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Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift took place after World War II. Germany lost its land to the Allies and Russians seized the opportunity to try and take the capital city, Berlin, from Germany. The Russians invaded the area and cut off its connections such as highway, railroads, and canals from the other European territories in order to get American, French, and British troops out of the city. The Allies however brought supplies through the area and this lasted for more than a year. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was created by President Harry S. Truman and was an attempt at domestic policy reforms. It was supposed to be similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies. It added reforms in national health insurance, public housing, civil rights legislation and federal aid to education. His plan faced many obstacles as stabilizing the economy from World War II inflation and conversion from wartime to peaceful industries. It wasn't until his re-election that he was able to pass them. -
G.I Bill
Also called the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the G.I. Bill was created to help veterans who fought in World War II. It made low-interest mortgages and stipends covering tuition for covering college available for veterans. It also established hospitals for veterans and nearly 9 million veterans received a total of $4 billion between 1941 and 1949. This bill was created because of the hard transition for World War I veterans after they had returned from the war. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation, also called the Beat movement, was an American social and literary movement that took place in San Francisco's North Beach, Los Angeles' Venice West, and New York City's Greenwich Village during the 1950s. They advocated for personal release, purification, and illumination that came through drugs, jazz, and sex. They also wanted to free poetry from :academic preciosity" and wanted to bring it "back to the streets". It started to decline in the 1960's. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Earl Warren was a American politician and lawyer. He was elected governor of California in 1942 and served three terms providing major reform legislation. He became the 14th chief justice of the United States after he failed to be nominated by the Republicans for presidency. One of his most famous cases was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, where segregation of schools was deemed unconstitutional. He also sought for electoral reforms and equality in criminal justice. -
Feminism
Feminism is a term used to describe a political, cultural, and economic movement with intentions to create equal rights for women. Feminists came around as early as the 19th century, but resurfaced during the 1960's and 1970's. Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights to contract, vote, and own property. They have also advocated for women's rights to bodily integrity and autonomy, reproductive rights, and protection of women and girls from domestic violence. -
Death of Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a Baptist minister and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He used peaceful methods such as nonviolent protests and intense speeches to advancements in civil-rights advances for African Americans. When he was killed many African Americans were angered and many were left mourning. His death also helped speed up the equal housing bill that was needed for civil rights. -
Three-Mile Island
Three-Mile Island is the site of a nuclear power plant in south Pennsylvania. It is known for causing the worst commercial nuclear accident that took place in the United States. It resulted in resulted in a partial meltdown that released dangerous radioactive gases into the atmosphere. It also created public fear about nuclear power and since the accident, no new nuclear power plants have been built in the United States since the time of the accident. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine consists of key concepts of President Ronald Reagan's foreign policy. In his address, he states that, "Freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few; it is the universal right of all God's children". He wanted to provide support and secure rights for those fighting Soviet aggression. He held support for this doctrine through both of his terms. At the end of his presidency, he stated that his efforts forced the Soviets to withdraw fro Afghanistan. -
Sam Walton’s Just-in-Time Inventory
Sam Walton's was the founder and chairman of Walmart Inc, and at a time, the richest man in the United States. His company was the first to use the UPC bar code to make the inventory process more automated. He created a private satellite system that tracked delivery trucks, process credit card transactions, and transmitted sales data. This led to the creation of the "just-in-time" inventory. It would remove the need for storage at each Walmart store. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
The Strategic Defense Initiative, also called Star Wars, was a program created to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missiles from other countries from attacking. It was initiated by President Ronald Reagan and was meant mostly for the Soviet Union. Even though there were seemingly no downsides to the program, there was worry that it would have some negative effect. That along with problems with the budget caused it to be shut down. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
