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George Kennan sends "Long Telegram"
George Kennan's "Long Telegram", sent from the US embassy in Moscow, would introduce the policy of containment, or US involvement abroad to keep the Soviets from spreading their communist influence and launch America deeper into the Cold War. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-kennan-sends-long-telegram-to-state-department -
Sayyid Qutb leaves for America
Qutb's journey to America would leave him with a lasting negative impression of the culture and people, allowing him to turn to Islam as solace and formulate a counterphilosphy to Western culture. More information: Looming Tower -
Formation of NATO
In response to the post-WWII Communist threat, the US joined a coalition of Western nations sworn to defend each other in the event of an attack. The treaty never mentioned specifically that the Soviet Union was the enemy, but the formation of the Warsaw Pact soon after made that message clear. More information here: http://www.nato.int/history/nato-history.html -
Beginning of the Korean War
In accordance with the US policy of "containment", the US jumped into the Korean War a little while after it began in support of the anticommunist Koreans in the south; China supported the communist Koreans in the north, and after a tug-of-war over the 38th parallel across the peninsula the war ended with a democratic South Korea and communist North Korea. More information here: http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war -
Population Registration Act of 1950 is passed
The Population Registration Act of 1950 was a major move on the part of the apartheid-supporting National Party, requiring the South African population to separate according to race (White, Black, or Colored) and register with the government as such. More information: http://www.history.com/topics/apartheid
https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv01538/04lv01828/05lv01829/06lv01838.htm -
Bantu Authorities Act passed
The Bantu Authorities Act was one of many acts that implemented the basic principles of apartheid, beginning with the physical separation of colored South Africans from whites. More information: http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/bantu-authorities-act-1951 -
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act passed
One of the repercussions of apartheid government was the new separate facilities depending on race, made into law by this act in 1953. More information: http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/reservation-separate-amenities-act-no-49-commences -
Army-McCarthy trials begin
Senator Joseph McCarthy was famous for his vehement anticommunism, and no one thought to stop him until he took it one step too far by accusing army officials of communist tendencies. The trials for these officials were televised, and negatively impacted McCarthy's popularity once his tactics were revealed: More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mccarthy-army-hearings-begin -
Brown v. Board of Education
Desegregation in public schools begins with this Supreme Court decision, but this court case also serves as a precedent for the desegregation of other facilities. -
Assassination attempt on President Nasser
Previous tension between the Muslim Brothers and the Egyptian government came to a head when Egypt's president was nearly assassinated, creating even more reason for Islamic extremists to rise up against the government's oppresive response. -
Formation of the Warsaw Pact
Likened to NATO, the Warsaw Pact was made up of the communist states in Central and Eastern Europe in order to respond to any threat to communism. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-warsaw-pact-is-formed -
Freedom Charter is adopted
Somewhat similar the American Declaration of Independence, the Freedom Charter was a list of rights that the African people desired but could not obtain with the current apartheid government, serving as a reason for their steady protest. More information: http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=72 -
Montgomery Bus Boycott begins
Starting with Rosa Parks' courageous stand against the segregation of buses in the south, the Montgomery Bus Boycott would last about three weeks and inspire future nonviolent resistance. -
Soviet satellite launch
One of the main features of the Cold War was the fact that America and the Soviet Union clashed in areas other than the physical battlefield, one such example being the space race. America was dealt a harsh blow in this race when the Soviets launched Sputnik I. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-union-launches-sputnik-i -
A Raisin in the Sun premiers
The first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway, Lorraine Hasnbury's "A Raisin in the Sun" provides a deep understanding of the suffering African Americans experienced under segregation. More information: http://www.raisinbroadway.com/about -
Pan-Africanist Congress is created
The Pan-Africanist Congress was a group that broke off from the African National Congress in order to achieve unity and equality for all Africans. More information here: http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/pan-africanist-congress-pac -
Sharpeville Massacre
Peaceful protesters against the "pass laws" leveled on Africans by the apartheid government were terrorized by brutal police retaliation in the town of Sharpeville, shocking the global community and dealing a harsh blow to African civil rights activists. More information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/21/newsid_2653000/2653405.stm -
FDA approves first contraceptive pill
The contraceptive pill was seen as a victory in feminist counterculture, as it essentially gave women the right to treat their own bodies as they saw fit. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fda-approves-the-pill -
Land portion of Bay of Pigs Invasion commences
