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Federal Highway Act
This was enacted on June 29, 1956 by Dwight D. Eisenhower when he signed this bill into law. He allowed $25 billion for the construction of 40,000 miles of interstate highways over a 10-year period. It was the largest public works project in American history up to that point. -
Launch of Sputnik
Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched this first satellite into orbit on October 4, 1957.It could be seen from all around the Earth and it radio pulses were detectable.In addition, to better make scientific advancements, NASA was created in 1958. It brought a national aeronautics agency to administer non-military space research and exploration. administer non-military space research and exploration. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs
In April of 1961, a group of Cuban exiles that was organized and supported by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency landed on the southern coast of Cuba.This was in an effort to overthrow Fidel Castro. The invasion was unsuccesful and ended in disaster, all while under President Kennedy. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
In October of 1962, the U.S. and the Soviet Union came close to nuclear war when President Kennedy insisted that Khrushchev remove the 42 missiles he had secretly inserted in Cuba. The Soviets eventually did and averted nuclear war and the crisis ended.It played out on television worldwide and was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full nuclear war. -
March on Washington
March on Washington
A large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech advocating racial equality at the Lincoln Memorial during the march. The speech is widely credited as helping lead to the Civil Rights Act and the National Voting Rights Act. -
Civil Rights Act
A landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment. Created to help African Americans, the bill was amended prior to passage to protect women, and explicitly included white people for the first time. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. -
Kent State University Shooting
Massacre of four college students by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970, in Ohio. This was in response to Nixon's announcement that he had expanded the Vietnam War into Cambodia. Due to this college campuses across the country exploded in violence. -
Watergate Scandal
Watergate Scandal
A scandal that exposed the lies and involvement in the Watergate case of burglary of the national Democratic party headquarters. It involved Nixon and the White House in a lot of scandal.The scandal also resulted in the indictment of 69 people. -
Roe v. Wade
Important Supreme Court decision that forbade states from barring abortion by citing a woman's constitutional right to privacy. The decision provoked a strong counter-reaction by opponents to abortion, galvanizing the Pro-Life movement. The case was developed around a pregnant woman was not married. -
Helsinki Accords Signed
Helsinki Accords
Political and human rights agreement signed by the Soviet Union and Western countries, which included 35 states. It was an attempt to improve relations between the Communists and the West.They were not binding as they did not have treaty status. -
Launch of MTV
Music Television went on air for the first time. It consisted primarily of music videos. It revolutionized the music industry and become an influential source of pop culture and entertainment in the United States and other parts of the world. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Berlin, which was constructed by the German Democratic Republic .In 1989, the Berlin Wall was deconstructed. The fall of the wall marked an end to Soviet influence in the country and allowed for Germany to become reunited.