The Black Entertainment Television is an American cable television network that provides news, entertainment, and other programs for mostly African Americans. They produced popular music through BET Gospel, BET Hip-Hop, BET James, and Soul. It was created by media entrepreneur Robert L. Johnson, who saw an opportunity to reach African American audiences through cable TV. It started out with two hours of weekly programming and slowly gained viewership throughout North America and the Caribbean. -
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to ever be elected as a president. He ran two consecutive terms as the president beating both Arizona Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Obama announced his candidacy for president of the U.S. on February 10, 2007. He started his political career in 1996 and he and he hoped to make a plan to improve the economy. -
First Hispanic SCOTUS judge - Sonya Sotomayor
Nominated by President Barack Obama, Sonia Sotomayor was the first ever female Mexican American to become a Supreme Court Justice. She was born in New York City she got her passion to judge from the TV show Perry Mason. She graduated from Yale Law School and became a U.S District Court Judge in 1992, and was later elected to the U.S Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998. When her nomination was announced she won her vote 68 to 31 and made history. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, or the European Recovery Program, was a plan created to help the recovery of Europe's economy between 1948 and 1951. It was able to finance 13 billion dollars to its cause, inspired the confidence of European people in the economy, and increased patriotism. It was named after the Secretary of State George C. Marshall, because he announced the idea. The Soviet Union refused the plan, because they thought it intervened in internal affairs. -
Korean War
The Korean War began with 75,000 North Korean soldiers passing the boundary between North and South Korea to attack the South Koreans. North Korea was used a Soviet Democratic system and South Korea used a pro-Western Republican system. It was the first event to occur in the Cold War. The Americans would later enter the war supporting the South. It was a war against communism and the Americans tried to find a solution before a bigger war would occur. The war ended in July 1953. -
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph P. McCarthy was a Republican Senator of Wisconsin. He had a big impact in the Red Scare. The event itself was caused by the suspicion of Americans believing that communist subversion was taking place in the U.S. McCarthy spent 5 years speaking against communism and tried to expose communists that he believed were in the U.S government. Due to the ongoing Cold War, some people believed him and others were threaten by his accusations. He lost his position when he attacked the Army in 1954. -
Smith Act
The Smith Act, also known as the Alien Registration Act of 1940, was a law that made public advocacy a crime. It was created by Virginia Congressman Howard Smith during the "Red Scare", and was approved by President Franklin. The Smith Act was used to remove people of the Communist Party and people supporting the communist party. It was also used with the intent of making Democrats more assertive, due to their past actions trying to prevent Communism in the United States. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was a spacecraft named after the Russian word for satellite. It was created by the Soviet Union and it ignited the "Space Age". Sputnik left many Americans in awe with its ability move at 18,000 miles per hour and circle the Earth in only an 1 hour and 36 minutes. However, it caused fear amongst Americans because it was more advanced than American spacecrafts and had newer satellite and rocket technology. This left Americans to pursue them in the "Space Race". -
Hiroshima
Hiroshima was the world's first used atomic bomb, which bombed the city of Hiroshima.The explosion killed 90 percent of the city's population automatically killing 80,000 people and leaving thousands of others to die of radiation exposure. Following this bombing, another bombing took place in Nagasaki and killed about 40,000 people. The bombings forced Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II on August 15. The event was described as a "new and most cruel bomb". -
Apollo 11
The idea of the mission Apollo 11 came about during the space race that the United States was having with the Soviet Union. In order to final pass the Soviet Union, President John Kennedy proposed that the U.S land a man on the moon. There were several Apollo mission attempts before, but the Apollo was the first to succeed. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin were the first men to ever make it to the moon and then later the first men to walk on the moon. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis came about when tension between the Soviet Union and the United States worsened. It was a 13-day political and military standoff in the fall of 1962 over the use of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba. The U.S prepared a blockade along the area of Cuba and was ready to use military force to ensure national security. The turmoil ended when the United States agreed with the Soviet leader to offer to remove the Cuban missiles in exchange for not invading Cuba. -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner was a famous R&B singer made duets with his wife Tina Turner. He meet Anna Mae Bullock in 1956 and the two got married, and she changed her name to Tina Turner. They created numerous R&B hits, such as "I Idolize You", "It's Going to Work Out Fine", and "Poor Fool". They started to decline when Tina revealed that she was being abused by Ike in 1976. Ike was faced drug abuse allegations which he denied. He would later die of a drug overdose in December 12, 2007. -
Anti-War Movement
