American History 1955 – 1975

  • Polio Vaccine Released

    After the release of the vaccine, people all over the country were being vaccinated eventually leading to the irradiation of the disease.
  • Rosa Parks was Arrested

    Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving her "white-only" seat up to a white man. This was during the time of segregation in the U.S.
  • Little Rock Desegregation

    President Eisenhower sends federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, in order to desegregate the city's public schools. Eventually, 9 African American kids were allowed to attend the public schools.
  • Sputnik Launched

    The Russians launched the first manmade satellite named Sputnik and this scared Americans due to the new belief that Russians were more advanced than them.
  • John F. Kennedy wins the 1960 election

    JFK defeats Nixon in the 1960 election becoming the youngest president to ever be elected.
  • U.S. Joins Vietnam War

    The United States Government had a plan to help end communism in Vietnam by attacking the northern part of the country.
  • 26th Amendment

    This Amendment changed the legal voting age from 21 years old to 18 years old.
  • Vietnam War Ends

    The war ended up being a major loss to the U.S. because they had to pull out early, lost nearly 60,000 soldiers, and in the end, didn't stop the spread of communism.