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1940s
The beginning of the 40s was when Hitler invades Norway and many other countries in Europe. -
G.I Bil
GI Bill refers to any Department of Veterans Affairs education benefit earned by members of Active Duty, Selected Reserve and National Guard Armed Forces and their families. -
Hiroshima
The city was destroyed in World War II when an American airplane dropped the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare -
Iron curtain
Iron Curtain was the name for the boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. -
Truman Doctrine
The principle that the US should give support to countries or peoples threatened by Soviet forces or communist insurrection. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, channeled over $13 billion to finance the economic recovery of Europe between 1948 and 1951. The Marshall Plan successfully sparked economic recovery. -
Berlin Airlift
A military operation in the late 1940s that brought food and other needed goods into West Berlin. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was an ambitious set of proposals put forward by U.S. President Harry S. Truman to Congress in his January 1949 State of the Union address -
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1950s
The United States in the 1950s experienced marked economic growth – with an increase in manufacturing and home construction amongst a post–World War II economic expansion. -
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Civil Rights
The main use of protest was nonviolent, or peaceful. During the 1950s and 1960s, the nonviolent protesting of the Civil Rights Movement caused definite tension, which gained national attention. -
2nd Red Scare
2nd Red Scare refers to the fear of communism that permeated American politics, culture, and society from the late 1940s through the 1950s, during the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. -
Koren War
A war, also called the Korean conflict, fought in the early 1950s between the United Nations, supported by the United States, and the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). -
Ike Turner
"Rocket 88" (originally written as Rocket "88") is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 5, 1951. The recording was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, who were actually Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. -
Polio Vaccine
The first polio vaccine was the inactivated polio vaccine. It was developed by Jonas Salk and came into use in 1955 -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
The Warren Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States between 1953 and 1969, when Earl Warren served as chief justice. Warren led a liberal majority that used judicial power in dramatic fashion, to the consternation of conservative opponents. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
The band, also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets, was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of America and the rest of the world. -
Brown v. Board of Education
a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. -
Emmett Till
African-American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi at the age of 14 in 1955 after being falsely accused of flirting with a white woman. ... near Chicago, and was visiting relatives in Money, a small town in the Mississippi Delta region. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
a seminal event in the Civil Rights Movement, was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. -
Rosa Parks
A black seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, who, in 1955, refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white person, as she was legally required to do. -
Elvis Presley
A twentieth-century American rock 'n' roll singer, known for his distinctive throaty tone in songs such as “Hound Dog” and “All Shook Up.” He was one of the first stars of rock 'n' roll. -
Little Richard
Little Richard's next hit single, "Long Tall Sally" (1956), became his first to reach No. 1 on the R&B chart and the first to reach the top ten of the pop charts in both America and Britain. Like "Tutti Frutti", it sold over a million copies. -
Space Race
Space Race refers to the 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for supremacy in spaceflight capability. -
Orvaul Faubus
In 1957, Governor Faubus deployed National Guardsmen to block Supreme Court-ordered school integration. Ultimately, President Dwight Eisenhower used federal authority to force Faubus to comply with the desegregation orders. Interestingly, in a Gallup Poll administered in 1958, Americans chose Faubus as one of their "ten most admired men." -
Little Rock 9
Little Rock Nine was a group of nine 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 by Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas. -
Beat Generation
Beat Generation is a literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. -
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1960s
The sixties were a time of drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling.The decade was also labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism that occurred during this time. -
Sit Ins
a form of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met. -
Greensboro, North Carolina
On February 1, 1960, four African American college students sat down at a lunch counter at Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked for service. Their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. -
Nashville, Tennessee
The Nashville sit-ins, which lasted from February 13 to May 10, 1960, were part of a nonviolent direct action campaign to end racial segregation at lunch counters in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. -
OPEC
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, /ˈoʊpɛk/ OH-pek, or OPEP in several other languages) is an intergovernmental organization of 13 nations as of 2017, founded in 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela), and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna. -
Nixon VS. Kennedy
The first televised Presidential debate on 26 Sep 1960 pre-empted the Andy Griffith show, was watched by over 65-70 million viewers, and is widely credited with erasing Richard M. Nixon's lead over John F. Kennedy in the race to succeed Dwight Eisenhower. -
New Frontier
A slogan used by President John F. Kennedy to describe his goals and policies. Kennedy maintained that, like the Americans of the frontier in the nineteenth century, Americans of the twentieth century had to rise to new challenges, such as achieving equality of opportunity for all. -
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. -
Albert Sabin
The first polio vaccine was the inactivated polio vaccine. It was developed by Jonas Salk and came into use in 1955. The oral polio vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin and came into commercial use in 1961. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962 over the presence of missile sites in Cuba; one of the “hottest” periods of the cold war. -
Assassination of JFk
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
The presumed assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Oswald allegedly shot Kennedy from a high window of a building in Dallas on November 22, 1963, as Kennedy rode down the street in an open car. -