The Anti-War Movement was a movement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. It started small with few peace activists on college campuses, but started becoming influential in 1965, after the United States bombed North Vietnam. Anti-war marches and other protests were also organized by students in SDS. The movement was at its height in early 1968, after the successful Tet Offensive by North Vietnamese troops. The U.S also suffered political repercussions. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a minister, a Civil Rights activist, and a black nationalist leader who would serve as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm would preach to blacks to end racism, evening telling them to result violence. In 1946, he was arrested for charges of larceny and sentenced to 10 years in jail. In that time he would convert to the Nation of Islam. Because of Malcolm, the Nation of Islam grew from 400 members to 40,000. He was assassinated in February 21, 1965. -
Black Panther Party
Also just know as the Black Panthers, the Black Panther Party was a political organization founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. They challenged police brutality against the African American community. They would dress in black berets and black leather jackets and organized armed citizen patrols in several cities in the United States. At most, it had only 2,000 members. It declined later on from internal problems, fatal shootouts, and FBI counterintelligence activities. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act was used to label native animals species as endangered and gave them necessary protection. The Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Defense were to preserve the habitats of these endangered animals. This act also allowed authorization for acquiring land that is necessary for the endangered species. Because of this law, a worldwide conference was made to discuss conserving species all around the world. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment provided legal equality to all sexes and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. It was first proposed by the National Woman's political party in 1923 and came about four decades later, largely due to the revival of feminism in the late 1960s. It was strongly advocated by Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, and Gloria Steinem, and the bill won the two-thirds vote from the House of Representatives in October 1971. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The purpose of the North American Free Trade Agreement is to reduce trading costs, increase business investment and help North America be more competitive in the global marketplace. The agreement was made between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The idea began with President Ronald Reagan, who proposed a North American common market in his campaign. The Canadian Prime Minister Mulroney was and the first to sign in 1988, and Mexican President Salinas signed later on. -
Nixon's Election
The election of 1968 took place during a time of turmoil. At the time, the Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated, race riots had begun around the country, president Robert F Kennedy had also been assassinated, and anti-war protest were also taking place. Eight years since his defeat against Kennedy, Richard Nixon won using a campaign planning on restoring "law and order", defeating Hubert H. Humphrey. It was the last election between opposing vice-president candidates. -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was one of the most famous rock 'n' roll musicians in the 1950's. He created his first single in 1954 called "That's All Right" and also started touring and recording that year. He became even more successful the following year getting signed with RCA Records, creating his first No. 1 single with "Heartbreak Hotel", and signing a movie contract. He was drafted into the military in 1957 and returned in 1960 and continued his career in music. He died at the age of 42 in 1977. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Billy Haley and the Comets was group of musicians that were popular for the rock 'n' roll music. It has had several members come and go, but Billy Haley remained the leader for the entire time that band existed, and it ended with his death. Haley started his career working for the WPWA radio station. He first bands he created was called The four Aces of Swing and the Downhomers but they were disbanded. Constantly competing with Elvis, they decided to tour Britain was were very popular among them -
Little Richard
Little Richard was one of the many singers who made rock 'n' roll popular during the 1950s. He was born in Macon, Georgia on December 5, 1932. He was kicked out of his house at the age of 13 because of his homosexuality. He started his career in music in 1957 making gospel songs. His first religious album was created in 1959, and was called "God is Real". He got back into rock 'n' roll in 1964 creating his song "Long Tall Sally". He would later decline in the years to follow. -
Nixon's and Kennedy's Televised Debates
John F. Kennedy were both candidates for the election of 1960. There debates were the first ever debates to be publicly televised. The Kennedy-Nixon debates did not only have a great impact on the elections, but they also created a new way to create a public image, which was necessary for a successful political campaign. Kennedy's victory was also due to his appearance on public television. He was also well dressed and had a good attitude, as opposed to Nixon's appearance. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk was an American medical researcher who created the first effective vaccine for polio. He earned his masters in 1939 and majored in science. In 1947, he started his research into polio. He was able to determine that there was three different types of polio viruses. He first used it on children and it quickly became popular in 1953. In 1955, it was approved for general use. By 1960, his cure dropped the number of reported cases from 57,000 to less than a thousand. -
