October 1968

Jones's physically and emotionally overwhelming performance as a Jack Johnson-inspired boxer won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. The role launched his theatrical stardom and later led to an Academy Award nomination when the play was filmed.

Jones's performance as a Jack Johnson-inspired boxer won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and launched his theatrical stardom.

Houston-born sprinter Jim Hines won the Olympic 100m gold medal in Mexico City with a time of 9.95 seconds, becoming the first person in history to officially break the 10-second barrier. The record stood for 15 years.

Tennessee State University sprinter Wyomia Tyus became the first person — man or woman — to win consecutive Olympic 100m titles, adding a world-record-setting gold in Mexico City to her 1964 Tokyo gold. She dedicated her win to Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

Tennessee State University sprinter Wyomia Tyus became the first person to win consecutive Olympic 100m titles. She dedicated her win to Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

After winning gold and bronze in the 200 meters at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists on the podium in a Black Power salute during the national anthem, protesting racial injustice in America. The image became one of the most iconic and controversial photographs of the twentieth century.

After Smith won gold and Carlos bronze in the 200m, both athletes raised black-gloved fists during the national anthem. The image became one of the most iconic in sports history and a defining symbol of Black Power. Both were expelled from the Olympic Village.

Hendrix's ambitious double album, which he produced himself, is considered his masterwork. Tracks like 'Voodoo Chile,' 'All Along the Watchtower,' and 'Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland)' showed his full range and influence on subsequent rock and funk.

Bob Beamon leaped 8.90 meters (29 feet 2.5 inches) at the Mexico City Olympics, shattering the world record by 55 centimeters in a single jump. The record stood for 23 years and the jump has been called the greatest single athletic achievement in Olympic history, with Beamon collapsing in shock after realizing its magnitude.

Beamon's jump of 8.90 meters (29 ft 2.5 in) at the Mexico City Olympics shattered the existing world record by 55 centimeters — the largest improvement in an athletics world record since the modern Olympics began. The record stood for 23 years. Beamon collapsed in shock.

Evans ran 43.86 seconds to win the 400m gold medal and set a world record that would stand for 20 years. He wore a black beret on the podium in solidarity with Tommie Smith and John Carlos, an act of defiance that cost him commercial opportunities.