1964

7 FEBRUARY

The Beatles
began their first American tour.

25 FEBRUARY

Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) became world heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Sonny Liston.

13 APRIL

At the age of 32, Chinmoy Kumar Ghose
came to the West. He arrived at New York’s JFK Airport.

22 APRIL

The New York World’s Fair opened in Queens. It featured the futuristic Unisphere.

27 MAY

India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, died.

12 JUNE

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was moved to a jail cell on Robben Island.

18 JULY

Race riots erupted in New York City.

7 AUGUST

Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Johnson broad military powers in North Vietnam. The resolution amounted to a declaration of war.

10-24 OCTOBER

The Summer Olympics was held in Tokyo.

14 OCTOBER

Civil rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating a policy of non-violence.

21 NOVEMBER

New York’s Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time.

3 DECEMBER

Police arrested 824 students at the University of California at Berkley after they staged a massive sit-in.