During the summer of 1969, photographer Vernon Merritt III strolled around New York City documenting the fashion of the time for LIFE magazine. At the time, Merritt said: "New Yorkers have such charm, savoir faire, call it what you will. And it's a general thing—all the way from Harlem down to the Battery." His focus was mostly on the younger set, noting "New York City is a costume party for the young this summer, a party that is taking place outdoors, on the streets and in the parks." more ›

It's hard to imagine a time that Sesame Street wasn't on the air, but here's the pitch video that was made to sell it to networks back in 1968 (it was altered in 1969 once a name was decided upon). Muppet Wiki describes it as such: "The film features Rowlf describing what the new show will be like to Kermit. Interspersed between the explanatory scenes are board room sequences, in which various Muppets try to come up with a name for the show. The reel is also marked by extensive use of the word 'groovy' and phrases like 'I'm hip.'" Dig it: more ›

Citi Field has paid tribute to the legacy of Ebbets Field and to the Beatles' invasion of Shea Stadium. Yesterday they got around to remembering one of the greatest squads put together by the actual team that calls the stadium home, honoring the 1969 Miracle Mets. The franchise's first World Series champions were honored in a ceremony before yesterday's game against the Phillies. It was the first time that Nolan Ryan joined in any '69 festivities, as the News notes wearing his Mets No. 30 jersey for the first time in 38 years. more ›

Forty years ago this weekend, a now legendary 3-day festival took place on Max Yasgur's 600 acre farm in Bethel, New York (just about 100 miles outside of New York City). Initially around 50,000 were expected to attend Woodstock, however it ended up being more like half a million. This page has some interesting statistics; for example, only 186,000 tickets were sold; 320,000 people left before Hendrix went on; it was just 15 bucks for an ounce of pot, and nearly 90% of those in attendance were smoking it. more ›

Former Mets pitcher Don Cardwell died yesterday at the age of 72 in North Carolina. Traded to the Lovable Loser Mets in 1966, Cardwell's performance during 1969 mirrored that of the team itself and helped the Mets win the their division title on the way to their first World Series Championship. Like the Mets, Cardwell started the '69 season in a lackluster manner, posting a 3-9 win-loss record through the first four months of the season. The Mets were 10 games behind the Chicago Cubs heading into August. more ›