968. A Soviet-led invasion by Warsaw Pact troops crushed the so-called Prague Spring reform and re-established totalitarian rule. Hide Caption 56 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s '60 Minutes' premieres – The iconic Sunday night news magazine "60 Minutes" premiered September 24, 1968, with Harry Reasoner, left, and Mike Wallace, right. At the center is Don Hewitt, the show's creator and producer. Hide Caption 57 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s First men on the moon – Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. salutes the U.S. flag on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Aldrin and mission commander Neil Armstrong became the first humans to walk on the moon. Their mission was considered an American victory in the Cold War and subsequent space race, meeting President Kennedy's goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely" before the end of the decade. Hide Caption 58 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Woodstock Music Festival – Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who perform on stage at the Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, New York. An estimated 400,000 people attended the festival, which took place in August 1969. Hide Caption 59 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Manson murders – Cult leader Charles Manson is taken into court to face murder charges on December 5, 1969, in Los Angeles. At Manson's command, a small group of his most ardent followers brutally murdered five people at the Los Angeles home of film director Roman Polanski on August 8-9, 1969, including Polanski's pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. Manson was convicted for orchestrating the murders and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted to life in prison. Hide Caption 60 of 61 Photos: 60 iconic moments from the 1960s Forebear of the Internet – With the help of a handful of leading universities and other labs, work began on a project to directly link a number of computers. In 1969, with money from the U.S. Defense Department, the first node of this network was installed on the campus of UCLA. The diagram shows the "network of networks" of ARPANET, as it was called. The forebear of the Internet was born. What did the '60s look like to you? Share your photos here. Hide Caption 61 of 61

Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – President John F. Kennedy greets supporters during his visit to Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday, November 22, 1963. This year marks 51 years since his assassination in Dallas, an event that jarred the nation and fueled a multitude of conspiracy theories about whether Kennedy was killed by a single gunman acting alone in the Texas School Book Depository. Here are some images from that fateful day as it unfolded. Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – First lady Jacqueline Kennedy at a breakfast held by the Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth with Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, left, and Kennedy. Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The Kennedys arrive at Love Field in Dallas on a trip to advance the upcoming 1964 campaign. Hide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – About 11:45 a.m., Texas Gov. John B. Connally Jr., waving to the crowd, and the Kennedys depart Love Field for a 10-mile tour of Dallas. The President asked about the weather earlier in the day and opted not to have a top on the limousine. Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The Kennedys and Connallys leave Love Field with Secret Service Agent Bill Greer driving the presidential limousine. The motorcade is on the way to the Trade Mart, where Kennedy is to speak at a sold-out luncheon. Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Crowds line the street as Kennedy's motorcade heads toward downtown Dallas. A group of White House staffers follows the motorcade in a bus several vehicles behind the presidential limousine. Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Dallas Police Officer Bobby Hargis, background, is one of four motorcycle officers assigned to Kennedy's car, which reaches Houston Street shortly before 12:30 p.m. "I thought, 'Well, we've got it made now,' " Hargis said. "And then bam! It happens." Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Kennedy is seen approximately one minute before he is shot. Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Seen through the limousine's windshield as it proceeds along Elm Street past the Texas School Book Depository, Kennedy appears to raise his hand toward his head after being shot. The first lady holds Kennedy's forearm in an effort to aid him. Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Kennedy slumps against his wife as the bullet strikes him in the head. Connally, who is wounded in the attack, begins to turn around just to the left of Jackie Kennedy. Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Kennedy slumps in the back seat of the car and his wife leans over to him as Secret Service Agent Clinton Hill rides on the back of the car. Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The limousine carrying the mortally wounded President races toward the hospital seconds after three shots are fired. Two bullets hit Kennedy and one hit Connally. Hill rides on the back of the car as the wives cover their stricken husbands. Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The limousine speeds along Elm Street toward the Stemmons Freeway overpass moments after shots are fired at Dealey Plaza. Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Photographers are seen running shortly after the shooting. Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Hurchel Jacks, Vice President Johnson's driver in the motorcade, listens with others to news accounts on the car radio outside the Parkland Hospital emergency entrance. After the shots were fired, Jacks had rerouted the vice president's car to safety. The ABC radio network broadcast the first nationwide news bulletin reporting that shots have been fired at the Kennedy motorcade. Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Before 1 p.m., Dr. Tom Shires, with Parkland public relations director Steve Landregan, rear, describes the President's wounds to the press. Four doctors worked on the stricken Kennedy in the emergency room. Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – American broadcast journalist and anchorman Walter Cronkite removes his glasses and prepares to announce Kennedy's death. CBS broadcast the first nationwide TV news bulletin reporting on the shooting. Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – A photographer captures a New Yorker's expression of shock upon hearing the news. At 1 p.m. the 46-year-old President of the United States is declared dead, becoming the fourth U.S. president killed in office. Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – After 2 p.m., Jacqueline Kennedy leaves Parkland Hospital with her slain husband's body. She would ride in the back with the bronze casket. "I had a feeling that if somebody had literally fired a pistol in front of her face that she would just have blinked," said Dallas Police Officer James Jennings, who helped put the casket in the hearse. Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The hearse carrying Kennedy's body pulls away from Parkland Hospital en route to the airport. Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old ex-Marine, is arrested in the back of a movie theater where he fled after shooting Dallas Police Patrolman J.D. Tippit. That incident occurred approximately 45 minutes after the assassination. Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Vice President Lyndon Johnson takes the oath of office to become the 36th president of the United States. He is sworn in by U.S. Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes, left, with Jacqueline Kennedy by his side on Air Force One. Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – The casket containing the body of President Kennedy is moved to a Navy ambulance from the presidential plane. Jacqueline Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy stand behind on the elevator. Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy get into the Navy ambulance with the president's body at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington. The body of the president is taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital for an immediate autopsy. Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – Police mug shot of Lee Harvey Oswald. He is arraigned in the slaying of Officer Tippit on November 22 and/or the murder of the president the next day. As Oswald is being transferred from the Dallas city jail to the county jail, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shoots and kills him, an event captured live on TV. Ruby is arrested immediately. Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: John F. Kennedy: The day John F. Kennedy: The day – A man holds up a copy of the New York World-Telegram featuring the news of the assassination. Major television and radio networks devote continuous news coverage to the events of the day, canceling all entertainment and all commercials. Many theaters, stores and businesses, including stock exchanges and government offices, are closed. Hide Caption 26 of 26

Photos: Photos: JFK remembered Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – On the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's death, children gather around a multimedia display Friday, November 22, in the grand foyer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – A flag flies at half-staff above the White House on November 22. President Barack Obama said the anniversary is a day to honor Kennedy's memory and "celebrate his enduring imprint on American history." Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings speaks November 22 at Dealey Plaza, a few feet away from where Kennedy was fatally shot 50 years ago. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – People gather at Dealey Plaza on November 22. "A new era dawned and another waned a half century ago when hope and hatred collided right here in Dallas," Rawlings said in his remarks. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – People near Dealey Plaza watch a historical broadcast about Kennedy's life. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – A crowd gathers before the Dealey Plaza ceremony. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of President Kennedy, pauses for a moment of silence during a short ceremony November 22 at the JFK memorial in Runnymede, England. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – Jean Kennedy Smith, one of JFK's sisters, lays a wreath at his grave site November 22 at Arlington National Cemetery. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – Army cadets attend a wreath-laying ceremony for Kennedy at the JFK Memorial Park and Arboretum in New Ross, Ireland, on November 22. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – Attorney General Eric Holder pays his respects at Kennedy's grave on November 22. Holder has been visiting the grave since his youth, and he used to come with his mother before she passed away. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Photos: JFK remembered JFK remembered – First lady Michelle Obama, President Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pause during a wreath-laying ceremony Wednesday, November 20, at Arlington National Cemetery. Hide Caption 11 of 11

Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev speaks to the East German Communist Party Congress on January 14, 1963. His public statements in Berlin indicated the USSR did not immediately plan a full-scale revival of its efforts to force the Western occupation powers out of the former German capital. 1963 was a seminal year, not only because of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but advances in technology, entertainment and evolving political relationships also kept the world on its toes. Hide Caption 1 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Crowds gather for the first viewing of the Boeing 727 jet airliner in Seattle in December 1962. The aircraft's first flight would take place on February 9, 1963. Hide Caption 2 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The American poet Sylvia Plath is shown in 1961. She took her own life on February 11, 1963. Hide Caption 3 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Patsy Cline performs at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in this undated photo. The country music star and three others were killed on March 5, 1963, in the crash of a Piper Comanche near Camden, Tennessee. Hide Caption 4 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – A line of handcuffed prisoners, the last convicts held at Alcatraz prison, walk through a cell block as they are transferred to other prisons from Alcatraz Island on San Francisco Bay, California, on March 21, 1963. Alcatraz, known as "The Rock," was a federal penitentiary for 29 years and a prison for more than a century. Hide Caption 5 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The Beatles released their first album, "Please Please Me," in the United Kingdom on March 22, 1963. A 7-inch copy of the single, seen here, was signed on both sides by the Fab Four and sold in 2011 for more than £9,000. Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – British film director Alfred Hitchcock poses with a seagull and a raven in a promotional still for his film "The Birds." The film was released on March 28, 1963. Hide Caption 7 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The long-running soap opera "General Hospital" debuts on ABC television on April 1, 1963. It is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Josip Broz Tito is proclaimed president for life in the constitution of the newly named Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on April 7, 1963. Hide Caption 9 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – David Bruce, the American ambassador to Britain, takes leave of Sir Winston Churchill at Hyde Park Gate, London, on April 10, 1963, after presenting the former British prime minister with a proclamation naming him the first honorary citizen of the United States, a title given to him the day before on April 9, 1963. Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – On April 10, 1963, 129 men lost their lives when the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher sank during deep-dive testing off Cape Cod. The sub is seen here during its launch in 1960. The sinking is the deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history and delivered a blow to national pride during the Cold War, becoming the impetus for safety improvements. Hide Caption 11 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Buddy "Nature Boy" Rogers became the first WWWF Champion on April 29, 1963. Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Sean Connery and Ursula Andress appear in a scene from the film "James Bond: Dr. No." The film premiered in the United States on May 8,1963, as the first James Bond film. Hide Caption 13 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The late Pope John XXIII's body is borne across St. Peter's Square on June 4, 1963, to St. Peter's Basilica from the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace. He died the day before from a malignant stomach tumor. Hide Caption 14 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The former British War Minister John Profumo returns to London after 14 days of absence on June 18, 1963. He resigned as British state secretary for war on June 5, after admitting he had lied in denying any "impropriety" with 21-year-old Christine Keeler. Profumo simultaneously resigned his seat in the House of Commons. Hide Caption 15 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – President John F. Kennedy broadcast a historic civil rights address on June 11, 1963, in which he promised a Civil Rights Bill, and asked for "the kind of equality of treatment that we would want for ourselves." Hide Caption 16 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk, burned himself to death on a Saigon street June 11, 1963, to protest alleged persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government. Hide Caption 17 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton appear in a publicity still for the film "Cleopatra," which premiered on June 12, 1963. The historical drama, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starred Taylor as Cleopatra, and Burton as Mark Antony. Hide Caption 18 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The June 28, 1963, LIFE cover of the child and widow of murdered civil rights activist Medgar Evers at his funeral. Evers was assassinated in his home in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 12, 1963. Hide Caption 19 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, returns to Earth on June 19, 1963. Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – American President John F. Kennedy speaks to a massive crowd in Berlin on June 26, 1963. Hide Caption 21 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Detectives inspecting the Royal Mail train from which more than £2.5 million was stolen. The Great Train Robbery took place in Buckinghamshire on August 8,1963, when the train from Glasgow to London was halted by a gang. Hide Caption 22 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd on the National Mall in Washington during the March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, also known as the Freedom March, on August 28, 1963. Hide Caption 23 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – United States representative Charles Stelle, left, and his Soviet counterpart, Seymon Tsarapkin, meet on June 20, 1963, in Geneva, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the Establishment of a Direct Communications Line, an agreement to set up a hot line between the two superpowers. The "red phone" between Washington and Moscow was declared operational August 30, 1963. Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Walter Cronkite sits behind the news desk on the set of the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite," New York in August 1963. Cronkite became the anchor of American network television's first nightly half-hour news program on September 2, 1963. Hide Caption 25 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – A coffin is loaded into a hearse at a funeral for victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The Birmingham Church Bombing, also known as "Bloody Sunday," took place on September 15, 1963. Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The Lamborghini 350GTV with the body by Franco Scaglione is launched at the Lamborghini Factory, Sant'Agata, Italy, in October 1963. Among the onlookers, with white hair and light-colored jacket, is Piero Taruffi, winner of the last Mille Miglia in 1957. Hide Caption 27 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – On November 2, 1963, the American-aided leader of South Vietnam's anti-communist, Roman Catholic regime, President Ngo Dinh Diem was arrested and assassinated. Hide Caption 28 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The first push-button telephone was introduced on February 28, 1963. It was made available to AT&T customers on November 18, 1963. The phone has extension buttons at the bottom for office use. Hide Caption 29 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, ride in an open-top limousine just minutes before Kennedy was assassinated at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Hide Caption 30 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – The first episode of the BBC television series "Doctor Who" was broadcast in the United Kingdom on November 23, 1963. Hide Caption 31 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – Pierre Mazeaud, Gerard Gery, and Philippe Laffon watch as a new island, Surtsey, is formed from volcanic eruptions off the coast of Iceland on December 2, 1963. Hide Caption 32 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – CBS used instant replay for the first time during the Army-Navy game from Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia on December 7, 1963. Hide Caption 33 of 34 Photos: 1963: From "General Hospital," to the death of a pope In the year 1963 – On December 20, 1963, the wall that separated the city of Berlin for 2½ years was opened for the first time at Christmas as the result of an agreement between the two mayors. 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Kennedy did not want to attack Cuba, but he was worried about the survival of the human race. He imposed a blockade, and on October 22, 1962, he announced to the world that large, long-range weapons of sudden destruction posed a threat to America.

When Russia sent 25 ships toward Cuba, the White House thought it was the early stages of World War III.

At the last minute Soviet ships turned around. For the first time, Khrushchev acknowledged the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, but argued they were merely defensive, and promised to remove them if JFK promised not to invade Cuba.

BONUS: Kennedy planned to get out of Vietnam

Until that year, the President had treated Vietnam as a second-tier issue. He was dealing with Cuba, Berlin and domestic matters. He also felt the people of Vietnam ought to defeat the communists themselves. While the Soviets supported North Vietnam, the United States supported the South. And fears cropped up that if South Vietnam fell, the rest of Southeast Asia was vulnerable, as well as New Zealand and Australia.

When the South Vietnam government was overthrown just weeks before Kennedy's fateful trip to Dallas, he told an aide he would begin to discuss getting out of Vietnam in 1964, after his re-election.

Most historians agree that Kennedy would never have done what Lyndon B. Johnson did, which was trust the military implicitly. Kennedy was skeptical of military advice.

In his December 17, 1963, address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Johnson told a nation in mourning:

"The United States of America wants to see the Cold War end. We want sanity and security and peace for all. And above all President Kennedy I am sure would regard as his best memorial the fact that in his three years as President the world became a little safer, and the way ahead became a little brighter."