1965
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1 January 1965 Indonesia informs Secretary General U Thant that it plans to withdraw from the United Nations since Malaysia has been chosen as a member of the Security Council.
A steel trust between five eastern European nations and the USSR, Intermetall, begins operations from Budapest.
2 January 1965 A voter registration drive begins in Selma, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King.
The Wasting of Lucrecetzia for tape by Kenneth Gaburo (38) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.
3 January 1965 The Syrian government nationalizes 107 companies in an attempt to stop the flow of capital out of the country.
4 January 1965 Thousands of anti-government Buddhists and students battle troops and police in Saigon. Over 20 people are injured.
After a week of sustained attacks by the Viet Cong, South Vietnamese troops remain in control of the village of Binh Gia.
The Berlin Wall closes after 800,000 people have passed through on day passes since 19 December.
TS Eliot dies in London at the age of 76.
The Eighty-ninth Congress of the United States convenes in Washington. The ruling Democratic Party controls both houses.
5 January 1965 A decree by the Supreme Soviet of 29 August 1964 is made public today. The Volga Germans are rehabilitated and the expulsion decree of 28 August 1941 is rescinded.
7 January 1965 President Sukarno publicly announces the withdrawal of Indonesia from the United Nations.
The Irish Republican Army sets off an explosion at Ballacolla, Ireland where British Princess Margaret and her husband, the Earl of Snowdon, are vacationing. No one is injured.
Monologe for two pianos by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (46) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR originating in Cologne.
8 January 1965 Two dozen armed Indonesians land at Tanjong Piai in southern Malaya. Most of them will be captured by tomorrow.
9 January 1965 A tugboat carrying 40 armed Indonesians is sunk by Malaysian gunboats in the Malacca Strait. Most of them are captured.
The South Vietnamese military restores the civilian government of Prime Minister Tran Van Huong to power.
Divertimento for orchestra by Roger Sessions (68) is performed for the first time, in Honolulu.
11 January 1965 Anti-government general strikes led by Buddhists and students take place in Hue, Quang Tri and Da Nang, South Vietnam.
12 January 1965 Great Britain announces that it will withdraw most of its forces from Libya during 1965.
13 January 1965 A squadron of US Air Force jets attacks the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, destroying a bridge southeast of Ban Ban.
Robert C. Weaver is appointed the first secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the first black man to serve in the United States cabinet.
String Trio in B flat by Michael Tippett (60) is performed for the first time, in London, 33 years after it was composed.
14 January 1965 Prime Ministers Sean Lemass of Ireland and Terence O’Neill of Northern Ireland meet in Belfast. It is the first such meeting since the partition of the island in 1922.
15 January 1965 Prime Minister Pierre Ngendandumwe of Burundi is shot to death outside a hospital in Bujumbura.
A federal grand jury in Jackson, Mississippi indicts 15 men on one count of conspiring to deprive three civil rights workers of their rights and a four-count misdemeanor indictment. The three were murdered last June.
18 January 1965 Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and eleven other blacks register at the previously all-white Hotel Albert in Selma, Alabama. While registering, King is assaulted by a white man who is arrested.
19 January 1965 In Selma, Alabama, law officers of Dallas County begin arresting blacks who desire to register to vote.
20 January 1965 Five Buddhist monks begin a hunger strike in Saigon calling on the resignation of Prime Minister Tran Van Huong.
Popular music promoter Alan Freed dies in Palm Springs, California at the age of 43.
21 January 1965 Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour of Iran is shot twice by Mohammed Bakarii, an Islamic extremist. Mansour was entering the Parliament building in Teheran when he was attacked. Bakarii is arrested, along with two others.
Indonesia formally withdraws from the United Nations, effective 1 March.
Fritz Weber, an official of the West German Ministry of Cultural Affairs, hangs himself in his jail cell in Kiel. He was arrested 11 January on charges of participating in the murder of Jews during World War II.
22 January 1965 While 450 Buddhist clergy present a peaceful petition at the US embassy in Saigon for the removal of American support for Prime Minister Tran Van Huong, police use tear gas to battle youths attacking the USIS Library. 233 people are arrested.
Over 100 blacks gather at the county courthouse in Selma, Alabama to register to vote but are driven away by sheriff’s deputies wielding nightsticks.
23 January 1965 200 Buddhists in Nha Trang begin a hunger strike to protest the government of South Vietnamese Prime Minister Tran Van Huong. About 5,000 Buddhists march on the US Consulate in Hue. A few dozen of them break in and set fire to the building.
A federal court prohibits the 19 January actions of Dallas County officials and forbids them from harassing anyone attempting to register or those helping them.
24 January 1965 Winston Churchill dies in his London home from the effects of a stroke. He is 90 years old.
25 January 1965 15,000 Buddhists march through Hue, South Vietnam demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Tran Van Hong and the recall of US ambassador Maxwell Taylor. The military declares martial law in Hue due to continuing anti-government violence.
Three days of violent demonstrations take place in Madras state, India to protest the replacement of English by Hindi as the official language of the country, due to take place tomorrow.
26 January 1965 17-year-old Huynh Thi Yen Phi kills herself by self-immolation in Nha Trang to protest the government of South Vietnamese Prime Minister Tran Van Huong.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Indian constitution, the official language of the country is switched from English to Hindi, exactly 15 years after adoption of the document.
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour of Iran dies of wounds he suffered on 21 January. The Shah appoints Amir Abbas Hoveida to replace him.
34 blacks are arrested while trying to register to vote in Selma, Alabama.
27 January 1965 Prime Minister Tran Van Huong of South Vietnam is overthrown by the military led by Lt. General Nguyen Khanh who takes power. Nguyen Xuan Oanh is named acting prime minister. Their objective temporarily achieved, five Buddhist monks end their hunger strike begun on 20 January.
24 people are arrested while standing in line to register to vote in Selma, Alabama or urging others to do the same.
Norman Dello Joio (52) is elected to the council of the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
Six Simple Songs for voice and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (†5) is performed for the first time, in Prague, 48 years after it was composed.
Brass Quintet by Ralph Shapey (43) is performed for the first time, in Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York. Also premiered is Numbers for flute, horn, trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, violin, cello, and double bass by Morton Feldman (39).
Three works by Steve Reich (28) are performed for the first time at the San Francisco Tape Music Center: It’s Gonna Rain for tape, Music for Two or More Pianos or Piano and Tape, and Livelihood for tape.
30 January 1965 The United States and the Soviet Union sign an agreement on expanded cultural exchanges.
Om mane padme hum for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Isang Yun (47) is performed for the first time, in Hannover.
Ukiyo (Floating World), a ballad for orchestra by Alan Hovhaness (53), is performed for the first time, Salt Lake City.
31 January 1965 Conservative army officers begin a coup against the government of Laos. Fighting breaks out in Vientiane.
1 February 1965 Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and 263 others are arrested while marching on the courthouse in Selma, Alabama. They are protesting the refusal of county officials to register black citizens to vote. About 500 black students are arrested while picketing the courthouse.
2 February 1965 120 blacks are arrested as they stand in line outside the courthouse in Selma, Alabama to register to vote. 400 black students are arrested while marching on the courthouse.
3 February 1965 Australian combat troops arrive in Sarawak and Sabah.
Hermann Krumey, an aide to Heinrich Himmler, is convicted in Frankfurt-am-Main of assisting in the murder of 300,000 Hungarian Jews. He is sentenced to five years at hard labor.
300 black children gather at the county courthouse in Selma, Alabama and sing civil rights songs. They are arrested for truancy. 700 black children are arrested at the Perry County Courthouse in Marion.
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for violin and piano by George Crumb (35) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo the composer at the piano.
4 February 1965 Loyal Laotian troops gain control of Vientiane crushing a conservative coup.
A federal judge in Mobile finds systematic barring of blacks from the voting process in Selma, Alabama and orders the Dallas County Board of Registrars to process at least 100 applicants every day it is in session.
5 February 1965 500 blacks marching on the county courthouse in Selma, Alabama are arrested.
Cradle Song, a song by Charles Ives (†10) to words of AL Ives, is performed for the first time, in the Alma Gluck Concert Hall, New York.
Chamber Piece no.1 for 14 players by Stefan Wolpe (62) is performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, Washington.
7 February 1965 Viet Cong fighters attack the US air base at Pleiku, destroying many aircraft. They also attack Tuy Hoa on the coast and the Nha Trang area south of Tuy Hoa. US planes hit the North Vietnamese air base at Dong Hoi in retaliation.
Two songs by Charles Ives (†10) are performed for the first time, in Temple Emmanu-El Dallas: Luck and Work to words of Johnson, and Duty to words of Emerson.
8 February 1965 The Viet Cong attack a South Vietnamese government force in Bin Dinh Province northeast of Saigon. After a day of fighting, the Saigon troops flee.
Five Ghanaians are convicted in Accra of attempting to murder President Nkrumah in August 1962. They are sentenced to death.
A Set of Three Short Pieces for string quartet and other instruments by Charles Ives (†10) is performed for the first time, in Crouse Auditorium of Syracuse University. Also premiered is Ives’ Waltz-Rondo for piano.