In an effort to squash communism in America's close neighbor Cuba, the CIA outlined an action plan to have the communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro forcibly removed from office–however, the plan failed miserably and had negative repercussions in the fight against Communism. More information here: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion -
Freedom Riders campaign begins
The Freedom Riders campaign sought to expand where the Montgomery bus boycott began - that is, to eliminate segregation on buses for good, often with violent retaliation in return from the white segregationists. More information: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1122864 -
Umkhonto we Sizwe launched
The so-called "militant wing" of the African National Congress, Umkhonto we Sizwe took the struggle for civil rights one step further, resorted to sabatoge techniques as opposed to nonviolent protest to advance their message. More information: http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/umkhonto-wesizwe-mk -
Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" is published
Shocking in its reveal of the toxic effects of pesticides, Carson's book rocked the consumer's world and contributed to growing awareness of the environment's problems. More information here: http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp -
JFK informs public of presence of missiles in Cuba
At the start of what would later be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy gave a formal television address informing American citizens that there were nuclear missiles in Cuba. What followed was at least a week of tense messages between the US government and the Soviet Union. Eventually the Soviet Union ensured the removal of the missiles in Cuba in exchange for the US's decision not to invade Cuba. More info: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis -
"The Feminine Mystique" is published
Widely regarded as the novel that restarted the feminist movement in America, Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" revealed that the gender role of housewife that had been established during the 1950s left many women feeling dissatisfied with themselves, among other issues. More information here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/magazine/the-feminine-mystique-at-50.html?_r=0 -
Poqo becomes PAC military division
Poqo was the name of a violent group only loosely associated with the PAC until this date, and the PAC assumed responsibility for all the atrocities committed by this group in openly declaring the group's affiliation with the PAC. More information here: http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/pac%E2%80%99s-leader-potlako-leballo-confirms-poqo-organisation%E2%80%99s-military-wing -
Organization of African Unity is formed
The Organization of African Unity promoted Pan-Africanist values, namely the ideal of a united Africa. Many countries joined the organization in the hopes that they could help to end colonialism across the continent. More information here: http://www.blackpast.org/gah/organization-african-unity-1963-2002 -
Equal Pay Act signed
An attempt at eliminating the large discrepancy between men's wages and women's wages, the Equal Pay Act was signed by President Kennedy and was a step forward for feminist counterculture. More information here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/equal-pay -
Soviets put first female astronaut in space
Feminists even found a place amidst the chaos of the space race–Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to enter space, marking a Soviet victory in the Cold War and another step forward for feminist counterculture. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-woman-in-space -
Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is signed
In response to increasing public awareness of the harmful effects of nuclear radiation, the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union signed a treaty that would ban nuclear weapons testing and would be a step forward for the environmentalist movement. More information here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty.aspx -
March on Washington
One of the largest civil rights rallies in Washington DC for African Americans (but also attended by multiple races); also the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 'I Have A Dream' speech. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington -
Clean Air Act goes into effect
Government involvement with the environmentalist movement usually came in the form of acts like this one, which helps control air pollution. More information here: http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/amendments.html -
Nelson Mandela is arrested
The case now know as the Riviona Trial was a fateful day for Nelson Mandela and his followers. Before being sentenced to life in prison for attempting to "sabotage the South African state", Mandela delivered a speech that resonated not only with his followers but with the international community as a whole and would drive the civil rights movement even from his prison cell. More information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/12/newsid_3006000/3006437.stm -
Sayyid Qutb's "Milestones" is published
Though in prison, Qutb further defined his radical beliefs in his short novel "Milestones", which showed a clear divide between Muslims and apostates or nonbelievers and served as guidelines for radical Islamists to come. (More information: Looming Tower) -
Organization of Afro-American Unity is formed
Founded by a group of leaders that included Malcolm X, the Organization of Afro-American Unity was established to bring the Pan-African movement to the US and further its goals. More information here: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/organization-afro-american-unity-oaau-1965 -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, made the heart of the civil rights movemnt into law - it banned all forms of public discrimination and signaled a turning point in the battle between segregationists and desegregationists. More information: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97 -
