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G.I Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 is more commonly known as the G.I Bill. It was created to help World War II veterans. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to prevent a financial crisis that happened after World War I. Harry W. Colmery would propose the extending benefits to the WWII veterans; created the first GI Bill draft. The Bill would establish hospitals, would make low-interest mortgages and covered expenses for veterans' further education. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a metaphor used by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He had famously used it in a speech at Fulton, Missouri on March 5, 1946. He had said "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." It was referred to the boundary line that divided Europe in two different political areas. Western Europe had political freedom while Eastern Europe was under communist Society Rule. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was created by President Harry S. Truman. In order to prevent Greece and Turkey from falling to communism the United States took responsibility over it. On March 12, 1947, President Harry Truman asked Congress for $400 million in military and economic assistance to establish a doctrine. The Doctrine would provide to democratic nations under threat from authoritarian forces. The assistance would range from political, military and economic. -
2nd Red Scare
The Second Red Scare would last from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. It was a hysteria during the Cold War and it was the fear of Communism. The House Un-American Activities Committee would investigate those who perceived as communist. U.S Senator Joseph McCarthy would claim to have a list of those who were communist. He would mostly claim that is would be Hollywood Stars. This led to an investigation with HUAAC and would ruin the lives of those who were "communist". -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift would last from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949. The Soviet Union blocked all roads and rails to and from West Berlin. President Harry Truman and the government were shocked by this action. Truman did not want to cause World War III so he ordered a massive airlift too supplies into West Berlin. The plan took action on June 26, 1948; the planes would provide food, clothing, water and medicine to over 2 million citizens of the city. -
Marshall Plan
The European Recovery Act of 1948 is most commonly known as the Marshall Plan. Named after the Secretary of State George C. Marshall; which proposed the act in 1947. The Act was signed on April 3, 1948 by President Harry S. Truman. The Plan was created to economically assist European nations. Over the years America would provide $13.3 billion for the European recovery. In exchange would provide America with reliable trading partners. The plan would extend to postwar years of World War II. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was proposed by President Harry S. Truman in January 5, 1949.The Deal would recommend that all Americans have health insurance, that the minimum wage be increased and that all Americans be guaranteed equal rights. In his speech he would also mention the reformation of public housing, civil rights legislation, an extension of Social Security and federal aid to education. Congress was convinced to double the minimum wage, extension of Social Security and to establish the Housing Act. -
Korean War
The Korean War started from June 25, 1950 and ended in July 27, 1943. The North Korean Army would pour across the 38th parallel into South Korean. In July, American troops entered the war on South Korean's behalf because America did not want South Korea to fall to communism. Americans believed if they did fall to communism that it would trigger a World War III. This would also get China involved and would create a stalemate for 2 years. On July 1953, U.S and North Korea signed a cease fire. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation or Beat Movement was started in the 1950s which is post World War II. The participants of were called the "beats" or the "beatniks".The movement would be made up of artists, novelist, and poets who would all reject the American materialism and the American culture. This meant that they rejected the ownership of homes, the average careers and marriage. They would condone individual freedom and pleasure which is drugs and sex. -
Period: to
1950s
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Little Richard
Little Richard, legally named Richard Wayne Penniman, was born on December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia. He was kicked out of his home due to his homosexuality and later was taken in by a white family. They had owned a club in Macon in which Richard would discover his talent. He would get his first major break in 1951 at an Atlantic radio station. He is known by "Tutti-Fruitti", "Long Tall Sally" and "Send me some lovin'" songs which was a Billboard hit. -
Ike Turner