Symphony no.1 by Gunther Schuller (39) is performed for the first time, in McFarlin Auditorium of Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
9 February 1965 2,000 demonstrators attack the US embassy in Moscow protesting American bombing of Vietnam.
The National Institute of Arts and Letters (US) announces the election of Vincent Persichetti (49), Milton Babbitt (48), and Peter Mennin (41) as members.
10 February 1965 A Viet Cong bomb goes off under a barracks housing US troops at Qui Nhon. 23 Americans are killed.
At least 21 people are killed in language riots in Madras State, India.
Fluktuationen for orchestra by Isang Yun (47) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
Sheriff’s deputies with electric cattle prods drive civil rights marchers out of Selma, Alabama.
11 February 1965 About 160 US and Saigon government planes attack Chan Hoa and Chap Le, North Vietnam.
12 February 1965 At least 30 people die in language riots in Madras State, India, including two who burn themselves to death to protest the government’s language policy.
West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard confirms that his government has suspended arms shipments to Israel after Egyptian threats to break off diplomatic relations and recognize East Germany.
13 February 1965 1,000 demonstrators march on the US legation in Budapest. About 200 make it inside where they do considerable damage.
Four Statements for organ by Leslie Bassett (42) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
14 February 1965 17,000 people demonstrate against US attacks on North Vietnam in Jakarta. The government seizes the USIS Library there.
Firebombs destroy the home of Malcolm X in Queens, New York. He and his family escape unhurt.
15 February 1965 A People’s Daily editorial warns that if United States troops in Vietnam cross the 17th parallel they will be at war with China.
Several hundred Bulgarian and foreign students protest at the United States embassy in Sofiya against the American invasion of Vietnam.
Queen Elizabeth II proclaims a new flag for Canada. It is raised in ceremonies outside the Parliament buildings in Ottawa.
Die Soldaten, an opera by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (46) to his own words after Lenz, is performed for the first time, in the Städtische Bühnen Cologne.
16 February 1965 The Armed Forces Council ruling South Vietnam names Phan Huy Quat as Prime Minister to replace Tran Van Huong.
About a thousand Ugandans attack the US embassy in Kampala in protest against the US support of the Congolese government.
18 February 1965 For the first time, US warplanes attack Viet Cong positions without participation by the South Vietnamese Air Force.
Gambia, under Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Dawda Kairaba Jawara, is declared independent of Great Britain.
400 black demonstrators are attacked and chased by state troopers in Marion, Alabama. One person is killed.
Alberto Ginastera’s (48) Harp Concerto is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
19 February 1965 South Vietnamese troops led by dissident officers enter Saigon and begin a coup against the chairman of the Armed Forces Council Nguyen Khanh.
20 February 1965 Representatives of Japan and South Korea sign a draft treaty in Seoul calling for establishment of diplomatic relations.
Troops loyal to Nguyen Khanh enter Saigon and put down the coup begun yesterday.
21 February 1965 The ruling Armed Forces Council of South Vietnam removes its chairman, Lt. General Nguyen Khanh.
Suat Hayri Urgüplü replaces Ismet Inönü as Prime Minister of Turkey.
15:00 Black nationalist leader Malcolm X is murdered while speaking in the Audubon Ballroom, New York. Three people are wounded in the gun battle between assassins and bodyguards. Two assassins, members of a rival Moslem group, are captured by audience members and held for police. They will be convicted of murder.
22 February 1965 After attempting to rally support from army commanders throughout the country, Lt. General Nguyen Khanh accepts the decision of the Armed Forces Council and steps down.
24 February 1965 The West German cabinet votes to extend the statute of limitations on Nazi war crimes another ten years. They also end all economic assistance to Egypt when East German leaders land there today for a state visit.
25 February 1965 After 20 months of study, the Royal Commission of Bilingualism and Biculturalism appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson issues its interim report. “There is grave danger to the future of Canada and all Canadians. What is at stake is the very fact of Canada.” The report says the issue is “the greatest crisis in [Canada’s} history.”
26 February 1965 Cantata della Fiaba Estrema for soprano, small choir, and instrumental ensemble by Hans Werner Henze (38) to words of Morante, is performed for the first time, in Zürich.
27 February 1965 The US calls North Vietnam an aggressor, thus justifying air strikes on its territory.
28 February 1965 President Adolf Schärf of Austria dies of natural causes in Vienna. Josef Klaus becomes acting President.
Salute to Youth for orchestra by Roy Harris (67) is performed for the first time, in Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, California.
1 March 1965 Five Motets for solo voices, double chorus, and 16 players by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) is performed for the first time, in Friends’ House, London.
2 March 1965 United States planes begin Operation Rolling Thunder in an attempt to stop North Vietnamese support of the Viet Cong.
Diaphonie (I) for chorus, orchestra, and two slide projectors by Mauricio Kagel (33) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo, New York.
3 March 1965 US planes bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail in eastern Laos.
Maj. General Nguyen Van Thieu is named Secretary General of the Armed Forces Council ruling South Vietnam.
Internal autonomy is granted to Bechuanaland by Great Britain.
Internal automony comes to British Honduras as a responsible government is sworn in.
From Three Make Seven for orchestra by Ernst Krenek (64) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
4 March 1965 2,000 Russian, Asian, African, and Latin American students protesting American air strikes on North Vietnam break through barricades and storm the United States embassy in Moscow. They do considerable damage and are finally chased away by Red Army troops.
5 March 1965 A federal judge in Austin rules that eleven Texas laws authorizing separate schools based on race are unconstitutional.
Symphony no.8 by Walter Piston (71) is performed for the first time, in Boston.
6 March 1965 A second day of protest against American policy in Vietnam takes place in Sofiya, Bulgaria.
Empire, a film by Andy Warhol of the Empire State Building, is shown for the first time at the City Hall Cinema.
7 March 1965 700 civil rights protesters are routed by billy clubs, tear gas, whips, and cattle prods from Alabama state police as they try to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma. 66 people are wounded.
Symphony no.3 by Easley Blackwood (31) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
8 March 1965 3,500 US Marines disembark at Da Nang today and tomorrow to guard the US air base there. They are the first US combat troops in Vietnam.
9 March 1965 Three white Unitarian ministers who participated in the protests of 7 March are savagely beaten on a street corner in Selma, Alabama. Four white men will be arrested.
Marches in sympathy with the Selma civil rights demonstrators take place in major cities throughout the United States.
American Tryptich: Three Studies in Texture for orchestra by Gunther Schuller (39) is performed for the first time, in New Orleans, conducted by the composer.
10 March 1965 The Odd Couple by Neil Simon opens in New York.
11 March 1965 Ariel by Sylvia Plath is published by Faber in Great Britain.
Unitarian minister Rev. James Reeb of Boston dies in a Montgomery hospital of wounds suffered on 9 March.
12 March 1965 String Quartet by Witold Lutoslawski (52) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.
13 March 1965 Autumn Leaves by Terry Riley (29) is performed for the first time, privately at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, California.
14 March 1965 Requiem for soprano, mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Györgi Ligeti (41) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm. The effect is so overwhelming, one critic will say, “for a while all other music seemed impossible.”
Threnody: In Memory of Jan Sibelius by William Grant Still (69) is performed for the first time, at the University of Miami, Florida.
15 March 1965 2,000 people attend a memorial service for James Reeb in Selma, Alabama. Rev. Martin Luther King delivers a eulogy. It is attended by national religious leaders, congressmen, and about 150 Roman Catholic clergy.
The Most Valiant of Knights, a children’s opera by Krzysztof Penderecki (31) to his own words after Szelburg-Zarembina), is performed for the first time, in Poznan.
Let the Word Go Forth for chorus, brass, strings, and harp by Robert Ward (47) to words of Kennedy is performed for the first time, in the Hunter College Playhouse, New York.
Four songs by Charles T. Griffes (†44) are performed for the first time, at West Chester State College, Pennsylvania: Am Kreuzweg wird begraben, An den Wind, Pierrot, and So halt’ ich endlich dich umfangen.
16 March 1965 The Israeli Knesset votes to accept an offer of diplomatic relations from West Germany. Anti-German riots take place in Iraq and Lebanon.
Police attack about 600 civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama with clubs and electric cattle prods. A county official later apologizes for “a mixup and a misunderstanding of orders.”
In memoriam: Die Weisse Rose for twelve players by Hans Werner Henze (38) is performed for the first time, in Bologna.
17 March 1965 A US federal court prohibits Alabama state officials from interfering with a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
1,600 civil rights demonstrators march peacefully in Montgomery. At the end, leaders meet with county officials to try to avoid violence.
18 March 1965 Aleksei Arkhipovich Leonov becomes the first man to “walk” in space, exiting his Voskhod 2 spacecraft for ten minutes.
Former King Farouk of Egypt, deposed in 1952, dies in Rome.
Governor George Wallace of Alabama, speaking before the Alabama legislature, denounces the federal court ruling of yesterday and makes personal attacks on the judge. He calls the civil rights marchers “communist-trained” but calls on Alabama citizens to exhibit restraint. The legislature thereupon adopts a resolution calling the march “asinine and ridiculous.”
19 March 1965 President Sukarno of Indonesia orders the seizure of four foreign oil companies operating in the country.
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, First Secretary of the Romanian Workers’ Party, President of the State Council, dies of cancer. He is replaced by a three-man committee as President of the State Council, ad interim.
