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Cold War Timeline
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Hiroshima Bombings
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, expecting for Japan to surrender. President Harry S. Truman warned Japan saying if they did not surrender things would only get worse. The first bomb (nicknamed Little Boy) killed 80,000. This was the first deployed atomic bomb dropped ever.
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Nagasaki Bombings
The United States dropped a second atomic bomb in the Japan city, Nagasaki. Nicknamed Fat Man, this bomb killed over 40,000 that day. Both atomic bombs that were dropped on the 6th and 9th were a result of Japan not accepting Stalin and Truman's Potsdam Declaration.
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Japan Surrenders
After two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced the country's surrender and World War Two ends.
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Korean War Begins
The war began when 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People's Army went through the boundary between North and South Korea (38th parallel) to invade. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold war. Americans entered the war on South Korea's behalf in July and tried to create some sort of peace with the North Koreans.
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Korean War Ends
After back and forth fighting across the 38th parallel for 3 years, the fighting stopped and an armstice was agreed upon the United States, the People's Republic of China, North Korea and South Korea. After the armistice was signed, a new border was drawn between North and South Korea which demilitarized the zone between them.
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Space Race
The world's first artificial satellite and the first man-made object was placed into Earth's orbit by the Soviets. Americans were not pleased since space was a target Americans wanted to explore first. This was the start of the Space Race.
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Space Race
Following the Soviet's Sputnik, the U.S launched its own satellite, Explorer 1 into space. NASA was also created the same year by President Dwight Eisenhower.
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Space Race
After seeing the launch of the United States' Explorer 1, the Soviet Union sent Yuri Gagarin to orbit the Earth, being the first person to ever do so.
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Bay Of Pigs Invasion
The events leading up to this invasion was Fidel Castro wanted to overthrow the government of Cuba in 1959. Castro was affiliated with communism and was allied with the Soviet Union. America wanted to prevent communism from taking hold in the United States. The CIA formed a plan to use Cuban exiles to go back to Cuba and begin war with Castro. The invasion did not go so well for the U.S. This strengthened Castro's government.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union began to install nuclear missiles in Cuba after they felt they needed missile sites that could strike at the U.S. Americans spy planes spotted the missiles in Cuba and President John Kennedy began to take action. For 13 days, secret negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union ultimately leading to the Soviets removing the missiles.
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Space Race
U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins set reach the moon after 4 days of take off. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Because of this, the United States won the space race.
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Strategig Defense Initiative (SDI)
President Ronald Reagan initiated SDI to develop an anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries. Unfortunately, with billions invested in the program, the program failed.
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Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)
President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the INF treaty. The INF treaty was designed to eliminate all declared INF systems within 3 years of signing. It also stated there would be a ban on possesion and use of those missiles.
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Fall of Berlin Wall
The Spokesman for East Berlin's Communist party announced that starting at midnight that day, citizens of the German Democratic Republic were able to cross the country's borders. East and West Berliners started to tear down the wall and soon were reunited for the first time since 1945.
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Cold War ends and end of Soviet Union