Albert Sabin
Albert Sabin was a medical researcher who conducted research on various viruses and diseases. One of his most important experiments was on polio. He worked from the 1940's and the 1950's to find a cure. He was able to determine that polio infected a person through their digestive track. He was also able to determine the some people had a weak strain of the virus and had antibodies. He was able to create a cure, but the problem is that didn't prevent it from spreading to other people. -
New Frontier
The term New Frontier comes from president John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech. It refers to the economic and social programs that Kennedy promised when he became president. Kennedy also claims that his New Frontier was " a set of challenges", and these challenges were essential to generate Kennedy's future. It called for the advancement of civil and economic rights, which would raise minimum wage, guarantee equal pay for women, and increased federal aid for education. -
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps were formed with the issue of Executive Order #10924 by President John F. Kennedy. It was created to send American men and women to foreign nations to help in development efforts. It was an immediate success, as thousands of letters were sent to Washington from American hoping to volunteer. The idea originated from Henry Reuss in the late 1950's. The first 750 volunteers were sent to thirteen different nations in 1961. Now over 180,000 Americans serve 134 nations. -
Assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy was assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible during a parade. He was also with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy and John Connally, the Texas Governor. The shots were fired at 12:30 pm near the Texas School Book. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, shot three shots from the sixth floor. He fatally wounded President Kennedy and seriously injured Governor Connally. Kennedy was then declared died 30 minutes after at Dallas' Parkland Hospital. -
Barry Goldwater
He was a famous politician in the 20th century. He served for 30 years on the senate, gaining recognition for his fiscal conservatism. He rejected collectivism and his outspoken nature earned recognition from the Republican Party. Goldwater soon after ran for presidency in the election of 1964, but lost unexpectedly by a landslide to Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson was ale to make Goldwater out to be a radical who would destabilize a country that is already at war. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad, also know as "Peace, Little Girl Ad", was a political advertisement that was aired in 1964 that supported candidate Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. It was only ever aired once, but it was an important factor that led to Johnson's victory in the election of 1964. The ad itself had a little girl who was playing in a garden and then later nuked by a bomb. It was supposed to highlight Goldwater's aggressive nature and show what it would inevitable lead to. -
Great Society
The Great Society was a series of policies, legislation, and programs that created by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the intent to end poverty, reduce crime, end inequality, and improve the environment. It was also the largest attempt at social reform. It was not supported by every American citizen and politician. Many felt that the government was giving free handouts and that the government should stay out of the their lives altogether. Nixon ended up undoing most of the legislation. -
Hippies
Hippies came as a counter-cultural movement that rejected the mores of mainstream American life. It started on college campuses in the United States and spread to several other countries such as Canada and Britain. The name comes from the word "hip", which was used to describe Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Hippies weren't very political and the lived a distinct lifestyle. They normally had long hair, dressed in "psychedelic" colors, grew beards, and wore sandals and beads. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a Supreme Court case that dealt with segregation of children in public schools. It was also an important event in the civil rights movement. Before this case the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson, that segregation in public places was legal so long was each facility was equal. The Supreme Court's ruling ended with all the judges unanimously declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a fourteen year old African American boy who was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman. He was killed by the white woman's husband and her brother. They made him carry a 75-pound cotton gin fan to the Tallahatchie River and made him take his clothes off. They beat him to near death, gouged out his eyes, shot him in the head, tied him to the fan, and threw him in the river. The assailants went to court, but were deemed not guilty by an all white jury. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist and is most famous for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. It was also the cause of the Montgomery boycott and other efforts to end segregation. The Montgomery boycott lasted for 381 days and it helped end segregation in public facilities. Her refusal to give up her seat led to the months of hardship as she lost her job and her husband lost his job also. For her actions, she has received the NAACP's highest award. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was created at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The act itself didn't create any new rights, but it prevented any attempts to intimidate or prevent anyone from voting and created the foundation for federal enforcement of civil rights law. It also created the Civil Rights Commission and the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice and gave it the power to seek court injunctions against anyone interfering with the right to vote. -
