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End of the Civil War
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, ending the Civil War. -
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Reconstruction of The South
In the days, months, and years following the Civil War, the American South was repatriated and rebuilt. -
Lincoln Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln is shot while watching a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. He dies the next day. -
Beginning of National Parks
The first national park, Yellowstone National Park, is created. -
End of Reconstruction
Fulfilling a campaign promise, new President Rutherford B. Hayes puts an end to Reconstruction on his first day in office. -
President Garfield Assassinated
President James A. Garfield is shot in a train station in Washington, DC. After many new and experimental treatments, he dies two and a half months later. -
Shootout at the O.K. Corral
A brief gunfight between local lawmen and outlaw cowboys near the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, ends with three outlaws dead. It quickly becomes one of the most famous shootouts in American history. -
Statue of Liberty dedication
In a ceremony led by President Grover Cleveland, the Statue of Liberty is dedicated on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. -
Cleveland Reelected
Grover Cleveland becomes the first president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms. -
New Annexations
The Republic of Hawaii is annexed by the United States. On December 10th, Spain agrees to cede Guam, The Philippines, and Puerto Rico to the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. -
McKinley Assassinated
President William McKinley is visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY, when he is shot by a crazed anarchist while shaking hands with the public. The president dies about a week later from blood poisoning. -
First Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully test the first controlled airplane on the beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. -
Sinking of the Titanic
The British passenger ship, RMS Titanic, hits an iceberg en route to New York City and sinks off the coast of Newfoundland. Over 1,500 people are killed in the disaster. -
U.S. Enters WWI
The United States declares war on Germany, beginning the United States' involvement in World War I -
End of World War I
The Treaty of Versailles is signed in France, ending World War I. -
Passage of the 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is passed, giving women the right to vote. -
President Harding Dies
President Warren G. Harding dies unexpectedly in a San Francisco hotel while touring the country. -
Stock Market Crash
The New York Stock Exchange experienced a sudden price crash on a day that became known as "Black Tuesday". The crash sets off the Great Depression. -
Empire State Building Opens
One of the most iconic buildings in the world, the Empire State Building, opens in New York City. -
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Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
After being elected overwhelmingly in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) begins a number of public assistance programs as part of his "New Deal" to aid millions of Americans affected by the Great Depression. FDR also becomes the only president is U.S. history to be elected to more than two terms, being unprecedentedly reelected in 1940 and 1944. He is also instrumental in the Allied Powers' success once the U.S. enters World War II in late 1941. -
Monopoly Introduced
The popular board game from Parker Brothers, Monopoly, is introduced to the public. Its street names are based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Japanese airplanes launch a devastating surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. President Roosevelt asks Congress and war is declared the next day, pulling the U.S. into World War II. -
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The U.S. Fights WWII
The United States enters into war with Japan after the attack on Pearl Habor and soon Germany also declares war on the U.S. After countless battles, attacks, and campaigns, the war finally ends for good in August 1945. -
Death of FDR
President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage while vacationing in Warm Springs, Georgia. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped
After years of secrecy in the "Manhattan Project", the U.S. drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in an effort to end WWII. The plan succeeds, and Japanese forces surrender about a month later. -
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Korean War
The United States and other United Nations forces help South Korea fight off the invasion of North Korea to help prevent the spread of communism. -
Sputnik Launched
The Soviet Union launches the first man-made satellite into orbit, beginning the Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. -
Kennedy Assassination
President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed while riding in an open car in Dallas, Texas. -
Moon Landing
Fulfilling a promise made by the late President Kennedy, the U.S. successfully lands two people on the moon, ending the Space Race. To this day, the United States is the only country to have been to the moon. -
Nixon's Resignation
To avoid impeachment due to his role in the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon resigns the presidency, becoming the first president to do so. -
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Iranian Hostage Crisis
Iranian rebels storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and take 52 Americans hostage. They are held for 444 days before being released during new President Ronald Reagan's Inauguration. -
Challenger Explosion
In a major setback for the U.S. space program, the space shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after blasting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. -
"Tear down this wall!"
While making a speech in front of the Berlin Wall's Brandenburg Gate, President Reagan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" in order to allow families to reunite and life to return to normal in Berlin. The wall finally comes down two years later, and the Soviet Union collapses in 1991. -
Persian Gulf War Begins
Iraqi forces invade the small nation of Kuwait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and the U.S. comes to Kuwait's aid and the war is over in less than seven months. -
27th Amendment Passed
The twenty-seventh amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed to control and limit congressional pay raises. To this day, it is the most recent constitutional amendment. -
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Presidency of Bill Clinton
In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton is elected president. He presides over an enormous economic boom and one of the few budget surpluses in American history. He is also an essential part of creating the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that provides for greater trade opportunities for many American and European countries. -
Hillary Clinton Elected to U.S. Senate
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton becomes the first sitting First Lady to win her own election, being elected to represent the state of New York in the U.S. Senate. -
September 11th
In the worst domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history, two planes crash into the two twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both buildings to collapse. A third plane hits the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while the passengers on a fourth plane believed to be headed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol manage to force the plane down in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 innocent people are killed in the event dubbed as a "New Pearl Harbor". -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina makes its first landfall in Florida, and later crosses the Gulf of Mexico to devastate the entire United States Gulf Coast, especially New Orleans, Louisiana, where the city's levees are breached and massive flooding takes over much of the area. An estimated 1,400-1,800 people are killed, and over $108 billion dollars in damage makes Katrina the costliest natural disaster on record. -
Barack Obama Elected President
Illinois Senator Barack Obama becomes the first black man to be elected President. -
Obama Inauguration
Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office before a crowd of millions to becomes the United States' first black president. He calls for "hope over fear" in his inaugural address. -
Osama Bin Laden Killed
Osama Bin Laden, the leader of terrorist organization al-Qaeda and supposed mastermind behind the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, is killed by a U.S. Navy Seal team in Pakistan. -
The Election of 2016
In one of the most bitter, heated, and scandalous presidential elections in U.S. history, Republican New York businessman Donald Trump defeats Democratic Secretary Hillary Clinton, despite Clinton winning by over three million in the popular vote and Trump's own campaign filled with intolerant, hateful rhetoric. The election and its outcome still divides the country today.