-
USSR develops atomic bomb (2 cold)
The Soviet atomic bomb project was the classified research and development program that was authorized by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union to develop nuclear weapons during World War II. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb (3 hot)
The dropping of the atomic bombs was a planned attack on the Japanese after they refused to surrender. Two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities and killed about 200,000 people. This was significant because it showed the power and destruction of the atomic bomb and showed that US had this power.
3 heat level -
Greek Civil War (2 hot)
Τhe Greek Civil War was a civil war in Greece fought between the Greek government army and the Democratic Army of Greece — the military branch of the Communist Party of Greece from 1946 to 1949. The Soviet Union avoided sending aid. Resulting in the communists losing -
Marshall Plan (3 cold)
The Marshall Plan was an American initiative passed outlined in 1947 but passed in 1948. It provided 12 billion dollars in economic recovery programs to western European countries. It showed that the US wanted democracy ideals installed in these countries instead of the soviets supporting them.
3 colds -
Molotov Plan (2 cold)
The Molotov Plan was the system created by the Soviet Union in 1947 to provide aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern Europe that were politically and socially allied with the Soviet Union. This was a direct competition with the US Marshall Plan. -
Truman Doctrine (1 hot)
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to contain Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. Later used to contain threats in Greece and Turkey. -
Creation of CIA (2 cold)
The CIA was created when Harry S Truman signed the National Security Act, it was made to try and find out information and spy on what's happening in the USSR. -
Berlin Airlift (2 heat)
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. -
Executive Order 9981
Executive Order issued by President Harry S. Truman that banned the discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in the US Armed Forces. The EO led to the end of segregation in the services during the Korean War. It was significant because it was the first step to getting equal rights. -
NATO Formation (2 cold)
The North American Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO was first peacetime military alliance US entered outside Western hemisphere. -
Conviction of Alger Hiss (3 cold)
He was a US State Department Official who was convicted of perjury for lying under oath about being a Soviet Spy -
HUAC Hearings
The House UN-American Activities committee was created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and rebel activities on the part of private citizens. Citizens suspected of having ties to the communist party would be tried by law. Showed that the US government had 0 tolerance for communism in America. McCarthy was a famous politician who spoke out against communism in America in 1950. -
Korean War (3 hot)
The Korean War was a war that started when North Korea invaded South Korea so the UN got involved and pushed the North back up to China, then the Chinese got involved and pushed them back to the 38th parallel. This war defined North and South Korea and showed the power of a joint UN army. Ended Jul 27th 1953. -
Execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (2 cold)
The couple was the first civilians in American history to be executed for espionage. They were sentenced to death for passing on atomic secrets to Russia during World War 2 -
Brown v. Board of Education
A landmark civil rights case that led to the US Supreme Court ruled that US state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. -
Warsaw Pact formation
Formally the Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and mutual Assistance, established a mutual-defense organization composed originally of Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. It was similar to NATO but sponsored by USSR -
Voting Rights Act
Landmark civil rights act passed by President Johnson that outlawed all voting discrimination in voting. -
Murder of Emmit Till
Emmett Till was a 14 year old lynched in Mississippi after being accused of offending a white woman in her family grocery store. The brutality of the murder and the aqutial of his murderers showed the long history of violent prosecution of African Americans. -
Vietnam War (3 heat)
Conflict between the communist North Vietnam (USSR) and South Vietnam (US) The war lasted 20 years and in the end the communists gained control of the whole nation. The US had trouble finding public support for this war and that may have led to the loss. -
Interstate Highway System Creation
President Dwight D Eisenhower signed the Federal- Aid Highway Act of 1956. This bill created a 41,000 mile “National System of Interstate and Defense Highways” that would, according to Eisenhower, eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic jams and all of the other things that got in the way of “speedy, safe transcontinental travel.” -
Suez Canal Crisis (1 heat)
The Suez Crisis began on October 29, 1956, when Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt toward the Suez Canal after Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal, a valuable waterway that controlled two-thirds of the oil used by Europe. -