Birmingham March
The Birmingham March was a campaign in Birmingham, Alabama created by Civil Rights activists. It was one of the most influential events of the Civil Rights Movement. The movement would used peaceful demonstration that were meet by violent attacks and police dogs on men, women, and children. The campaign resulted in the removal of white and black only signs from restrooms and drinking fountains. It would also help create a Negro job improvement plan and create a biracial committee. -
Lester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox was an American businessman and politician. He earned a lot of national attention when he refused to serve African Americans at his Pickrick Restaurant. He was so against the Civil Rights Movement that he started passing out pick handles as a sign of defiance against the Civil Rights Act. He would also close his restaurant simply because he did not want to comply with federal law. Contrary to these actions, he actually passed many polices that benefited African Americans. -
Stonewall Riot
The Stonewall Riot started when police raided the a gay club called Greenwich Village early in the morning. They forcefully removed some of the bar employees and customers which caused protests that lasted for nearly six days. There were also violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar and on the streets near it. The Stonewall Riots were also a major part in the gay rights movement in not only in the United States, but also around the world. -
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is a international organization that was created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10, 1960. It was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. It has many other countries that will later join the organization. The purpose of OPEC s to coordinate petroleum policies among countries that are members. Its main competition at the time of its creation was the Seven Sisters formed by the Soviet Union. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Warren Burger was the 15th chief justice of the United States Supreme Court and was picked by President Richard Nixon. Contrary to what Nixon wanted, he did not change the decision of Warren Court on civil rights and criminal law. He did however uphold the 1966 Miranda decision, which made police officers explain a person's rights when arrested. His main purpose while he was the chief justice was to improve the efficiency of the judicial system and administrative functions. -
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
The Federal Election Commission is an agency that enforces campaign finance law in the United States during any elections. It was created through the Federal Election Campaign Act, which states that it is allowed to disclose campaign finance information and to enforce the provisions of the law. It is made up of six members which are picked by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. They each serve six year terms and no more than three of them can come from the same party. -
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency was created when environmental pollution was worsening in the United States. It was intended to unite an agency that would be able to research, monitor, and enforce activities that ensure environmental protection. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. It is allowed to fine and sanction anyone that threatens their efforts. The agency works with other industries to create pollution prevention programs. -
Gerald Ford’s Presidency
Gerald Ford's was the 38th president of the United States and took office after President Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal. He was also the first ever unelected president. He dedicated most of his presidency to restoring public confidence in the government after the Watergate scandal. He also faced a domestic energy crisis and a weak economy. He struggled with his role as a president because he was a Republican tasked with a mostly Democratic Congress. -
The New Right
The New Right was a movement created by conservative bigwigs and Christian religious leaders who felt that environmental and labor regulations were interfering with the competitiveness of American firms in the global market. Many of them felt thought that the New Deal should be revised, because the biggest threat to the American economy was a big government. They also thought that it would also reduce the tax burden on everybody. This was a time were Christian split into several divisions. -
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation was created the intention to formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of "free enterprise, individual freedom, limited government, traditional American values, and a strong national defense". It became prominent during the Reagan administration. It was founded by Paul Weyrich and Mickey Edwards. They focus on several topics pertaining to domestic and foreign policy. It is described as a right-wing think tank. -
Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was a contest between Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Jimmy Carter, but it also had other candidates like John Anderson from the Independent party and Ed Clark from the Libertarian. Ronald Reagan won the election by a landslide due to the Iran hostage crisis that Jimmy Carter faced during his presidency and the worsening economy. It was an important election, because it was the first time that Republicans won control. It also started the "Reagan Revolution". -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
