[JCEccles]

Actually, "The Wonder Years" is a pretty decent depiction 1960s middle class suburbia as seen from the perspective of a kid growing up during that period.

Two things I remember vividly from the 60s are 1) the omnipresent worry over the threat of nuclear war with the Russians (fallout shelters, geiger counters, school nuclear attack drills etc) and 2) the nonstop headlines announcing the latest American casualties in the Vietnam War. On the latter point I still associate the Glen Campbell song "Galveston" with the Vietnam War.

The Interstate highway system was still new and it seems that every family drove these massive squarish big-engined 60s automobiles or station wagons (my family had a 64 Oldsmobile Holiday 88) with big bench seats--no seat belts--at least 80 miles an hour. When dad would let us, we'd tune to great Motown or British Invasion music blasting through a tiny three inch speaker. DJs were superstars.

[Florida native]

I was born in '57, so my childhood spanned the 60's thru '75.

1. Grew up without any A/C

2. TV got only 6 channels (Miami area) - more than other areas

3. Played outside when not in school

4. Climbed trees (my favorite) and rode bikes all over

5. Stayed out late on Halloween and mom never worried about us being kidnapped; she worried about us getting run over

6. Watched Huntley/Brinkley report (mom didn't like Cronkite)

7. Loved to watch -

Car 54, where are you?

Beverly Hillbillies

Lost in Space

Brady Bunch

The Monkees

Batman!

Green Hornet

Time Tunnel

The FBI

8. Learned to drive in my mom's 1967 Dodge Coronet 440

9. South Florida was still a nice place in the 60's and fun too!

10. Saw the Apollo 11 blastoff in person from Cocoa Beach in '69.

[rimtop56]

I haven't read every one of the 900+ replies to your posting, so maybe someone has already mentioned this, but there was a dark side to the 60s (and previously) that people hardly talk about. In finances, economics and other areas, women were treated like second-class citizens. I'm not in favor of many things that the women's movement pushes. In fact, I think it has done great harm to women. But, it's true that women were kept down and treated in derogatory ways. For an example of what I mean, just look at many of the movies from the era. Although I was mostly a kid (4-14) in the 60s, I heard this message from many sources.

As an aside, I remember that variety shows were popular on TV. There was one--I don't know, genre/act(?)--in which a man would mimic throwing a woman around and dragging her by the hair, etc. It was really disturbing to me as a child. Even though as the decade progressed, the media would more often feature the idea that a woman could have her own life of dignity on par with that of a man, the message from many other sources was that a woman needed to "get" a man. If she didn't, she had failed. She must be ugly or deficient in some area (and therefore not worthy of the dignity of a married woman).

[bmwcyle]

The cars had small V8 engines or large V8 engines.

[RightOnline]

For one thing, the image of young America all wandering through the ‘60’s stoned out of their gourds is utterly wrong and ridiculous.

It was a difficult time in America; the Vietnam War, assassinations, race riots, Black Power (which utterly corrupted any prior efforts at fighting racial discrimination), anti-war riots/campus building takeovers, radicals running rampant (Weathermen, Yippies), etc. I was glad to see them end.

[Trteamer]

At 10 years old, I’d ride my bike down to the Coast-To-Coast hardware store and buy a couple of boxes of .22 ammunition. Then I’d ride over to my buddies farm and we would shoot cans. No big deal, we were well trained.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Think vinyl. Most recordings were 45 RPM singles (with one song on the “A side” and one on the “B side”). 45’s had about a one inch diameter center hole, so you had to put an adapter over the spindle on the turntable. 45’s were about $0.50 each.

Albums (LP’s, long play) were 33 RPM with a small (like 3/16”) center hole, that just fit the center hole. Albums were about five bucks.

[Non-Sequitur]

Go through your house and remove microwaves, cell phones, PCs, digital clocks, color TVs, DVD and VCR players, digital cameras, touch tone and wireless phones, most of the medication in your bathroom except for aspirin, icemakers, dishwashers, efficient washers and dryers, efficiency toilets, plastic dish ware, fabric softener sheets, household cleaners like 409, pop in cans, beer cans with openers, most frozen or ready-made food. And when you’re done, redo most of your appliances in avocado and copper, cover your furniture with bright fabrics, grow yourself a duck-ass hairdo, buy a pair of tight bluejeans that crackle when you put them on for the first time, roll a pack of Lucky's up in your teeshirt sleeve, and you’re getting close.

[Darnright]

There was actually prayer in school. I remember reading the Psalms in 2nd grade. You either learned the material, or you failed the grade. Girls wore dresses.

Kids played all over the neighborhood without direct parental supervision. But, somebody’s parent was watching, so you didn’t run wild.

[HungarianGypsy]

Hopefully, I can revise this enough to get more music ideas for a “soundtrack” of favorite ‘60s songs. What I am writing is actually a supernatural story that is set in the ‘60s. I am now set on attempting it for NaNoWiMo (a book in a month thing). So am going over the posts I already read and those I didn’t get to before.

When I posted this originally I did not think it would get so big. Thank you all.

[DouglasKC]

Kids played outside. All of the time.