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Archduke Ferdinand is Assassinated-WW1
Archduke Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated by Bosnian serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. Serbia is suspected by Austria. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War-WW1
Austria-Hungary declares war with Serbia, officially starting World War 1. -
Lusitania Sinks-WW1
A British ocean liner is sunk by Germany who claims it was fair game since there was war munitions on board. 1,198 people died. -
Zimmerman Note-WW1
A telegram from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman to Mexico was intercepted by Britain. The message said that Germany would help Mexico regain some of its territory that the US stole from Mexico. -
US Declares War-WW1
The United States Congress declares war after Wilson writes Congress a letter asking to go to war with Germany after Britain intercepted a telegram from Germany to Mexico addressing going to war with the US. -
Selective Services Act-WW1
President Wilson signs the Selective Services Act because he saw no other way to gain more troops for war. -
World War I Ends-WW1
Germany signs a armistice with Britain and France that ended the First World War. -
Germany Invades Poland-Europe WW2
Adolf Hitler invades Poland, saying the attack was out of defense. However, other countries disagreed, and the invasion sparked the beginning of World War II. -
Britain and France Declares War-Europe WW2
Two days after the invasion of Poland by German forces, both Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
Germany Continues Attacks-Europe WW2
Germany attacks lower European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbour-Pacific WW2
Japanese Airplanes attack the US base at Pearl Harbor, sinking crucial ships and sparking US involvement in World War II. -
China Declares War-Pacific WW2
Two days after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, China declares war on Japan, furthering the war in the Pacific Ocean. -
Germany and Italy Declares War-Europe WW2
Four days after Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war on Japan by the United States, Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, the first time Germany declares war on another country. -
D-Day-Europe WW2
Allied forces invade Normandy by water. Operation Neptune was deemed a success, and North-West Europe was liberated from Nazi forces. -
US Forces Cross into Germany-Europe WW2
United States forces cross into Germany for the first time, one month after Soviet forces cross into Germany. -
VE Day-Europe WW2
Nazi Germany surrenders, ending the Second World War. A week before, Adolf Hitler allegedly committed suicide in his bunker. -
Bombing of Hiroshima-Pacific WW2
The United States use their first atomic bombs on Hiroshima, Japan. -
Bombing of Nagasaki- Pacific WW2
The second of the two bombs were dropped on Nagasaki, Japan by the United States with permission by Canada and Britain. Nagasaki was chosen because of its ship ports. -
Japan Surrenders-Pacific WW2
Almost a month after the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan surrendered, officially ending the Second World War. -
North Korea invades South Korea-Korea
With permission from the Soviet Union, North Korea invades South Korea, and because of South Korea's weak military, they invade Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with ease. -
The United States join the Korean War-Korea
Harry Truman sends troops to Korea to prevent communism spreading to South Korea, among another countries. -
UN Starts "Home by Christmas" Offensive-Korea
Gen. MacArthur orders UN forces to Korea/China border. He promised the troops would be home by Christmas, but they were attacked and had to retreat. -
Gen. MacArthur is Fired-Korea
General MacArthur is fired because he believes that bombing China should be the next step in the Korean War. Truman believes this will perpetuate the war. -
Eisenhower Wins Election-Korea
General Eisenhower wins the presidency partly on the promise of ending the war in Korea. -
North Korea and South Korea Agreement-Korea
The two countries agree to end fighting. They also agree to a demilitarized zone between the two countries to create a neutral zone, which is still there today. -
Kennedy Inauguration-Leading to Vietnam
Kennedy wins the election in November 1960 against Richard Nixon. -
Ngo Dinh Diem is Reelected-Leading to Vietnam
Ngo Dinh Diem is reelected President of South Vietnam with 89% of the vote, but many question if the election was fair. -
Bay of Pigs-Leading to Vietnam
The United States failed to successfully invade Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. The invasion was sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency. -
Ngo Dinh Diem is Assassinated- Leading to Vietnam
A day after his government was overthrown, he was killed in an armored van. -
President Kennedy Assassinated-Leading to Vietnam