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater served five terms as a United States Senator for Arizona and was the Republican nominee for President in the Election of 1964. He is credited with reviving the conservative movement in the United States in the 1960's. -
Daisy Girl Ad
"Daisy", sometimes known as "Daisy Girl" or "Peace, Little Girl", was a controversial political advertisement aired on television during the 1964 United States presidential election by incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. -
Great Society
Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65. The main goal was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon Johnson
On January 20, 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson began his first elected term as president of the United States. In his inaugural address, Johnson calls for the nation to unite toward a common goal. -
Vietnam War
Cold War conflict pitting the U.S. and the remnants of the French colonial government in South Vietnam against the indigenous but communist Vietnamese independence movement, the Viet Minh, following the latter's expulsion of the French in 1954. -
Death of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American clergyman and civil rights leader who was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. that evening. -
Nixon's Presidency
Richard Nixon was elected the 37th President of the United States (1969-1974) after previously serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from California. After successfully ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving international relations with the U.S.S.R. and China, he became the only President to ever resign the office, as a result of the Watergate scandal. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
The Burger Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States from 1969 to 1986, when Warren Burger served as Chief Justice of the United States. -
Anti War Movement
Anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. -
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1970s
The 1970s were a crazy time. In some ways, the decade was a continuation of the 1960s. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other minorities continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution, which proposed banning discrimination based on sex. The E.R.A. was sent to the states for ratification, but it would fall short of the three-fourths approval needed. -
Watergate Scandal
Watergate was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s, following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. in 1972 and President Richard Nixon's administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement. -
Heritage Foundation
A conservative American think tank in Washington D.C to promote conservative public policies. based the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense. -
Gerald Presidency
America's 38th president, Gerald Ford (1913-2006) took office on August 9, 1974, following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (1913-1994), who left the White House in disgrace over the Watergate scandal. Ford became the first unelected president in the nation's history. -
Jimmy Carter
He won his party's nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and was elected president on November 2, 1976. Jimmy Carter served as president from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. -
The New Right
The NEW RIGHT was a combination of Christian religious leaders, conservative business bigwigs who claimed that environmental and labor regulations were undermining the competitiveness of American firms in the global market, and fringe political groups. -
The New Right
The NEW RIGHT was a combination of Christian religious leaders, conservative business bigwigs who claimed that environmental and labor regulations were undermining the competitiveness of American firms in the global market, and fringe political group -
Period: to
1980s
The 80s were a time of communism scare. It was also a time of Reagan. He was a big factor in this time period. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
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Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan is most known for being president during the end of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. He's also famous for his economic policy called "Reaganomics" as well as for being a Hollywood movie star who became president. -
Ronald Reagan's Presidency
Ronald Reagan (Republican)
Former governor of California
Former actor in 40s and 50s
Created "reaganomics" which was that economy had excessive taxation leaving inadequate capital to investors to stimulate growth. SOULUTION was to reeduce taxes and generous benefits to corps and wealthy individuals to encourage investing -
Sandra Day O'Connor
First female Supreme Court Justice. Reagan nominates her. She's moderate who sided with the conservatives on the court. She sides with the liberals members later on. Retires in 2006 due to her husband’s declining health (Alzheimer's) -
Music Television (MTV)
In 1981 MTV launched with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack and played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia and of the launch of Apollo 11. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
Starts affecting thousands of homosexuals (1981)
Spreads to heterosexual community through blood transfusions -
Reagan Doctrine
In his State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan defines some of the key concepts of his foreign policy, establishing what comes to be known as the “Reagan Doctrine.” The doctrine served as the foundation for the Reagan administration’s support of “freedom fighters” around the globe. -
Iran Contra Affair
President Reagan authorized the off-the-books sale of stolen weapons from the Pentagon to Iran in order to fund the Nicaraguan Contras; Congress had forbidden him to use government funds to support the Contras; helped keep Iraq from winning the Iraq-Iran War. -
Challenger Explosion
The tenth mission of the space shuttle Challenger ended in tragic disaster. We remember the seven astronauts who lost their lives that day, including Christa McAuliffe, who was chosen by NASA to pioneer its Teacher in Space program. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is well known for her talk show in which she talks about current issues and trends. She is the only African-American billionaire in the US. Her talk show aired from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. During it's airing it reached #19 of greatest shows of all time on TV Guide in 2013. -
The Moral Majoriy
Referring to the Coalition as a "21st century resurrection of the Moral Majority," Falwell, a father of the modern "religious right" political movement, committed to leading the organization for four years. He died on May 15, 2007. -
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1990s
90s paved the way for media with movements such as grunge, the rave scene, and hip hop spread around the world to young people during that decade, aided by then-new technology such as cable television and the World Wide Web. -
Climate Change
During the 90s many things happened for our technology was climbing at an incredible rate. One thing that scientists have always warned others about was soon to show proof. Changing signs were soon to show in the 90s with temperatures rising 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1800, polar ice caps melting beaches eroding, and water starting to encroach coastal cities. Some of the major impacts of this event could lead to a migration crisis. Although there is much proof many still challenge the science. -
