WHAT ALL HAPPENED MAY TO OCTOBER 1969
Find out what all happened May to October 1969

After a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts drives an Oldsmobile off a bridge and his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, dies. (18. July 1969)

People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot called Bloody Thursday. (15. May 1969)

In Canada, the Official Languages Act comes into force, making the French language equal to the English language throughout the Federal government. (9. September 1969)

The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a three-week quarantine to enjoy a ticker tape parade in New York, New York. That evening, at a state dinner in Los Angeles, California, they are awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Richard Nixon. (13. August 1969)

The Zodiac Killer attacks two teens (one male, one female) at Blue Rock Springs in California; they were his second known victims. The female died. (4. July 1969)

Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure. (17. May 1969)

A coup d'état in Somalia brings Siad Barre to power and establishes a socialist republic in Somalia. (21. October 1969)

The Cuyahoga River catches fire, triggering a crack-down on pollution in the river. (22. June 1969)

Operation Banner: British troops are deployed in Northern Ireland. (14. August 1969)

Warren E. Burger is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren. (23. June 1969)

The biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurs when the Soviet N-1 rocket explodes and subsequently destroys its launchpad. (3. July 1969)

The International communist conference begins in Moscow. (5. June 1969)

Vietnam War; The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam is held in Washington DC and across the US. Over 2 million demonstrate nationally; about 250,000 in the nation's capital. (15. October 1969)

At a zebra crossing in London, photographer Iain Macmillan takes the photo that becomes the cover of the Beatles album Abbey Road, one of the most famous album covers in recording history. (8. August 1969)

The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends. (20. May 1969)

Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks. (9. May 1969)

Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon declares the Nixon Doctrine, stating that the United States now expects its Asian allies to take care of their own military defense. This is the start of the "Vietnamization" of the war. (25. July 1969)

Stonewall Riots begin in New York City, marking the start of the Gay Rights Movement. (28. June 1969)

Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill. (10. May 1969)