President Kennedy is assassinated by a collaboration with the CIA and the Mob to prevent breakup of the Central Intelligence Agency, who received criticism from the President over the Bay of Pigs debacle. -
North Vietnamese Torpedo Destroys US Destroyer-Vietnam
An alleged torpedo destroyed the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. This event is seen by some as the turning point with the conflict with Vietnam. -
Beyond Vietnam-Martin Luther King Jr.-Vietnam
Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech entitled Beyond Vietnam, which protested the Vietnam War and the United States' stance on the situation in Asia. It coincidentally occurred on the same day as his assassination, only the speech was one year before. -
Tet Offensive-Vietnam
During the Vietnamese New Year, a cease fire was declared. However,North Vietnam attacked main cities in South Vietnam. -
Mai Lai Massacre-Vietnam
American soldiers attack a village they think are filled with enemies, but instead kill ally children and women, hidden from the public until the next year. -
Operation Menu is Started in Cambodia-Vietnam
Operation Breakfast, or Menu, was started in Cambodia, unbeknownst to the American public. When they found out about the secret bombing of Cambodia the following year, it resulted in widespread protest, including Kent State. -
Kent State Shootings-Vietnam
The Ohio National Guard gun down four protesters at Kent State, protesting the latest bombings in Cambodia. -
26th Amendment Ratified-Vietnam
The 26th amendment allows people 18 and older to vote. -
Paris Peace Accords-Vietnam
The Paris Peace Accords were signed by North Vietnam, South Vietnam, the US, and the South Vietnam revolutionary group PRG, or the Provisional Revolutionary Government. -
Nixon Resigns-Vietnam
Nixon resigns after the Watergate scandal when the Watergate hotel was burglarized, more specifically the Democratic National Committee, to steal secrets on their plans in the upcoming 1976 election. -
The Fall of Saigon-Vietnam
The capture of South Vietnam's capital, Saigon, signaled the end of the Vietnam War -
Saddam Hussein Ultimatum-Persian Gulf
Hussein warns Kuwait to stop overproduction of oil; overproducing drove prices down and cut Iraq's profits. -
Iraq Attack on Kuwait-Persian Gulf
Saddam Hussein orchestrates a surprise attack on Kuwait Hussein claims victory days later. -
Operation Desert Shield-Persian Gulf
Just four days after Hussein invades Kuwait, the United States Air Force arrives in Saudi Arabia. -
United Nations Ultimatum-Persian Gulf
The UN tells Saddam Hussein he has until January 15, 1991 to leave Kuwait -
Civil War Starts-Somalia
The Civil War starts in Somalia when rebel groups overthrow the Barre government. The Civil War continues to this day. -
Operation Desert Storm Begins-Persian Gulf
The United States goes into Kuwait to try to remove Hussein and Iraq, the battle lasts four days. -
Desert Storm Ceasefire-Persian Gulf
After 100 hours of fighting, Iraq declares a ceasefire and Iraqi forces leave Kuwait -
Slovenia and Croatia Declares Independence-Bosnia
In June of 1991, both Slovenia and Croatia declare independence from Yugoslavia. -
EU Recognizes Bosnia's Independence-Bosnia
The European Union recognizes Bosnia's independence. The Serbs then occupy Sarajevo, the capital city, and kill and persecute Muslims -
UN Approves Resolution 751-Somalia
Resolution 751 authorized humanitarian aid to Somalian people who were suffering from extreme poverty. -
Resolution 794 Passes in the United Nations-Somalia
Approved a coalition of UN peacekeepers, which established the Unified Task Force. -
Operation Restore Hope-Somalia
George HW Bush complies with Resolution 794 which states the United States will "create a secure environment for humanitarian efforts in Somalia." -
Addis Ababa Agreement Signed-Somalia
Somalian factions conferred at the Conference on National Reconciliation in Somalia to end the civil war, but it had little effect in stopping the war. -
Battle of Mogadishu-Somalia
Battle between the US and Somalian militia fighters. This battle was then used as a basis for the movie Black Hawk Down. -
Attack in Sarajevo Marketplace-Bosnia
An attack killing 68 and wounding more than 200 occurred in a Sarajevo Marketplace. -
Srebrenica Massacre-Bosnia
In Srebrenica, Bosnia, more than 8,300 people were killed in a "Muslim Safe Haven" declared by the United Nations -
UN Charges Serb Commanders-Bosnia
The United Nations charges 21 Serb Commanders with crimes against humanity and genocide, the first time that there are charges against the Serbs. -
Milosevic Peace Talk-Bosnia
After realizing that the cause was lost because of having less men, Slobodan Milosevic goes to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio to talk. They came out with an agreement that included war criminals being handed over to the US government and the return of democratic elections.