Ike Wister Turner was born on November 5, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. While a young he was taught a style of blues,boogie woogie, on piano then later he would play the guitar. In the 1940s he would become part of a group named Kings of Rhythm. In 1951 his band and him would create what would now be known as the first Rock and Roll song "Rocket 88" in Sun Studios, Memphis, Tennessee. He would tragically die of a cocaine overdose on December 12, 2007 in San Marcos, California. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown vs. Board of Education court case would last from December 9, 1952 to May 17, 1954. This would be considered a 1954 landmark in the Supreme Court cases. They would declare the "Separate but Equal" campaign of the Plessy vs. Ferguson court case unconstitutional. The Court would would announce that they, the plaintiffs, were being "deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th amendment." -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley and the Comets were an American Rock and Roll band. They would fuse country music, Western swing and black R&B. Bill Haley is considered to be the father of rock and roll who are best known for his single "Rock Around the Clock". And the band would be known for "Crazy man, Crazy".Bill Haley would tragically die from a brain tumor on February 9, 1981. The Comets would regroup in the 1990s and would continue touring and recording. -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Earl Warren was born on March 19, 1891 in Los Angeles, California. He was elected as California's governor in 1942. Later he was appointed as the 14th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1953 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He would part of the Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Warren would led the investigation of the John F. Kennedy's assassination. He retired in 1969. He would die on July 9, 1974 in MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown, D.C. from heart failure. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
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Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14 year old when he was brutally murdered for the allegations of flirting with a white woman. He was from Chicago, Illinois visiting Money, Mississippi. His body would be found three days of his initially kidnapping. His body would be disfigured to the point of his body being unrecognizable. Emmett's killers would be trialed and their verdict would be "not guilty". This would enrage many people and would progress the Civil Rights Movements. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War would last twenty years from November 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. The U.S. involvement would start in 1954 after the French lost the battle where they lost the rule of Indochina. In 1973 the United States and North Vietnam would make the final peace agreement that would end warfare between the two nations. Approximately 3 million people died and about 58,000 Americans would be killed and more than half of dead were Vietnamese civilians. Vietnam would unify in 1976. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk was born on October 28, 1914 in New York City. He was was part of a team that would work on developing a vaccine against the flu. After he would become the head of the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburg. He would begin his research on polio at Pittsburg. This led to the release of the first safe and effective polio vaccine on April 12, 1955 to the United States. Dr. Salk would die on June 23, 1995 in La Jolla, California by Congestive Heart Failure. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee,Alabama. She is known for starting the Montgomery boycott when she refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger.The Boycott was a nationwide effort to end segregation of public facilities. Parks would be awarded the Spingarn Medal, the highest medal, from the NAACP in 1979. In 1996 she was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton.She would die on October 24, 2005 in Detroit, Michigan from natural causes. -
Television
The television would be first invented in 1927 by Philo Taylor Farnsworth.The mass production of televisions would first start in 1947 and the production would only increase by 1952 1.4 million households would have a television.By 1968 15.1 million televisions were being manufactured and put in households.Shows like "I Love Lucy","Gunsmoke","Father Knows Best", and "The Ed Sullivan Show" were popular during the 50s. Things like Presidential Elections were broadcasted and popularized in the 50s. -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His first single was "That' s All Right" which was recorded in Sun Studio in 1954. He would highly influence the social and moral values of the white American society.He was also an international sensation with his diverse musical influences. He would be referred to the "King of Rock and Roll" while changing the pop culture. Elvis would die on August 16, 1977 in Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee from a Heart Attack. -
Space Race
The Space Race is a competition in the 20th century between the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US). The Soviet Union would first launch their Sputnik in 1957 and the United States would release the Explorer One in 1958. The Soviet would also be the first to put a man in space in 1961and the US would do the same only 3 weeks later. Embarrassed President JFK would claim to put a man on the moon first in 1961. That would be accomplished in Operation Apollo 11 in 1969. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock 9 was a group of Africa-Americans that were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957.Previously the high school would be all-white. The enrollment of the student would be a test of the Brown v. Board of Education. This would create a crisis in which the Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus would not allow the students to enter the school. This would result President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send federal troops to escort the Little Rock 9 to school. -
Feminism
