Forrest Gump Timeline project

Desegregation of Schools

May 17, 1954

A federal judge ordered the desegregation of the University of Abalama.
Forrest plays a part of this because he was watching the first African Americans walk into the school with armed guards while other students protested.

Elvis

1956

Elvis started to get big and get famous. He later became known as "The King of Rock n Roll"
Forrest played a role in this from when he has his braces on his legs and did a weird dance while Elvis was singing that later because a dance that Elvis became known for.

Kennedy was shot in Texas

Nov 22, 1963

President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas Texas while he was on a campaign for reelection
Forrest briefly talks about this right after he met the President for the All-American Football

Vietnam War protests

1965

People were very upset about the war. There were people who believed that the United States didn't belong in the war and protest as well as the hippie movement started.
Forrest was involved when he was pulled in to speak on what it was like in Vietnam as well as Jenny being a hippie

Moon Landing

Jul 20, 1969

Part of the space race against the Soviet Union. The first two men and Americans stepped foot and walked on the moon for the first time.
Forrest was playing Ping pong while the moon landing was being shown live on TV

Ping Pong Diplomacy

Feb 28, 1972

Ping Pong diplomacy is something that happened during the Nixon presidency to bring relations between China and the US.
Forrest was involved with this when he was the person who went over to China to play ping pong.

Watergate

Jun 17, 1972

President Nixon ordered the Watergate hotel to be bugged because the Democratic convention was being held there. This led to him resigning from office.
Forrest played a role in this because he "saw" what was happening and he called and to have people see what was going on.

Hurricane Carmen

Aug 29, 1974

Carmen was the most intense tropical cyclone in 1974. A destructive storm with widespread impacts.
Forrest was involved with this on his shrimp boat when his boat was the only to survive the horrible storm.

Gerald Ford assassination attempt.

Sep 5, 1975

A member of "Charles Manson's Manson Family" attempted to shoot President Ford. This attempt was unsuccessful.
When Forrest and Lt. Dan where eating onboard 'Jenny' the T.V was talking about the assassination attempt on Gerald Ford.

Apple goes public

Dec 12, 1980

When Apple first opened its stock to the public they made more capital than any IPO since Ford Motors Company in 1956 and instantly created millionaires.
They placed Forrest in this when he went back to see his Mom who was sick and dying and Lt. Dan put money "into some fruit company".

HIV epidemic

1981

The HIV epidemic was extremely widespread during the '80s and took many lives with it. While also making a target for LGBTQ+ people.
Forrest with involved with the epidemic when his wife, Jenny, died from HIV even though it was never said that she had it. It can be inferred.

Reagan Assassination Attempt

Mar 30, 1981

John Hinckley Jr. shot the president and three others as they were coming out of a hotel in Washington D.C after a speaking engagement.
When Forrest receives a letter from Jenny to come and visit her on the TV we see the news talking about the Reagan assassination attempt