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Formation of NATO
In response to the growing Communist threat to the free world and the need to stabilize the European economy the NATO treaty was signed. The original members included: United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. -
President Truman Orders the construction of the H-Bomb.
After the rumors of the Soviet Union developing a hydrogen bomb continued to grow, several Los Alamos scientists urged President Truman to approve the rapid development of a new super-weapon that was approximately 800 times as powerful as the weapons dropped on Japan at the conclusion of the war. This had begun a new stage of the arms race between the two nations, and the progress of development was rather swift. The first Hydrogen Bomb was first tested at the Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific in 19 -
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1950 to 1975 APUSH Timeline
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Korean War
VideoThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea invades the Republic of Korea with the support of Sino-Soviet forces. The South Korean forces were overwhelmed by the numerous soldiers that were invading and Seoul was captured within two days. This act of aggression would lead to American intervention through the United Nations in order to expel the foreign invasion. -
First Experimental Breeder Reactor
VideoOn the 20th of December 1951, electricity was generated by the heat produced by a sustained nuclear reaction providing steam to a turbine generator for the first time. This event was the pioneer of the Nuclear Power Industry in the United States. -
The First Hydrogen Bomb is detonated at Eniwetok by the United States
video On the first of November 1952, the United States conducted a test code-named “Mike” of the Hydrogen Bomb. The test was performed in the Pacific, with the bomb vaporizing an entire island. This was the first successful implementation of the concept for ‘super bombs’ that Edward Teller had outlined in reports nearly two years earlier. Ninety seconds after the initial blast, the fireball had reached 57,00 feet, and was 100 miles wide when it had reached its furthest extent. The Hydrogen Bomb was be -
First proof of a reactors "breeding" capability
VideoOn June fourth 1953, the EBR-I proved the “breeding” capability of a reactor, producing an atom of Nuclear Fuel for every atom burned, later producing electricity using a plutonium core reactor. The idea for the reactor first came to scientists working on the wartime atomic energy program in the early 40’s, with evidence indicating the breeding of Nuclear Fuel was possibly in properly designed reactors, but the time and resources were not available at the time. -
De-Stalinization by Nikita Khrushchev
Following the death of Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953, a myriad of reforms consisting of changing or removing key institutions that helped Stalin hold power were enacted by his predecessor Nikita Khrushchev. The Stalinist political system, the Gulag labour-camp system, and his monuments, all of which had been created and dominated by him were some of the first to go. This movement would see the Soviet form of communism estrange itself from the Sino system of communism and form a divide in the y -
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
The organization was formed in order to prevent the spread of communism in the southeast asian region. The Philippines and Thailand were the only two countries that would sign the U.S. sponsored treaty out of fear of invasion by other forces. -
Warsaw Pact Signed
The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet response to the NATO treaty in the western hemisphere. This coalition would serve as a buffer to prevent the spread of western democracy and unite the economies of the eastern hemisphere. -
Hungarian Revolution is crushed
The Hungarian revolution was caused by the growing anger against the People's Government of Hungary. A student demonstration would be curtailed by the Soviet Red Army causing the deaths of thousands. This event served to sever the communist influence in the western hemisphere. -
Sputnik Launch
VideoOn October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union put the first artificial satellite into orbit of the Earth, instilling fear in all Americans as it showed the Soviets withheld the power to launch warheads to any location on Earth. This object, which was the first man-made object to enter space, was named the Sputnik, meaning ‘fellow traveler of Earth.’ The satellite weighed a total of 184 pounds. -
Alaska becomes the 49th State
In a landmark event on January 3rd, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state in the American Union. The U.S. established multiple military bases to resist attacks on Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and prevent a potential invasion of the mainland. This military outpost would help establish a close range nuclear base for the Americans through the eventual development of the Nike project. -
Nike Hercules Batteries Installed in Alaska
VideoThe United States, seeing that an aging anti-aircraft defence system would no longer be capable of defending against jet propelled aircraft created a surface-to-air missile defense system under the project name Nike. Not only would the missiles be able to take down enemy aircraft, they would have the power to deliver a nuclear payload as well. The placement of the missiles in the Alaskan area would serve as the first defence against enemy nuclear strikes and give the Americans the ability to str -
Sino-Soviet Split
China and the USSR had slowly diverged from the original Marxist ideology, by 1961, when the differences proved to be unbearable, the Communist Party of China formally denounced the Soviet variety of communism as a product of "Revisionist Traitors". The event led to a political split between all nations of communism as they would need to select new leadership under a divided banner. -
U-2 Overflights and Capture of Francis Gary Powers
To the surprise of the United States Military, the Soviets successfully shot down a U-2 Spy plane while flying through Soviet airspace. The event resulted in the cancellation of the Paris summit, removing the possibility of an arms control or test ban treaty. -
The United States Severs Diplomatic Ties with Cuba