The first Feminist Movement would be in July 20, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. The Feminist Movement during the 1960s would be the second wave of feminism. It was the women's liberation movement. It was women fighting for equal pay, domestic violence, reproductive rights, maternity leave women's suffrage, sexual harassment and violence. It would also be about women being empowered to explore their sexuality and marry when look go away. The movement would spread all over the United States. -
New Frontier
The New Frontier was a slogan that was used by President John F. Kennedy which would describe his goals and policies. The "New Frontier" phrase would be associated with his presidential programs when he would say "We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier" in his acceptance speech in 1960. The New Frontier would improve the overall quality of American life and re-energize American foreign policy. -
Sit- Ins
The first recorded Sit-in was in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960. It was young Africa American students going to the segregated Woolworth's lunch counter and refusing to leave until they were served. Television coverage over the sit-in would spark the Sit-In Movement and brought attention to the Civil Rights Movement. This would force establishments to integrate. This would also form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in April 1960. -
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would establish the petroleum policies of the members. It would also provide its members with technical and economic aid. It would be constituted in January 1961 by five countries; Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela. The members would coordinate policies on oil prices, production and related matters during their semiannual meetings. OPEC would account for two-fifths of the world's oil production. -
Period: to
1960s
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Albert Sabin
Albert Bruce Sabin was born on August 26, 1906 in Białystok, Poland. He would join the staff of the Rockefeller Institute in New York City in 1935 after getting his medical degree in 1931. He would leave the Institute and got to the Children's Hospital Research Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio where he would develop the first oral polio vaccine. Sabin would die on March 3, 1993 in MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown, D.C. from Congestive Heart Failure. -
Peace Corps
On March 1, 1961 the Peace Corps, a new agency to the Department of State, would be established due to the Executive Order #10924. The corps would be singed into law by President John F. Kennedy. Many were skeptic of the new agency but Kennedy would say that underdeveloped world could not be ignored. Peace Corps volunteers would participate in numerous programs such as building schools, sewer and water systems, and increase productivity of agriculture. The Peace Corps would be a success. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis started on October 16, 1962 and ended on October 28, 1962. It was a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. This would be the first time that two superpowers would come close to a nuclear conflict. The superpowers would reach an agreement and Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev would remove the Russian missiles that were in Cuba. the missiles would be shipped backed to the Soviet Union. President JFK would also remove the American missiles from Turkey. -
Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, the Texas Governor John Connally and his wife were on a political outing. They were passing Texas School Book Depository Building at 12:30 p.m. when JFK was shot. He would then be pronounced dead at Dallas' Parkland Hospital 30 minutes after being initially shot. It was found that it was Lee Harvey Oswald who would kill the President. Jack Ruby would then kill Oswald as revenge. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 in Stonewall, Texas. Johnson would become our 36th President on November 22, 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Johnson was the Vice President making him the successor when the president dies. He created the progressive reforms called the "Great Society". This would include Medicare, Head Start, the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. He would die on January 22, 1973 in Stonewall, Texas from a Heart Attack. -
Birmingham Campaign
The Birmingham March would be said to be the most influential campaign of the Civil Rights Movement. The march was on April 2, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. It was organized by the Southern Christian Leadership (SCLC) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in order to attack the city of Birmingham's segregated system. On April 12, 1963 Dr. King would be arrested for anti-protest injunction and he would write his "Letter from Birmingham Jail". On April 20, 1963 he would be released from jail. -
Warren Commission
After the assassination of President John F.Kennedy, his successor, Lyndon Johnson would establish a commission. They would investigate Kennedy's death. The commission would be lead by Chief Justice Earl Warren and he would conclude that Lee Harvey Oswald would be the gunman that would assassinate JFK. It was never found why Oswald would kill the President since he was killed soon after his arrest. This would create a year long investigation and would declare that Oswald would have worked alone. -
Anti-War Movement
The Vietnam War Protest or the Anti-War Movement started in August 1964. The Movement would start from small peace activists and members of the Hippie Movement and would gain national prominence in 1965. The Student fro a Democratic Society (SDS) would organize the protest and this would attract support and it would reach its peak in 1968. The broadcast of the Vietnam
War and the American lost would cause the movement to increase in protestors. Many of who were drafted would flee to Canada. -