Little Rock Crisis
A group of 9 students known as The Little Rock Nine were a group of African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957.Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school.Eventually the national guard had to be called in to prevent the students from being attacked while going to school and during school. Helped paved the way for the schools to be more integrated. -
Launch of Sputnik
Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. The USSR launched it into orbit for 3 weeks until the battery ran dead. This worried the US that the USSR was ahead of them space wise. -
Creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded to capitalize on the success of a surge of sit-ins in Southern college towns. The SNCC gave a voice to many new young African Americans in the civil rights movement. -
U-2 Incident (1 heat)
A US U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Air Defense Forces while performing photo recon deep into Soviet Territory. Escalated tension between US and USSR -
Bay of Pigs Incident (1 heat)
The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed landing operation issued by the CIA on the southwestern coast of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution. Raised tension between the US and USSR involving Cuba. -
Building of Berlin Wall (1 cold)
The Communist government of East Germany built a wall separating East and West Berlin. The wall was built to keep the country's people in. But the Soviets and East German government said it was to keep capitalism out. -
Publishing of Silent Spring
Environmental science book published to document the adverse environmental effects caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Showed how the pesticides were very harmful to the environment. -
Ole Miss Riots
The Ole Miss riot of 1962 was fought between Southern segregationists and federal and state forces beginning the night of September 30, 1962. Brown v Board of Education led to the Segregationists protesting the enrollment of James Meredith, a black US military veteran. 2 men died in the riots and over 300 were injured. -
Cuban Missile Crisis (1 heat)
A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union initiated by the American discovery of Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba -
Publishing of The Feminine Mystique
The author broke new ground by exploring the idea of women finding personal fulfillment outside of their traditional roles of housewife or mother. Sparked the 2nd wave of feminism. -
MLK's march on Washington
The march on Washington was a political demonstration led by major civil rights leaders to protest racial discrimination and to show support for major civil rights legislation. MLK gave a speech that inspired many to keep pushing on for equal rights. The march on Washington was a pivotal step in the civil rights movement -
JFK Assassination
JFK was campaigning for reelection in Texas, on November 22nd he was riding in a motorcade through downtown Dallas when he was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald from the Texas Book Depository. Vice President Lyndon B Johnson was then sworn in as president after JFK was pronounced dead. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Landmark civil rights case that outlaws discrimination based on race,color, religion, sex, or national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, and racial segregation in schools, employment, and public accommodations. It was a huge step forward for civil rights. -
Gulf of Tonkin (1 heat)
International confrontation that led to the US engaging more directly in the Vietnam War. Alleged attack on two US Naval destroyers stationed off the coast of Vietnam. -
Malcom X Assassination
Malcom X, a nationalist and political leader, was assassinated in NYC by rival Black Muslims. His death is thought to be still debatable as police just took the people who seemed the most likey. While his assassination may not have been as big of MLK’s he still was a very important figure in the African American community. -
Creation of Blank Panther Party
Revolutionary political organization that was started to try and stand up to police and stop the brutality against African Americans, mainly in Oakland at first but expanding to many different US cities and internationally. -
Miranda v Arizona
Landmark decision from the US Supreme Court that said that the 5th Amendment prohibits prosecutors from using a person's statements made in interrogation unless they knew about their right to consult a lawyer first. Still in use today before any criminal speaks to police. -
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act is a law created to help limit discriminatory practices related to landlords, tenants, and housing. The act was created on the principle that every American should have an equal opportunity to seek a place to live, without being afraid of discrimination due to factors outside their control. It was a big step towards equal rights passed by Lyndon B Johnson during the King riots. -
MLK's assassination
MLK was assassinated in Memphis TN, it was an event that shocked everyone around the world. King led the civil rights movement in the mid 1950s and his assassination led to an outpouring of anger among black Americans, as well as a period of national mourning that helped speed the way for the equal housing bill. -
