Thursday, February 16, 2017

A 50-Year Memory: News from February

I decided that posting music videos on the first of the month from 50 years ago wasn't enough. I will continue that. But I will add a mid-month roundup of some of the news items that strike me as interesting from that month. So, with no further ado- the news headlines from February 1967:

  • The federal minimum wage in the United States increased from $1.25 an hour to $1.40 an hour for 30,000,000 workers. An additional 8,000,000 additional workers in retail work, hotels, restaurants, construction, laundries and hospitals were guaranteed at least $1.00 an hour, to increase to $1.60 by 1971. [BTW, $1.40 in 1967 would be the equivalent of 10.06 in 2017.]
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  • The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour made its debut on the CBS television network. [These guys deserve many thanks for a truly remarkable series. Videos to come!]
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  • U.S. President Lyndon Johnson sent a letter to North Vietnam's President Ho Chi Minh, by way of Moscow, that began "Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you in the hope that the conflict in Viet Nam can be brought to an end," and outlining his proposal that "I am prepared to order a cessation of bombing against your country... as soon as I am assured that infiltration into South Viet Nam by land and by sea has stopped." [American public opinion had not yet turned against Johnson and the war, but it was quickly heading that direction. Needless to say this letter did no good.]
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  • The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution, governing presidential succession and disability was ratified. [From what I can gather, this may have some interesting things to say about how some may try to remove our current president from office.]
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  • New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison announced at a press conference that he believed that the assassination of John F. Kennedy had been a conspiracy, and that his office had been working on the seeking an indictment. Later in the month he claimed to have solved the crime. [I had the chance to interview an author who said Garrison was correct. Never did get any concrete information from anyone.]
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  • The American space probe Lunar Orbiter 3 sent back the first detailed pictures of the far side of the Moon, not visible from the Earth. [Again, thinking of the amazing women from "Hidden Figures"!]
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  • Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. began speaking out at length against American involvement in the Vietnam War, starting with a speech in Los Angeles. [As I said, the tide was turning and this was a huge step for Dr. King and the country.]
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  • President Johnson sent a message to the U.S. Senate, asking for the introduction of what would become the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. "I am convinced," the President, said, "that a vital and self-sufficient noncommercial television system will not only instruct, but inspire and uplift our people." [An important part of our American culture for the past 50 years. Thank you, LBJ!]

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