Great Society
President Lyndon B.Johnson would create the Great Society.The Great Society was a series of policy initiatives, legislation and programs.He would say in his speech at the University of Michigan that the creation of the Great Society was a "war on poverty". His main goals were to end poverty, reduce crime, abolish inequality and improve the environment. The Great Society would have a lasting impact on future political and social agendas. It was overshadowed by the unsuccessful of the Vietnam War. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad or "Peace, Little Girl" was created on September 7, 1964 on behalf of President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was a controversial political advertisement that would air on television during the presidential election of President Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. It was Johnson saying that he wanted the U.S. to become conservative which would lead to his victory against Barry Goldwater. The Ad to this day would remain one of the most controversial political ads. -
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots would last for five days from August 11, 1965 to August 16, 1965. The breaking point that would create the riots was when 2 white policemen fight with a black motorist that was suspected of drunk driving. The riot would be started from residents of Watts who were resentful after the years of economic and political isolation. The riots would leave 34 dead, 1,032 injured and approximately 4,000 were arrested and $40 million of property was destroyed. -
Selma March
The Selma March, which was a series of marches, would start on March 7, 1965 and end on March 21, 1965. The first march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama was on March 7, 1965. They would be confronted with deadly violence from local authorities and white vigilante groups. Martin Luther King Jr. would participate in the marches and would raise awareness to difficulties being faced by black voters. This would establish the Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights Act. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Warren E. Burger was born on September 17, 1907 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Warren Burger was elected by President Richard Nixon to be the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1969. Nixon wanted Burger to reverse the tide of the Warren Court decision on civil rights and criminal law. He would be awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988. He would die June 25, 1995 in Sibley Memorial Hospital, Washington, D.C. from Congestive Heart Failure. -
Death of MLK
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a baptist and a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He would be shot in the neck by a sniper and pronounced dead an hour later. His death would spark riots in more than a 100 cites this would also include burning and looting of locations. This would make President Lyndon B. Johnson to call upon Congress to speedily pass the Civil Rights Legislation. -
Stonewall Riot
The Stonewall Riots would last from June 28, 1969 to July 1, 1969. Police would raid the Stonewall Inn which was a gay bar in Greenwich Valley, New York City. The raid would spark a riot from bar patrons and neighborhood residents against police. The employees and patrons would be roughly taken out of the bar. The riots would served as an event that would lead to the Gay Rights Movement in the United States and all around the world. -
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency was created on December 2, 1970 by President Richard Nixon. It is an independent agency of the United States with a purpose to protects the environment and human health. They sponsor, conduct researches, develop and enforce environmental regulations. This lead to Nixon requesting $4 billion for improving water, asking national air quality standards to be improved, and would seek legislation to end the dumping of wastes into the Great Lakes. -
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly was born on August 15, 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was an American writer and political activist who would be a leading conservative voice. She would be best known for her opposition to the Women's Movement and the Equal Rights Movement. Schlafly would continue to influence the conservative movement in the 21st century. She would die on September 5, 2016 in Ladue, Missouri from cancer. -
Period: to
1970s
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Space Shuttle Program
The Space Shuttle Program was started in January 5, 1972 by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It would be President Richard M. Nixon to authorize the development of reusable vehicles for space exploration. The official name for the program was Space Transportation System. The first Shuttle was the Columbian it would do four missions that would prove that it would land safely on Earth. Other additions to the shuttles would be the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. -
Watergate
The Watergate scandal would start on June 17, 1972. Several buglers would be arrested in the office of the Democratic National Committee which was located in the Watergate Complex. The robbers were found fixing wiretap phones and would be stealing documents. The robbers would be hired by President Richard Nixon. He would try to cover the tapes by cutting several minutes of the tape but his crime would be revealed. He would resign in August 1974 and would cause the change in American politics. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was a U.S. Supreme Court case that was take place on January 22, 1973. The court case would be over the legality of a woman's rights to have an abortion which would be under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The Supreme Court would disagree with Jane Roe about the absolute terminate pregnancy. It was till Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey that the Supreme Court would establish restrictions on abortion. -
