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G.I. Bill is passed
The G.I. Bill of Rights or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 provided for college or vocational education for returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as GIs or G.I.s) as well as one-year of unemployment compensation. It provided loans for returning veterans to buy homes and start businesses, gave job counseling and training. The G.I. Bill was signed by President FDR on June 22, 1944. He believed that ensuring veterans’ employability was critical to a sound postwar economy. -
Second Red Scare
The Second Red Scare began in the late 1940s and early 1950s. When the Cold War broke out, the Soviet Union and the United States were on edge about the spread of Communism. McCarthy was the face of McCarthyism, a practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without evidence. Another highlight of the Red Scare was Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a married couple who leaked the United States' nuclear designs to the Soviet Union. The were ultimately trialed and executed of espionage. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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Atomic Bomb was created
The atomic bomb is one of the most powerful weapons created during World War II. The United States was conducting the experiment, under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He hid the experiment from America for years. Shortly after his death, the experiment was a success and the United States ended the war by dropping two atomic bombs on Japan. Along with the use of atomic bombs during World War II, the United States and the Soviets were in an arms race for who could create nuclear weapons. -
Truman Doctrine was signed
The Truman Doctrine, signed on March 24, 1947, by President Harry S. Truman was a policy that provided economic and military aid to any country threated by Communist ideology. This started because the United States wanted to help aid the British who could not afford to keep British troops in Greece. The British were in Greece in order to keep Communism out. Becuase of this, Truman had to alter American Foreign Policy so that it would enable the United States to be involved in European affairs. -
Marshall Plan is ratified
The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe. On June 3, 1948, the United States, under the presidency of Harry S. Truman, signed the Marshall Plan, appointed by George Marshall, that ordered the United States to give over $13 billion to Western European countries in order to help rebuild the Western European economies after the effects of World War II. The goal of the Marshall Plan was to rehabilitate Western Europe economy and discourage them from falling to communism. -
Truman delivers his Fair Deal speech
On January 5, 1949, President Harry S. Truman announces, in his State of the Union address, that every American has a right to expect from our government a fair deal. Truman based the Fair Deal off of FDR's New Deal. The Fair Deal recommended that all Americans have health insurance, that the minimum wage be increased, and all Americans be guaranteed equal rights. Overall, the Fair Deal was a success because Truman was able to ban racial discrimination government and segregation in the military. -
Television altered the 1950s
During the 1950s, television greatly impacted society and the way the nation viewed things. During the civil rights movement, television broadcasted the happenings in the South and exposed the segregation blacks endured during the civil rights movement. Television also broadcasted the election between Nixon and Kennedy, the first election to have debates on TV. Through the election, the nation favored Kennedy. Lastly, television broadcasted shows like "I Love Lucy" and "Leave It To Beaver". -
Period: to
The 1950s
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The Korean War (The Forgotten War)
The Korean War started in June 1950. The dispute was between the Communist North Koreans invading the South Koreans passed the 38th Parallel. The United States forces, under the command of Douglas MacArthur, aided the South Koreans in their war. Shortly after, the UN entered the war to aid the South and China entered the war to aid the North. The war lasted 3 years, ultimately ended with the two countries living in separate harmony and the United States adopting Eisenhower into the White House. -
Ike Turner in the 1950s
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner, Jr. was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. He was born on November 5, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and grew up playing the blues. In 1956, he met a teenage singer named Anna Mae Bullock. He married her and helped create her stage persona, Tina Turner. The two made a string of R&B hits, calling themselves "Ike & Tina Turner Revue". Turner died of a cocaine overdose in 2007, in San Marcos, California. -
Elvis Presley rocks in the 1950s
Elvis Presley was a rock and roll musician born in 1935 in Mississippi. In 1953, Sun Studios, managed by Sam Philips, picked him up and Presley began his music career. He fused black rhythm and blues with white bluegrass and country styles; creating a new musical idiom known forever after as rockabilly. Elvis Presley became known as "The King of Rock and Roll" with his famous dance moves and legendary hip movements. Some of his famous hits are Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, and Burning Love. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that lasted from December 9, 1952 to May 17, 1954. This case stated that the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the most important events in the civil rights movement because it helped establish the precedent that “separate but equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all. -
Polio Vaccine created
On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announced on the national radio show that he successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, a virus that causes the disease of polio, aka “infant paralysis” because it mainly affects children. In 1952, an epidemic year for polio, there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. One significant person who was diagnosed with polio was former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
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Bill Haley and His Comets in the 1950s
