Just one year after the the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd of 1963. It shocked the nation, and a period already mired by cold war paranoia took tension to new heights. 

But existential doom aside, 1963 was a fun year for going to the beach, having parties, and driving some of the coolest Chevys ever made. 

Here are 24 fascinating photos of what life looked like in 1963.