Experience the cultural revolution of 1968 through our curated collection of articles, photos, songs and videos that explore the key people, events and movements that shaped that pivotal year. Dive deep into the history and significance of the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the counterculture revolution. Join me as I take a journey back in time to explore the world-changing events of 1968, all sourced from the vast reaches of the internet.
Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions, Kennedy was shot several times by 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. He was pronounced dead a day later, on June 6, 1968.
The summer of 1968 was a tempestuous time in American history. Both the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement were peaking. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated in the spring, igniting riots across the country. In the face of this unrest, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek a second term in the upcoming presidential election. Robert Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s younger brother and former U.S. Attorney General, stepped into this breach and experienced a groundswell of support.
Kennedy was perceived by many to be the only person in American politics capable of uniting the people. He was beloved by the minority community for his integrity and devotion to the civil rights cause. After winning California’s primary, Kennedy was in the position to receive the Democratic nomination and face off against Richard Nixon in the general election.
As star athletes Rafer Johnson and Roosevelt Grier accompanied Kennedy out a rear exit of the Ambassador Hotel, Sirhan Sirhan stepped forward with a rolled-up campaign poster, hiding his .22 revolver. He was only a foot away when he fired several shots at Kennedy. Grier and Johnson wrestled Sirhan to the ground, but not before five bystanders were wounded. Grier was distraught afterward and blamed himself for allowing Kennedy to be shot.
Aaron Eckhart is an accomplished American actor, known for his versatility and range in the roles he plays on screen. He was born on March 12, 1968 in Cupertino, California, the son of Mary Martha Lawrence, a writer, artist, and poet, and James Conrad Eckhart, a computer executive. He is the youngest of three brothers and has a diverse ancestry, with his father being of German-Russian descent and his mother having English, German, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry.
Eckhart was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a two-year mission in France and Switzerland. This experience, where he learned to speak French fluently, would later serve him well in his acting career. In 1981, his family moved to the United Kingdom, where they lived in various towns in Surrey, England. This move allowed Eckhart to experience different cultures and gain a broader perspective on life.
Eckhart attended American Community School, where he was first introduced to acting, starring in a school production as Charlie Brown. However, it wasn't until he moved to Australia and settled in Sydney that he fully developed his acting skills. He attended the American International School of Sydney for his high school senior year and starred in productions like Waiting for Godot, where he admits that he gave a "terrible" performance. Despite this, the experience ignited a passion for acting in Eckhart and he knew that this is what he wanted to do with his life.
In the autumn of his senior year, Eckhart left school to take a job at the Warringah Mall movie theater. He eventually earned his diploma through an adult education course. This also allowed Eckhart time to enjoy a year of surfing in Hawaii and France, as well as skiing in the Alps. He believes that these experiences helped him become more well-rounded and gave him a deeper understanding of the world and people around him.
In 1988, Eckhart returned to the United States and enrolled as a film major at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, but later transferred to Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He also studied acting at the William Esper Studio, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of renowned acting coach, William Esper.
After graduation, Eckhart moved to New York City to pursue his acting career. He worked hard and made a name for himself in the theater scene, before making his way to Hollywood. Since then, he has appeared in a wide range of films, including drama, comedy, and action films, earning critical acclaim and a loyal fan base along the way. He is known for his ability to disappear into a role and make it his own, and his performances have been praised for their depth and nuance.
Eckhart's talent, dedication, and hard work have resulted in a successful and enduring career in the entertainment industry. He continues to work on exciting and challenging projects, and is considered one of the most talented actors of his generation.
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of James Bond in the eponymous film series. Born on March 2, 1968 in Chester, England, Craig began his acting career on stage after training at the National Youth Theatre and graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991.
Craig made his film debut in the drama The Power of One (1992) and attracted attention with appearances in the historical television war drama Sharpe's Eagle (1993) and the family film A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995). He received widespread recognition for his breakthrough role in the drama serial Our Friends in the North (1996), which followed the lives of four friends in Newcastle, England over several decades.
Craig's career continued to gain momentum with roles in the biographical film Elizabeth (1998), the action film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and the crime thrillers Road to Perdition (2002) and Layer Cake (2004). But it was his portrayal of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006) that brought him international fame and critical acclaim. The film was well-received by critics and earned Craig a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Craig went on to star in three more James Bond films, Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), which is the series' highest-grossing film, and Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021) which is the last of his tenure as Bond. His portrayal of the iconic character has brought him further international attention and cemented his status as one of the most talented actors of his generation.
In addition to his work as James Bond, Craig has also starred in other notable films such as the fantasy film The Golden Compass (2007), the historical drama Defiance (2008), the science fiction Western Cowboys & Aliens (2011), the heist film Logan Lucky (2017), and the mystery-comedy Knives Out (2019), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Craig continues to be one of the most sought-after actors in the industry, known for his dedication, talent and versatility.
Released April 5, 1968 - This was written for the movie The Graduate, starring Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson, a middle-aged woman who seduces the much younger Dustin Hoffman. Bancroft, who died in 2005, had a long and successful film career, but is best known for her part in this movie.
Regarding the famous line, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?": DiMaggio was a star baseball player for the New York Yankees who was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe. Simon was using him to represent heroes of the past. DiMaggio was a little miffed when he heard this, since he was still very much alive even though he retired from baseball in 1951, but he realized that he had become a new icon now with the baby boomer generation due to this song's success.