Endangered Species Act
Congress would pass the Endangered Species Act in 1973 while the Endangered Species Preservation Act would be passed in 1966. This act would protect animals and plants that were part of the list of native animal and plant species. The animals and plants would be classified as endangered. The act would aim to provide a framework to conserve and protect endangered threatened species and the habitats they live in. -
Rise of the N.R.A to national politics
The National Rifle Association was founded on November 17, 1871 in New York City, New York. It was created by William Conant Church and George Wood Wingate. It is an American non-profit organization that would advocate gun rights. The NRA woud support the California's Mulford Act of 1967 to ban being able to carry a loaded weapon in public. During the 1970s the NRA would see attempt to enact gun-control as threats to the 2nd Amendment. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis would last 444 days from August 20, 1985 to March 4, 1987. A group of Iranian student would storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 60 American hostages. President Carter tried to free the hostages by launching Operation Eagle Claw. which would kill eight American servicemen and resulted in the retreating of Operation Eagle Claw. After Ronald Reagan would defeated Jimmy Carter in the Election of 1980 and be inaugurated the hostages would be released. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell. He wanted to advance the conservative social values. The Moral Majority was created because the Christian fundamentalist were alarmed by the social and cultural transformations that occurred in the United States. They were afraid that the traditional moral values would change the spiritual values. They were afraid of the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Movement, the Gay Rights Movement and the teaching of evolution. -
Election of 1980
Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. He would serve two terms from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989 as our 40th President. He won the election as the republican nominee against Jimmy Carter the Democratic nominee. He would win due to the dissatisfaction Carter caused during his administration with the Iran Hostage Crisis, high unemployment and inflation. He would tragically die of Pneumonia on June 5, 2004 in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California. -
Sam Walton's Just-in-TIme Inventory
Samuel Moore Walton was born on March 29, 1918 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.He would invent the retail store Wal-Mart and open his first in 1962. It would expand internationally and become the world's largest company by 2010. Wal-Mart would surpass Sears to become the largest retailer.The Just-in-time inventory was a method that eliminated the need for storage at each store and when a store is out of product would be trucked to them.He would die on April 5, 1992 from cancer in Little Rock, Arkansas. -
Entertainment
There were plenty of this invented to entertain the majority of people. Cds were invented and introduced to the public in 1982. Movies also started to become popular such as "Back to the Future', "Ghostbusters", and "Scarface". Television programs were also a big part of the 1980s such as "MTV", "Oprah", and "The Cosby Show". Board Games such as "Monopoly", "Scrabble" and "Clue" were created in the 80s. Video Games such as "Donkey Kong", "Pac Man" and "Atari" were all popular during this time. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
The Black Entertainment Television was started by Robert L. Johnson on January 25, 1980. It was the first cable network targeting the African- American market. BET would broadcast news programs, comedy showcases, talk shows and sports features. It would be the first African- American owned company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Later it was sold for $1 billion in 2000 which would make Robert L. Johnson the first African- American billionaire. -
Period: to
1980s
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A.I.D.S Crisis
The first cases of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) in the United States was in June 1981. The first case recognized by the CDC would be a San Francisco resident named Ken Horne. The rate of deaths and cases of those who had AIDS was increasing rapidly. Homosexuals were the ones who were greatly impacted and then it would start to affect heterosexuals. It was later found those who were homosexual, hemophiliacs, heroin addicts and Haitians would contain the disease. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor was born on March 26, 1930 in El Paso, Texas. She was the first woman that was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Elected by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. She was consider to be a conservative Republican. She would serve 24 years and retire in 2006. She would be a key swing vote in many important cases such as Roe v. Wade, Bush v. Gore, Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan. -
Music Television (MTV)
Music Television or most commonly known as MTV was founded by Robert Pittman, Les Garland, Tom Freston, and John Sykes in 1981. It was the first music video to air on cable television and would only be available to household of New Jersey. They would later expand to the rest of the United States then internationally. MTV would revolutionize the music industry and influence pop culture and entertainment. MTV would promote the careers of performers such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. -
