1969

dreadnut

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We've all seen lots of coverage on the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and of the Apollo 11 Lunar landing recently. What I find interesting is that Chappaquiddick, and the Manson murders also took place in this same time frame, in fact all four of these events happened within a 3-week time frame in the summer of '69. Huge, life-changing events in rapid succession.
 

fronobulax

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We've all seen lots of coverage on the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and of the Apollo 11 Lunar landing recently. What I find interesting is that Chappaquiddick, and the Manson murders also took place in this same time frame, in fact all four of these events happened within a 3-week time frame in the summer of '69. Huge, life-changing events in rapid succession.

The definition of "huge, life-changing" may be a factor. I remember that Chappaquiddick happened but it wasn't a big deal except perhaps, for the adults around me who were relieved that there would not be another Kennedy running for President. Similarly the Manson Murders were just news. Woodstock had a little impact but it was not life changing, Moon landing may have been more so but... When I try and remember 1969 and what happened that effected my life it was the release of Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane that stands out. Maybe it's just because some of us ae chronologically Boomers but were young enough to not realyy identify with the experiences or the generation?
 

dreadnut

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The Manson murders were "just news?" Can't say I agree with your assessment, frono.
 

Guildedagain

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I personally still find 1968 hard to top for what must have been life changing events Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr.
 

fronobulax

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The Manson murders were "just news?" Can't say I agree with your assessment, frono.

You don't have to agree since I am recounting my experience. But if there are more people like me it helps explain your wonderment at the fact that the 50th Anniversary is not generating a lot of interest.

I think at that time and place we did not really consider California "real" or part of our world, We were wrong, but there was a sense that whatever happened "out there" had little to no effect on us. Maybe we were numbed to violent death because organized crime was well covered in local news?

Out of curiosity I scanned Wikipedia's list of notable events in 1969 and the one that stands out is that it was the first year of the draft lottery. I'm not sure whether huge and life-changing would apply but it definitely forced me to decide what i wanted to do in the next few years and take steps to preserve my choices.
 

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I would agree that if you were in to current events of the day that they were all life changing. When they had an impact probably varies on the individual and most definitely in varying degrees. WOodstock became this larger than life representation of a generation seeking peace love and music and maybe some drugs at that time. The moon landing-who would have thought it possible? NOt wanting to open the whole did it happen can of worms but...Then the Manson murders were one more negative tick in the closing years of the 60's generation. And yes Chappaquiddick was more tarnish on Camelot. A fracture in the rose colored glasses and hype surrounding the Kennedys. THey were people. They were a family with flaws not unlike other families. THis was just another unfortunate incident that brought the reality to Americas conscience.

Life changing for many but as stated not so much for others. Degrees...

 

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I was 9 in 1969, so the idea that any particular event was world changing just didn't register. Even the moon landings…my dad had friends & former colleagues working either at NASA or at NASA subcontractors, so what they were doing felt obvious and inevitable to me. First you invent planes, then rockets, then you go into space. Of course, you do! That it was as much a fluke of politics and circumstance as anything else didn't hit home 'til years later.

-Dave-
 

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There was a never-ending war going on somewhere - and another one today somewhere - for political or religious reasons - and it will never end.

1969 - my first trip to Germany - to start using the language - to be exposed to ( slightly ) different culture - pop-music - girls . . .


Sure we heard - or read in newspapers about moon landing and Manson ( Manson, Manson, who tf is Manson? - melody by Alice ) - but it was not important. We were young - and other things occupied our minds.
 

dreadnut

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I remember all of these events individually as I was 15 years old, but I didn't remember them as all being within three weeks of each other that summer.
 

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The Manson murders were "just news?" Can't say I agree with your assessment, frono.

The moon landing was just us going to another celestial body. Woodstock was just another concert that 400 or 500 thousand people attended. A senator crashing a car in a river and killing a woman was just another drunk day for Ted. Come on. It was huge stuff, but I was 3, so what do I know. I work at NASA and people I work with still believe it was faked.
 

Guildedagain

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I work at NASA and people I work with still believe it was faked.

Ok, that makes me feel better about myself ;)



I was 9 in 1969, so the idea that any particular event was world changing just didn't register. Even the moon landings… First you invent planes, then rockets, then you go into space. Of course, you do!

I was 9 in '69, same here. I dreamed of being an astronaut in a lunar capsule, all those little switches, and the loneliness and wonderment of space...
 
