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U.S drops atomic bombx on Japan
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Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by a young Martin Luther King
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The Cuban Missile crisis sparks a major confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union when the U.S. discovers the existence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba
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Martin Luther King takes civil rights movement to the North; violent protests against housing desegregation in Chicago.
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U.S. President Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. leader to visit communist China, leading to a thaw in Cold War relations
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secetly helps overthrow Chile's socialist government under Salvador Allende.
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Apple introduces Apple II, the first prominent personal computer
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The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, beginning a decade-long war that ends with their withdrawal in 1988
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The Soviet Union accuses the United States of violating the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty following President Reagan's announcement of his Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars" - a space-based defense shield intended to destroy attacking missiles.
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Soviet union moves toward mixed economy .
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Fall of Berlin Wall heralds end of Cold War.
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East and West Germany are reunited
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First Gulf War begins period of long-term American military involvement in the Middle East.
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creation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), expands both globalization and outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs abroad.
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Internet becomes prominent
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Republicans win massive gains in Congress, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich issues “Contract with America”
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Reformists Win Control in Iran
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The NASDAQ Composite Index reaches an all-time high over 5000
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Ethiopia and Eritrea Went Into Border War
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Russian submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea. All 118 men aboard die
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Olympic Games Open in Australia