Strategic Defense Initiative SDI
President Ronald Reagan would propose the creation of the Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed "Star Wars",on March 23, 1983.It was a program that would develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system that would prevent missile attacks from other countries.This brought fear to the Soviet Union because they taught that the U.S could not launch a first-strike against them. It was a great debate between arms experts and public officials over its military and political implications. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran Contra Scandal would last for two years from August 20, 1985 to March 4, 1987. President Ronald Reagan was help fund an anti-Communist insurgencies around the globe. It was a secret U.S. Government arms deal that would free some of the American Hostages in Lebanon. It would also fund armed conflicts in Central America. This would not settle well and created a political hurdle for President Reagan. Therefore threatening Ronald Reagan's presidency. -
Challenger Explosion
The Space Shuttle Challenger was launched by NASA on January 28, 1986 which was the 10th shuttle mission. It was later claimed that two rubber O-Rings were vulnerable to failure at low temperatures and the claim was dismissed. The explosion would kill 7 people Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe. The death of 6 astronaut and 1 civilian would refrain NASA from sending anymore astronauts to space until 1988. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was created on August 13, 1961 and it fell on November 9, 1989. The wall was taken down when the spokesman for East Berlin's Communist Party, Günter Schabowski, announced that citizens of the GDR were free to cross the country's borders. Which was a miscommunication but it was too late to take back the command when more than 2 million East Germans crossed to the West. The reunification of East and West Germany was made official on October 3, 1990. -
Persian Gulf War/ 1st Iraq War
The Persian Gulf War would last a year from August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991. The was started when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of Kuwait in August 1990. The United States would intervene on part of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Hussein would defy the United Nations demands of withdrawing from Kuwait which led to Operation Desert Storm. On February 28, 1991 most Iraqi forces surrendered and some fled which meant that President George H.W Bush would cease-fire. -
Technology
The 1990s was an era of great technological advancements. Personal computers had become affordable to millions of buyers which would cause the production of computers to increase. Then came the mass usage of the internet which was first used in military bases in the 1960s to exchange information. Later in 1994 approximately 6 million households would have internet and by 2001 it would increase to 130 million. These accomplishments would forever change the American businesses and lifestyles. -
Period: to
1990s
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Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was born on April 2,1965 in Sacramento,California. In March 3,1991 the Rodney King Incident occurred. The incident was recorded and it was of King being beaten by LAPD in 1991. This police officers were found not guilty which would then spark anger and create the L.A. riots. These riots would kill about 50 people, 2,000 were injured and 9,500 were arrested. The Department of Justice would step in and 2 officers would be found guilty and the other 2 would be acquitted. -
Election of 1992
Bill Clinton was born on August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. He was the 42nd President who would served two terms from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. He was running as the Democratic nominee against Republican nominee George H. Washington. He had received a 43 percent against a 38 percent of the nation's precincts. He was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998 due to the affair with Monica Lewinsky, which would later be known as the Lewinsky Affair. -
World Trade Center Attack
The World Trade Center in New York City was attacked on February 26, 1993 at 12:18 p.m. It was a terrorist bomb that would explode inside of a parking garage. This would leave a 60 feet wide crater in which resulted in the death of six people and 1,000 were injured. This terrorist attack was the first attempt on the World Trade Center. The FBI would go on a manhunt for the suspects and arrested several radical Islamic fundamentalist. Those convicted were sentenced life in prison. -
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The North American Free Trade Agreement was passed by the Senate on November 20, 1993. President Bill Clinton signed it into law on December 8, 1993 and it went into affect on January 1, 1994. The Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S President Bill Clinton and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney would all be involve in the creation of the agreement. It was created to eliminate the barriers of trade and invest in the 3 countries. It would eliminate tariffs on exported goods. -
Lewinsky Affair
The Lewinsky Affair lasted from 1995 until 1997. The reason this information is known is because Monica Lewinsky confided in co-worker Linda Tripp with the affair. Tripp would then go on to leak the information which would be released in 1998. Clinton would deny the allegations but then later would then admitted to them. The House of Representatives would then impeach President Bill Clinton but he would still admitted to no wrongdoing. -