In the 1980's and the early 1990's there was an outbreak of HIV and AIDS. The disease originated decades before and caused the deaths of millions since the pandemic. It was mostly spread through unprotected sex, sharing of needles, drug use, and through birth. Overtime, the body fails to fight infections and diseases and can causes life-threatening problem that can led to death. During the 1980s, many called the disease gay-related immune deficiency, or GRID because it was mostly affecting gays. -
Reagonomics
Reaganomics was a term used to describe his recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He believed that undue tax burden, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs were dampening economic growth. In his first three years of presidency, he created a 30% tax reduction that would effect upper income levels and in turn effect everyone else. Many disagreed with his methods, because tax cuts and military spending would cost the federal government trillions of dollars. -
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and is famous for being the first women ever to serve on the Supreme Court. She was from El Paso, Texas and she graduated from Stanford University and attended the university's law school. She became a judge and in 1979, she was selected to serve on the state's court of appeals. When Ronald Reagan became president, he nominated her for associate justice of the U.S Supreme Court. -
Video Head System (VHS)
The Video Head System, also just know as VHS, was a system used for recording and viewing video tapes at home. It was created by Matsushita in Japan in the mid 1970s and is still popular today. Original VHS tapes look good, but they quality and format degrade as more and more copies are made. It was mainly used for long-play content such as films and televisions series, but it was also used for music videos, in-store videos, and tutorials. -
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson was a songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He is considered to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time. One of the things that made him famous is the story that he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil. It came about when Son House, a contemporary of Johnson claimed that Johnson was a terrible guitarist until he disappeared for a few weeks in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He died an early death at the age of 27 from deliberate poisoning. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra Affair was a secret United States government arms deal that freed some American hostages that were held in Lebanon but also funded armed battles in Central America. This was also one of the scandal that threatened the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Before the affair took place, the United States relationship with Iraq and Iran were at a breaking point. This led to Iranian-backed terrorist holding seven Americans hostage in Lebanon. In the end, they were able to save the hostages. -
Persian Gulf War / 1st Iraq War
When Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered an invasion on Kuwait in August 1990. Saudi Arabia and Egypt as for the help of the U.S and other Western countries. The Persian Gulf War started when Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to leave Kuwait and the U.S led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. They attacks lasted for 42 days and then President George H.W Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28, and by that time most Persian forces and already surrendered. -
Rodney King Incident
The Rodney King Incident started when Rodney King was caught after a high-speed chase from the police in Los Angeles. When his was pulled offer, the police officers beat him brutally. However, while it was happening, cameraman George Holliday caught it all on videotape. The four L.A.P.D officers were indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force by an officer. But the trial ended with the mostly white juries voting not guilty, sparking the Los Angeles riots. -
Election of 1992
The Election of 1992 was a election between three main candidates: George H. W. Bush, Governor Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot. Bush was a part of the Republican Part, Clinton was a part of the Democratic Party, and Perot was a part of the Independent Party. The results of the election was Clinton winning the Popular Votes and winning most of the Electoral Votes. Bush main reason for losing was the fact he divided his party after he broke his 1988 campaign pledge against raising taxes. -
Ross Perot
Ross Perot is an American businessman who ran for the U.S. presidency a part of the Independent Party twice, in both the Election of 1992 and the Election of 1996. He is famous for being one of the most successful third-party candidates in American history. He was born in Texas and after leaving the U.S. Navy in 1957, started working as an employee for IBM. He would later go to make his own company called Electronic Data Systems in 1962 and run for president years later. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
The Defense of Marriage Act was a law that was enforced from 1996 to 2013 that denied same-sex couples from having all benefits and recognition given to opposite-sex couples. Those benefits included more than 1,000 federal protections and privileges, such as access to a partner's employment benefits, legal recognition of relationships, joint tax returns and exemptions, rights to inheritance, protection domestic violence, and the right to live together in military or college housing. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a television producer, talk show host, and film actress famous for her talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show", and her TV network the " Oprah Winfrey Network". She was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, where she was sexually abused by a numerous male relatives and friends of her mother and then started living with her dad. She went to Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and TV broadcasting. She would continue working in TV until show became famous. -
