Category Archives: Project Mercury

How Tom Wolfe Became … Tom Wolfe

Posted on April 9, 2019 by

Wolfe, by Irving Penn, in 1966. The writer had already become “the object of a cult.” “I was 11 or maybe 12 years old when I discovered my parents’ bookshelves. They’d been invisible right up to the moment someone or … Continue reading →

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5 surprising things that 1960s TV changed

Posted on March 2, 2019 by

By 1960, television was firmly entrenched as America’s new hearth. Close to 90% of households had a TV, making the device almost ubiquitous. The ensuing decade would see the medium grow in both importance and range. “… And oh yeah, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1968 DNC, Cronkite, John Kennedy, Lyn. Johnson, MLKJr., Music, Nixon, Project Mercury, Sports, The Beatles, TV, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Soviet space program

Posted on February 14, 2019 by

Communists pave the way to the stars. The Soviet miniature sheet of 1964 displaying six historical firsts of the Soviet space program. “The Soviet space program (Russian: Космическая программа СССР, Kosmicheskaya programma SSSR) comprised several of the rocket and space … Continue reading →

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Marooned – Martin Caidin (1964)

Posted on October 21, 2018 by

“Marooned is a 1964 science fiction thriller novel by Martin Caidin, about a manned spacecraft stranded in earth orbit, oxygen running out, and only an experimental craft available to attempt a rescue. A film based on the novel led Caidin … Continue reading →

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For All Mankind – Al Reinert

Posted on August 15, 2018 by

“In the ‘America in the 60’s’ montage that used to play in my head when someone mentioned the era, the moon landing got about five seconds. And you know exactly what five seconds they were; the blurry television feed we’ve … Continue reading →

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1964 New York World’s Fair

Posted on April 7, 2018 by

“The 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair held over 140 pavilions, 110 restaurants, for 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations to build exhibits or attractions at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, NY. The immense fair … Continue reading →

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Project Mercury

Posted on April 2, 2018 by

“Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before … Continue reading →

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