42 stunning photos reveal what life was like 50 years ago, in 1969

apollo 11 launch family watching tv 1969

The year 1969, which marked pivotal moments in science, pop culture, and politics, was 50 years ago.
The summer of 1969 in particular saw several historic moments, from Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon to the chaos that was the Woodstock music festival.
The first wave of baby boomers, people born after World War II, were teenagers and young adults in 1969.
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The last year of the '60s was much more than groovy fashion, hippies, and peace signs — it was a year of events, accomplishments, and movements that were groundbreaking for the time.

Four Apollo space missions, The Beatles' last concert and album, "Abbey Road," the infamous Woodstock music festival, and a historic anti-war protest on Washington were all pieces of history that occurred in 1969.

Here's a look at some of the biggest moments from that year, told through photographs that shed light on what life was like 50 years ago.

50 years ago, it was the year 1969. At the time, baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, were the kids, teenagers, and young adults who defined youth culture of the decade.

In this photo, a group of teenagers hold up peace signs from a wrought-iron Volkswagen car, which was part of an exhibit in Los Angeles in 1969.

From groundbreaking space rocket launches...

In 1969, NASA completed four Apollo missions that sent astronauts into space.

...to peace, love, and rock 'n roll, here are some of the most defining moments of 1969.

Rock guitarist Eric Clapton and Alice Ormsby Gore in London following the announcement of their engagement in September 1969.

The year began with the inauguration of Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. His presidency came at a time of major political and social turmoil in America.

Richard Nixon served one full term and was then re-elected in 1972. His second term was cut short when he resigned from office following his involvement in the Watergate scandal — making him the only US president to resign so far.

The year 1969 saw one of the most historic anti-war demonstrations in the US, where nearly half a million people marched at the Washington Monument in protest of the Vietnam War.

The famous rallies in November 1969 that took place in Washington, DC, were known as the Moratorium Against the Vietnam War. Nearly 500,000 people marched in protest of the US involvement in the war, making it among the largest political rallies in the nation's history, according to TIME.

The Vietnam War divided generations and took a toll on American culture.

The US was involved in the controversial Vietnam War from 1954 until 1975. During that time, more than 3 million people died, including some 58,000 US troops, according to the History Channel.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono famously held their "bed-in for peace" protest, inch which they vowed to stay in bed for seven days in protest of war.

From March 25 to 31, the famous couple sat in a bed in Amsterdam wearing pajamas, surrounded by signs that called for peace. Lennon and Ono invited the press to visit their room from 9 am until 9 pm each day of their "bed-in" protest, according to TIME.

Lennon and Ono also bought 11 billboards around the world to display a holiday message for peace.

In 2018, on what would have been Lennon's 78th birthday, Ono released her own version of the former Beatles member's song, "Imagine."

NASA's 1969 Apollo missions were perhaps the most defining moments of the decade — and of the history of the US.

Here, tourists prepare for the Apollo 11 launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The historic space mission launches captured the attention — and TV screens — of people around the world.

Pictured above is Barbara Cernan, the wife of astronaut Eugene Cernan, watching the launch of Apollo 10 in May 1969.

In July, some 600 million people tuned in to watch as Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon.

Here, crowds of people watched the Apollo 11 lunar landing from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

About 600 million viewers tuned in to watch the moon landing on July 20, 1969, according to CNN.

With Armstrong's "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," the world was changed forever.

Apollo 11 was the ninth of 14 missions that were part of the Apollo program. Astronauts on Apollo 11 not only made history with the lunar landing and first steps on the moon, but they were also the first to have hot water in space and to eat food with a spoon instead of squeezing it out of a bag.

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin made history as Apollo 11 astronauts, and their return to Earth was a time of celebration, representing a major victory for the US space program.

The Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Upon returning from their mission, the astronauts were ordered by NASA to stay in a special isolation compartment, called the Mobile Quarantine Facility, for a few days to prevent them from spreading lunar diseases, according to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

During their time in the Mobile Quarantine Facility, the astronauts were greeted with excited visitors, including their families and President Nixon.

Astronauts were seen as celebrities at the time, and were celebrated with a ticker tape parade, a tradition recognizing athletes and other figures who made history.

Ticker tape parades have been a New York City tradition since 1918.

Astronauts' wives also became icons in their own right. Here, the wives of Apollo 12 astronauts hold up signs for news reporters that displayed their emotions: "Proud,""Thrilled," and "Happy."

That same summer, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, leading to an uprising that sparked a larger movement of LGBTQ+ pride.

In June 1969, police raided a New York City nightclub, the Stonewall Inn, leading to riots and unrest in the Greenwich Village neighborhood that sparked a pivotal movement in the LGBTQ+ movement.

The summer of 1969 also saw the Woodstock Arts and Music Festival, which brought 400,000 people to a farm in Bethel, New York, for a music event that went down in history.

From August 15 through August 18, a dairy farm in upstate New York was the site of "Three Days of Peace and Music" — which later became an important cultural moment.

Thousands of people drove to the farm in upstate New York, causing a massive traffic jam.

Woodstock was a poorly organized three-day festival filled with musical legends, horrible weather, traffic jams, hippie fashion, and '60s peace and love.

Despite stormy weather, muddy grounds, and lack of food, people who attended Woodstock recall it as a life-changing experience.

A 30th anniversary festival in 1999, however, devolved into chaos.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the headliners at Woodstock, where he made waves with his famous rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."

While Hendrix was booked as headliner, he didn't perform until the event was nearly over: at 9 a.m. on Monday, to a crowd of only around 30,0000.

Woodstock was an event that defined the '60s and the rock and roll generation.

Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and The Who were just some of the icons that performed at the legendary music festival.

The Rolling Stones took the world by storm following their debut on American TV with a spot on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1969.

