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The United States Enters World War I
Although World War I began in 1914, the United States had initally remained neutral in the conflict. However, in 1917 Congress offically declared war on Germany and joined The Allies in World War I. The reasons for this include the sinking of Lusitania, Germany sending the Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico, and unrestricted submarine warfare by German U-boats. The Allies would eventually win the war which ended on November 11, 1918. -
The 19th Amdendment is Ratified
The 19th amendment is raitfied and is offically added to the Constitution on August 26, 1920. This amendment forbids any United States Citizen from being denied the right to vote regardless of sex. This is a major event in American history, because this amendment gave women the right to vote. It is also a huge success of the first wave feminst movement in the United States. -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a period of economic devastation that severely affected many countries around the world, including the United States. It consisted of extreme widespread poverty, high unemployment rates and lasted for more than a decade in America. It is widely considered to be the worst economic depression in modern history. -
The Stock Market Crash of 1929
This was the worst stock market crash in American history that completely shocked and terrified the country. It is also considered to be one of the causes of the Great Depression as it started a chain reaction of events that pushed the United States into poverty and economic devastation. It is also known as "Black Tuesday," or the "Wall Street Crash of 1929." -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the United States on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. More than 2,400 Americans were killed including military personnel and civilians. The United States declared war on Japan the next day and officially entered World War II. Up until this point, America had remained neutral since the war began in 1939, but finally joined the Allied Powers who eventually won the war. World War II officially ended on September 2, 1945. -
The Cold War Begins
On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman publicly introduced the Truman Doctrine which forever changed the country's previous policy of isolationism. America would now be interferring and helping any country being threatened by communism. This marked the beginning of a long period of politcal tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union known as The Cold War. -
The United States Enters the Korean War
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 with the United States quickly joining just two days later. The United States entered the war because they wanted to do everything in their power to contain the spread of communism and feared North Korea would gain full control of the Korean Peninsula. The war officially ended on July 27, 1953 with the Korean Armistice Agreement. -
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The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movment was a monumental political and social movement throughout the 1950s and 1960s to abolish any kind of discrimination, segregation, and prejudice based on race in the United States, mostly African Americans. They consisted of peaceful protests to speak out against racism and fight for equal rights in America. Some of the most important and inspiring figures of this movement are Rosa Parks, Whitney Young, Malcom X, and Martin Luther King Jr. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 11, 1963 at around 12:30 pm while on a trip to Dallas, TX. Kennedy is shot two times in a car with his wife Jacqueline sitting right next to him. He is rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he is pronounced dead at 1:00 pm. The entire event was televised and is considered to be one of the most shocking and formative events in American history. -
The Civil Rights Act is Passed
President Lyndon B. Johnson officially signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination and segregation based on race, religion, and sex in the workforce, schools, and all public facilities. This is considered to be a major turning point in American history and was a successful outcome of The Civil Rights Movement. -
The United States Enters the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began on November 1, 1965 and ended on April 30, 1975. The United States entered the war in March 1965 when Lyndon B. Johnson was still president in an effort to stop the spread of communism. This proved to be a very unpopular war with the American public due it coinciding with the countercultural movement of the 1960s with many seeing this fight as being dragged out and pointless. The United States finally pulled out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973. -
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Watergate Scandal
Watergate was a major politcal scandal in the United States involving a break in to the Democratic headquarters of the Watergate office buildings during the 1972 presidential election followed by a massive cover up by President Richard Nixon and his associates. It led to Nixon eventually resigning in August of 1974 and left the American public untrusting and unfaithful in their government. This scandal also kickstarted the media's intense scrutiny of United States politicians. -
The Cold War Ends
The Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991 as a result of a series of events that contributed to its dissolution including the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989. After more than four decades of politcal tensions, President George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union officially declares the end of the Cold War.