Gulf of Tonkin Revolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution essentially gave President Johnson unlimited war powers in response to a purported attack by the Northern Vietnamese, launching American involvement in the Vietnamese conflict even deeper. More information here: http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/gulf-of-tonkin-resolution -
"Bloody Sunday"
In an attempt to further the cause of African American voting rights, Martin Luther King, Jr. organized a peaceful march to take place on March 7th of 1965. The protesters who assembled on that Sunday were met with strong resistance from the Alabama State troopers, who resorted to tear gas and physical violence to drive the protesters away and shocked the nation with their brutality. More information: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/bloody-sunday-selma-alabama-march-7-1965 -
Zaynab al-Ghazali imprisoned in Egypt
Founder of the Muslim Women's Association, an example of feminism within Islam, al-Ghazali was imprisoned in the roundup of people associated with the Muslim Brothers. More information here: http://www.maslaha.org/untold-islam/women-action/zaynab-al-ghazali -
Watts Riots
Spanning over six days, the Watts riots exploded from a simple drunk driving arrest, demonstrating the mounting tension between blacks and whites as the civil rights movements went on. Source: http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_watts_rebellion_los_angeles_1965/ -
Qutb and followers put on trial
Following the attempted assassination of President Nasser, Qutb and his followers were put on trial, having been directly implicated in the plot. Qutb's response to this was that of a martyr, setting the tone for future extremist endeavours. More information: Looming Tower -
National Organization for Women (NOW) founded
Many women activists saw little to no action for their cause, so in 1966 at the Third National Conference of Commissions on the Status of Women they decided to act, forming their own organization to aid women in their mission for equal rights and signaling an advancement for feminist counterculture. More information here: http://now.org/about/history/founding-2/ -
Zawahiri forms first Islamist cell
Galvanized by Qutb's radical teachings and the formation of the state of Israel, Ayman al-Zawahiri formed his own small Islamist cell at the age of fifteen–a precedent for years to come as Osama bin Laden's right hand man. (More information: Looming Tower) -
Death of Sayyid Qutb
Qutb's death marked one of many turning points in the origins of radical Islam. Disgusted by Western culture, Qutb's negative impressions of it would shape the ideals of Islamic extremism in the years to come. -
Beginning of the Six Day War
The Six Day War began for various reasons, one of the most prominent being ongoing land disputes between Arabs and Israelites, but Islamic extremists would latch onto it as one of many reason sfor their cause. (More information: Looming Tower and http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/850855/Six-Day-War) -
Anti-Vietnam War Pentagon protest
By the late 1960s, sentiment for the Vietnam War had turned sour. Some 35,000 people marched on the Pentagon to advocate for the end of a war in which America did not belong, save for their goal of communist containment. More information here: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/100000-people-march-on-the-pentagon -
My Lai Massacre
In part due to a huge miscommunication, the My Lai operation was supposed to be a heroic stand against the Vietcong. Instead it was the brutal mass murder of an entire innocent Vietnamese village, one of the worst blunders in the Vietnam War and one that helped turn the American public against the war. More info here: http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/my-lai-massacre -
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination
Although the powerful civil rights leader advocated strongly for nonviolence throughout his career, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death would spark riots in a number of cities and leave the movement in mourning. More information: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dr-king-is-assassinated -
Miss America pageant protests
Frustrated with the conventionally superficial image forced upon them by the Miss America pageant, some four hundred feminists gathered to protest in Atlantic City, New Jersey and demonstrated their desire to break out of that stereotype. More information here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/missamerica/peopleevents/e_feminists.html -
"Earthrise" photo taken
Taken by the crew of the Apollo 8, the "Earthrise" photograph would become an inspiration for the environmental movement and give the general public an idea of just what they were advocating for. More information here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/23/256605845/on-anniversary-of-apollo-8-how-the-earthrise-photo-was-made -
Santa Barbara oil spill
Unlike the gradual tragedy of Love Canal, the visual effect of the Santa Barbara oil spill shocked the nation into action. Public outcry against this incident would eventually make its way into Congress, spurring the creation of even more environmental protection legislation. More information here: http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~dhardy/1969_Santa_Barbara_Oil_Spill/Home.html -
Lusaka Manifesto created
Created by a conference of African states, the Lusaka Manifesto was a global call for insurrection against colonialist and segregationist practices in Africa. More information here: http://africanactivist.msu.edu/document_metadata.php?objectid=32-130-714 -
The Cuyahoga River Fire
Heavily polluted by oil and other chemical waste, the Cuyahoga River suddenly erupted in flames one day in June. This event drew the attention of Congress and was instrumental in the passage of the Clean Water Act. -
US moon landing
The winner of the space race became evident the minute an American man set foot on the moon in 1969. With this achievement, the US proved that they could contain communism even in the field of science. More information here: http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/63#.VTBwMGYwOYo