State police use clubs to chase away civil rights demonstrators attempting to integrate the cafeteria in the state capitol building in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Ring a Dumb Carillon for soprano, clarinet, and percussion by Harrison Birtwistle (30) to words of Logue is performed for the first time, in London.
The Emperor of Ice Cream for eight voices, percussion, piano, and double bass by Roger Reynolds (30) to words of Stevens is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by Gunther Schuller (39). See 27 April 1965.
20 March 1965 President Johnson federalizes the Alabama National Guard to protect civil rights marchers.
21 March 1965 3,200 civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama begin a trek to the state capital in Montgomery, protected by federal troops.
Hans Werner Henze’s (38) Lucy Escott Variations for piano is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
Kitty Hawk (An Antigravity Piece) by Robert Ashley (34) to his own words is performed for the first time, in St. Louis.
23 March 1965 Nicolae Ceausescu replaces Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej as First Secretary of the Romanian Workers’ Party.
Benjamin Britten (51) receives the Order of Merit.
Gemini 3 is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida with Virgil (Gus) Grissom and John Young aboard. It is the first two-man space flight by the United States. After one orbit, Grissom then maneuvers the capsule and changes orbit, the first time such maneuvers are accomplished.
24 March 1965 Chivu Stoica is named President of the State Council of Romania.
A Year is Like a Lifetime, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (54), is shown publicly for the first time, in the Rossiya Cinema, Moscow. There was a screening for the press on 18 March.
Sargasso, a ballet to Symphonic Elegy by Ernst Krenek (64), is performed for the first time, in the New York State Theatre, New York. See 3 September 1946.
25 March 1965 Dudley Senanayake replaces Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Prime Minister of Ceylon.
Chivu Stoica replaces Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej as Chairman of the Presidium of Romania.
The West German Bundestag votes to extend for five years the statute of limitations on Nazi war crimes.
At the end of a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, 25,000 marchers gather before the state capitol building to hear speeches by Martin Luther King and others. Among them is Leonard Bernstein (46). 3,200 began in Selma. In the evening, Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit housewife who had been ferrying marchers back to Selma, receives several shots from another car while driving to Montgomery. She is killed but her companion survives. Four men are arrested for the crime.
26 March 1965 In memoriam: Die weiße Rose for small orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (38) is performed for the first time, in Bologna.
Eclat for 15 instruments by Pierre Boulez is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles, the composer conducting on his 40th birthday. See 21 October 1970.
27 March 1965 The Saigon government announces the end of nationwide martial law imposed last November.
28 March 1965 Laotian government troops put down a conservative revolt in Thakhek, 200 km south of Vientiane.
An earthquake centered at La Ligua, Chile kills 400 people.
29 March 1965 The US government sets standards on automobile exhaust emissions, effective with the 1968 model cars.
30 March 1965 A Viet Cong car bomb goes off outside the US embassy in Saigon, heavily damaging the building. 17 people are killed, 183 injured.
31 March 1965 The Austrian Parliament abolishes the statute of limitations on Nazi war crimes.
Incidental music to Schochen’s play The Hydrogen Jukebox by Kenneth Gaburo (38) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.
1 April 1965 String Quartet no.6 by Peter Sculthorpe (35) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, Sydney.
La branche des oiseaux op.374, a ballet by Darius Milhaud (72) to a story by Chamson, is staged for the first time. See 18 May 1962.
3 April 1965 American planes begin an offensive against the North Vietnamese transportation system.
6 April 1965 The first commercial satellite, Early Bird, is launched from Cape Kennedy. It will provide television, telephone, and telegraph links between Europe and North America.
During the dress rehearsal for Hans Werner Henze's (38) Der junge Lord in West Berlin, East German planes fly low over the city creating sonic booms. It is an act of intimidation two days before a meeting of the West German Bundestag in West Berlin.
7 April 1965 Parliamentary elections in Ireland give the ruling Fianna Fail Party two more seats and an overall majority.
Der junge Lord, a comic opera by Hans Werner Henze (38) to words of Bachmann after Hauff, is performed for the first time, at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin.
8 April 1965 At a ceremony in Brussels, representatives of the six European Community members sign a treaty merging the three executive bodies of the community (Common Market, Coal and Steel Community, and the Atomic Energy Community) into one.
9 April 1965 Chinese and United States planes engage over Hainan Island. One United States plane is lost.
Indian and Pakistani tanks and artillery battle in the Rann of Kutch. Several soldiers on both sides are killed.
Civil rights demonstrators march on the city hall of Bogalusa, Louisiana under police protection but turn back when whites begin attacking them and journalists, and verbally abuse the police for shielding blacks. They march again later in the day without incident.
The Houston Astrodome opens to the public.
Winter Cantata op.97 for female chorus, flute, and marimba by Vincent Persichetti (49) to haiku (tr. Stewart) is performed for the first time, in Troy, New York.
11 April 1965 Three Pieces op.18 for piano by Alexander Goehr (32) are performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
Suite modale for flute and strings by Ernest Bloch (†5) is performed for the first time, at the College of Marin, Kentfield, California. See 10 March 1957.
14 April 1965 Joseph Cals replaces Victor Marijnen as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
The US and Indonesia issue a joint statement announcing the removal of the Peace Corps from Indonesia.
The Symphony no.10 “Abraham Lincoln Symphony” by Roy Harris (67) is performed for the first time, at Long Beach State College, California on the centennial of Lincoln’s murder.
15 April 1965 Himnos de los neófitos de Qumrán for three sopranos, male chorus, and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (63) to words of the Dead Sea Scrolls adapted by Victoria Kamhi (Sra. Rodrigo) is performed for the first time, in Iglesia de San Miguel, Cuenca.
17 April 1965 Two works in honor of departed artists by Igor Stravinsky (82) are performed for the first time, in Chicago: Introitus to the text of the Latin requiem, prompted by the death of TS Eliot, and Variations for Orchestra dedicated to Aldous Huxley.
19 April 1965 Of Wood and Brass for tape by Vladimir Ussachevsky (53) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre of Columbia University.
20 April 1965 Two Mexican Pieces for orchestra by Aaron Copland (64) is performed for the first time, in Washington. See 7 June 1972.
In Los Angeles, Harry Partch (63) receives word from Betty Freeman that she is willing to support him financially on a permanent basis and assist him in creating a studio.
22 April 1965 The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts rules that the novel Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (aka Fanny Hill), written in 1749 by John Cleland, is obscene.
L’amour chante op.409, a cycle for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (72) to various authors, is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
23 April 1965 The Soviet Union’s first communications satellite, Molniya 1, is launched into orbit and successfully tested.
Solo Partita for violin and viola (one player) by George Perle (49) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
24 April 1965 All foreign-owned companies in Indonesia are nationalized by order of President Sukarno.
Spanish authorities find two bodies in Badajoz Province near the Portuguese border which will be identified as Portuguese opposition leader Humberto Delgado and his secretary.
Troops supporting the deposed constitutionally-elected president of the Dominican Republic, Juan Bosch, capture two army posts and the main radio station in Santo Domingo. Troops of the conservative military government form to oppose them.
This Day for female voice and piano by Ralph Shapey (44) to words of his wife, Vera Klement, is performed for the first time, in Butler Auditorium at the State University of New York, Buffalo.
25 April 1965 Indonesian army units attack a British camp at Plaman Mapu, Malaysia.
Rebels in Santo Domingo begin arming civilians and occupy the National Palace. Loyalist air forces bomb the capital city and request the intervention of American troops. President Donald Reid Cabral resigns and disappears.
Concerto for orchestra by Roberto Gerhard (68) is performed for the first time, in Boston.
26 April 1965 Fighting intensifies in Santo Domingo with very little command and control of either government forces or the rebels. Government air and naval forces shell populated areas.
Five Fragments for orchestra op.42 by Dmitri Shostakovich (58) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad, 30 years after it was composed.
Symphony no.4 by Charles Ives (†10) for orchestra and chorus ad.lib. is performed for the first time, in New York almost 50 years after it was completed. Present for the occasion is Hans Werner Henze (38). See 29 January 1927 and 10 May 1933.
27 April 1965 Opposing sides in the Dominican fighting allow the evacuation of over a thousand foreign citizens from Santo Domingo.
The Emperor of Ice Cream, a theatre piece by Roger Reynolds (30) to words of Stevens, is staged for the first time, in Rome. See 19 March 1965.
28 April 1965 When it appears that forces favoring the constitutionally-elected former President of the Dominican Republic, Juan Bosch, might overthrow the conservative military government, US President Johnson sends 23,000 United States troops to the country to “give protection to hundreds of Americans.” About 400 marines land today.
Designs, Images, and Textures for band by Leslie Bassett (42) is performed for the first time, in Ithaca, New York.
29 April 1965 Prime Minister Robert Menzies of Australia announces that his country will send an 800-man combat unit to support the US in Vietnam.
Symphony by Stefan Wolpe (62) is performed completely for the first time, in Boston. See 16 January 1964.
30 April 1965 Great Britain grants autonomy to its Basutoland Colony.
The Organization of American States calls upon all sides in the Dominican fighting to cease-fire. They vote for the establishment of a neutral security zone to shelter foreign citizens. Rebel forces capture Fort Ozama and a large arms cache but are threatened by US troops.
