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Dwight D. Eisenhower became the 34th president of the U.S. as a Republican. He served two terms.
(Dwight D. Eisenhower, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/dwight-d-eisenhower/) -
The Explorer I was launched into space, making it the first successful American-made satellite.
(Explorer 1 Overview. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/explorer-overview.html) -
Alaska became the 49th state.
(US Historical Events from 1900 to Present. https://www.baylorschool.org/uploaded/Library_Resources_PDFs/US_History_US_Historical_Events_from_1900_to_Present.pdf. 2013) -
Hawaii becomes the 50th state.
(US Historical Events from 1900 to Present. https://www.baylorschool.org/uploaded/Library_Resources_PDFs/US_History_US_Historical_Events_from_1900_to_Present.pdf. 2013) -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed attack by the CIA on communist Cuba. The CIA sent in 1,400 American-trained Cuban refugees who were believed to be capable of taking out the oppressive new regime. However, they all surrendered after less than 24 hours of fighting.
(Bay of Pigs Invasion. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion. 2009) -
John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the U.S. as a Democrat. He was assassinated during his first term.
(John F. Kennedy, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/john-f-kennedy/) -
The Cuban Missile Crisis is the most well-known 'battle' of the Cold War. Cuba allowed the Soviet Union to place missiles on the island of Cuba- just 90 miles from U.S. shores. The conflict resolved peacefully, with the Soviet Union removing their missiles and both nations agreeing not to attack the other.
(Cuban Missile Crisis. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis. 2010) -
Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th president of the U.S. as a Democrat. He served one and a half terms.
(Lyndon B. Johnson, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/lyndon-b-johnson/) -
President John F. Kennedy was shot as he rode in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald. The governor of Texas was also shot in the back, but he eventually recovered.
(NOVEMBER 22, 1963: DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/november-22-1963-death-of-the-president) -
The Civil Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity. It is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation.
(Legal Highlight: The Civil Rights Act of 1964. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-1964#:~:text=The%20Civil%20Rights%20Act%20of%201964%20prohibits%20discrimination%20on%20the,hiring%2C%20promoting%2C%20and%20firing.) -
The Voting Rights Act, passed by President Lyndon Johnson, outlawed many discriminatory voting practices put in place after the Civil War to stop black Americans from voting. It was another victory for the Civil Rights Movement.
(Voting Rights Act (1965). https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=100) -
The famous civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated by a sniper. His official killer is James Earl Ray, however, many believe, including King's family, that he was killed by the government.
(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dr-king-is-assassinated) -
Richard M. Nixon became the 37th president of the U.S. as a Republican. He was elected twice, before becoming the only president to resign from office.
(Richard M. Nixon, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/richard-m-nixon/) -
Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the moon, as a sign of an American victory over the Space Race. It was there that he uttered his famous quote: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
(July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html. 2019) -
Watergate, which is now synonymous for "scandal" or "corruption", is the name for the break-in by five men at the Watergate Hotel. The men were arrested attempting to enter the Democratic Party National Committee offices, and were soon connected to President Richard Nixon.
(Watergate: The Scandal That Brought Down Richard Nixon. https://watergate.info/) -
Roe v. Wade is a landmark case that decided that abortions were legal up until a certain month. Jane Roe sued Henry Wade, a district attorney in Dallas, who didn't allow abortions. It took over a year for it to be decided, and has been challenged many times.
(Roe v. Wade. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18) -
Gerald R. Ford became the 38th president of the U.S. as a Republican. He would serve one term. (Gerald R. Ford, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/gerald-r-ford/)
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President Richard Nixon resigned from his seat, making him the first and only president to do so. He resigned to hasten "the start of the process of healing" from the Watergate scandal.
(Nixon resigns. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-resigns)