Bill Haley and His Comets, also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets, were an American rock and roll band, founded in 1952. One of their singles, "Rock Around The Clock", become Haley's biggest hit and one of the most important records in rock and roll history. The song was best known from teenagers, who listened to the hit. Americans viewed the song as a disgrace because rock and roll music was frowned upon. However, this single was an anthem for teenage rebellion. -
Rosa Parks protests
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, was an activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, spurring the Montgomery boycott and other efforts to end segregation. She was arrested for refusing to give away her seat. However, due to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the city of Montgomery had no choice but to lift the law requiring segregation on public buses. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American male who changed civil rights. His mother sent him to the South to expose him to Jim Crow, There, he was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman. 4 days later, Carolyn's husband, Roy, and his brother, Milam, kidnapped, beat, shot Till in the head and disposed of him in a lake. The men were tried for murder, but an all-white, male jury acquitted them. Till's murder and open casket funeral galvanized the emerging civil rights movement. -
The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a part of the Cold War and the United States' promise through the Truman Doctrine to aid any nation who is attempting to repel Communism. North Vietnam turned Communist and invaded the South in order to unite the country as one Communist nation. The Domino Theory was established because of the Vietnam War. It was said that if Vietnam fell to Communism, Cambodia, Laos, etc. will fall as well. The Vietnam War ended with the Americans abandoning the war and South Vietnam fell. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. The 381-day boycott lasted from December 5, 1955 to December 20, 1956. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat on the bus up to a white male, she stimulated the protest against buses for civil rights. For the 381 days of protest, no African American in Montgomery rode the bus as a form of protest against the city. -
Space Race
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union was in competition of which nation had the better technology. This began with the space race, a race to see which country could get into space first. The Soviets, led by Nikita Khrushchev successfully launched the first man in space, Gagarin. The Soviet also successfully launched the first artificial satellite into space, Sputnik. However, the United States was the first to have a man on the moon, Neil Armstrong and created NASA. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation, also known as the Beat Movement, was an American social and literary movement originating in the 1950s. The movement started in communities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. The people involved in the Beat Movement were known as "beatniks", a group of American writers in the 1950s. The beliefs of the beats included the rejection of mainstream American values, experimentation with drugs, alternate forms of sexuality, and an interest in Eastern spirituality. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock 9 was a group of 9 African American students enrolled in the formally all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their attendance at the school was a test of Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. However, Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas made it difficult for the integration of blacks and whites to succeed. President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock 9 into the school. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957 is enacted
The Civil Rights Act of 1957, proposed by Brownell, was the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The law was signed by President D. Eisenhower on September 9, 1957. The act, established by the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department, empowered federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. Due to the events surrounding this date, President Eisenhower took action in allowing the integration of blacks and whites in society. -
Dr. Jonas Salk created the first polio vaccine
Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist. He was born on October 28, 1914 in NY; and died on June 23, 1995 in CA. Dr. Salk is most notable for his discovery and development of the first polio vaccine. While attending the University of Michigan School of Public Health, he spent his time working on developing a vaccine for the flu. He later transferred to University of Pittsburgh and was head of the Virus Research Lab. There he studied and developed the polio vaccine. -
Albert Sabin creates the first oral polio vaccine
Albert Bruce Sabin was a Polish American medical researcher, best known for developing the oral polio vaccine. He was born in August 1906 and died in March 1993. Due to polio spreading rapidly, Dr. Sabin, Dr. Salk, and other researchers began working on a vaccine for polio. After Dr. Salk released the polio vaccine, it was effective in preventing most of the complications of polio, but did not prevent the initial intestinal infection. Because of this, Dr. Sabin created the oral polio vaccine. -
Period: to
The 1960s
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Peace Corps formed
The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes providing technical assistance, helping people outside the US to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. The Peace Corps was founded by JFK, Harris Wofford, and Sargent Shriver on March 1, 1961. Their motto is to promote world peace, create friendships between nations, and help with international development. -
Jack Ruby kills LHO
Jack Leon Ruby, born on March 25, 1911 in Chicago, IL, was the Dallas, Texas, nightclub owner who fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald on November 24, 1963, while Oswald was in police custody after being charged with assassinating U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. When Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from the city jail to the county jail, Ruby stepped out of a crowd of onlookers and gunned down Oswald. He was convicted of murder in 1964, but died of cancer before his trial. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington, more specifically known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the March on Washington, or The Great March on Washington, was a massive protest march that occurred on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial located in Washington D.C. The march was led by MLK. Over 250,000 people participated in the protest in order to draw attention to continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans. This event is where MLK had his “I Have A Dream” speech. -