Second Fantasia on Taverner’s In Nomine for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
1 May 1965 The Organization of American States votes to send a five-man peace commission to the Dominican Republic.
Ontogeny for orchestra by Ralph Shapey (44) is performed for the first time, in Kleinhans Music Hall of the State University of New York at Buffalo, conducted by the composer.
Introit for Strings op.96 by Vincent Persichetti (49) is performed for the first time, in Kansas City, Missouri.
2 May 1965 President Johnson admits to the American people that the invasion of the Dominican Republic was to prevent “the establishment of another Communist government in the Western Hemisphere.”
Birthday Piece for piano by Ralph Shapey (44) is performed for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Graffiti for orchestra by Roger Reynolds (30) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
3 May 1965 Prince Norodom Sihanouk announces that Cambodia has severed diplomatic relations with the US after repeated border incursions by South Vietnamese forces.
The British House of Commons passes a bill designed to prohibit discrimination based on color, race, or ethnic or national origin.
O Holy Ghost, a motet for chorus by Ernst Krenek (64) to words of Donne, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
4 May 1965 Dominican rebels install Francisco Caamaño Deño as provisional President.
Interludes for the Space Theatre, a sound-producing dance by Robert Ashley (35), is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.
5 May 1965 8,000 more US troops begin landing in Vietnam.
A formal truce agreement is signed in Santo Domingo, brokered by the OAS.
Rozart Mix for magnetic tape by John Cage (52) is performed for the first time, at the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. The work is performed by the dedicatee, Alvin Lucier (33), and his students. Also premiered is Lucier’s Music for a Solo Performer. In this work, percussion instruments are activated by human brain waves.
Short Sonata for piano by George Perle is performed for the first time, in New York, on the eve of the composer’s 50th birthday.
6 May 1965 The Armed Forces Council ruling South Vietnam dissolves itself and leaves the government in the hands of Prime Minister Phan Huy Quat.
In Washington, by a vote of 14-5-1, the Organization of American States votes to establish an inter-American peacekeeping force in the Dominican Republic. In practice it will be overwhelmingly from the United States.
7 May 1965 In parliamentary elections in Southern Rhodesia, the Rhodesian Front Party of Ian Smith wins 50 of 65 seats.
In an effort to gain popular support, Dominican anti-rebels appoint a five-man junta led by Brig. General Antonio Imbert Barreras.
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum for woodwinds, brass, and percussion by Olivier Messiaen (56), is performed for the first time, in Sainte-Chapelle, Paris. On the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is part of a commemoration for the dead of both world wars. See 20 June 1965.
8 May 1965 Invention no.2 for violin, viola, and cello by Carlos Chávez (65) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.
Two new works are performed for the first time, in Cincinnati: George Crumb’s (35) Variazioni for percussion, harp, celesta, mandolin, and strings; and George Rochberg’s (46) Zodiac, an orchestration of his Twelve Bagatelles for piano.
Concerto no.2 for koto and orchestra in the Form of a Symphony by Henry Cowell (68) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
9 May 1965 Two electronic music theatres by Robert Ashley (35) to his own words are performed for the first time, in New York: Combination Wedding and Funeral and The Lecture Series.
Fanfare for a Fellow Composer for brass and percussion by Otto Luening (64) is performed for the first time, in New York.
11 May 1965 Viet Cong forces capture and hold Song Be for six hours before being driven out by US and South Vietnamese ground and air forces.
12 May 1965 A two-day windstorm ending today causes 17,000 deaths in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).
After two days of fierce fighting, Viet Cong troops give up their assault on Song Be.
Session I for flute/piccolo, oboe/english horn, bassoon, trombone, viola, cello and percussion by William Bolcom (26) is performed for the first time, in Berlin conducted by Luciano Berio (39).
13 May 1965 US forces suspend bombing raids on North Vietnam as President Johnson renews his call for unconditional talks on the future of Vietnam.
Diplomatic relations are formally established between Israel and West Germany.
Forces loyal to the Dominican junta launch an offensive against the rebels.
16 May 1965 The Twelve for chorus and organ by William Walton (63) to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. See 2 January 1966.
18 May 1965 Having received no positive response to the bombing halt of 13 May, US bombing of North Vietnam resumes.
19 May 1965 With US forces now fully involved in backing the Dominican junta, junta leader Brig. General Antonio Imbert Barreras declares victory over the rebels.
Mario Davidovsky (31) receives a $2,500 grant from the National Institute of Arts and Letters in New York.
Apocalyptica (I) for large wind ensemble by George Rochberg (46) is performed for the first time, in Memorial Auditorium of Montclair State College, New Jersey.
20 May 1965 A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 720 crashes while attempting to land at Cairo International Airport. Only six of the 127 people on board survive.
The Shepherd’s Calendar for young chorus and instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) to words of the Goliards is performed for the first time, in Sydney, Australia conducted by the composer.
21 May 1965 South by Five for girls voices and instruments by Peter Sculthorpe (36) is performed for the first time, in Sydney.
Meeting in Geneva, the assembly of the World Health Organization authorizes the addition of birth control to its official program.
A cease-fire goes into effect in the Dominican Republic.
President Guillermo León Valencia of Colombia declares a nationwide state of siege in the face of student riots in four major cities.
Tread on the Trail for unspecified instruments by Terry Riley (29) is performed for the first time, at the San Francisco Tape Music Center. Among the performers are Pauline Oliveros (32), Steve Reich (28), and the composer.
23 May 1965 The Third Marathon Peace March in Athens is held, the largest peace march in Greece to this date.
National elections in Belgium see strong gains for the Liberals and Flemish Nationalists at the expense of the two largest parties, the Socialists and the Christian Peoples.
OAS peacekeeping forces begin operations in the Dominican Republic.
24 May 1965 Prime Minister Theo Lefevre of Belgium resigns after an election setback yesterday.
In the case of Lamont v. Postmaster General, the US Supreme Court rules that a law requiring the US Post Office to seize communist materials is unconstitutional.
25 May 1965 Indonesians once again make a failed landing at Johore, east of Singapore.
The French Interior Ministry reveals that six conservative extremists have been arrested over the last ten days for plotting to kill President de Gaulle.
Concerto for cello and orchestra no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (†5) is performed for the first time, in Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia., 20 years after it was composed.
28 May 1965 A coal mine near Dhanbad, Bihar (Jharkand) India explodes. 375 people are killed.
Nine defendants are sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to 15 years. They were found guilty of the deaths of 10,000 Russian prisoners at Sachsenhausen death camp.
29 May 1965 Harvey Gantt becomes the first African-American to graduate from Clemson University.
30 May 1965 Vivian Malone becomes the first African-American to graduate from the University of Alabama.
1 June 1965 An explosion in a coal mine at Yamano on Kyushu, Japan kills 237 people.
Congolese government troops with white mercenaries capture Buta, a rebel stronghold. They find that only eleven of the 109 white hostages held there are left alive.
The State of New York abolishes the death penalty, except in special cases.
2 June 1965 A two-day windstorm today causes 30,000 deaths in East Pakistan (Bangladesh), the second such storm in less than a month.
East German demonstrators invade the US military mission in Potsdam protesting the American invasion of Vietnam.
OAS foreign ministers vote to send a team to Santo Domingo to negotiate an end to the Dominican dispute. Peacekeeping troops (Brazil) take over the presidential palace after it was evacuated by forces loyal to the junta.
3 June 1965 Gemini 4 is launched from Cape Kennedy with James McDivitt and Edward White aboard. On the third orbit, White leaves the capsule for a “space walk” of about 20 minutes. He is tethered by an eight-meter life line and maneuvers by means of an oxygen jet propulsion device. White becomes the second man to walk in space and the first to control his movements on such a walk.
Harold Pinter’s play The Homecoming is performed for the first time, in London
6 June 1965 Ballade of London Nights for piano by John Ireland (†2) is performed for the first time, in a recording session in Broadcasting House, London. See 30 July 1965.
Computer Concrete for prepared piano and synthesized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (27) is performed for the first time, in New York.
7 June 1965 In the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, the United States Supreme Court rules that no state may prohibit its citizens from using contraceptives.
Gemini 4 splashes down in the Atlantic 625 km east of Florida.
8 June 1965 The US State Dept. announces that American commanders in Vietnam are now authorized to commit 23,000 men to combat duty.
Shareholders of both companies approve the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Co. and Frito-Lay, Inc. to form PepsiCo.
Trois Instantanés for piano by Jean-Claude Risset (27) is performed for the first time, at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey.
9 June 1965 Franz Jonas becomes President of Austria replacing acting President Josef Klaus.
10 June 1965 Viet Cong forces overrun a US-South Vietnam base at Dong Xai but are beaten back by air attacks.
President Charles de Gaulle of France says the US forces are “involved in a dirty affair in Vietnam with their tanks, their trucks and their planes.”
11 June 1965 Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors list includes an OBE for each of the four Beatles.
225 people are arrested in Chicago in demonstrations against school segregation.
Mikrophonie II no.17 for chorus, Hammond organ and four ring modulators by Karlheinz Stockhausen (36) to words of Heisenbüttel, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, originating in Cologne.
