Remembering 1960

The decade of the Fifties were some very good times for America. We were filled with self-congratulations for not only beating the Fascist menace during the Second World War, but the country came out of the War in pretty good financial shape. In fact, prosperity was there for just about everyone. This was partly due to the fact that for most of the decade, the same people who led us through the War were still in charge. Sure, Truman didn't really come onto the scene until the War was nearly won but he kept things rolling, and Ike had the experience to manage whatever might come along.

What was coming along was the future, and there seemed to be every reason to believe it would be a bright one. Politically, the torch was about to be passed from the generation which led the War effort to the generation which actually fought it. A relative newcomer to the National stage was a Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, the son of America's former ambassador to Great Britain and a veteran who had been heroically wounded in combat in the South Pacific, John F. Kennedy. Opposing Kennedy on the Republican ticket was Eisenhower's heir-apparent, Vice President Richard M. Nixon. Also a WWII vet, Nixon served in the South Seas as a Naval logistics officer for South Pacific Air Transport Command. As Vice President, Nixon fielded several tough foreign and domestic tasks for Eisenhower, demonstrating his political capabilities. For all his experience and qualifications for the Presidency, when he faced Kennedy in what would be the first televised Presidential debates, he simply looked uncomfortable and unattractive under the bright studio lights, especially in comparison to the youthful and good looking Kennedy.

A member of the British Ministry of Colonies prophesied in January that 1950 would be "The Year of Africa" because many states seemed to be on the edge of declaring independence from their former colonial masters. The former colonial powers had a tough time in the aftermath of WWII, and independence movements began to flourish across the dark continent. The number of independent nations in Africa rose from nine to twenty-six by the end of the year as Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom all lost colonies. Some of the former colonies maintained at east cultural ties with their former masters, but in many cases, the new nations were determined to regain the power and influence they enjoyed before the domination of outsiders. From a The Cold War perspective, there were some fears in the West that any political turmoil would be an opportunity for Soviet adventurism.

The Cold War did not go away in 1960, both sides seemed to be waiting for the results of the Presidential Election before making any major moves. In May, Soviet surface-to-air missiles brought down a U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers. The pilot was captured and convicted of espionage in a Moscow court. Also in May, the nuclear submarine-USS Triton completed the first underwater circumnavigation of the globe.

In radio, the "Payola Scandal" led to the National Association of Broadcasters announcement in January that fines could be charged against disk jockeys who accepted money from record companies to "push" certain songs on their shows. The scandal did a great deal of harm to the reputation of early Rock and Roll promoter Alan Freed. Scandals involving Rock and Roll music helped to further solidify the popularity of the Grand Ol' Opry, which had been on the air since 1925 (and continues to be broadcast every Saturday). Airing almost as long, Amos 'n' Andy's last broadcast as the Amos 'n' Andy Music Hall was on November 25. The TV version of Have Gun – Will Travel would remain on the air until the end of the 1963 season, but the radio version was also canceled in November of 1960. One of the greatest radio Westerns of them all, Gunsmoke, was entering what would be its last season, although the TV version would go on until 1975, with twenty seasons it would be one of the longest running scripted programs on TV. Actor Bob Bailey, widely considered "the best of the Johnny Dollars" left the show at the end of the season, leaving Bob Readick and Mandel Kramer to complete the run.

See also: Presidential Election 1960