On October 21 and 22 between 50,000 and 150,000 protesters invaded Washington, D.C., for the March on the Pentagon but found the building strongly guarded. The police made 647 arrests during the two days. Antiwar protests also took place in four other cities, including Oakland, California, where Joan Baez was among a hundred people arrested outside an Army induction office. The events provoked a major policy speech from President Johnson one week later, in which he pledged unwavering support for the American effort in Vietnam.

Despite the heroics of left fielder Carl Yastrzemski, who had almost single-handedly won the Boston Red Sox their first pennant since 1946, the team succumbed to the St. Louis Cardinals after seven spirited games in the World Series.