12 June 1965 Prime Minister Phan Huy Quat of South Vietnam resigns along with his entire civilian government. They are handing power back to the military but will remain in a caretaker capacity.
Pope Paul VI confers a papal decoration on Igor Stravinsky (82) in Rome.
13 June 1965 La mère coupable, an opera by Darius Milhaud (72) to words of M. Milhaud after Beaumarchais, is performed for the first time, in Geneva.
14 June 1965 A military triumvirate takes over in South Vietnam, headed by Maj. General Nguyen Van Thieu.
15 June 1965 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson tells the House of Commons that his government is “deeply disturbed” about recent events in Vietnam.
16 June 1965 Four men found guilty of the murder of Iranian Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour last January are executed in Teheran by firing squad.
The US Defense Dept. announces a further 21,000 troops will soon be sent to Vietnam.
The Dream, an opera by Ton de Leeuw (38) to his own words after a Chinese legend (tr. Henderson) is performed for the first time, in Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam.
17 June 1965 27 US B-52 bombers are used for the first time in Vietnam, attacking a suspected Viet Cong concentration north of Saigon.
Carmen Paschale for chorus by Harrison Birtwistle (30) to words of Sedulus Scottus is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh Parish Church.
Old Home Days, a song by Charles Ives (†10) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.
18 June 1965 Rival factions in the Dominican war agree in principle to an OAS peace proposal, but negotiations continue.
19 June 1965 Air Vice-Marshal Nguyen Cao Ky is named Prime Minister of South Vietnam.
A coup led by Houari Boumédienne ousts the Algerian government of President Mohammed Ahmed Ben Bella.
Gemini Variations op.73 for flute, violin, and piano four hands by Benjamin Britten (51) is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh Parish Church.
20 June 1965 Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum for woodwinds, brass, and percussion by Olivier Messiaen (56), is performed publicly for the first time, in Chartres Cathedral in the presence of President Charles de Gaulle. See 7 May 1965.
Paroles tissées for tenor and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (52) to words of Chabrun is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh, conducted by the composer.
21 June 1965 Three Studies in Fours for percussion by Ross Lee Finney (58) is performed for the first time, in Poznan.
Lewisohn Stadium Fanfare for brass and percussion by Gian Carlo Menotti (53) is performed for the first time, in Lewisohn Stadium, New York.
22 June 1965 A treaty signed in Tokyo establishes full diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea. Street demonstrations against the pact take place in both countries.
Deux nocturnes op.32bis for flute, horn, and piano or harp by Charles Koechlin (†14) is performed publicly for the first time, at Sceaux. See 23 June 1963.
24 June 1965 Songs and Proverbs of William Blake op.74, a cycle for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (51) is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh Parish Church, by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the composer. Also premiered is Rhapsody for two violins and viola by Frank Bridge (†24), 37 years after it was composed.
25 June 1965 Viet Cong fighters overrun Tou Morong, 450 km northeast of Saigon. They hold the town despite repeated US air attacks.
27 June 1965 Cello Suite no.1 by Benjamin Britten (51) is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh Parish Church.
28 June 1965 The first offensive by US troops in Vietnam takes place northeast of Saigon. They join South Vietnamese and Australian forces but fail to make contact with the Viet Cong.
Gyula Kállai replaces János Kádár as Prime Minister of Hungary.
Former President Joaquín Balaguer returns to the Dominican Republic and says he will be a candidate in any upcoming elections.
30 June 1965 The leaders of India and Pakistan announce agreement on the removal of forces from the border areas in the Rann of Kutch.
7 July 1965 Fibonacci Mobile for string quartet and piano-four hands by Ernst Krenek (64) is performed for the first time, in Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
9 July 1965 Saigon government troops recapture Dak To, capital of Kon Tum Province, after it was taken by the Viet Cong two days ago.
14 July 1965 Radio Lhasa reports that 5,000 Chinese troops have been dispatched to Tibet to quell widespread revolts.
The United States space probe Mariner 4 passes behind Mars after coming as close as 10,000 km to the red planet. Mars becomes the first planet, other than Earth, to be photographed close up.
Adlai Stevenson suffers a heart attack while walking on a London street and dies at St. George’s Hospital.
15 July 1965 When the centrist prime minister of Greece, Georgios Andreou Papandreou attempts to take control of the military, he is fired by King Konstantinos who replaces him with Georgios Themistokleous Athanasiadis-Novas. Massive demonstrations of anger ensue.
Bun no.1 for orchestra by Cornelius Cardew (29) is performed for the first time, in Rome.
Chichester Psalms for treble, chorus, and orchestra by Leonard Bernstein (46) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, New York the composer conducting.
16 July 1965 White mobs attack black demonstrators six times in Bogalusa, Louisiana while police watch. On the seventh attack, two whites are arrested.
Whites attack black demonstrators in Greensboro, Alabama with clubs, rubber hoses, and hammers. 17 people are injured.
19 July 1965 Hyperion II for flute and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (45), made up of the already performed Dimensioni III and Entropia II, is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
20 July 1965 After 16 years in the United States, former President of the Republic of China, Li Tsung-jen (Li Zongren) arrives in Peking, having defected to the Peoples Republic.
The British House of Lords votes 204-104 to abolish the death penalty.
After his sixth visit to Vietnam, US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara reports that in spite of massive intervention by US troops, the Viet Cong are stronger and their operations wider and more successful than ever. He pledged that the US would take whatever steps were necessary to achieve victory.
23 July 1965 Hundreds of thousands of people accompany the body of Sotiris Petroulas from Athens Cathedral to its final resting place. He was a 23-year-old student killed by a police tear gas canister two days ago. When police tried to bury the body secretly they were found out and, partly through the efforts of Mikis Theodorakis (39), were forced to turn it over.
Variations V: 37 remarks re an audiovisual performance by John Cage (52) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York. Among the performers are David Tudor, James Tenney (30), Robert Moog, Nam June Paik, Merce Cunningham and the composer.
25 July 1965 The Maldive Islands under Sultan Al Amir Mohammed Farid Didi I and Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir, is declared independent of Great Britain.
The Sound of Time for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (37) to words of Mailer is performed for the first time, in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Psalm for chorus by Kenneth Gaburo (39) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.
26 July 1965 10,000-20,000 people march on City Hall in Chicago to protest de facto school segregation. It is the 42nd such march in the last 47 days, but it is the largest, and the first led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nonet for strings by David Diamond (50) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, New York.
27 July 1965 Pierre Harmel replaces Théo Lefèvre as Prime Minister of Belgium at the head of a grand left-right coalition.
US President Johnson signs a measure requiring manufacturers to place health warnings on cigarette packages.
Incidental music to Sophocles’ (tr. Bayer) play König Oedipus by Ernst Krenek (64) is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.
28 July 1965 US President Johnson tells his country that troop strength in Vietnam will be increased by 67% to 125,000.
29 July 1965 Rosaliana for soprano and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (63) to words of Rosalia de Castro is performed for the first time, in La Coruña.
30 July 1965 Demonstrators attack the United States consulate in Medan, Indonesia.
US President Lyndon Johnson signs Medicare into law in Independence, Missouri at the library of the first president to propose it, Harry Truman. The measure provides health care for the elderly.
The first public performance of Ballade of London Nights for piano by John Ireland (†3) takes place over the airwaves of the BBC Third Programme, 35 years after it was composed. It is the recording made last 6 June.
Orchestral and Electronic Exchanges for orchestra and synthesized sound by Charles Wuorinen (27) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
The suite The Golden Broom and the Green Apple for jazz rhythm section and orchestra by Duke Ellington (66) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, New York.
31 July 1965 Cigarette advertising is banned on British television.
1 August 1965 Christian Wolff (31) marries Holly Nash.
3 August 1965 United States marines burn the homes of Vietnamese civilians for the first time, at Cam Ne near Da Nang. 150 homes are destroyed. The action is filmed by CBS News.
4 August 1965 The Cook Islands are granted self-government in free association with New Zealand.
5 August 1965 Indian and Pakistani forces begin twelve days of fighting in Kashmir.
The Greek Parliament votes no confidence in Prime Minister Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas. The Prime Minister resigns, but is kept on as a caretaker.
6 August 1965 Chief Ministers of the 16 states of India, meeting in New Delhi, agree to grain rationing in the country’s eight largest cities.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed by US President Johnson.
7 August 1965 Demonstrators occupy the United States consulate in Surabaya, Indonesia and hold it for five days.
Malaysia and Singapore agree to a separation.
8 August 1965 Trio in Nine Short Movements for violin, cello, and piano by Henry Cowell (68) is performed for the first time, in Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock, New York.
9 August 1965 Singapore withdraws from Malaysia and proclaims itself independent, under President Yusof bin Ishak and Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew.
10 August 1965 The Argentine Grain Board announces that the Soviet Union has bought almost 39,000,000 litres of Argentine wheat.
Philharmonic Fanfare by William Schuman (55) is performed for the first time, in Central Park, New York.
11 August 1965 The Canadian Wheat Board announces that the Soviet Union has bought 7,500,000,000 litres of Canadian wheat.
At a routine traffic stop in the Watts district of Los Angeles, fighting breaks out between white policemen and black bystanders. The crowd grows and random rioting begins. It will continue for six days.