Assassination of JFK
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. in Dallas, Texas while riding in an open-top automobile in Dealey Plaza. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife. During the shooting, JFK and John Connally were both shot. After the assassination of JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson, the Vice President succeeded. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th president of the United States; he was sworn into office following the November 22, 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Hours after the assassination of JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office the same day before leaving Dallas to Washington D.C. on the United States Air Force One. Lyndon B. Johnson bases his presidency on creating a “Great Society” for all Americans. He declined running for a second term in office and retired in January 1969. -
Lee Harvey Oswald assassinates JFK
Lee Harvey Oswald, born on October 18, 1939 in New Orleans, LA, was an American Marxist and ex-Marine who assassinated United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. After assassinating JFK, Oswald fled to a movie theater, but was quickly found. There, he was taken into police custody for the murder of President JFK. Conspiracies mounted that he was not able to do it on his own, however, he did not confess to others. He was killed by Jack Ruby through shots in the stomach. -
Daisy Girl Ad broadcasted
"Daisy", sometimes known as "Daisy Girl" or "Peace, Little Girl", was a controversial political advertisement aired on television during the 1964 United States presidential election by president Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. The ad is of a little girl in a meadow picking petals off of a flower while counting numbers, some in the wrong order. When she gets to nine, she stops, and a man's of counts ten. That represents the count for the missile launch and the scene ends with a mushroom explosion. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark civil rights which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The law was proposed by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination. After Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office, he presumed the presidential chair and signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964. The act outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels. -
The Great Society
President Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, called his version of the Democratic reform program "the Great Society". In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, a national health insurance program administered by the U.S. federal government; civil rights legislation, like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1965, federal aid to education, the arts, urban and rural development, public services, and his "War on Poverty". -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the law that prohibited racial discrimination in voting in the United States. The law was passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965. The law was made to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The aftermath of the law angered the white racists, mostly from the South. However, voting rates increased. -
Counter Culture
Counter Culture was a group of young American people that rejected the values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns. They were considered "hippies" because they were very laid back and against the norms of other generations. This generation was very similar to the Beat Generation's beatniks, who believed in drugs, sex, peace not war, and rejecting American materialism. However, the hippies also had a love for LSD and rock music. -
Anti-War Movement
The Anti-War Movement was a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. This stimulated in the United States because of their involvement in the Vietnam War. Many Americans were opposed to the idea of getting involved in Vietnam's conflict with Communism, but because of Johnson's belief in the Domino Theory and the Truman Doctrine, the United States got involved in the war. -
Nixon's Election
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States. He served from 1969 to 1974 before resigning. He was also the first president to resign from the White House. During Nixon's presidency, he was very informed about the problems going on in the Us and even hid the Watergate Scandal from Americans. When Nixon attempted to get Archibald Cox fired, he failed multiple times. As a result, Cox investigates Nixon and exposed him of withholding information about the Watergate Scandal. -
Death of MLK
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American man, a minister, founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and a civil rights activist. On April 4, 1968, while visiting the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee, Martin Luther King was standing on the second-floor balcony with other men. A sniper's bullet hit him in the neck and he was taken to the St. Joseph's Hospital where he was announced dead at 7:05 p.m. The assassinator of Martin Luther King was James Earl Ray. -
LSD
LSD, abbreviated for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, more commonly known as acid, is a drug taken for its psychological effects, which may include altered awareness of one's surroundings, perceptions, and feelings as well as sensations and images that seem real though they are not. During the Counter Culture, hippies took the drug in order to relax and explore their inner selves. Since hippies were very laid back and "chill" they were easy going and wanted to have fun and explore sex and drugs. -
Nixon's Presidency
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States. His term lasted from 1969 to 1974. He was the first president to resign from office. During his presidency, he was known for corruption and the Watergate scandal - which resulted in the public losing trust in him and his resignation. Nixon illegally recorded conversations and when they got out, Americans lost their trust in him because he claimed he had no knowledge of the Watergate Scandal when in reality, he was aware of it. -
Apollo 11 Mission launch
