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In 1939, Hitler invades Poland, prompting both France and Great Britain to declare war on Germany, as they were both allies to Poland. This marks the beginning of World War II in the aspect of declarations. -
Although the United States had remained neutral for the first two years of World War II, they were forced to join after Japan bombed the Pearl Harbor military base in Hawaii. -
By 1942, Germany had gained control over the majority of Europe. As this was happening, Hitler began invading their own allies -- The Soviet Union -
While hiding from Allied forces, Hitler takes his own life with his then-wife before he can be captured. His death prompts the end of the World War, and Nazi Germany's tyrannical control over most of Europe. -
In October of 1945, the proposed plans to create an intergovernmental organization to prevent a third world war from occuring were finalized, and the United Nations was created. -
A pivotal moment in the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play in the Major League Baseball -- one of the first Black people to play any professional sport. -
President Harry Truman signs the Executive Order 9981, which desegregates the United States military. This is a big movement in desegregation post World War II -
The Korean Peninsula is divided into two parts -- North Korea (communist) and South Korea (democratic). -
In 1950, North Korea Invades South Korea with the express goal of reuniting the two countries under one communist rule. The United States leads a United Nations military intervention to prevent the spread of communism and help protect South Korea. -
The Korean War Ends with an armistice agreement which keeps Korea divided into two countries along the "38th Parallel." This armistice marked a successful containment of communism in the region. -
In 1955, Civil rights advocater Rosa Parks gets arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. This helped spark the famous bus boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama that lasted over a year, and resulted in the Supreme court ruling that the city of Montgomery had violated the 14th amendment and ordered the desegregation of buses. -
The satellite, Sputnik I, is the first successful launching of something into space. This begins the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. This led to competition in technology and science advancements. -
The United States launches the Bay of Pigs, a failed military operation to overthrow communist leader Fidel Castro in Cuba. This made the Soviet Union view JFK's leadership as weak and used it as an opportunity to send Nuclear Missiles to Cuba. -
250,000 people attend the March on Washington, a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement -
Riots are started in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee -
New president Richard Nixon is elected an declares “war on drugs," stating that drug abuse was ‘public enemy number one. -
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first astronauts to land on the moon, effectively marking the end of the space race. -
Republicans working for Nixon broke into the Watergate complex to get information on their political rivals. When the government launched an investigation into the event, Nixon attempted to cover up information -
US is the first country to recognize Israeli independence in 1948 and supports its democratic government. Israel and Egypt fight several wars against each other between 1948 and 1973. The US invited the leaders of both nations to Camp David in America to try and discuss their problems which leads to a mutual peace agreement and the signing the Camp David accords in 1978. -
In 1979, the Shah of Iran was ousted from his country for being a brutal dictator. He came to America for medical treatment, which caused Iranians to be outraged at america. To retaliate, Iranians stormed the US Embassy in their country and took the Americans inside as hostages. The US gets all hostages back over a year later.