The Tumultuous, Eventful, Unforgettable Summer of 1969
1969 is one of our most sensual scents, infamously based on the sexual position, but also an homage to the eventful year that truly shaped the life and times as we know them. A scent as revolutionary as the year itself.
April 4, 1969
First temporarily artificial heart implant
First temporarily artificial heart implant
Dr. Denton Cooley implanted the first temporary artificial heart in Houston, Texas, a milestone in medicine.
April 6, 1969
First man crosses the Arctic Ocean
April 6, 1969
First man crosses the Arctic Ocean
English explorer, Sir Wally Herbert reached the North Pole on foot and became the first man to cross the frozen Arctic Ocean. He covered 3,720 miles in 16 months.
April 22, 1969
The first sailor around the world
The first sailor around the world
Robin Knox-Johnston was the first person to sail around the world entirely on his own, and without stopping.
April 23, 1969
Sirhan Sirhan sentenced
Sirhan Sirhan sentenced
Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of murdering New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign, was sentenced to death on this day.
May 5, 1969
First Native American receives Pulitzer Prize
First Native American receives Pulitzer Prize
N. Scott Momaday, the Kiowa author was the first Native American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for the novel “House Made of Dawn.”
May 14, 1969
Canada legalizes contraception and abortion
Canada legalizes contraception and abortion
To think the fight has been going on for decades, this was the day when Canada officially legalized the use of contraception and the practice of abortion.
May 18 and July 20, 1969
The Apollo 10 Mission
The Apollo 10 Mission
Who knew that this would be the time that the the first color pictures of Earth from space? The Apollo 10 mission was the first lunar landing module, and was tested on May 18 of the ability being in space and on the moon. On July 20, Apollo 11, carrying 3 American astronauts, landed on the moon, led by mission commander Neil Armstrong, crew-mate Buzz Aldrin and third partner Michael Collins.
May 24, 1969
Beatles' "Get Back" is No. 1
Beatles' "Get Back" is No. 1
"Get Back" by the Beatles stays on the Billboard top songs list for weeks, released as a single and later on the "Let it be" album. A breakthrough for the time, and one of the last.
May 25, 1969
"Midnight Cowboy" is the first X rated movie to get a mainstream release
"Midnight Cowboy" is the first X rated movie to get a mainstream release
The first X rated film got a wide release, and even earned 7 Academy Award nominations in 1969. John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy," starred Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. The film was based on James Leo Herlihy’s novel of the same name.
June 3, 1969
Last episode of 'Star Trek'
Last episode of 'Star Trek'
For lovers of Star Trek, the last episode of the original aired in June on NBC, titled "Turnabout Intruder".
June 8, 1969
Nixon and the Vietnam War
Nixon and the Vietnam War
President Nixon pulled out troops of 25000 from Vietnam, thereby ending the war.
June 28, 1969
The Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots
The legendary confrontation between gay rights activists and police outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village NYC, escalated into a riot that became a symbolic force in the gay rights movement in America and the world. The bar was raided by police on the grounds the bar refused to pay an increase in bribery, and for 3 days, 400 to 1,000 patrons rioted against police. The bar is still an iconic landmark in Manhattan.
August 9-10, 1969
The Manson murders
The Manson murders
The gruesome murders took place over 2 nights, where pregnant actress Sharon Tate and seven others are killed by Charles Manson and four others, who were later convicted of murder and other charges. The murders received much press and altered the perception of America and Hollywood with "darkly psychosexual, conspiracy-laced cultural exploration of America's seedy underbelly".
August 14, 1969
British troops in Northern Ireland
British troops in Northern Ireland
The British troops sent to Londonderry in Northern Ireland on this day were meant to stay for a few days, but the conflict between the police and Catholic residents lasted decades.
August 15-18, 1969
Woodstock
Woodstock
Nearly 400,000 people showed up at a farm in Bethel New York for The Woodstock music festival. The event defined the era of festivals to come, and featured Jimi Hendrix, the Who, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone. Read more about it here.
August 17
Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille
More than 250 people were killed in Mississippi and Louisiana when a category 5 Hurricane Camille struck the nation with winds of 200 mph and tides higher than 20 feet. A first in a history of many such natural catastrophes to hit the region.
September 1, 1969
Gadhafi assumes power
Gadhafi assumes power
Moammar Gadhafi overpowered King Idris and took full control of Libya, and remained in power for decades to come.
September 24, 1969
The "Chicago 8" trial starts
The "Chicago 8" trial starts
"Chicago 8" represents the trial of 8 people on charges connected with protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 8 policemen were also indicted due to their connection with the high level of intolerance, disorder and crime in Chicago at the time.
