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United States first used atomic bomb in war
The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb killed thousands of people and played a major role in the war ending. -
Soviets explode first atomic bomb
The Soviets detonated their first atomic bomb. They contructed buildings and structures, and even placed animals in cages to test what sort of impact the bomb would have. The buildings were destroyed and the animals were incineated. -
Sputnik launched into orbit
The Soviets launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, into orbit. It marked the beginning of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. It also showed that if the Soviets were able to launch a satellite into space, then they were also capable of sending missiles containing nuclear weapons from Europe all the way to the United States. -
Cuba taken over by Fidel Castro
Castro was sworn in as Cuba's Prime Minister. He made radical changes once he took over and turned Cuba into a communist country. -
John F. Kennedy elected President
JFK was elected to be President, and he will play a vital role in future events related to the Cold War. -
Bay of Pigs invasion
The Cuban-exile invasion force landed on the beaches along the Bay of Pigs, but were immediately greeted with heavy fire and there was bad weather that made all the equipment soggy and the ammunition insufficient. Castro ordered 20,000 troops to advance towards the beach, and all our plans were shot down. Soon the U.S. had to surrender the attack. -
Contruction of the Berlin Wall
East Gemany wanted to block any refugees attemptimg to leave, so the communist government began to build the Berlin Wall. This wall soon became the symbol of the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S spotted nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union in Cuba. After many secret meetings with his advisors, President Kennedy decided on placing a naval blockade around Cuba, basically quarantining the island to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. Both leaders of the superpowers eventually realized the devastating possibility of a nuclear war and publically agreed that the Soviets will dismantle the weapon sites. -
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
After the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan, the U.S didn't want other countries to continues with nuclear testings. After eight years of negotiations, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union agreed on a treaty that limited the tests that can be done with nuclear weapons. -
President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas
President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas while campaigning by Lee Harvey Oswald. His death shocked the world, including the Soviet Union. -
Apollo 11 lands on the moon
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon. This mission signified the victory of the U.S. in the space race. -
President Nixon Resigns
President Nixon is the first President in U.S history to resign from the presidency. He was in the middle of his impeachment trial when he decided he would just resign before he was proven guilty. -
Mikhail Gorbachev ascends to power in Soviet Union
Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Strongly believing that the Soviet Union needed massive liberalization in order to revitalize both the Soviet economy and society, Gorbachev immediately began implementing reforms. -
Berlin Wall falls
The Berlin Wall is torn down and the war is considered "finally over". Germany is reunited again. -
Cold War Ends
Communism fell and the Soviet Empire formally dissolved. The Cold War ended officially. -
Communists governments fall
Once the Berlin Wall, the communist governments in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania fell.