Welfare Reform
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliaton Act of 1996 most known as the Welfare Reform Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. This reformation would increase funding for child care enforcement, child support and guaranteed medical coverage. It would also support families to move from welfare to work. Each state has to meet federal requirements to be eligible for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
The Defense of Marriage Act would be introduced in May 1996 and signed into by President Bill Clinton in September 1996. The law would deny same-sex couples the benefits and recognition that are given to opposite-sex couples. This meant that states were not required to recognize same-sex marriages. This would later be taken out of law by the U.S. Supreme Court in the United States v. Windsor (2013). And Overgefell v. Hodges would finalize same-sex couple marriages as legal. -
Election of 2000
George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut. He served two terms from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. George W. Bush was the Republican nominee against Al Gore the Democratic nominee. Bush had won with 271 electoral votes. The election was finalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Bush v. Gore court case making this also the first case they, the Supreme Court, had to step in to decide who would win. -
Period: to
Contemporary
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9/11 Attack
The 9/11 attacks took place in New York City on September 11, 2001. It was the hijacking of four planes by an Islamic extremist group named al-Qaeda. Two out of four planes were flown in by suicide bombers into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Operation Enduring Freedom was created to take out the Taliban which destroyed Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
The No Child Left Behind Education Act (NCLB) was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The Act provides money for extra educational assistance for poor children. This would result in the improvements of their academic progress. The law requires school districts to assume responsibility for all students and their proficiency levels. It would also close academic gaps between students of different economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
The Hurricane Katrina Disaster would last from August 23, 2005 to August 31, 2005. The Hurricane was a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. During the storm about 80% of New Orleans was under water. Many of the attempts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and President George W. Bush were considered failures due to not responding sooner. Nobody was really aware how bad the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession would officially lasts two years from December 2007 to June 2009. It was started when the housing bubble of 8 trillion dollars bursted. It would resulted in the loss of wealth that led to cutback of consumer spending. It also let to a collapse in business investments. The labor market lost 8.4 million jobs and 6.1% of all payroll employment. Overall the Great Recession would mean that poverty rates would rise, adults and children would lost health insurance and incomes drop. -
Election of 2008
Barack Obama was born on August 4,1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was our 44th president serving from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. Barack Obama presidential election would be marked as historic due to him being the first African American to serve as president. He was running as the Democratic nominee against Republican nominee John McCain. Obama would win by a 52.9 percent to a 45.7 percent. His inauguaration would take place on January 20, 2009. Joe Biden would become the Vice President. -
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954 in Bronx, New York City. She was a graduate from Yale Law School in 1980. In 1992 she would become the District Court Judge elected by President George H.W. Bush. And later she became part of the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998 elected by President Bill Clinton. She was best known for was being the first Latina Supreme Court Justice. Elected during Obama's Administration by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. The bill would provide immediate relief for families, modernize the federal structures, increase alternative energy production, expand health care, improve education, help small business and invest in Science Research and Technology. This would allow the Great Recession to end in July 2009, five months after the ARRA went into law. -
Affordable Care Act (ACA) "Obamacare"
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. It was fully implemented in 2015. It was created to make health insurance more affordable for those with little to no coverage could buy it. The act would allow people to use expensive hospital emergency room visits to prevent from a serious health issue to occur. The act would make those who are not have health insurance be fined. -
Undoing of DOMA
The creation of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) in 1996 was repealed in June 26, 2013. It was brought upon by the court case United States v. Windsor (2013).This would declare same-sex marriages legal. Which also meant that they would deserve equal rights and benefits as opposite-sex marriage. Justice Anthony Kennedy would go to say that DOMA was unconstitutional because it violated the right to liberty and to equal protection for gay couples. It was completely finished by Obergefell v. Hodges.
