What was of interest in 1967?

1967 was an interesting year with many things that it could be remember for. The year started off on January 1 with Canada starting a year-long celebration of their 100th anniversary of Confederation. On January 23 the trial begins for Wilhelm Harster who was accused of the murder of 82,856 Jews (including Anne Frank) when he led German security police during the German occupation of the Netherlands. He was eventually sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee are killed on January 27 when fire breaks out in their Apollo spacecraft during a launch pad test. In southern Tasmania, Australia, serious bush fires on February 7 claim 62 lives, and destroys 2,642.7 square kilometres (653,025.4 acres) of land. The US labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa begins his 8-year sentence on March 7 for attempting to bribe a jury. On March 14, nine executives of the German pharmaceutical company Grunenthal are charged for breaking German drug laws because of thalidomide. The case was eventually dropped. On April 14 and 15, there were large demonstrations held against the Vietnam War in New York City and in San Francisco. A coup by a group of military officers in Greece on April 21 establishes a military dictatorship that is led by Georgios Papadopoulos. The dictatorship does not end until 1974. On April 27 in Montreal, Quebec, Expo 67, a World's Fair that coincides with the Canadian Confederation centennial is officially opened. It closes on October 29 after having been attended by more than 50 million visitors in the six months it was open. The boxer Muhammad Ali refuses military service on April 28 and is stripped of his boxing titles and banned from professional boxing for the next three years.

On May 1, 1967 Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu are in Las Vegas. On May 26, The Beatles release the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and on November 27, they release the Magical Mystery Tour full album in the USA. In December 26 their film on the Magical Mystery Tour receives its world première on BBC Television in the UK. On June 5 the Six-Day War begins as Israel launches Operation Focus attacking Egyptian Air Force airfields and the armies of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan invade Israel. On June 10 this six-Day War ends as both Israel and Syria agree to a United Nations-mediated cease-fire. On July 4 the British Parliament decriminalizes homosexuality and on August 30, Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was the first African American to hold the position. On September 29, the classic sci-fi TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons broadcasts on ITV in the UK. On October 17, the musical Hair opens off-Broadway and then the following year it moves to Broadway to begin its long run. Future US senator and presidential hopeful John McCain is shot down over North Vietnam and taken prisoner on October 26. He is released five years later. On December 11, Supersonic airliner Concorde is unveiled in Toulouse, France.

Craig Payne is a University lecturer, runner, cynic, researcher, skeptic, forum admin, woo basher, clinician, rabble-rouser, blogger and a dad.