![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/files\/2018\/12\/800px-NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg\")
<\/a>arthrise. Photo: NASA\/Bill Anders<\/p><\/div>\n
On “The final frontier”<\/h3>\n
Apollo 8, carrying astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders, was launched, Dec. 21 on a mission around the moon and back. Among the records it set: first to leave earth’s gravitational field, fastest speed achieved by humans, first instance of space-sickness, first to see moon’s farside, and in the first broadcast from lunar orbit, on Christmas Eve, the three men took turns to read the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis.<\/p>\n
In music and entertainment<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/files\/2018\/12\/Elvis_1968_Comeback_Special.jpg\")
<\/a>Elvis during his 1968 Comeback Special. Photo: Mattyg85, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n
Elvis Presley’s “Comeback Special” was the most watched special broadcast of the 1968 holiday season in the United States. The Rolling Stones\u00a0released “Beggars Banquet.” Glen Campbell’s album “Wichita Lineman” was the number 1 album in the U.S., but would be displaced by the Beatles’ “White Album” late in the month. Graham Nash\u00a0left The Hollies\u00a0 to team up with\u00a0David Crosby\u00a0and\u00a0Stephen Stills\u00a0of\u00a0Buffalo Springfield\u00a0, forming\u00a0Crosby, Stills & Nash. Led Zeppelin made their American debut, in Denver, opening for Vanilla Fudge. Frank Sinatra recorded his signature hit “My Way” written by Paul Anka. The Miami Pop Festival drew a crowd of 100,000.<\/p>\n
The film\u00a0Oliver!, based on the hit musical, opened in the U.S. And in England, Pirate Radio Modern (259) began broadcast.<\/p>\n
In science and technology<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/files\/2018\/12\/SRI_Computer_Mouse-300x270.jpg\")
<\/a>SRI\u2019s first computer mouse prototype. Photo: SRI International, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n
Stanford’s Douglas Engelbart demonstrated a pioneering hypertext system together with the computer mouse, at what is now known as “The Mother of All Demos.” NASA ended the No X-15 rocket plane program. The U.S., Soviet Union and China all performed nuclear weapon tests; China detonated its first thermonuclear weapon.<\/p>\n
Around the world:<\/h3>\n
The largest heist in the history of Japan, the never-solved “300 million yen robbery,” occurred in Tokyo. Spain and the Second Vatican Council rescinded the Alhambra Decree, made in 1492, that had ordered the expulsion of all practicing Jews from Spain and its territories. The British Royal Mint, which had been housed in London for more than a thousand years was moved to a small town in Wales. The UN General Assembly directed the UK to return Gibraltar to Spain. The UK declined. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced that Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, 26, and 27, rather than the traditional Orthodox observance on January 7. North Korea released 82 crewmembers of the USS Pueblo captured at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Elvis during his 1968 Comeback Special. Photo: Mattyg85, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n
Elvis Presley’s “Comeback Special” was the most watched special broadcast of the 1968 holiday season in the United States. The Rolling Stones\u00a0released “Beggars Banquet.” Glen Campbell’s album “Wichita Lineman” was the number 1 album in the U.S., but would be displaced by the Beatles’ “White Album” late in the month. Graham Nash\u00a0left The Hollies\u00a0 to team up with\u00a0David Crosby\u00a0and\u00a0Stephen Stills\u00a0of\u00a0Buffalo Springfield\u00a0, forming\u00a0Crosby, Stills & Nash. Led Zeppelin made their American debut, in Denver, opening for Vanilla Fudge. Frank Sinatra recorded his signature hit “My Way” written by Paul Anka. The Miami Pop Festival drew a crowd of 100,000.<\/p>\n
The film\u00a0Oliver!, based on the hit musical, opened in the U.S. And in England, Pirate Radio Modern (259) began broadcast.<\/p>\n
In science and technology<\/h3>\n<\/a>SRI\u2019s first computer mouse prototype. Photo: SRI International, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n
Stanford’s Douglas Engelbart demonstrated a pioneering hypertext system together with the computer mouse, at what is now known as “The Mother of All Demos.” NASA ended the No X-15 rocket plane program. The U.S., Soviet Union and China all performed nuclear weapon tests; China detonated its first thermonuclear weapon.<\/p>\n
Around the world:<\/h3>\n
The largest heist in the history of Japan, the never-solved “300 million yen robbery,” occurred in Tokyo. Spain and the Second Vatican Council rescinded the Alhambra Decree, made in 1492, that had ordered the expulsion of all practicing Jews from Spain and its territories. The British Royal Mint, which had been housed in London for more than a thousand years was moved to a small town in Wales. The UN General Assembly directed the UK to return Gibraltar to Spain. The UK declined. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced that Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, 26, and 27, rather than the traditional Orthodox observance on January 7. North Korea released 82 crewmembers of the USS Pueblo captured at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n
<\/a>SRI\u2019s first computer mouse prototype. Photo: SRI International, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n
Stanford’s Douglas Engelbart demonstrated a pioneering hypertext system together with the computer mouse, at what is now known as “The Mother of All Demos.” NASA ended the No X-15 rocket plane program. The U.S., Soviet Union and China all performed nuclear weapon tests; China detonated its first thermonuclear weapon.<\/p>\n
Around the world:<\/h3>\n
The largest heist in the history of Japan, the never-solved “300 million yen robbery,” occurred in Tokyo. Spain and the Second Vatican Council rescinded the Alhambra Decree, made in 1492, that had ordered the expulsion of all practicing Jews from Spain and its territories. The British Royal Mint, which had been housed in London for more than a thousand years was moved to a small town in Wales. The UN General Assembly directed the UK to return Gibraltar to Spain. The UK declined. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced that Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, 26, and 27, rather than the traditional Orthodox observance on January 7. North Korea released 82 crewmembers of the USS Pueblo captured at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n