Apollo 11 was the name of the spaceflight that successfully landed and brought back the first two humans on the Moon. The experiment was conducted by the United States under mission commander Neil Armstrong, and pilot Buzz Aldrin. They successfully landed the Eagle module on July 20, 1969, 4 days after it was launched. At 8:18 p.m., on July 20, 1969, Armstrong took his first step onto the moon. Armstrong's first step on the moon was broadcasted on television for Americans to watch along. -
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is founed
OPEC, the abbreviation for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, was a group consisting of 12 of the world's major oil-exporting nations. The organization was originally founded in 1960 in Baghdad. The purpose of OPEC was to coordinate the petroleum policies of its members, and to provide member states with technical and economic aid. Present-day OPEC consists of 14 nations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Qatar, and more. -
Period: to
The 1970s
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Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal was Nixon's biggest scandal during his presidency. This event was a major factor that caused Americans to distrust Nixon during his presidency and eventually led to his resignation from the White House. The Watergate Scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States during the early 1970s, where several men broke into and arrested at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. -
Title IX is passed
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. The law was signed by President Richard M. Nixon on June 23, 1972. The law states exactly that. "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." The law helped students in schools. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was a US Supreme Court case on the issue of the constitutionality of laws that criminalized or restricted access to abortions. Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) was a single woman who challenged the criminal abortion laws in Texas that forbade abortion as unconstitutional except in cases where the mother's life was in danger. Henry Wade was the Texas attorney general who defended the anti-abortion law. The issue resulted in justices ruling that government lacked the power to ban abortions. -
Endangered Species Act is enacted
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is a law that provides the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. This law was signed on December 27, 1973, by President Richard M. Nixon. The legislation's primary goal is to prevent the extinction of plant and animal life. Currently, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 cover bald eagles, gray whales, and the peregrine falcon. -
Gerald Ford's Presidency
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was an American politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from August 1974 to January 1977. Nixon's previous VP, Spiro T. Agnew, resigned from office so Nixon used his power under the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to appoint Ford as his new vice president. However, Ford took office on August 9, 1974, following Richard Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate scandal Ford became the first unelected president in the nation’s history. -
Jimmy Carter's Presidency
James (Jimmy) Earl Carter Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from January 1977 to January 1981. Carter represented and supported the Democratic Party along with his vice president, Walter Mondale. During Carter's presidency, issues of an energy crisis, high inflation, and unemployment surfaced domestically. In foreign affairs, he reopened U.S. relations with China, brokered peace in the historic Arab-Israeli conflict, and a hostage crisis in Iran. -
Camp David Accords were signed
Camp David is the country retreat for the President of the United States. More specifically, the Camp David Accords, officially titled the “Framework for Peace in the Middle East", is a contract laying the groundwork for a permanent peace agreement between Egypt and Israel after three decades of hostilities. The nations and parties involved were the United States' President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem. The conflict was over the West Bank. -
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis McAlpin Schlafly was an American constitutional lawyer and conservative political activist. She was born on August 15, 1924, in St. Louis, and died September 5, 2016, in Ladue. Schlafly was an American writer and political activist, best known for her opposition to the women's movement and especially the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA, abbreviation for the Equal Rights Amendment, is a law the US Constitution stating that civil rights may not be denied on the basis of one's sex. -
Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was the presidential race between candidates Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent. During the 1980s, issues of the Iran hostage crisis, the worsening economy, and the high unemployment rates were a focal point during this election. Reagan, however, won by a landslide of 439 electoral votes. Carter only gained 49 electoral votes, and Anderson and Clark both won none. -
Reagan Presidency
Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States. He was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. He served as president from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989. He cut taxes, increased defense spending, negotiated a nuclear arms reduction agreement with the Soviets, and helped to bring a quicker end to the Cold War. Reagan, who survived a 1981 assassination attempt, died at age 93 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. -
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The 1980s
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Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006 - serving the Suprmee Court for 24 years. She was also the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, TX and still lives today. She was appointed as a justice on the Supreme Court by President Ronald W. Regan. Sandra Day O’Connor was considered to be a moderate conservative. One of O'Connor's significant cases is the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case. -
Music Television (MTV)
Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from recording artists, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. The program launched on August 1, 1981. It originally broadcasted music videos of rap music. The target of music television mostly aimed towards young adult demographics - more specifically high school and college students. Presently, MTV has minimized their music videos and airs reality TV. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
