1962, Newport & Beyond...

By any account, 1962 was an eventful year in history. The Cuban Missile Crisis came to a head and John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth in Friendship 7. Telstar, the first communications satellite was activated, Spiderman, Dr. No and Andy Warhol’s Andy Warhol's Campbell’s Soup Cans all debuted this year. Johnny Carson took over as host of the Tonight Show and the Beatles replaced drummer Pete Best with Ringo Starr. Meanwhile, here in Newport, it was an America’s Cup year with Weatherly besting Gretel, the first Australian challenger. JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy followed the racing closely while spending the summer at their Hammersmith residence. The Jazz Festival returned to Freebody Park featuring Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thelonious Monk.

February 1962:

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth in Friendship 7 and President Kennedy announced a U.S. embargo prohibiting the importation of goods of Cuban origin. The official beginning of the "Age of Aquarius" was heralded by the alignment of the first 6 planets in an extremely rare "great conjunction" during a solar eclipse and the Beach Boys introduced a new musical style with their hit "Surfin."  Great strides were being made in the Civil Rights Movement with Memphis, TN ordering the desegregation of its lunch counters and the Supreme Court disallowing race separation on public transportation. Meanwhile, here in Newport, The Preservation Society saved the Elms (mansion) from the wrecking ball, purchasing it for $116,000 and the Colony House was designated a National Historic Landmark. The USS Ingraham arrived in Newport, her new home port, later she was assigned as part of the Cuban blockade which resulted in the removal of Russian missiles from that island.