Persian Gulf War / First Iraq War
Saddam Hussein blamed Kuwait for flooding the world with cheap oil nad decided to invade Kuwait whenever they refused to forgive the debt in which Kuwait lent to them years before. In retaliation, America sent troops to Saudia Arabia. The US started by bombing important Iraqi installations to destroy power grids and communications. Once this was done the US deployed ground troops in which they defeated Iraqi forces inside of Kuwait in 4 days. Iraq was then sanctioned for the rest of the 90s. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was an African American who was chased 78 miles in his car by the L.A. police. The chase came to an end and Rodney was brutally beaten and luckily it was caught on tape. This incident led to riots that lasted up to 4 days. Asian shop owners were blamed for not hiring people of color leading to the looting and beating of Asian owners. -
Election of 1992
The main candidates were William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ross Perot. Clinton was a democrat who was the governor of Arkansas who was charismatic and understanding. George H.W. Bush was incumbent of power but had large deficits and down turning of the economy. He was remembered well for the Persian Gulf War. The last candidate, Ross Perot (Independent Perot) was a very successful businessman and with this, he took votes away from Bush which led to Clinton's win. -
Bill Clinton Presidency
One of Clinton's policies he was known for was the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," in which gays were now allowed into the military. The policy just required that if you were gay just don't tell anyone. He also had a healthcare reform in which Clinton wanted a longtime liberal goal of nationalized healthcare. He gives the task to his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. The health care reform fails until 2009. -
World Trade Center Attack - 1993
This was a terrorist attack carried out on February 26, 1993. The attack consisted of a truck bomb that detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The device was designed to send the North Tower crashing into the South Tower, bringing both down and killing thousands of people. The device failed and only killed six people but injured over a thousand. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy
During Clinton's presidency, he had some interesting ideas and actions but one of the many was the don't ask, don't tell policy. This policy allowed gays into the military, unlike the old policy in which gays and lesbians were not only discriminated but not allowed at all. The policy only stated that as long as you don't tell anyone that you are gay there should be no issues. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
NAFTA is a trade pact between Canada, the United States, and Mexico in which it eliminated virtually all tariffs and trade restrictions between the three nations. The agreement was to be used to encourage other nations to work toward a broader trade pact worldwide. -
The Internet
The internet originally was started on military bases in the 60s. It was mainly used for exchanging data. As the internet progresses into the 80s supercomputers allow communication on college campuses. The internet becomes common in millions of homes by the late 90s. -
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Contemporary
The Contemporary World, characterized by a number of events, and the ongoing advent of war in the Middle East. Now in modern times, technology has made a gigantic leap in the medical, science, and engineering field. A number of healthcare and economic reforms have also been laid out in the century, as the rate of living has increased all around. However, on the horizon and outwards America's foreign policies and connections will undoubtedly bring about a new era of war and injustices. -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, 19 militants from the terrorist organization, al-Qaeda hijacked 4 airliners and delivered 2 of the planes into the World Trade Center, with the third plane hitting the Pentagon and the fourth plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. This caused over 3,000 deaths. -
The PATRIOT ACT
The PATRIOT Act was an act of congress signed by president Bush on October 26, 2001, giving the power to law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent future terrorist attacks. It was initially intended to enhance the penalties that would fall on terrorists or anyone who helps them. This increased the ability to share information between intelligence agencies and lifted restrictions on communications surveillance. -
The No Child Left Behind Act
Put into action under President George W. Bush's education-reform bill. The act authorizes several federal education programs that are administered by the states. States are required to test students in reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. -
The 2nd Iraq War
On March 19, 2003, the United States, along with other forces primarily from the United Kingdom started a war on Iraq. In other words, it was called the war on terror. This war lasted for 8 years, the war had two phases, Iraqi defeat and then the arrest of Saddam Hussein for war crimes. -
Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Hurrican Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm did so much damage and left a catastrophic effect. Hundreds of thousands in the affected areas were displaced from their homes, and it's estimated that Katrina caused more than $100 billion in damage. -
Election of 2008
This election was soon to become historical for it was the first time an African American was elected as president. Barack Obama and John McCain were the two candidates. Barack won nearly 53% of the popular vote and got 365 electoral votes. He won the election and became the 44th president of the United States. -
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The ARRA was an economic package enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed in by Obama. The act was intended to provide a stimulus to the economy during the economic downturn. The main goal was to bring up the economy and reverse the recesssion by boosting employment and spending. -
First Hispanic SCOTUS Judge
Obama nominated her and she was confirmed by the Senate in August 2009by a vote of 68 to 31, making Sonya Sotomayor the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history. She served this role from 1992-1998. -
The Affordable Care Act
On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare," was enforced making healthcare more affordable and easily accessible to a wider range of Americans. It expanded Medicaid eligibility and offered cost assistance through health insurance marketplaces. It states that people who don't qualify for an exemption are required to obtain a minimum amount of healthcare coverage. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession, which lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, was a huge economic downturn that started with a housing bubble of $8 trillion bursting. Unemployment skyrocketed and in the result, there were cutbacks in consumer spending.