According to TIME, the band was torn on which American TV show to appear on leading up to their tour. They opted for a feature on the ever-popular "The Ed Sullivan Show" and turned down the edgier "The Smothers Brothers Show," as "Ed Sullivan" reached a wider audience.

The Rolling Stones also went on tour following lead guitarist Brian Jones' death. Their tour was called "part of rock and roll legend" by critics.

The Rolling Stones' 1969 tour changed the course of concerts and band tours, as they were among the first band to provide their own lighting and hire opening acts — responsibilities that previously would've been up to the tour or band promoter, according to TIME.

Just two days following the death of the Stones' original guitarist, Brian Jones, nearly half a million fans flocked to their free concert in Hyde Park, London.

Two days after the death of former Stones guitarist Brian Jones, the band had its historic free concert in London's Hyde Park. Between 250,000 and 500,000 fans squeezed into the park in the sweltering July heat, according to Mashable.

The year 1969 also marked some historic "lasts" for The Beatles, as the world-famous band held their final live performance in London.

The rooftop concert in London was The Beatles' first concert since 1966 — and it turned out to be their final public performance, according to Rolling Stone.

The Beatles also released their final studio album, "Abbey Road," in 1969.

Half a century ago, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon walked along the London crosswalk that would become the famous "Abbey Road" album art.

According to Abbey Road Studios, the photographer, Iain Macmillan, took six shots of The Beatles members crossing the street, and the only one where the four musicians were walking in sync was the photo that ended up making the album cover.

In the late-1960s, as more people relied on TV for entertainment, more shows premiered — including the beloved series "The Brady Bunch."

"The Brady Bunch,"a comedy about the shenanigans of "a lovely lady" and "a man named Brady" and their blended family ran from 1969 until 1974.

So did "Sesame Street," which marked a new era of children's educational TV programming.

In November 1969, "Sesame Street" broke new ground in children's TV programming by introducing viewers to the lovable Muppets. Puppeteer Jim Henson, pictured above, was behind some of the most well-known "Sesame Street" characters, including Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and Kermit the Frog.

At the 1969 Oscars — the first televised version of the awards show — Barbara Streisand and Katharine Hepburn tied for the title of Best Actress.

Streisand's breakout role in the 1968 film "Funny Girl" landed her an Oscar win for Best Actress in 1969. She tied with Katharine Hepburn, who won for her role in "The Lion in Winter."

Hepburn, then an 11-time Oscar nominee, never attended the awards show. Streisand accepted her award wearing a sheer, sparkly ensemble.

The Jackson brothers who made up the Jackson 5 ranged from ages nine to 14 in 1969, the year "I Want You Back" took the charts by storm.

The Jackson 5's debut album, "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5," was released in 1969 after they opened for Diana Ross and the Supremes. The group's most popular single at the time was "I Want You Back."

Sonny and Cher were also music icons in the late '60s.

Known for their chart-topping single "I Got You Babe," and their TV show "The Sonny and Cher Show," Sonny and Cher truly were a household name in the '60s and '70s.

In 1969, advisers to Queen Elizabeth II came up with an idea to film a documentary of the royal family to maintain public support in a changing society.

The queen's advisers came up with the idea for the "Royal Family" documentary, which was filmed in 1969 and gave viewers a look at a year in the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her family.

But not long after the 'Royal Family' documentary was made, the queen ordered for it to never been seen again.

Advisers to the queen thought the film could help maintain public support for the British monarchy amid a world of counterculture — but the queen watched the broadcast once it was aired and ordered for it to never be shown again.

The Jet Age, which began in the late 1950s, continued through the 1960s. In 1969, the Boeing 747 airplane made its first flight, and Pan Am was the first airline to fly the jet.

The Boeing 747 marked a new era in commercial air travel. Pan Am ads for the 747 jet described it as having "Three living room-size Economy sections ... And seats almost as big as First Class ... you want to fly the plane that's a ship, the ship that's a plane," according to the Seattle Times.

Innovations in household products and appliances that may seem commonplace now, like self-cleaning ovens, were a big deal at the time.

Here, a woman opens a self-cleaning General Electric oven in 1969.

Some retro gadgets, like this vacuum cleaner, look pretty funny now.

A woman with a portable vacuum cleaner in 1969.

In 1969, New York City's Twin Towers were just being built.

Construction began on the World Trade Center site in March 1966, and in December 1970, the first tenants moved into the North Tower. The World Trade Center was dedicated in April 1973, according to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Fashion in the year 1969 was a mix of "hippie"-inspired styles like bell-bottom pants and fringe — as well as more classic retro silhouettes.

Popular fashion in 1969 was a combination of "groovy" and more rigid, traditionally '60s styles, according to an article from Fast Company that analyzed trends from the year.

Women's shorts were a relatively new fashion innovation in the year 1969.

One of the biggest fashion developments from 1969 was the introduction of women's shorts. Prior to that, most women's fashions were skirts and dresses, with pants being only a relatively recent innovation in the earlier '60s, according to Fast Company.

The summer of 1969 also saw the murders committed by followers of Charles Manson.

Over two nights in August 1969, seven people were brutally murdered by the Manson "Family,"including actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of movie director Roman Polanski.

Manson was convicted in 1971 and died in prison in 2017.

"Wizard of Oz" star and Hollywood icon Judy Garland died in 1969. Thousands of fans swarmed her New York City funeral.

The actress and singer died at age 47 due to an accidental overdose of barbiturates in 1969, "sending a shock through global culture," as written in Billboard.

The people, ideas, music, and movements that shaped the last year of the '60s are still relevant pieces of culture 50 years later.

The year 1969 was much more than groovy fashion, hippies, and peace signs — it was a year of events, accomplishments, and movements that were groundbreaking for the time.