John F Kennedy Space Race NASA National Aeronautics

John F. Kennedy

Space Race �NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) (1958) – formed to compete with the Soviet Union’s space program �Space Programs – Kennedy was a huge advocate in increasing America’s Space Program �John Glenn – became the first American to orbit the Earth on Feb. 20 th 1962

Buzz Aldrin (and Neil Armstrong) first humans on the moon

Education �National Defense Education Act (1958) – act that increase funding in education, especially in math, science, and civics

Music �Rock n’ Roll – new musical era that combined blues, jazz, and Southern gospel �Ex: Elvis Presley and Little Richard �British Invasion (1963 -64) – term referring to the popularity of British musicians like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones

Election of 1960 �Election of 1960 – election held between Democrat Kennedy and Republican Nixon �This election was the first to have televised debates

New Frontier �New Frontier – name given to JFK’s domestic and foreign programs �Focused on the economy, education, poverty, crime, military, medical care, and women’s rights

Peace Corps �Peace Corps – organization that sent young men and women to perform humanitarian aid to nations in need

Response to Communism �Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev takes over after Stalin’s death in 1953 �He constructs the Berlin Wall to block out U. S. in 1961 �Now have physical barrier marking the “Iron Curtain” (all nations East of the Berlin Wall)

Fidel Castro �Fidel Castro – Communist Cuban Dictator �Cuba only 90 miles away from Florida, too close for American comfort �Castro formed alliance with Khrushchev

Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961 �C. I. A. began training Cuban exiles for invasion of Cuba at a place called the Bay of Pigs �JFK approves invasion by Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro’s government and set up a new government that was not communist �Invasion fails horribly

Cuban Missile Crisis � 1962: U. S. spy planes discovered missiles in Cuba �Kennedy televised announcement stating the Soviet Union had placed long-range missiles in Cuba �Kennedy issued a naval blockade of Cuba �After 7 days, Soviet leader Khrushchev offered to remove their missiles if U. S. removed their missiles from Turkey

JFK Assassination �President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 in Dallas �Lee Harvey Oswald found guilty