As relations between the United States and Cuba continued to deteriorate, President Dwight D. Eisenhower finally closes the American embassy in Havana, officially severing diplomatic relations. This signified the United States was prepared to take extreme measures against Castro’s regime, which was feared to be a beachhead of communism. -
Yuri Gagarin first man into space
On April 12th 1961, a Russian astronaut put his mark in this history books by becoming the first man in Space. Because Gagarin was the first man into space, the controls on the craft were locked to be sure nothing bad would amount if Gagarin began acting strange during the flight. Although the capsule, the Vostok 1, shook violently during reentry of the atmosphere, Gagarin did not use the key given to him in the event of an emergency. -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion
On April 17th 1961, a small armed force of nearly 1,500 American supported Cuban Exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs on the Southern Coast of Cuba. The forces goal was to overthrow the Communist regime of Fidel Castro, but they were easily defeated by the Cuban Army. By the 20th, most of the forces had either been killed or captured. -
Berlin Wall Constructed
VideoThe Berlin wall was created to restrict the both the flow of emigration and the spread of western ideals in the eastern communist regime. The wall itself would take the lives of over 200 citizens as they attempted to circumvent it. -
Tsar Bomba Test
VideoThe first of its kind - the Tsar Bomba - was a 50 megaton nuclear warhead capable of destroying anything in its path within a 15 mile radius. With its creation the world could plunge itself into the era of fallout within minutes. -
Limited Test Ban Treaty
The limited Test Ban treaty prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in atmosphere, in space, and underwater but did not ban underground testing. This was the first set of limitations placed on nuclear weapons testing prior to the SALT treaties. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
VideoThe Cuban MIssile crisis resulted from the Soviets delivering nuclear weaponry to the island of Cuba. This crisis would bring the entire world to the brink of nuclear destruction. It would be solved through the removal of American ballistic missiles from Turkey and the withdrawal of Soviet missiles in Cuba. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban MIssile crisis resulted from the Soviets delivering nuclear weaponry to the island of Cuba. This crisis would bring the entire world to the brink of nuclear destruction. It would be solved through the removal of American ballistic missiles from Turkey and the withdrawal of Soviet missiles in Cuba. -
Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
On the afternoon of November 22nd 1963, President John F. Kennedy was traversing down Main Street at Dealey Plaza with Mrs. Kennedy and and Governor Connally. As the vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository around 12:30 PM, gunfire erupted. President Kennedy was struck in the neck and head, slumping over Mrs. Kennedy. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1:00 PM, with Lyndon B. Johnson later taking the oath of office at 2:38 PM. -
China explodes its first atomic bomb.
The Chinese government originally was aided by the Soviets in their efforts in developing the atomic bomb but eventually they stopped cooperating together due to conflicting ideologies. After their success, the Chinese government made a solemn promise to the world that it developed nuclear weapons only for the purpose of self-defense and national security. China vowed that it would never - under any circumstances - be the first to use nuclear weapons. -
First Space Walk
VideoAfter being the first to enter space via artificial satellites and by man, the Russians were also the first to send a man on a spacewalk while in orbit of the Earth. Russian Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov took the first spacewalk outside the Voskhod 2, lasting 10 minutes. Nearly two months later, Edward White II became the first American to walk in space while on Gemini 4, staying outside the capsule for more than double the time of Leonov. -
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The agreement would be signed by both major and non-nuclear powers in a pledge to stem the spread of nuclear technology. Nations would not be allowed to share nuclear weapons technology with other nations and non-nuclear states would agree to renounce any future in nuclear weaponry. -
Soviet Red Army crushes the Czech Uprising
In the later hours of the day of August 20th 1968, approximately 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 5,000 tanks began an invasion of Czechoslovakia to crush the so-called “Prague Spring”, which was a brief period of liberalization in the communist country. Czechoslovakians protested the invasion with non-violent tactics such as public demonstrations, but to no avail as they were easily trumped by the Soviet tanks. -
Sino - Soviet Border Conflict Begins
This seven month undeclared military conflict would bring the Chinese and Soviet governments to the brink of war. The conflict would take place on the island of Zhenbao located on the Ussuir river. -
Man Lands on the Moon
VideoWith Americans huddled around their television sets and radios, one of the most impactful and memorable quotes was uttered by American Astronaut Neil Armstrong: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This astonishing yet short quote signified the landing of man on the moon in the Apollo 11 Mission, with Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin becoming the first men to set foot on the moon, while crewmate Michael Collins orbited the moon alone. -
Nixon visits China
On February 21st 1972, President Nixon became the first President the United States to visit the People’s Republic of China since it had been established in 1949. Because of this trip, the open-trade policy was established, and the overall relations were improved by the official trip. -
Fall of Saigon
The fall of Saigon would lead to the loss of a free vietnam and a defeat for the United States’ democratic free world. The event would lead to the reunification of vietnam under the banner of the Socialist Republic. -
Helsinki Final Act
The Helsinki Final Act was an agreement signed by 35 nations, both east and west, that sought: territorial integrity, the definition of borders, peaceful settlement of disputes, trade and scientific cooperation, human rights - including freedom of emigration and reunification of families, cultural exchanges, and freedom of the press.