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matsickma

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A interesting article about the Sharon Tate murder and how the Wrecking Crew's run in with Charles Manson during Manson's effort to record a record seemed to indicate Sharon Tates murder wasn't the intention. Apparantly the home of the Tate murder was previously owned or rented by the guy who was producing Mansons record. It didn't work out well and the thinking was Manson wanted revenge and so sent his minions to the home that was now occupied by Tate and her older husband Roman Polanski.
You can Google for more info.
M
 

idealassets

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According to a Doris Day bio, Terry Melcher, her son, produced the first 2 Byrds albums, and knew all the Beach Boys. He discussed a lead with Charlie Manson about recording his original songs. Under a friendlier climate Manson visited Melcher & his live-in girlfriend at his home. When Terry Melcher & Brian Wilson concluded that Manson was not saleable, Doris Day had an inclination and told her son to move out of the rental home after realizing that Manson had been there. After Melcher did leave, Roman Polanski and his live-in Sharon Tate moved into the rental that was later attacked by the Manson family killers.

Charlie Manson later gave interviews from prison about the supposed reasons for the murders, it was a horrible act. But at least Doris Day had a great intuition from a distance in order to prevent it ruining their family's life.

On another note, perhaps it wasn't the Woodstock concert that was most impacting during 1969. Instead it could have been the movie, lifestyle, and various related subsequent albums that depicted the lifestyle for so many years following the concert.

As for the moon landing the pictures from space and speech that Neil Armstrong made were great, at least it appeared to be in 1969.
 
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JF-30

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That's comical…but also typically human.

-Dave-

Yeah we were in a race with the USSR to get to the moon. If we faked it the USSR would have exposed us and made up look like clowns.

And remember ther is gravity on the moon. Just not as much as on Earth cause its smaller.

The NASA facility I work at is all wind tunnel testing for aerospace. I'm my tunnel a long time ago before I got there the Space Shuttle and Orion capsule models were tested. We still have the models in our building in Lexan cases.
QMhBpB1.jpg
 
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adorshki

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The Manson murders were "just news?" Can't say I agree with your assessment, frono.

To be fair it made a splash at the time but even the LAPD didn't realize there was a connection between the Tate and LaBianca murders, even ignored tips that may have caused them to connect 'em more quickly.
And Sharon Tate wasn't really THAT big, but the marriage to Polanski also made her newsworthy.
The news faded relatively quickly since the case went cold quickly and wasn't back in the news in til December, and REALLY dominated news once the trial began in '70 and Manson and his followers' antics got them exactly what they wanted:
Publicity.
In my memory, coverage of Chappaquiddick actually lasted longer as a news story than the Tate-LaBianca murders, but the Tate LaBianca murders "came back" and might have been the first time we saw cult leader at work, that we knew of.. but did it affect history?
I don't really think so, and I think that's all that Frono meant by "just news".
Chappaquiddick probably qualifies as a bigger life-changing event even though far less remembered today.
Who knows what may have become of Teddy Kennedy and the US if he hadn't been permanently handicapped by that skeleton in the closet for the remainder of his career.
I don't disagree with you basic proposition that these were newsworthy events in counterpoint to the "Happy Accomplishments", but I suspect it's just human nature to want to celebrate the anniversaries of good news instead of bad, right?
And hey, how about Altamont?
 
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adorshki

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A interesting article about the Sharon Tate murder and how the Wrecking Crew's run in with Charles Manson during Manson's effort to record a record seemed to indicate Sharon Tates murder wasn't the intention. Apparantly the home of the Tate murder was previously owned or rented by the guy who was producing Mansons record. It didn't work out well and the thinking was Manson wanted revenge and so sent his minions to the home that was now occupied by Tate and her older husband Roman Polanski.
You can Google for more info.
M

Never heard of direct Wrecking Crew involvement before, more likely just because the guys who Dennis Wilson introduced him to used members of "the crew" for sessions (As did Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys) the Wrecking Crew, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys actually picked up a couple of Charlie's girls hitchhiking, took 'em, home, and next thing you know Charlie's at his door looking to get his songs recorded, in fact they did record and release one of his tunes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Learn_Not_to_Love
Terry Melcher was the producer in question that Wilson introduced him too, Melcher blew him off, and yes that's when Charlie got it in for Melcher and targeted his house.
Wilson had actually moved out of his house because he was so afraid of Manson.
He felt it was safer to just move out when the lease expired than confront him directly.
A different guy, Gregg Jakobson, actually set up and paid for Manson's recording sessions.
And I could easily see the seasoned pros telling guys like him and Melcher that the guy wasn't a real pleasure to work with.
 
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