Time to celebrate, Cleveland.
The long wait is over. The Cavaliers have won the NBA Finals, giving you your first championship in 52 years. All of the bad luck and frustration has washed to the wayside, and it must be liberating to have all of it gone.
But let’s reflect back on the last time Cleveland won a championship: 1964. What was the world like during that time? What was going on?
1964 in Review
In 1964 Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, saying that no person shall be discriminated in public settings or the work force because of their race or ethnicity.
The Beatles play on the Ed Sullivan Show three consecutive weeks, paving the way for other British acts that year and the start of the British Invasion.
The third James Bond Film Goldfinger is the highest grossing film of the year while Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady battle it out at the Academy Awards, with My Fair Lady taking home Best Picture.
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution is passed. This is the start of American involvement in Vietnam and the then-longest war America has ever fought.
Gas cost only 31 cents per gallon, and a bottle of Pepsi only cost 27 cents.
Lyndon B. Johnson is re-elected a year after he was sworn into office after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
In Sports
The Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship over the Baltimore Colts 27-0. This was the last time Cleveland won a championship until the Cavaliers in 2016.
The St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series over the New York Yankees in seven games with pitcher Bob Gibson being named MVP.
UCLA wins the first of back-to-back NCAA basketball championships and the first of nine out of the next ten championships under coach John Wooden.
The Boston Celtics win one of their nine championships in the 1960’s over the San Francisco Warriors four games to one.
So as you can see, a lot has happened since the last time Cleveland won a sports championship, but all of that waiting was well worth it. Congratulations, Cleveland. Savor this moment forever until the next championship comes along.