Tinker v Des Moines
A group of students wore black armbands to protest American involvement in the Vietnam War but were told to take them off. The Supreme Court decided that that is unconstitutional and free speech should be protected in school because it does not disrupt learning. -
Stonewall Riots
They were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. They were a major push of the gay community because of police raids of gay bars -
Apollo 11
Spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon.It was significant because we were the first country to land men on the moon over the USSR. -
US energy crisis
The OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) cartel led to rising gas prices in early 1970's, also the higher use of petroleum but less US production of it. Also the conflicts in the middle East all led to the world being in crisis as gas prices rose and there were shortages. -
Earth Day
Annual event celebrated to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970 when the hippie movement started caring a lot about the environment. -
Kent State Shootings
It was a major protest against the bombing in neutral Cambodia by US military forces. During the protests unarmed college students were killed by the Ohio national guard. -
War on Drugs
The war on drugs is a largely unsuccessful campaign, led by the U.S. federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim being the reduction of the illegal drug trade in the United States. It all started when President Nixon declared drugs to be the number 1 enemy of the American people and started a campaign against them. -
Nixon's Visit to China (2 cold)
Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and China -
Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendments was a proposed amendment that would guarantee equal legal rights for all Americans- regardless of sex. However it fell short of the necessary ¾ approval needed. -
Watergate Scandal
Political scandal involving the Nixon administration where Nixon hired people to break into the DNC which was at the Watergate hotel and take any info they can find. Nixon was eventually found to be guilty because of his recording device in the Oval Office. This scandal led to him being impeached and then resigning. -
Roe v Wade
Roe v. Wade was a landmark legal decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion, effectively legalizing the procedure across the United States. -
Camp David Accords (3 cold)
A pair of political agreements signed by the Egyptian president and Israeli prime minister following 12 days of secret negotiations at Camp David in Maryland. -
Three Mile Island Incident (2 cold)
The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of reactor number 2 of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, and subsequent radiation leak that occurred on March 28, 1979. It was the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history. -
Iran Hostage Crisis (2 heat)
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981 -
Soviet Afghan War (3 hot)
Small insurgent groups fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan government for over 9 years, mostly in the Afghan countryside. -
Iran-Iraq War (3 heat)
The Iran–Iraq War began on September 22 1980, when Iraq invaded Iran, and it ended on August 20 1988, when Iran accepted the UN-brokered ceasefire. -
Evil Empire Speech (2 cold)
A speech given by President Ronald Reagen to the National Association of Evangelicals where he referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and as the “focus of evil in the modern world” -
Strategic Defense Initiative (3 cold)
It was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons. The concept was first announced publicly by President Ronald Reagan, he designed this plan based on the famous Star Wars movie. -
Iran Contra Affair (1 cold)
Political scandal during Reagan's 2nd term that was a secret US arms deal that traded missiles and other arms to free some Americans held hostage by terrorists. -
Space Shuttle Challenger incident
It was a fatal incident in the United States space program that occurred on Tuesday, January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard resulting in the grounding of the space shuttle fleet for nearly 3 years while new safety measures were being developed. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown (1 cold)
Nuclear accident that occurred at the No. 4 nuclear reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant because of reactor design flaws and breach of protocol. Wiped out most of the city and it is still dangerous to go there today. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
The Exxon oil ship full of oil hit a reef and caused 11 million gallons of oil to spill into Prince William Sound, Alaska. It caused a lot of harm to the wildlife in the area and due to the remote location, it was very hard to clean it up. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall (1 cold)
Pivotal event that marked the end of the Iron Curtain after pressure was placed to back off the travel restrictions and many leaders spoke out against it. -
Fall of the USSR (2 cold)
The process of internal disintegration within the USSR, divided the USSR into 15 different countries. The end of a world superpower left the US as one of the main powers left.
