1955 – 1975

  • Polio Vaccine Is Declared Safe

    Dr. Thomas Francis Jr announced that the polio vaccine, which was released the previous year, was safe, and successful in preventing polio.
  • Disneyland Is Opened

    Walter Disney opens the theme park Disneyland in California. The Park is still open today and receives about 18 million visitors a year.
  • Minimum Wage Is Raised

    A 1955 amendment changed the minimum wage from $0.75 an hour to $1.00 an hour.
  • Eisenhower Has A Heart Attack

    U.S/ President, Dwight Eisenhower was on a golf course in Colorado when he had a heart attack and was taken to the Fitzsimons Army Hospital.
  • Period: to

    Vietnam War

    The Vietnam War was a lengthy war between North and South Vietnam. The United States aided South Vietnam soon after the fighting began. This war lasted for 20 years, and an estimates 3 million people died from it.
  • Rosa Parks Is Arrested

    On her way home from work, African American, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and was later arrested for it. This led to the Montgomery bus boycott.
  • Hard Disk Drive Is Invented

    The Hard Disk Drive was invented in a California Laboratory and changed technology forever.
  • Eisenhower Is Elected For A Second Term

    In spite of his heart attack from the previous year, he still decided to run for a second term and won.
  • Little Rock Nine

    The Little Rock Nine were the first nine African American students to attend a high school with white students. and they had federal troops as security.
  • Soviet Union Launches Sputnik

    Taking the lead in the "Space Race" the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space.
  • The United States Launch The Explorer I

    Following close behind the USSR in the Space Race, the United States launch a satellite called the Explorer I.
  • Hawaii Becomes A State

    America purchases Hawaii and it becomes the 50th state.
  • Greensboro Sit-ins

    It started with four college freshmen sitting at the F. W. Woolworth store lunch counter. Even though they were refused service, they sat there anyways. Eventually, after five days, there were 300 silent protesters at the store.
  • John F. Kennedy Is Elected

    John F. Kennedy becomes President of The United States.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson Becomes President/John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

    John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president.
  • Lyndon B. Jones Serves A Second Term

    President Lyndon B. Jones was re-elected as president and served a second term.
  • The US Joins The Vietnam War

    In an effort to prevent the spread of communism the United States entered the Vietnam War and gave aid to the South Vietnamese Government.
  • Pentagon March

    An estimated 50,000 rioters gathered outside the Pentagon and protested against the Vietnam War.
  • Martin Luther King Is Assassinated

    While standing on the second-floor balcony of his motel, Martin Luther King Jr. was hit by a bullet and was pronounced dead soon after. The perpetrator was James Earl Ray.
  • Richard M. Nixon Is Elected

    Since Johnson couldn't serve another term, Richard M. Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Nixon won the election and became president.
  • The 29th Amendment Is Ratified

    After an amendment extended the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 18-year-olds were now allowed to vote.
  • Watergate Scandal

    Five burglars were arrested after being caught breaking into the office of the DNC. This was later traced back to President Nixon. He later was facing the threat of criminal charges and impeachment due to his actions.
  • Richard M. Nixon Is Re-Elected

    Richard Nixon ran for a second term in office and won.
  • US Troops Are Withdrawn From Vietnam

    After signing the peace agreement, U.S. troops were returning home from Vietnam, and prisoners of war were being released.
  • President Nixon Resigns

    After the Watergate scandal, President Nixon decided to resign before he got impeached.
  • Gerald R. Ford Becomes President

    After Nixon "resigned" Gerald R. Ford became President.