12 August 1965 After a black woman is accidentally struck and killed by a Chicago fire truck, blacks riot for three days. 80 people will be injured, 140 arrested.
13 August 1965 The Parliament of South Korea votes to send 15,000 men to Vietnam.
Lt. Governor Glenn Anderson of California calls out the National Guard to help calm rioting in Los Angeles.
14 August 1965 The Soviet news agency TASS announces that an unmanned space ship, Zond 3, has taken photographs of the far side of the moon. It passed within 6,000 miles of the moon on 20 July. Two pictures will be released in two days.
15 August 1965 Harry Partch (64) signs a lease for a former laundromat in Venice, California. Here he will create a studio.
16 August 1965 Two Romanian Folksongs for female chorus by Béla Bartók (†19) are performed for the first time, in Györ, Hungary 50 years after they were composed.
Six days of rioting in Watts, the Black district of Los Angeles, ends today leaving 35 people dead, 3,900 arrested, 600 buildings destroyed, and $40,000,000 in damages.
17 August 1965 US forces defeat the Viet Cong at Chu Lai.
During a concert at the Tanglewood Music Festival, conductor Erich Leinsdorf announces the retirement of Aaron Copland (64) from the Berkshire Music Center, to be replaced by Gunther Schuller (39).
18 August 1965 King Konstantinos of Greece names Elias Tsirimokos to form a new government.
Contra mortem et tempus for flute, clarinet, violin, and piano by George Rochberg (47) is performed for the first time, at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. The work is inspired by the death of the composer’s son last November.
19 August 1965 In the first ground battle in Vietnam fought solely by US troops, Marines capture Van Tuong, south of Chu Lai.
Viet Cong forces capture the district capital of Dak Sut, 500 km north of Saigon near Laos.
Ilias Ioannou Tsirimokos replaces Georgios Themistokleous Athanasiadis-Novas as Prime Minister of Greece.
16 people who worked at Auschwitz are found guilty of mass murder and torture, in a Frankfurt court. Three are acquitted. Sentences range from 39 months to life.
20 August 1965 A new Greek government led by Elias Tsirimokos is sworn in. 15,000 people march in Athens against it. They do some property damage and set up barricades. 120 people are injured, 116 arrested.
New works are performed for the first time, in Wardour Castle: Ecce manus tradentis for vocal soloists, chorus, seven winds, handbells, and harp by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) conducted by the composer, Tragoedia for wind quintet, string quartet, and harp with claves by Harrison Birtwistle (31) and four movements of Davies’ Seven in Nomine for ten players. See 3 December 1965.
The Women, a chamber opera by Thomas Pasatieri (19) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Aspen, Colorado.
21 August 1965 Edgard Varèse (81) receives the medal of the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The presentation address is given by Milton Babbitt (49).
Nun’s Priest’s Tale after Chaucer for folk singer, electric guitar, and small orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (58) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
22 August 1965 A week of demonstrations against the government of Maj. General Nguyen Van Thieu begins in Hue.
Serenade to Await the Moon for chamber orchestra by William Bergsma (44) is performed for the first time, in Sherwood Hall, La Jolla, California.
23 August 1965 Symphony on G for orchestra by Lou Harrison (48) is performed for the first time, at Cabrillo College, Aptos, California.
24 August 1965 Indian forces begin a major offensive into Pakistani-held Kashmir to stop infiltration of fighters into Indian Kashmir.
26 August 1965 Capriccio for oboe and eleven strings by Krzysztof Penderecki (31) is performed for the first time, in Lucerne.
27 August 1965 Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, Le Corbusier, dies of a heart attack while swimming off Roquebrune Cap-Martin at the age of 77. He will be given a state funeral.
29 August 1965 Members of the Aden National Liberation Front shoot and kill police superintendant Harry Barrie as he drives through the city.
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. and Charles Conrad, Jr. return to earth after a record 190 hours, 55 minutes, and 14 seconds in space aboard their Gemini 5 spacecraft.
After five days of debate, the Greek Parliament votes 159-135 against confidence in the new government of Elias Tsirimokos. He resigns and remains as caretaker.
Two of the six songs from The Poet’s Echo op.76 for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (51) to words of Pushkin, are performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Concert Hall, Yerevan. See 2 December 1965.
30 August 1965 The second UN World Population Conference opens for twelve days of meetings in Belgrade. Among the issues they are studying is the projection that world population will increase to 6,000,000,000 by the year 2000 if nothing is done.
31 August 1965 Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore charges that the CIA offered him $3,300,000 to release a CIA agent arrested for attempting to buy intelligence. The US State Dept. will admit that the charge is true.
1 September 1965 Pakistani troops counterattack in Kashmir in the area of Chhamb.
Members of the Aden National Liberation Front shoot and kill Arthur Charles, speaker of the Aden State Legislative Council outside a tennis club in Aden.
3 September 1965 In Düsseldorf, nine former SS members are convicted of murdering 700,000 people at Treblinka. One defendant is acquitted. Sentences range from three years to life.
Héctor García-Godoy is inaugurated president of the Dominican Republic, thus officially ending the Dominican crisis.
4 September 1965 Pakistani forces in Kashmir, halted yesterday, resume their advance across the Manawarwali River.
The UN Security Council calls unanimously for a cease-fire in Kashmir.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer dies at his hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon at the age of 90.
Hans Werner Henze (39) delivers a speech at the Stadthalle, Bayreuth in support of Willy Brandt and the SPD. Both Brandt and his wife are present.
5 September 1965 A week long battle between US/Saigon forces and the Viet Cong begins south of Da Nang.
Pakistani forces capture Jaurian, some 30 km past the cease-fire line in Kashmir.
6 September 1965 Indian forces drive into Pakistan at three points, heading towards Lahore. They reach within 25 km of the city.
7 September 1965 A second battle south of Da Nang begins. This one will last three days.
The US government ceases arms shipments to India and Pakistan.
8 September 1965 Indonesian demonstrators take the United States consulate in Surabaya and fortify it for two days.
Indian forces cross the Pakistani border at two more points. They capture Gadra in the south and drive towards Sialkot in the north.
Great Britain and Australia suspend arms shipments to India and Pakistan.
9 September 1965 Secretary-General U Thant arrives in Pakistan in an effort to end the fighting. He will also travel to India.
Wechselrahmen, six songs for voice and piano by Ernst Krenek (65) to words of Barth, is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf, the composer at the keyboard.
Aulodia per Lothar for oboe d’amore and guitar by Bruno Maderna (45) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
Julián Antonio Carrillo Trujillo dies in San Angél, aged 90 years, seven months, and twelve days.
11 September 1965 Mobs attack and burn the Indian embassy in Jakarta.
12 September 1965 Voting for the Norwegian Parliament sees losses for the ruling Labor Party to the advantage of parties to the center.
14 September 1965 Pope Paul VI opens the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council in Rome.
Czech Madrigals for chorus by Bohuslav Martinu (†6) is performed for the first time, in Prague.
16 September 1965 The New York Newspaper Guild goes on strike against the New York Times. Pursuant to an agreement by the Publishers’ Association of New York City, seven major New York daily newspapers suspend operations.
Ode to the Wonder of Nature for brass and percussion by Virgil Thomson (68) is performed for the first time, in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington.
First Sacred Concert for singers and players by Duke Ellington (66) is performed for the first time, in Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.
17 September 1965 Stephanos Christou Stephanopoulos replaces Ilias Ioannou Tsirimokos as Prime Minister of Greece.
Unmarked Interchange, an electronic music theatre by Robert Ashley (35) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
18 September 1965 Two Japanese amateur astronomers discover a previously unknown comet. It will be named Ikeya-Seki after them.
Festival Overture for orchestra by Thea Musgrave (37) is performed for the first time, in Glasgow.
19 September 1965 Elections for the West German Bundestag show gains for the Social Democrats who now constitute the largest party. But the ruling Christian Democrat-Christian Social-Free Democrat coalition of Chancellor Ludwig Erhard continues.
21 September 1965 Gambia, the Maldive Islands, and Singapore are admitted to the United Nations.
The UN Security Council votes 10-0-1 to demand that India and Pakistan stop fighting.
Dream Music no.1 for piano by William Bolcom (27) is performed for the first time, in Berlin by the composer.
22 September 1965 The Indonesian army takes control of rice distribution in Jakarta.
Ultima actio for chorus by Henry Cowell (68) to words of de Diego (tr. Machlis) is performed for the first time, in New York.
23 September 1965 Pursuant to a vote of the UN Security Council, India and Pakistan agree to a cease-fire. However, truce violations continue.
24 September 1965 Black Sounds (Apocalyptica II) for 17 winds by George Rochberg (47) is performed for the first time, in a broadcast originating in New York. The work is performed to a dance called The Act.
25 September 1965 In the face of increasing terrorism, Great Britain suspends the constitution of Aden and institutes direct rule by the British High Commissioner.
The Greek Parliament votes confidence (152-148) in the government of Stephanos Stephanopoulos, thus temporarily ending the two-month constitutional crisis. The three days of debate on the issue were punctuated from time to time by fisticuffs.
Former President Juan Bosch returns to the Dominican Republic after two years of exile in Puerto Rico.
