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Los Angeles Olympics
Multi-sport event celebrated in Los Angeles, California. The event was held during the Great Depression. The event was significant because of the time period it was held in, because of it occurring during the Great Depression, a lot nations and atheletes could not pay for the trip to Los Angeles. -
Stalin
General of the Communist party of the Soviet Union. Premier of the Soviet state. Stalin is historically significant because he is said to be the man who turned the Soviet Union from a backward country into a world superpower at unimaginable human cost. -
Iron Curtain
Barrier between the Soviet bloc and western Europe. Prevented free exhange of ideas and information. It was historically significant because it was a physical division of two parts. -
United Nations
The United Nations is the World's larget international organization. It was founded to replace the League of Nations. It was also supposed to stop wars between countries. It is historically significant because it is the most prominent international organization. -
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader. Was prime minister from 1945-1955. He stepped down from power because of health issues. He was historically significant because he was an inspiration to Vietnamese. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology. The Truman Doctrine was followed by the Marshall Plan. The Truman Doctrine was significant because of all the money it requested. -
The Marshall Plan
On April 3, 1948, President Truman signed the act that became known as the Marshall Plan. This aid provided much needed capital and materials that enabled Europeans to rebuild the continent’s economy. That is also why it is historically significant. -
European Economic Cooperation
European leaders realised that the best way to ensure lasting peace was not to punish the defeated, but to encourage co-operation and reconstruction. It was established in 1948 to run the US-financed Marshall Plan for reconstruction of a continent ravaged by war. It was important because it made individual governments recognise the interdependence of their economies, it paved the way for a new era of cooperation that was to change the face of Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
The airlift began after WWII while Germany was occupied territory and Berlin was surrounded by the Soviet zone. The city was divided into four sections controlled by Britain, France, United States, and the Soviet Union. By the end of the airlift 8,000 tons of food was being delivered.The Berlin Airlift was important because it was considered of the first of many crisis situations of the Cold War. The Berlin Airlift was able to provide relief for thousands of people. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) was established under the North Atlantic Treaty.The treaty organization was aimed towards the freedom of the North Atlantic community. The treaty provided collective self-defense. The treaty was also made to help political, social, and economic cooperation. It has subsequently undergone reorganizations. -
Peoples Republic of China
Established on October 1, 1949. Bejing was made the capital of China.China was made a 'people's democratic dictatorship'.Zhou Enlai headed the government. The peoples republic of China was historically significant because it was said that "The Chinese people have stood up!" -
Korean War
As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth across the 38th parallel, the fighting stalled and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. In July 1953 the Korean War ended. The Korean peninsula is still divided today, which makes it very historically significant. -
Explosion of the first hydrogen bomb
The hydrogen bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb. The first hydrogen bomb was exploded in 1952 by the US at Enewetak. Enewetak is a small island in the Marshall Islands. The explosion of the first hydrogen bomb was historically significant because it was the start of many more hydrogen bombs. -
Khrushchev
First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet. Khrushchev honestly believed in the superiority of Communism. Krushchev was historically significant because of his ruling from 1953-1964. -
KGB (Committee for State Security)
This organization was originally designed to be a state security committee and was attached to the Council of Ministers. However, it operated more independently than any of the other bodies of government within the Soviet Union.It was historically significant because The KGB was the world’s largest spy and state-security machine, involved in all aspects of life of everyday people in the Soviet Union. -
Geneva Accords
Geneva Accords were designed to secure peace in Vietnam but would eventually contribute to war. The Geneva Accords stated that Vietnam was to become an independent nation. The Geneva Accords were historically significant because they were intentionally supposed to secure peace in Vietnam, but eventually would contribute to war. -
Vietnam
Vietnam is said to be the 13th most populous country. Vietnam has had the highest economic growth since 2000. Vietnam is historically significant because of the major war they had. -
Suez Canal/ Nasser
Suez Canal crisis was a diplomatic and military confrontation in late 1956. Arrangements were made for Israel to make the initial invasion of Egypt and overtake one side of the Suez Canal. These are the reasons why it is historically significant. -
Sputnik
Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. Was said to be the size of a basketball. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit on 4 October 1957. This was also the historical significance. -
Berlin Wall is erected
The Berlin Wall went up in the middle of the night. From that night it kept East Germans from fleeing to the west for 28 years. The Berlin Wall is historically significant because it was a major turning point in history. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
For thirteen days in October the world waited, during nuclear war, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States were at their highest state of readiness. It was important because it was the closest the world had ever came to nuclear war. -
Brezhnev
Brezhnev was a part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize. Brezhnev died in 1982. He important because he was a Soviet leader from 1964-1982. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces. It was considered to be a turning point in the Vietnam War, which is why it is historically significant. -
Helsinki Accords
Major diplomatic treaty signed in Helsinki, Finland. It was designed to reduce tension between the Soviet and the Western blocs. It was the conclusion of the first Confrence on Security Co-operation in Europe. The Helzinki Accords was significant because it marked a major milestone towards the ending of the Cold War. -
Iranian hostage crisis
On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American hostages. Diplomatic crisis between United States and Iran. This event is historically significant because it was a big crisis at the time. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
In Christmas 1979, Russian paratroopers landed in Kabal, the capital of Afghanistan. The country was already in the grip of a civil war. This event is historically significant because it brought Afghanistan even more in the Cold War. -
Moscow Olympics
Internation multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. More than 65 countries boycotted the event because of the war.This event was historically significant because it was the first to be staged in Eastern Europe. -
Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement in Poland
Lech Walesa was the leader of the Solidarity Movement in Poland. He engaged in organizing and activating free and independent trade unions. In August of 1980, Walesa again joined his striking colleagues and went on to become the leader of the social movement “Solidarity” which would ultimately overthrow Communism in Poland. -
Warsaw Pact
A military treaty and association of East European countries, formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Dominated by the Soviet Union. Historiaclly significant because it was the reponse to NATO. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Introduced to changes to economic changes, international affars, and international relations. Perestroika was used to the reconstruction of the political and economic system established by the Communist Party. The term “Glasnost” means “openness” and was the name for the social and political reforms to bestow more rights and freedoms to the Soviet people. This is how they were historically significant. -
Gorbachev
Gorbachev served as the last Soviet Union president in 1988 until his dissolution in 1991. He was the last Gerneral Secretary of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev was a big Soviet political leader. He was historically significant because he brought about economic, social, and political changes. -
Chernobyl
Chernobyl was a disaster, a nuclear accident that happened on April 26, 1986. The Chernobyl disaster destroyed the fourth power block of the nuclear power plant. The Chernobyl accident is said to be the reason for the most terrible radiation emission in world's history. It is historically significant because it has raised a series of discussions in the world about safeness of nuclear power plants. -
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world. Located in the center of Bejing, China. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. -
Berlin Wall is torn down
The Berlin Wall was torn down by people from all over. People brought sledghammers and other devices to tear down the wall. It took many days, and weeks, to completely tear down the wall. The tearing down of the wall was historically significant because it was a symbol of increasing freedom. -
Yeltsin
First president of the Russian Federation. Yeltsin was a big Russian politician. When he was president he had to deal with a large amount of political and economic tension. That is also why he is a historically significant figure. -
End of the USSR
With Gorbachev leaving, the Soviet Union also left and ended. The end of the USSR was historically significant because it was the end of an ideology, and an empire. -
Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician who has been the President of Russia. Putin is significant because of his leadership.