During the 1980s, A.I.D.S. was at an all-time high. In 1981, the first AIDS cases were reported in the United States in June. Along with that, the number of cases and deaths among persons with AIDS increased rapidly during the 1980s followed by substantial declines in new cases and deaths in the late 1990s.The case began when five homosexual men were diagnosed with pneumonia. However, after more tests were taken, doctors had discovered that it was a misdiagnosis and the diseases was A.I.D.S. -
Sam Walton's Just-In-Time Inventory
Sam Moore Walton was an American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club. Just-in-time (JIT) is an inventory strategy companies employ to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs. This strategy requires the distributor to accurately predict the forecast of the demand for goods. JIT inventory is used at Walmart because they have a small stockroom. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (Star Wars)
The Strategic Defense Initiative, abbreviated to be SDI, and also known as "Star Wars", was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons. The program was first initiated and announced on March 23, 1983, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to overwhelm the global influence of the Soviet Union in an attempt to end the Cold War. In 1985, President Reagan pledged his support for anti-Communist revolutions in what would become known as the "Reagan Doctrine." The US provided aid to anti-Soviet freedom fighters in forms of guerrillas and resistance movements in an effort to "rollback" Soviet-backed communist governments. -
Challenger Explosion
The NASA space shuttle, Challenger, exploded on January 28, 1986, 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing an end to the spacecraft’s 10th mission. The explosion killed 7 people - 5 NASA astronauts and 2 payload specialists. The Challenger exploded due to O-rings continued to not seal the joint, and the gases leaked through the aft field joint. The participants that died in the disaster were Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judy Resnik, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Michael Smith and Ellison Onizuka. -
Video Head System (VHS)
During the 1980s, VHS, the abbreviation for "Video Head System", was a popular way for Americans to listen to music, broadcast TV, and make recordings. A Video Head System is a standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes. The VHS was created and developed by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in the early 1970s, it was released in Japan in late 1976 and in the United States in early 1977. However, it did not become as popular in the late 1970s than it was in the 1980s. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
During the Cold War, the Soviets established the Berlin Wall to separate West Berlin from the rest of the world. The Soviet targeted because West Berlin was a geographical loophole through which thousands of East Germans fled to the democratic West. As a result, the US and Great Britain flew planes over the city and dropped supplies for the civilians. Years later, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall finally came down. The fall of the Berlin Wall is viewed to some as the end of the Cold War. -
Entertainment in the 1990s
During the 1990s, entertainments were very significant because television and the Internet were accessible to almost every American at this time. Shows like the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Beverly Hills 90210" aired on television. Along with TV shows, major movies like "Jurassic Park", "The Lion King", and "Forrest Gump" were created in the '90s. Another channel on television was Black Entertainment Television, or BET, created by Robert Johnson. Video games were also present during this time. -
Technology in the 1990s
The 1990s was a prosperous time for technology and science. By the 1990s, personal computers were created so that residents can have Internet access at their house. The Internet was also created in the 1990s. Originally, it was found at military bases, however, in the 1990s, it spread to Americans' homes. By the late 1990s, tens of millions of had Internet access. AOL, aka American Online, is an online website where people can instant message, email, and read domestic and foreign news upates. -
Period: to
The 1990s
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Election of 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Republican President George H. W. Bush; Democrat Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot. Raising taxes and the economy's recession was the issues most talked about during George H. W. Bush's presidential election. On the other hand, Bill Clinton based his campaign on foreign policy - thought to be his greatest strength. Clinton won 370 electoral votes and 44,908,254 popular votes. -
World Trade Center Attack of 1993
The World Trade Center bombing of 1993 was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, carried out on February 26, 1993, when a truck bomb detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The plan was for the North Tower to fall onto the South Tower but, the plan failed. However, the result of the deaths was six people killed and over a thousand were injured. The perpetrator, Ramzi Yousef, has been locked away in solitary confinement ever since the disaster. -
Bill Clinton's Presidency
William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the US from 1993 to 2001. He was married to Hilary, the second FLOTUS to be heavily involved in politics - even running for president herself twice. Throughout Clinton's presidency, he maintained peace and prosperity, marked by low unemployment, declining crime rates, and a budget surplus. However, he had an infidelity scandal with Monica Lewinsky - an intern who at the time worked a the White House. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is signed
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The purpose of NAFTA is to create one of the world's largest free trade zones and laying the foundations for strong economic growth and rising prosperity for Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The agreement was signed on January 1, 1994, by President Bill Clinton. Clinton hoped the treaty would also broaden a world-trade pact. -
Lewinsky Affairs