Der Traum des Liu-Tung, an opera by Isang Yun (48) to words of Rudelsberger and Bauernfeind after Ma Chi Yuan, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
26 September 1965 Fantasy for Pianist by Roger Reynolds (31) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.
27 September 1965 The UN Security Council passes a fourth resolution calling on India and Pakistan to cease fighting and return to the original truce lines.
29 September 1965 US President Lyndon Johnson signs the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act. It will serve as an umbrella organization for the National Foundation for the Arts and the National Foundation for the Humanities.
30 September 1965 Elements of the Indonesian military and Communist Party attempt to capture seven leading generals in Jakarta. Five generals and three others are killed. Rebels then take Merdeka Square near the Presidential Palace as well as radio and television stations.
Sun Music I for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (36) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London. The press is very positive.
An all-white jury in Hayneville, Alabama acquits Tom L. Coleman of manslaughter in the shotgun killing of Jonathan Daniels, a white seminary student from Keene, New Hampshire. Daniels was assisting in civil rights actions in Alabama.
1 October 1965 Several elements of the Indonesian military announce support for the coup. Others do not.
2 October 1965 Indonesian Army units loyal to President Sukarno take Halim Air Base from the rebels.
3 October 1965 The bodies of those killed on 30 September are discovered. Their subsequent funerals will be shown on Indonesian television.
Quintana über die fünf Vokale, six songs for solo voice, chamber ensemble and tape by Ernst Krenek (65) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Danish Radio, originating in Copenhagen, the composer conducting.
4 October 1965 Pope Paul VI arrives in New York to address the UN. It is the first visit by a reigning pope to the western hemisphere.
A second revised version of Le soleil des eaux for soprano, chorus and orchestra by Pierre Boulez (40) to words of Char, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
7 October 1965 A week of civil rights demonstrations in Natchez, Mississippi is suspended to give city officials time to consider their demands. Over the last week, 544 people have been arrested.
8 October 1965 A mass demonstration in Jakarta calls for the dissolution of the Indonesian Communist Party. Party headquarters are destroyed.
Five days of talks in London between British officials and an all-white Rhodesian delegation on the independence of Rhodesia end in failure. The Rhodesians demand white domination of the country.
Three Postludes for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (52) are performed completely for the first time, in Kraków. See 1 September 1963.
Antiphonen for viola and chamber orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (47) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
9 October 1965 Benjamin Britten (51) receives the Wihuri Sibelius Prize in Helsinki.
Incidental music to Krasinsky’s play The Ungodly Comedy by Krzysztof Penderecki (31) is performed for the first time, in Stary Teatr, Kraków.
10 October 1965 US/Saigon troops begin a major offensive into Binh Dinh Province but they fail to encircle the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong therein.
Parliamentary elections in Turkey result in a small majority for the Justice Party.
The New York newspaper strike is settled after 25 days.
Three Studies in Electronic Sound by Leslie Bassett (42) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
11 October 1965 Tambuco for six percussionists by Carlos Chávez (66) is performed for the first time, in the Leo S. Bing Center of Los Angeles County, California.
12 October 1965 Per Borten of the Center Party replaces Einar Gerhardson as Prime Minister of Norway at the head of a five-party coalition.
Zwischenspiele für Orchester from Hans Werner Henze’s (39) opera Der junge Lord is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
13 October 1965 Anti-Communist rallies take place across Java.
President Joseph Kasavubu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo dismisses Prime Minister Moise Tshombe and appoints Evariste Kimba to succeed him.
Ein Landarzt, a monodrama for baritone and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (39) to words of Kafka, after the composer’s opera, is performed for the first time, in Berlin. See 30 November 1965.
15 October 1965 Two days of demonstrations are held in major cities in the United States against government policy in Vietnam.
16 October 1965 General Suharto is named commander of the Indonesian army by President Sukarno.
Momente no.13 (1965 version) for soprano, four choruses, and 13 instruments by Karlheinz Stockhausen (37) is performed for the first time, in Donaueschingen directed by the composer. Also premiered is String Quartet by Earle Brown (38).
17 October 1965 US Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach announces a government investigation of communist influence in the anti-war movement.
The New York World’s Fair closes after its second and final year.
Miniature Overture for orchestra by William Grant Still (70) is performed for the first time, in Miami.
18 October 1965 A massacre of communists begins throughout eastern Java. About one hundred are killed today.
FBI agents arrest David Miller in Hooksett, New Hampshire for destroying his draft card in a New York demonstration three days ago. He is the first person arrested under a new law making such actions a crime.
Pastorals op.19 for orchestra by Alexander Goehr (33) is performed for the first time, at Donaueschingen.
Symphony no.19 by Henry Cowell (68) is performed for the first time, in War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee.
19 October 1965 Viet Cong forces begin a major assault on the US/Saigon base at Plei Me, 350 km north of Saigon.
Musiche di scena per “Ermittlung” di Piero Weiss for tape by Luigi Nono (41) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
21 October 1965 Saigon government troops reinforce the besieged base at Plei Me, 350 km north of the capital.
US Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific, Admiral US Grant Sharp, states that “there’s no doubt we can stay in there [Vietnam] until we’ve got it cleared up.”
22 October 1965 An all-white jury in Lowndes County, Alabama finds KKK member Collie LeRoy Wilkins not guilty of the murder of civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo in March.
Match for three players by Mauricio Kagel (33) is performed for the first time, in Berlin. See 26 April 1967.
24 October 1965 Voices for Today op.75 for boys’ chorus, chorus, and organ by Benjamin Britten (51) to words of Virgil, Lao tzu, Jesus Christ, Albert Camus, Yevgeny Yevtushenko and others, commissioned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations, is performed for the first time, simultaneously in Royal Festival Hall, London, UN General Assembly Hall, New York, and Maison de l’ORTF, Paris.
27 October 1965 The nine-day battle for Plei Me, near the Cambodian border, ends after American and Saigon government defenders repulse a furious North Vietnamese-Viet Cong assault.
Viet Cong forces destroy 40 US helicopters and seven planes on two attacks at Da Nang.
Süleyman Demirel replaces Suat Hayri Urgüplü as Prime Minister of Turkey.
Brazilian President Humberto Castelo Branco issues several decrees giving his government dictatorial powers. He abolishes Brazil’s 13 political parties.
Refrain op.21 for orchestra by Henryk Górecki (31) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.
Edgar Varèse (81) is admitted as an emergency patient to University Hospital of the New York University Medical Center, New York. A thrombosis causing intestinal obstruction is diagnosed and surgery is prescribed.
28 October 1965 The Indonesian army declares martial law in the province of Central Java as part of their drive against Communists. Suyomo Ramelan, mayor of Surakarta and a member of the Indonesian Communist Party, is arrested.
A bill suspending the death penalty in Britain for five years receives Royal Assent.
Pope Paul VI absolves the Jews of collective guilt for the killing of Christ.
Construction of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is completed.
Lions, a symphonic poem by Ned Rorem (42), is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
30 October 1965 About 25,000 people march in New York in support of administration policy in Vietnam.
1 November 1965 Elections to the Israeli Knesset see slight gains for the leftist Alignment who form the new coalition.
2 November 1965 Norman Morrison, a Quaker, burns himself to death in front of the Pentagon to protest the war in Vietnam.
US Senator Barry Goldwater says that the Vietnam War could be brought to a speedy conclusion by bombing industrial areas of Hanoi.
The Witch of Endor, a ballet by William Schuman (55) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in the 54th Street Theatre, New York. Critics are not impressed.
3 November 1965 100,000 anti-communist demonstrators attack the Chinese consulate in Medan, Indonesia because of the alleged involvement of China in the recent coup.
4 November 1965 Miss Julie, an opera by Ned Rorem (42) to words of Elmslie after Strindberg, is performed for the first time, in New York City Center.
5 November 1965 The white government of Rhodesia declares a nationwide state of emergency to deal with threats they claim are posed by African nationalists.
6 November 1965 About 05:00 Edgar Victor Achille Charles Varèse dies in New York after intestinal surgery, aged 81 years, ten months, and 15 days.
A nighttime curfew in the Dominican Republic is lifted. The government declares “normalcy has been restored.”
8 November 1965 The British Indian Ocean Territory is formed from dependencies of the Seychelles and Mauritius.
Parliamentary elections in Canada leave the status of the parties relatively unchanged. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester Pearson continues in a minority government.
Chamber Concerto for oboe and ten instruments by Charles Wuorinen (27) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University conducted by the composer.
Two new mixed-media works by Pauline Oliveros (33) are performed for the first time, in San Francisco: George Washington Slept Here for amplified violin, film, projections, and two-track tape, and Light Piece for David Tudor for electronically modified piano, lights, film, and four-track tape.
9 November 1965 Roger LaPorte, a pacifist, sets himself alight in front of United Nations headquarters in New York to protest war. He is rushed to the hospital but will die tomorrow.
Mixtur no.16 for orchestra, sine wave generators, ring modulators, and loudspeakers by Karlheinz Stockhausen (37) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NDR, originating in Hamburg.
17:17 Most of the northeastern United States and parts of two Canadian provinces are thrown into darkness by a massive power failure. Approximately 200,000 sq. km. with a population of 30,000,000 are affected. Power will be restored in the early hours of 10 November.
