Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers are headed to Monday night’s NCAA Basketball National Championship Game after defeating North Carolina State in the Final 4.
If Purdue in the national title seems like a foreign idea, that’s because it is. The last time this program played for the title was all the way back in 1969 under legendary head coach George King.
Purdue’s appearance in the big game got us thinking. It’s been 55 years. What was happening around sports and in the context of the broader world last time the team played for the title? Here’s a look at 10 fast facts.
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Apollo 11 moon landing
The Purdue Boilermakers lost their national title back on March 22 of 1969. Two months later — on July 24 — the United States landed Apollo 11 on the moon. Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon as America defeated the Soviet Union in the space race. From a scientific and astronomical standpoint, it was the greatest accomplishment in the history of mankind. Fast forward 55 years, and the human race has a presence all around the cosmos. That includes rovers on Mars and unmanned ships reaching the furthest bounds of our solar system.
Miracle Mets lose to Orioles in World Series
The 1969 New York Mets were dubbed as the “Miracle Mets” because they made it to the World Series after losing 89 games the season prior. Led by manager Gil Hodges, they won 100 regular-season games. Tom Seaver dominated from the bump, posting a 25-7 record with a 2.21 ERA. Unfortunately, New York would fall to Brooks Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
Precursor to Internet sends first message
The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) was the very first computer network to implement the TCP/IP protocol suite. It ended up becoming a precursor to the Internet with the first message being sent by the United States Department of Defense. Just imagine living in a world without the Internet. It seems so foreign to those who were born just two decades later. Crazy stuff.
Richard Nixon inaugurated as United States President
It was back in 1969 that then-president Lyndon Johnson decided against running for re-election. This opened the door for his political rival, California Governor Richard Nixon. He’d ultimately defeat democrat Eugene McCarthy in the general election. McCarthy only received the democratic nomination due to the assassination of Robert Kennedy the year prior. As for his term in the White House, we already know how it ended for Tricky Dick.
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Texas beats Arkansas in “Dixie’s Last Stand” to win CFB title
President Nixon was on hand to watch this College Football National Championship Game between the Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks. Despite Arkansas taking a 14-0 lead through three quarters, Texas dropped 15 unanswered points in the final stanza to win in epic fashion. The matchup is best known for being dubbed “Dixie’s Last Stand” because it the last major sporting event played between two all-white teams.
Golda Meir becomes Prime Minister of Israel
If you have not had time to study Golda Meir, we recommend you do. Born into a Ukrianian-Jewish family in 1909, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1906. She ultimately became just the fourth Prime Minister in Israel history, and the only female to serve in that role. She also oversaw the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals
With Bill Russell leading the charge, the Dynastic Boston Celtics defeated Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA Finals. The series culminated in Game 7 with Boston outlasting Los Angeles by the score of 108-106 despite an insane comeback by Los Angeles in the fourth quarter. Interestingly enough, Lakers star Jerry West won the MVP despite his team losing the series.
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The Beatles final song and performance
The ugly breakup of the Fab Four took place in 1969. The Beatles performed their final song this year. An iconic Abbey Road. They also gave their final public appearance on January 30, 1969. It came on the roof of Apple Records. It was also broken up by the police. Talk about being buzzkills.
Woodstock Music Festival draws 350,000
Woodstock, New York. Not many had heard about this small town prior to August of 1969. That changed big time with some of the world’s top musicians taking to New York. The likes of Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix performed. Hendrix’ rendition of the National Anthem is among the most iconic moments in music history. A total of 350,000 people attended the four-day event.
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UCLA Bruins defeat Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers averaged 93 points per game during the 1968-69 season. They took out Miami (O), Marquette and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament to set a date with the dynastic UCLA Bruins in the championship game. Purdue proved to be no match for John Wooden’s Bruins, losing by the score of 92-72. All-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (pictured) led UCLA with 37 points and 20 rebounds.