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*Battle of France
Was the successful German invasion of France and the Low Countries. Germany defeated the French forces. Was also known as the Fall of France. The battle consisted of two main operations which were: Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), and Fall Rot (Case Red). -
*Invasion of Normandy
Was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France. Allied land forces came from Canada, the Free French Forces, the United Kingdom, and the United States. -
Containment
Was a United States policy to prevent the spread of communism abroad. The basis of the doctrine was articulated in a 1946 cable by U.S. diplomat George F. Kennan. The word containment is associated most strongly with the policies of U.S. President Harry Truman. -
Period: to
Cold War
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*Atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Were conducted by the United States during the final stages of World War II in 1945. The two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date. The war in Europe ended when Nazi Germany surrendered. -
Iron Curtain
Divided Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The Soviet Union tried to block itself and its dependent and central European allies off from open contact with the west and non-communist areas. -
Truman Doctrine
Was an international relations policy set forth by the U.S. President Harry Truman. The Plan stated that the U.S. would help Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid so that they didnt fall into the Soviet sphere. -
Apartheid
Was a system of racial segregation enforced through legislation by the National Party (NP) governments. Apartheid was developed after World War II. Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times under Dutch and British rule. -
Marshall Plan
In order to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism, the United States gave economic support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II. The plan was in operation for four years. -
Berlin Blockade
Was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. Germany and the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied control, so that they forced the western powers to allow the Soviet zone to start supplying Berlin with food, fuel, and aid. -
Berlin Airlift
The airlift began after World War II when Germany was occupied territory and Berlin was surrounded by the Soviet zone. The city itself was divided into four sectors controlled by Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. -
*NATO
NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Was also called (North) Atlantic Alliance. It is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium. -
Korean War
Was a war between the Republic of Korea (South Korea), supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), at one time supported by the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. -
*Treaty of San Francisco
Was mainly known as the Treaty of Peace with Japan. The Treaty was between Japan and part of the Allied Powers. It was officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, United States. It came into force on April 28, 1952. -
*Korean Armistice Agreement
It is the armistice that ended the Korean War. It was signed by U.S. Army Lieutenant General William Harrison, North Korean General Nam Il, and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. The signed armistice established the Korean Demilitarized Zone . -
Domino Theory
It was promoted at times by the United States government. The domino theory was used by successive United States administrations to justify the need for American intervention around the world. -
*SEATO
SEATO is also known as The South East Asia Treaty Organization. It was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia. It was created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty. -
Vietnam War
Occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Was fought between North Vietnam, communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam. -
Great Leap Forward
Was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The Great Leap ended in catastrophe, resulting in tens of millions of excess deaths. -
*Cuban Revolution
Was an armed revolt conducted by Fidel Castro. Castro's government later reformed along communist lines. -
*Sharpeville Massacre
It occurred at the police station in the South African township of Sharpeville. The South African police opened fire on a crowd of about 15,000 black protesters, that went to the police station, after a day demonstrations. The police killed 69 people. -
*1960 Valdivia Earthquake
It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded(to date), rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the afternoon and its resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. -
OPEC
OPEC is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The goal is to secure a steady income to the member states and a secure supply of oil to the consumers. Those who invest in petroleum activities should receive a fair return on their investments. -
"Bay of Pigs" Invasion
It is known as La Batalla de Girón in Hispanic America. It was an unsuccessful military invasion of Cuba. Launched from Guatemala, the invading force was defeated by the Cuban armed forces, within three days. -
*Berlin Wall
Was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany). It that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls. -
*Lasers Invented
It is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification, which based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. -
Tet offensive
It was a military campaign during the Vietnam War. It was launched by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam against South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. -
*Video Cassette Recording (VCR's)
It is an early domestic analog recording format designed by Philips. It was the first successful consumer-level home VCR system. Later variations included the VCR-LP and Super Video (SVR) formats. -
*Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation
It was a treaty signed between India and the Soviet Union that specified mutual strategic cooperation. The treaty was later updated to the Indo-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship and cooperation in 1972. -
Watergate Scandal
It was a political scandal that occurred in the United States. The scandal eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, which was the only resignation of a U.S. President. -
1972 Olympics (Palestinian Terrorists) (Munich Massacre)
Was an attack on 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team, who were taken hostage and eventually killed, along with a German police officer. The Palestinian group Black September did it. -
*Microsoft
It is an American multinational software corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. -
Camp David Accords
Were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The Accords were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter. -
*The Jonestown Massacre
The Jonestown Massacre, which had a death of 918 people, was the most deadly single non-natural disaster in U.S. history until September 11, 2001. The Jonestown Massacre also remains the only time in history in which a U.S. congressman was killed in the line of duty. -
Ayatollah Khomeini
He was born on September 22, 1902 in Khomeyn, Iran. He became the supreme religious, political leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. In response to the exiled Shah's admission to the United States in September 1979, a large crowd seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American citizens hostage. The remaining hostages were released after 444 days of economic sanctions. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran. President Carter called the hostages "victims of terrorism and anarchy". -
*E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, who is stranded on Earth. The boy and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government. -
*New Coke
Was the reformulation of Coca-Cola to replace the original formula of its flagship soft drink. It was known as "the new taste of Coca-Cola" until 1992 when it was renamed Coca-Cola II. -
*Wreck of the RMS Titanic Found
The Wreck is located about 370 miles south-southeast of the coast of Newfoundland, lying at about 12,500 feet deep. The location of the wreck was not known until 1 September 1985. -
Perestroika & Glasnost
Perestroika was a political movement for reformation within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The literal meaning of perestroika is "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system. Glasnost was a policy that called for increased openness and transparency in government instituitions activities in the Soviet Union. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Is also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese. The Chinese government condemned the protests as a "counterrevolutionary riot", and has prohibited all forms of discussion. -
NAFTA
NAFTA stands for North American Free Trade Agreement. It is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. -
*Oklahoma City bombing
It was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. It remained the most destructive act of terrorism on Americans until the September 11 attacks six years later.