10 November 1965 A new campaign against intellectuals in China begins when a Shanghai newspaper denounces the play Hai Jui Dismissed from Office by Wu Han.
The state of emergency is lifted in Jakarta and environs.
Former President Juscelino Kubitschek of Brazil leaves for New York to avoid trial by the military government. The government grants him an exit visa.
11 November 1965 A massacre of communists begins on Bali.
White leaders in Rhodesia issue a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. They announce a new constitution enshrining white domination. Britain imposes economic sanctions. Africans riot for two days in Bulawayo in response.
For the first time in the history of Mississippi, a white youth is convicted of raping a black girl, in Hattiesburg.
Three Sections from TS Eliot’s The Four Quartets for voice and piano by John Tavener (21) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.
12 November 1965 The UN Security Council votes 10-0-1 to condemn the unilateral declaration of independence by Rhodesia and calls on all states not to recognize the new government.
13 November 1965 Chinese and Nationalist naval forces battle in the Taiwan Strait. Both claim victory.
14 November 1965 Heavy fighting begins in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam between Plei Me and the Cambodian border.
15 November 1965 The US Supreme Court rules that the 1950 McCarran Act is unconstitutional for requiring Communist Party members to register.
16 November 1965 Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs, Governor of Rhodesia for Queen Elizabeth II, is placed under house arrest by the new white minority government.
Pine Tree Fantasy for orchestra by Walter Piston (71) is performed for the first time, in Portland, Maine.
17 November 1965 North Vietnamese troops inflict 60 percent casualties on Americans at Plei Mei.
18 November 1965 The US Justice Department admits that some letters sent by citizens to the White House protesting the Vietnam War have been sent to the Internal Security Division.
Queen Elizabeth II creates Rhodesian Governor Humphrey Gibbs a knight commander of the Royal Victorian Order for his refusal to resign in the face of the declaration of independence.
Cuatro canciones sefardies for voice and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (63) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in the Ataneo de Madrid.
String Quartet no.8 by David Diamond (50) is performed for the first time, in Kansas City, Kansas.
19 November 1965 The National Polish Opera House, rebuilt after its destruction by German bombs in September 1939, is reopened in Warsaw.
Police stage raids at University College in Salisbury, Rhodesia in an attempt to silence opponents of the new regime.
After a constitutional conference in London begun 2 November, the British government announces that British Guiana will become independent next 26 May.
20 November 1965 The UN Security Council votes 10-0-1 to impose complete economic sanctions on Rhodesia.
8,000 people march from Berkeley to Oakland, California to protest the war in Vietnam.
24 November 1965 Soli no.3 for bassoon, trumpet, viola, timpani, and orchestra by Carlos Chávez (66) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Südwestfunk, originating in Baden-Baden.
Quick are the Mouths of Earth for chamber ensemble by Roger Reynolds (31) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
25 November 1965 General Joseph Mobutu overthrows the government of President Joseph Kasavubu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a bloodless coup. He cancels upcoming elections and announces that he will rule for the next five years.
An agreement is signed in West Berlin which will allow West Berliners to visit relatives in the East during the Christmas holiday.
26 November 1965 France launches its first artificial satellite, the A-1 (Astérix), from Hammaguir, Algeria.
27 November 1965 15,000-35,000 people march on the White House to protest the war in Vietnam.
Ken Kesey holds the first “Acid Test” near Santa Cruz, California.
28 November 1965 President Joseph Mobutu of the Congo names Leonard Mulamba as Prime Minister.
29 November 1965 Unsafe at Any Speed by Ralph Nader is published.
30 November 1965 A revised version of Ein Landarzt, a radio opera by Hans Werner Henze (39) after Kafka, is staged for the first time, in the Frankfurt Staatstheater. On the same program is the first staging of a revised version of Henze’s Das Ende einer Welt, to words of Hildesheimer, and a revision of Das Wundertheater, an opera for singers after Cervantes, (tr. Graf von Schack). See 7 May 1949, 19 November 1951, 4 December 1953, and 13 October 1965.
1 December 1965 President Joseph Mobutu of the Congo announces that he will rule by decree.
Incidental music to Cholendro’s play Somebody’s Life by Alfred Schnittke (31) is performed for the first time, in Mossoviet Theatre, Moscow.
Phonophonie, four melodramas by Mauricio Kagel (33), is performed for the first time, in Munich.
2 December 1965 The Poet’s Echo op.76, a cycle for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (52) to words of Pushkin, is performed completely for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall. See 29 August 1965.
3 December 1965 Ten RAF fighters arrive in Zambia at the request of President Kaunda.
East German Deputy Prime Minister Erich Apel shoots himself to death in his office in East Berlin.
An agreement is reached in Natchez, Mississippi between white merchants and blacks boycotting them. The boycott is called off in return for action on the blacks’ demands.
Seven In Nomine for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (31) is performed completely for the first time, at the Commonwealth Institute, London.
4 December 1965 A Viet Cong bomb goes off at the Metropole Hotel in Saigon. One person is killed, 137 injured, mostly Americans.
Gemini 7 is launched into space from Cape Kennedy, Florida.
Sweet Freedom’s Song: A New England Chronicle, a cantata for narrator, vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Robert Ward (48) to various authors, is performed for the first time, in Cary Hall, Lexington, Massachusetts.
5 December 1965 President Charles de Gaulle of France fails to win a majority in the presidential elections and is forced into a runoff against François Mitterand.
The Golden Slippers, a musical folk play by David Diamond (50) to words of Citron after Pérez Galdós, is performed for the first time, in Joan of Arc Playhouse, New York.
8 December 1965 Pope Paul VI formally ends the Second Vatican Council.
9 December 1965 Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny replaces Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
10 December 1965 2,000 Indonesians attack Chinese homes, businesses, and the Chinese consulate in Medan, Indonesia. Three are killed by police.
Henry Dixon Cowell dies in Shady, New York, aged 68 years, eight months, and 29 days.
An all-white jury in Selma, Alabama acquits three white Selma residents of the murder of Rev. James Reeb on 9 March.
11 December 1965 A second composition called Fern Hill for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra by John Corigliano (27) is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.
13 December 1965 US and Saigon government troops fail to entrap North Vietnamese in a six-day operation in Quang Tin Province, 550 km northeast of Saigon.
String Quartet no.2 by Otto Luening (65) is performed for the first time, at Columbia University, 42 years after it was composed.
15 December 1965 A windstorm in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) causes 10,000 deaths, the third such storm this year.
Gemini 6 is launched from Cape Kennedy. A rendezvous is achieved with Gemini 7 and the two ships maneuver within a meter of each other. They fly in formation for six hours.
The AFL-CIO announces “unstinting support” for administration policies in Vietnam.
A concert in memory of Edgar Varèse takes place in the McMillin Theatre of Columbia University. The provost, Jacques Barzun delivers a brief address as does Otto Luening (65). Some film of Thomas Bouchard is shown as well as a recording of recent remarks by Varèse. Charles Wuorinen (27) directs a performance of Varèse’s Octandre. Density 21.5 is performed. Excerpts from Déserts are played as well as Poème électronique, adapted for the occasion by Vladimir Ussachevsky (54).
16 December 1965 W. Somerset Maugham dies in Nice after a stroke at the age of 91.
Gemini 6 splashes down in the Atlantic 1,000 km southwest of Bermuda.
Canon on a Russian Popular Tune for orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (83) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBC, originating in Toronto.
Piano Sonata no.11 by Vincent Persichetti (50) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Art Alliance by the composer’s wife Dorothea Persichetti. Also premiered is Persichetti’s Parable I op.100 for flute.
18 December 1965 Montagnard tribesmen stage a two-day revolt in the Central Highlands against the rule of the Saigon government. The revolt fails.
Frank Borman and James A. Lovell, Jr. return to earth after a record 330 hours, 35 minutes, and 31 seconds in space aboard their Gemini 7 spacecraft.
The Berlin Wall opens again for holiday visits by West Berliners.
Masques op.99 for violin and piano by Vincent Persichetti (50) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.
19 December 1965 Charles de Gaulle defeats François Mitterand in a run off in presidential elections in France. It is the first time that a French President is elected by direct, universal suffrage.
21 December 1965 Claude Joseph Arthur Adonai Champagne dies at his home in Montreal, aged 74 years, six months, and 24 days.
Duo for flute and string bass by Ben Johnston (39) is performed for the first time.
Four Instruments for violin, cello, chimes, and piano by Morton Feldman (39) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.
Neiz Radenn for english horn and piano by Jean-Claude Risset 27 is performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard.
22 December 1965 Singapore becomes a republic.
David Lean’s film of Doctor Zhivago is released in the United States.
23 December 1965 A black boycott of white merchants in Natchez, Mississippi, suspended 3 December, is resumed after an incident of police brutality against blacks yesterday.
24 December 1965 US President Lyndon Johnson orders a halt in bombing of North Vietnam in an attempt to further peace efforts.
30 December 1965 Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos replaces Diosdado Pañgan Macapagal as President of the Philippines.
Variations for orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (59) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.
©2004-2015 Paul Scharfenberger
22 January 2015
Last Updated (Thursday, 22 January 2015 07:24)