We Didn't Start the Fire By hawk0330 Oct 1, 1949 Red China Red China as the Communist Party of China wins the Chinese Civil War, establishing the People's Republic of China. Period: Oct 1, 1949 to Feb 16, 1959 We Didn't Start the Fire Events Jun 25, 1950 Korean War North Korea and South Korea declare war after Northern forces stream south on June 25. Feb 21, 1951 Hydrogen Bomb H-Bomb is in the middle of its development as a nuclear weapon, announced in early 1950 and first tested in late 1952. Nov 4, 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower is first elected as U.S. president, winning by a landslide margin of 442 to 89 electoral votes. Mar 5, 1953 Stalin's Death Joseph Stalin dies on March 5, yielding his position as leader of the Soviet Union. Mar 13, 1954 Dien Bien Phu Dien Bien Phu falls. A village in North Vietnam falls to Viet Minh forces under Vo Nguyen Giap, leading to the creation of North Vietnam and South Vietnam as separate states. Apr 18, 1955 Albert Einstein Albert Einstein dies on April 18 at the age of 76. Feb 23, 1956 Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Khrushchev makes his famous Secret Speech denouncing Stalin's "cult of personality" on February 23. Apr 11, 1957 Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai, Premier of the People's Republic of China, survives an assassination attempt on the charter airliner Kashmir Princess. Jul 15, 1958 Lebanon Crisis Lebanon is engulfed in a political and religious crisis that eventually involves U.S. intervention. Feb 16, 1959 Castro Fidel Castro comes to power after a revolution in Cuba and visits the United States later that year on an unofficial twelve-day tour.
