-
Stock Market suffers
As a result of the President's heart attack, the stock market suffers. The market that had seen stocks triple on Wall Street in the previous seven years went into a tailspin, the Dow Jones plummeting over 6 percent and losing $14 billion in value by the end of what would prove to be the worst single day for markets since the start of World War II. -
Rosa Parks Incites Montgomery Bus Boycott
It was the first example of the economic clout that the community had because eventually, the bus company had to desegregate their buses or face serious financial difficulties as very many black Americans used the buses. Without their economic input via fares, the bus company of Montgomery faced probable bankruptcy. -
U.S. Interstate Highway System
The Federal-Aid Highway Act was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Interstate Highway System is a network of highways throughout the United States. -
Eisenhower Doctrine
Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance/aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another state. This kept countries economically independent and free from communism. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The goal of the 1957 Civil Rights Act was to ensure that all Americans could exercise their right to vote. The U.S. Congress approves the first civil rights bill since reconstruction with additional protection of voting rights. This affected the economy because it was another step in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Space Race Begins
Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. This affected the U.S. economy because there was a new emphasis on science and technology in American schools. -
First U.S. Attempt to Launch
The first attempt by the United States to launch a satellite into space fails when it explodes on the launchpad. This was important to the economy because it showed that we were trying to win the space race over the Russians. -
U.S. Satellite Launch
The United States launches its first satellite, Explorer I, into space to enter the space race with the Russians. -
NASA is formed
NASA created many jobs for the economy. NASA also selects the first seven military pilots to become the Mercury Seven, the first astronauts of the United States. -
Greensboro Sit-Ins
The Greensboro Sit-Ins were a protest by African American students who had been refused service. The students refused to leave the lunch counters and had sparked protests all across the nation. -
President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th President of the United States. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was an invasion by the United States in Cuba. The invasion was a failure because the plan had been found out by Cubans. -
Pentagon March
Americans marched on the Pentagon to protest the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated
MLK is assassinated by James Earl Ray because of his part in the Civil Rights movement. -
President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon is elected as the 37th President of the United States. -
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was President Richard Nixon's plan to withdraw American troops from Vietnam and transition the prominent role to South Vietnam. -
26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment is ratified, allowing 18-year-olds to vote. Not all people believed that this amendment had a positive effect on our nation. In fact, some people thought (and still think) that it is to blame for major governmental and economic collapses due to the under-educated voting. -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal was the uncovering of Richard Nixon and his administration's immoral acts. This caused Nixon to resign to escape impeachment.