Michael Perez Forrest Gump Project

1950-1990

Period: Jan 1, 1950 to Dec 31, 1990

Korean War

Jun 25, 1950

War between communism and democracy that had Russia take the side with North Korea and the United States with South Korea. Although the battle was hardfought, it was short-lived only lasting for approximately three years.The two forces met with many stalemates and the war ended up being one larger one.

Brown vs. Board of Ed

May 17, 1954

Civil rights court case regarding the desegreagation of schools. The NAACP played a huge role in the trials. An essential part of this case was the challenge that "seperate but equal" is not equal.

Little Rock Nine

Sep 25, 1957

Nine students attempted to enroll into Little Rock High and as a response they were not allowed to enter. Thanks to President Eisenhower and the NAACP they were allowed to enroll eventually. This event helped pave way for the desegregation of schools throughout America.

Integration of Ole' Miss

Sep 30, 1962

James Meredith attempted to enroll at the all-white Univesiry of Mississippi and was turned down because of his African American descent. Him along with the Board of Education won the court case and it ordered the university to desgregate.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 14, 1962

Event that displayed the courage and perseverance of the United States of us not giving into communism. The Soviet Union smuggled nuclear missiles into Cuba and the United States found out and put a barrier around Cuba to contain it and disallowed any trading into or out of Cuba. This caused the Soviet Union to stop and the drew back.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

People of an assortment of backrounds and cultures came flourishing into the capital of the United States, Washington D.C., to address problems and entertainment. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. had said his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. This march opened up the eyes of many and gave momentum for the civil rights movement.

JFK Assassination

Nov 22, 1963

While traveling slow in a presidential automobile, John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded by a sniper. After some investigation, Lee Harvey Oswald was concluded to be the person. Unfortuneately he was killed by a man named Jack Ruby that couldnt even have waited for Oswald to be stood on trial.

24th Amendment

Jan 23, 1964

This amendment bans the poll tax or any type of tax. Along with the Voting Rights Act an the Civil Rights Act African American participation in politics increased a lot. From the hard work of many civil rights activists, freedom was in their grasp.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

Surprisingly after Kennedy was assassinated, Southern born President Johnson showed remorse for those subject to racism, and showed his support for civil rights. Johnson got the civil rights bill through using his presidential power. This act banned segragation in public places and gave the government the power to intervene in civil rights matters.

My Lai Massacre

Mar 16, 1968

Having seen all of the horrific scenes and having gone through tricks when a soldier wouldnt know a soldier from Vietcong, one may have trauma and paranoa, which is exactly what the soldiers were thinking in the village of My Lai. By not knowing who was Vietcong it made US troops go crazy and murdering civilians.calling it the massacre.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Apr 4, 1968

Killed in a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee there is much discussion regarding how MLK Jr. was killed. Popular belief tells of how he was killed by a penetentiary in Missouri. Either way, he still died a leader of the civil rights leader and Nobel Prizes laureate.

Watergate Scandal

Jun 17, 1972

First time in history that a president voluntarily resigned from the office. It all began with the arrest of five men at the Watergate Hotel that had connections tied with the president. Eventually it led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power, and Nixon's days were over.