1. "The Late Late Show"
   "The Ed Sullivan Show"
2. "The Tonight Show"

It was 1962 when Johnny Carson took the reins of "The Tonight Show." With his wry smile and handsome looks, Carson became a larger-than-life figure on late night TV.

1. arson
   desegregation
2. chef agreed not to use GMO foods

In one famous act of civil disobedience, protesters at Woolworth's conducting "sit-ins" to months on end. Finally, after half a year of protests, the lunch counter began serving blacks just as it did whites.

1. three pointers made
   home runs
2. strikes bowled

They played on the same team, and they were both in pursuit of Babe Ruth's home run record -- 60 in a season. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle slugged away in 1961, and in the last game of the year, Maris hit lucky number 61.

1. Los Angeles
   Des Moines
2. Nashville

In Los Angeles, a scuffle between white policemen and a black man exploded into the infamous Watts Riot. In five days of violence, 34 people died and more than 4,000 were arrested.

1. Brazil
   Mexico
2. Israel

In '67, Israel fought a short but intense Six-Day War with its Middle East neighbors. The Israelis unleashed devastating attacks that caused tens of thousands of casualties on its enemies, while losing only a few hundred of their own troops.

1. John Wayne
   Annette Funicello
2. Tom Hanks

"Beach Party" is a silly movie with an outrageous story, one involving a scientist supposedly researching the mating habits of surfers in Southern California. Mousketeer Annette Funicello starred alongside Frankie Avalon.

1. Fargo
   New Orleans
2. Houston

In 1965, the Astrodome opened in Houston. The huged domed stadium drew flocks of people even though the baseball teams it was home to weren't very good.

1. Daft Punk
   Aerosmith
2. the Beatles

On February 9, 1964, a rift in the space-time continuum occurred on "The Ed Sullivan Show" when the mop-haired Beatles took the stage. Western pop culture would never again be the same.

1. Voting Rights Act
   Northwest Ordinance
2. Stamp Act

In response to major civil disturbances, President Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which almost immediately became law. The act was aimed at eliminating discrimination at the polls.

1. Inger Stevens
   Janis Joplin
2. Marilyn Monroe

In 1962, after years of substance abuse and public decline, Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home. The news of her untimely death shocked the world.

1. Tennessee
   Iowa
2. New York

It was an extravaganza of unimaginable scale -- the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens (New York). More than 50 million people visited the sprawling exhibits.

1. a first responder's program
   public school
2. the University of Mississippi

After hearing JFK's inspiring inaugural address, James Meredith decided to apply to the University of Mississippi, an area where black oppression was still the norm. Twice denied, he was eventually accepted … and the rioting began.

1. Sam Sheppard
   John Wayne
2. Jim Belushi

"True Grit" starred the likes of Kim Darby, Glen Campbell … and John Wayne, who won Best Actor for his performance. For the famous role, Wayne donned a pirate-style black eye patch.

1. too many prisoners escaped
   high costs
2. prison riots

From '43 to '63, Alcatraz Island was home to a well-known federal prison. The facility closed in 1963 due to the unmanageable costs.

1. Gerald Ford
   John Kennedy
2. Ronald Reagan

In the first-ever televised presidential debate, Nixon squared off against JFK. The latter man's handsome looks and distinctive voice helped him win the debate, even though both men showed equal intellectual ability.

1. He was exiled.
   He was elected.
2. He was murdered.

In 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President Kennedy in Dallas. Days later, Oswald himself was gunned down by -- on live television -- by Jack Ruby.

1. Mike Tyson
   Joe Frazier
2. Muhammad Ali

Clay won the gold medal and later became the biggest celebrity ever in boxing. After his conversion to Islam, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

1. Vietnam War
   animal welfare
2. women's suffrage

In March '65, a "teach-in" was held at the University of Michigan. The overnight event was meant to address the horrors of the Vietnam War.

1. North Carolina
   UCLA
2. Nebraska

In '67, coach John Wooden led his UCLA Bruins to an NCAA basketball title. The team would win seven -- yes, seven -- consecutive titles under his tutelage.

1. the banking system
   feminism
2. physics

Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" documented the discontentment of American women in the '50s and '60s, placing much of the blame on the rigid mother-housewife role that dominated the era. Her book is often credited with launching another round of feminism in America.

1. on July 20, 1969
   on July 4, 1962
2. on December 25, 1965

It was one of America's finest moments in the 20th century. On July 20, 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission hit the high notes -- Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

1. New York
   Washington, D.C.
2. Jacksonville

What began as a run-of-the-mill music fest turned into muddy, sloppy symbol of the Sixties. That August, Woodstock found nearly half a million music fans yearning for a new way forward after a decade of tumult.

1. a bicycle race
   a cooking show on TV
2. an assassination attempt

In 1962, Julia Child became the original TV chef. Only instead of parading her ego cable TV style, she was known for his infectious love of food … and in particular, butter.

1. "Happy Days"
   "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
2. "M.A.S.H."

From '61 to '66, the Petries were the happy family in ""The Dick Van Dyke Show," which got its start on CBS. The show starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.

1. "Misery"
   "Breakfast of Champions"
2. "To Kill a Mockingbird"

With just one book, Harper Lee became an icon of the 20th century. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a dramatic and moving account of racism and injustice in America.

1. David Bowie
   Bob Dylan
2. Debbie Gibson

In 1962, Bob Dylan unveiled his first album, named … "Bob Dylan." In true Dylan style, it took just days to record the album.

1. Dallas Cowboys
   Green Bay Packers
2. Cleveland Browns

He wasn't just a football player -- Jim Brown was a running back turned movie star, living life at a 10 wherever he went. He led the Cleveland Browns to the '64 NFL title.

1. "Looney Tunes"
   "The Flintstones"
2. "The Simpsons"

"The Flintstones" ran on ABC from 1960 to 1966. In a TV first, the cartoon held a prime time slot in the evenings, garnering fans young and old.

1. Smurfs
   Raggedy Ann
2. Ken

After years of desperate existential loneliness, Barbie finally found her man -- Ken, who debuted in 1961. Barbie and Ken's love caught fire, which was dangerous because burning plastic creates toxic fumes.

1. with a splashdown
   with a deadly fire
2. with a flyby of the moon

During a rehearsal in early 1967, Apollo 1 came to an abrupt end with a cockpit fire. All three crew members were killed in the catastrophe.