World Trade Center Attack - 1993
The World Trade Center Attack started when terrorists took a rental van into a parking garage that was under the World Trade Center's twin towers and lit the fuses on a homemade bomb that was inside of it. The bomb left six people died and more than 1,000 people injured. The blast left an crater several stories deep and caused smoke to enter the the upper reaches of the towers. At a time it was considered the worst terrorist attack until the events of 9/11. -
Lewinsky Affair
The Lewinsky Affair was a political sex scandal involving President Bill Clinton having an over with 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The affair started in 1995 ended in 1997, and was discovered in 1998. Clinton went on TV to announce his response stating he "did not have sexual relations" with Lewinsky. Further investigation led to charges of perjury and to the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S House of Representatives. -
Election of 2000
The Election of 2000 was a competition between George W. Bush and Albert Gore Jr.. Bush was the son of former president George H. W. Bush and a member of the Republican party, Gore Jr. was a member of the Democratic party, and the third candidate, Ralph Nader, was a member of the Green Party. The results were nearly a tie as Bush won 50,456,062 popular votes and 271 electoral votes and Gore won 50,996,582 popular votes and 266 electoral votes, making Bush the 43 president of the United States. -
Bush v. Gore (SCOTUS case)
Bush v. Gore was a famous case because of the effect that it had on the Election of 2000. In the election, Al Gore, the former Vice President was going against George W. Bush. The problem came when the city of Palm Beach in Florida had to recount nearly 10,000 ballots. The problem became worse because the ballots were not properly punched, giving unintended votes. They were forced to do a manual count, but Bush believed that would undermine the 14th amendment. The court ruled in Bush's favor. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
No Child Left Behind Education Act reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It supported standards-based education reform based on the idea that giving high standards and making goals could improve individual outcomes in education. It act required that states give tests to all grade levels in order to receive federal funding. The bill had received so much criticism that in 2015, Congress stripped away the national features of the No Child Left Behind Act. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina struck early in the morning of August 29, 2005. It hit the Gulf Coast of the United States. When it finally reached land, it was classed as a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It brought 100-140 miles per hour winds and was nearly 400 miles long. The aftermath of the storm left massive flooding and many people felt the government was not providing necessary supplies. It was estimated that Katrina caused more than $100 billion dollars in damage. -
9/11 Attacks
19 members of an Islamic extremist group galled al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the two twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon, and the fourth plane, intended to hit the Pentagon but was unsuccessful, landed in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the attack and this event triggered the initiative to combat terrorism. -
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act was created as an anti-terrorist law in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on 9/11. It is actually acronym for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism". Bush made this law with the intention of improving and empowering law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent future terrorist attacks on the United States. -
George W. Bush
George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States, the son of the former 41st president of the of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as the governor of Texas. He joined the Air Force Reserve on June of 1970 and was honorably discharged on November 1974. After his Guard duty, Bush attended the Harvard Business School and earned a Masters of Business Administration degree in 1975. He got married and moved to Texas and served as governor, and then later became president. -
Election of 2008
The Election of 2008 was the 56th presidential election of the United States. The candidates were Barack H. Obama, who was representing the Democratic Party, and John S. McCain, who was representing the Republican Party. The main issue during the candidates' campaign was George W. Bush's policy and actions and the American public's desire for change. Obama ended up winning both the electoral votes and popular votes. This election was special because it was the first time an African American won. -
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1950s
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1960s
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Civil Rights
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1980s
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Contemporary
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Cold War
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1970s
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1990