The Lewinsky Affairs, also known as the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, was an American political sex scandal that involved 49-year-old President Bill Clinton and 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The sexual relationship took place between 1995 and 1997, and revealed in 1998. Clinton claimed he "did not have sexual relations" in the Supreme Court case for his impeachment. However, evidence came to light - Lewinsky's dress covered in Clinton's semen. As a result, Clinton was impeached. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a federal law that denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and authorizes states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states. President Bill Clinton signed the passing of the Defense of Marriage Act on September 9, 1996. However, due to events almost ten years later, DOMA is now declared unconstitutional and the law is withdrawn. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that DOMA was unconstitutional to the fifth amendment. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
Black Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television channel. It was founded by Robert L. Johnson and Sheila Johnson in 1998. Black Entertainment Television is the most prominent television network targeting African American audiences. The television channel consisted of the lineup of mostly music videos and reruns of popular Black sitcoms. Today, the program broadcasts television series, BET original movies, news, mainstream rap, hip-hop and R&B music videos. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She was born on January 29, 1954, and still lives today. She is best known for being the first African American woman to have her own talk show, the Oprah Winfrey show. From that, she became a millionaire and is known for giving her live television audience free items like trips or her favorite items. On one occasion in 2004, she gave her entire audience new, Pontiac G-6 sedans. "You get a car!" -
Election of 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush, and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President. This election is most significant because it is one of five elections where the winner of the electoral votes didn't win the popular votes. Moreover, the election of 2000 opened up the Supreme Court Bush v. Gore case due to Florida's electoral vote being questionable. -
Period: to
Contemporary
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Bush v. Gore
Bush v. Gore was a United States Supreme Court that settled a recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election. The ruling was issued on December 12, 2000. During the election of 2000, the results of the electoral vote of Florida was close that multiple recounts were ordered. However, under the 14th Amendment that guarantees individuals that their ballots cannot be devalued or granted more protection than others, the recounting was deemed unconstitutional and carried to the Supreme Court. -
9/11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. On that day, 4 planes were hijacked by Islamic terrorists. Two planes were directed to attack the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York, one at the Pentagon near Washington D.C., and one landed in a field in Pennsylvania on its way to the Washington Monument. Osama bin Laden was the mastermind of 9/11. -
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an act of Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. The act name is actually an abbreviation, expanding to be “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001”. The act was passed as a response to the terrorist disaster, orchestrated by Osama bin Laden on September 11, 2001, with the fall of the twin towers. The act is still in effect in present-day 2018. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
The "No Child Left Behind Education Act" is a federal law that provides money for extra educational assistance for poor children in return for improvements in their academic progress. The "No Child Left Behind Education Act" requires states, school districts, and schools to ensure all students are proficient in grade-level math and reading. The act required students to meet specific educational criteria when at a certain age. The law was passed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina was an extremely destructive and deadly Category 5 hurricane that caused catastrophic damage along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge and levee failure. Out of all areas, the disaster hit worst in New Orleans, Louisiana. In total, Hurricane Katrina caused over $100 billion in damage. Over a million people relocated and were displaced from their homes during the hurricane. Residents were desperate and caused Hurricane Katrina looters. -
Election of 2008
The election of 2008 consisted of candidates: Barack H. Obama, the Democratic candidate, and John S. McCain, the Republican candidate. During the presidential election campaign, the major-party candidates ran on a platform of change and reform. Domestic policy and the economy eventually emerged as the main themes in the last few months of the election campaign following the 2008 economic crisis. This election is significant because it is the first election of an African American president. -
The Great Recession of 2008
The Great Recession was a global economic downturn that devastated world financial markets as well as the banking and real estate industries. During the recession, the unemployment rate increased to 10% of Americans. The Great Recession of 2008 was considered to be the longest economic decline since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The Great Recession caused an increase in home mortgage foreclosures worldwide, caused millions of people to lose their life savings, their jobs, and their homes. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, nicknamed the Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus bill created to help the United States economy recover from an economic downturn from the Great Recession of 2008. The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery. The act was signed by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Congress approved the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - saving millions of jobs. -
Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Obamacare)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, abbreviated to be ACA, and nicknamed to "Obamacare", is the landmark health reform legislation passed by the 111th Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The purpose of the law was to make affordable health insurance available to more people. Over 10.4 million people are currently on Obamacare, and more are being accepted every day. However, President Donald Trump is trying to change Obamacare to Trumpcare.