Simon, who is a huge fan of The Yankees, explained in a 1990 interview with SongTalk magazine: "The Joe DiMaggio line was written right away in the beginning. And I don't know why or where it came from. It seems so strange, like it didn't belong in that song and then, I don't know, it was so interesting to us that we just kept it. So it's one of the most well-known lines that I've ever written."
Paul Simon was a much bigger fan of Mickey Mantle than Joe DiMaggio. On The Dick Cavett Show, Simon was asked by Mantle why he wasn't mentioned in the song instead of DiMaggio. Simon replied, "It's about syllables, Mick. It's about how many beats there are."
When DiMaggio died in 1999, it was a very emotional event for many baseball fans who grew up watching him play. The part of this song that mentions him summed of the feelings of many people who felt there was no one left to look up to. Simon wrote an editorial about DiMaggio in The New York Times shortly after his death.
Simon began writing this as "Mrs. Roosevelt," and had just the line, "Here's to you, Mrs. Roosevelt" when he changed it to "Mrs. Robinson" for The Graduate.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a likely influence on the song. Some of the lyrics support this theory: Read more
MRS. ROBINSON (Simon & Garfunkel)
CAPO 2nd Fret
PLAY G
KEY A
G/B x-2-0-0-0-3
C/B x-2-x-0-1-0
Am7/G 3-x-2-0-1-0
[Intro]
E
Di di-di-di di di di-di di di di-di di
A
Doo doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo
D G C G/B Am E D
Di-di-di-di di di di-di-di di di-di di
[Chorus]
D G Em
And here's to you Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G D
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo
D G Em
God bless you please Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G Am
Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey
E
Hey hey hey
[Verse 1]
E E7
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
A A7
We'd like to help you learn to help yourself
D G C G/B Am
Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes
E D
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
[Chorus]
D G Em
And here's to you Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G D
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo
D G Em
God bless you please Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G Am
Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey
E
Hey hey hey
[Verse 2]
E E7
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
A A7
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
D G C G/B Am
It's a little secret just the Robinsons' affair
E D
Most of all you've got to hide it from the kids
[Chorus]
D G Em
Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G D
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo
D G Em
God bless you please Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G Am
Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey
E
Hey hey hey
[Verse 3]
E E7
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
A A7
Going to the candidates debate
D G C G/B Am
Laugh about it shout about it when you've got to choose
E D
Any way you look at it you lose
[Chorus]
D G Em
Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G D
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, woo woo woo
D G Em
What's that you say Mrs. Robinson
G Em C C/B Am7 Am7/G Am E
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away, hey hey hey, hey hey hey
Hugh Jackman was born 12 October 1968 in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of Grace McNeil (née Greenwood) and Christopher John Jackman, a Cambridge-trained accountant. His parents were English-born, and had come to Australia, in 1967, as part of the "Ten Pound Poms" immigration. One of Jackman's paternal great-grandfathers was Greek.His parents were devout Christians, having been converted by Evangelist Billy Graham after their marriage. Jackman has four older siblings, and was the second of his parents' children to be born in Australia. He also has a younger half-sister, from his mother's re-marriage.
His parents divorced when he was eight, and Jackman remained in
Australia with his father and Jackman's two brothers, while his mother
moved back to England with Jackman's two sisters.
As a child, Jackman liked the outdoors, spending a lot of time at the
beach and on camping trips and vacations all over Australia. He wanted
to see the world: "I used to spend nights looking at atlases. I decided I
wanted to be a chef on a plane. Because I'd been on a plane and there
was food on board, I presumed there was a chef. I thought that would be
an ideal job."
Jackman went to primary school at Pymble Public School and later attended the all-boys Knox Grammar School on Sydney's Upper North Shore, where he starred in its production of My Fair Lady in 1985, and became the captain of the school in 1986. Following graduation, he spent a gap year working at Uppingham School in England. On his return, he studied at the University of Technology, Sydney, graduating in 1991 with a BA in Communications. In his final year of university, he took a drama course to make up additional credits. The class did Václav Havel's The Memorandum with Jackman as the lead. He later commented, "In that week I felt more at home with those people than I did in the entire three years [at university]".
After obtaining his BA, Jackman completed the one-year course "The Journey" at the Actors' Centre in Sydney.
About studying acting full-time, he stated, "It wasn't until I was 22
that I ever thought about my hobby being something I could make a living
out of. As a boy, I'd always had an interest in theater. But the idea
at my school was that drama and music were to round out the man. It
wasn't what one did for a living. I got over that. I found the courage
to stand up and say, 'I want to do it'." After completing "The Journey", he was offered a role on the popular soap opera Neighbours but turned it down to attend the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts of Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, from which he graduated in 1994.
Jackman has said he "always loved acting but when I started at drama
school I was like the dunce of the class. It just wasn’t coming right to
me. Everyone was cooler, everyone seemed more likely to succeed,
everyone seemed more natural at it and in retrospect I think that is
good. I think it is good to come from behind as an actor. I think it is
good to go into an audition thinking 'Man I’ve got to be at my best to
get this gig.'"
Planet of the Apes was released on February 8, 1968 in the United States and was a commercial success, gaining $32,589,624 at the international box office. The film was ground-breaking for its prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers, and was well received by critics and audiences, launching a film franchise,[4] including four sequels, as well as a short lived television show, animated series, comic books, various merchandising, and eventually a remake in 2001 and a new film to be released in 2011. Roddy McDowall, in particular, had a long-running relationship with the Apes series, appearing in the original series of five films (one only via stock footage from an earlier film), and also in the television series.
In 2001, Planet of the Apes was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
