U.S. History after World War II timeline

  • Korean War

    Korean War
  • Period: to

    Korean War

    Cold war conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces on Korean Peninsula.
  • Firrst American satellite launched

    Firrst American satellite launched
  • Alaska become the 49th state

    Alaska become the 49th state
  • Hawaii become the 50th state

    Hawaii become the 50th state
  • "I have a dream" speech

    "I have a dream" speech
    Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech before a crowd of 200,000 during the civil rights march on Washington, DC
  • President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas

    President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas
  • Nixon makes historic visit to Communist China

    Nixon makes historic visit to Communist China
    Nixon makes historic visit to Communist China
  • Jimmy Carter become president

    Jimmy Carter become president
    Jimmy Carter is inaugurated as the 39th president (Jan. 20)
  • Space shuttle Challenger disaster

    Space shuttle Challenger disaster
    Space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. It is the worst accident in the history of the U.S. space program
  • Persian Gulf War

    Persian Gulf War
    U.S. leads international coalition in military operation (code named “Desert Storm”) to drive Iraqis out of Kuwait (Jan. 16–Feb. 28). Iraq accepts terms of UN ceasefire, marking an end of the war (April 6).
  • Bill Clinton is inaugurated as the 42nd president

    Bill Clinton is inaugurated as the 42nd president
  • George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd president

    George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd president
  • Terrorist attack against U.S.

    Terrorist attack against U.S.
    Two hijacked jetliners ram twin towers of World Trade Center in worst terrorist attack against U.S.; a third hijacked plane flies into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashes in rural Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people die in the attacks (Sept. 11)
  • Space shuttle Columbia disaster

    Space shuttle Columbia disaster
    Space shuttle Columbia explodes upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board (Feb. 1).
  • Barrack Obama win U.S. president election

    Barrack Obama win U.S. president election
    Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President, with 52.8% of the vote. In Congress, Democrats retain majorities in both the House and the Senate, with 57 Senators and 178 Representatives (Nov. 4).