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The United Nations is formed to protect the world from war and establish and keep human rights. Around fifty countries are founding members of the United Nations. It was specifically made because of the horrors of both World Wars (especially the second). -
A doctrine invented by then-president Harry S. Truman. It was a policy to prevent Soviet expansion during the Cold War and limit the Soviet Union's power and influence. They did not necessarily fought the Union directly though--sometimes limiting themselves to simply helping the states resisting it, such as in the case of Greece and Turkey. -
The Marshall Plan is an economic aid program made by the United States towards Europe. They gave away $13 billion dollars (equivalent to $115 billion dollars in today's money) in economic recovery programs to Western European countries. -
The North Atlantic Treaty, which formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is formed by the US, Canada, and numerous European countries seeking to defend themselves against the threat of the Soviet Union. -
"The Hollywood 10" is a documentary film directed by John Berry. In the film, ten writers and directors that lost their jobs due to a claimed contempt of Congress made speeches denouncing McCarthyism (making unsubstantiated accusations of communism) and the Hollywood Blacklist. -
War between US-managed South Korea and the USSR-managed North Korea. The latter, refusing to accept the division of Korea and claiming the sole authority of all of Korea, invaded the south the 25th of June of 1950, detonating the war. South Korea too, claimed the sole power over Korea. Though the fighting has stopped, a peace treaty was never signed, so the Koreas are technically still at war, -
The artificial satellite Sputnik I is launched by the Soviet Union, thereby beginning the Space Race. The satellite's launch caused great anxiety and insecurity in the American population regarding the technological capabilities of the country versus that of the USSR's, known as the Sputnik Crisis. -
The second of the Indochinese wars, the Vietnam War was fought between the socialist North Vietnam and the capitalist South Vietnam. The United States, along with other anti-communist allies, joined South Vietnam, though the State wound up becoming communist anyway, -
A failed attack on Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution by Cuban exiles, secretly supported by the U.S. government. The failure of the invasion tore apart the US, Cuba and the Soviet Union even more and made Castro a national hero of sorts. 1 -
Construction of the Berlin Wall begins on this date. The wall separated US-controlled (and therefore capitalist) West Germany and USSR-controlled (and therefore communist) East Germany. The wall would continue to divide the nation for nearly 30 years. -
A war fought between the Mujahideen rebel groups vs. the Government of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. The Mujahideen were backed by numerous countries which include China, Iran, the United Kingdom and of course, the United States. The war killed a very significant portion of the Afghan population and spread destruction throughout the country. -
A demolition that would not be completed until 1994, it marked the end of the separation of GErmany and the beginning of its unification. A series of revolutions took apart the Eastern Bloc, which visited its visitation ban and allowed citizens to go to West Berlin. This event symbolized the end of the Cold War.