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Declaration of Independence
In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. The day would be marked on history as the ''Independence Day'' -
George Washington becomes the USA's first President.
69 members of Congress cast their ballots to elect George Washington the first president of the United States.
As the former leader of the Continental Army and chairman of the Continental Congress, Washington possessed the necessary credentials for the presidency, if not the enthusiasm. After months of appearing to sidestep, and even outright rejecting the idea of assuming the presidency, Washington reluctantly accepted Congress’ decision. Runner-up John Adams became Washington’s vice president. -
The Civil War
The War Between The States split America in two. The bitterness and divisions caused by the war still plague America today. Although slavery was ended by the war, racism became stronger afterward. A hundred and fifty years later, the effects of the war still echo throughout the country. The South was economically destroyed by the war, and many states have not completely recovered. America lost its arguably best President and hundreds of thousands of its citizens. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was shot on the evening of April 14, 1865, as he sat in the presidential box at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., watching a performance of the play Our American Cousin. The assassin was actor John Wilkes Booth. After shooting Lincoln, Booth jumped onto the stage, falling and breaking a leg. Wilkes limped away, calling out, "Sic semper tyrannis" (a Latin phrase meaning "Thus always to tyrants").” President Lincoln lived through the night, attended by his family. He died shortl -
Hawaii becomes the 50th state
The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible.As their vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository Building at 12:30 p.m., Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots from the sixth floor, fatally wounding President Kennedy and seriously injuring Governor Connally. Kennedy was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. He was 46. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11, U.S. spaceflight during which commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin, Jr., on July 20, 1969, became the first people to land on the Moon. Apollo 11 was the culmination of the Apollo program and a massive national commitment by the United States to beat the Soviet Union in putting people on the Moon -
9/11:Terrorist Attacks
19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Often referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, triggering major U.S. initiatives to combat ter -
Barack Obama becomes the USA's President.
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois defeats Senator John McCain of Arizona to become the 44th U.S. president, and the first African American elected to the White House. The 47-year-old Democrat garnered 365 electoral votes and nearly 53 percent of the popular vote, while his 72-year-old Republican challenger captured 173 electoral votes and more than 45 percent of the popular vote. -
Assassination of Osama bin Laden
A group of US Navy Seals assassinated Osama bin Laden in a night raid on a high-walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The killing was the high point of Obama’s first term, and a major factor in his re-election. The White House still maintains that the mission was an all-American affair, and that the senior generals of Pakistan’s army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance.
