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Period: to
1954-1975
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Dien Bien Phu
Britannica May 7th brought a close to the battle of DIen Bien Phu. The French had been defeated by the smaller Northern Vietnamese organizations. The outcome of the battle influenced the decisions made in Geneva in response to indochina. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Smithsonian Brown v. Board of Education was the milestone supreme court case that finally declared segregation unconstitutional. THe decision was unanimous.This supreme court ruling overruled Plessy v. Ferguson. -
SEATO
Office of the Historian The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was formed between the United States, France, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, the Phillippines, Thailand, and Pakistan at a meeting in Manila. The organization was formed as a goal of president Eisenhower to contain and prevent communism throughout the world. -
Rosa Parks and Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks On December 1st, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. She was arrested and put in jail for refusing. Her action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott lead by Martin Luther King Jr. The boycott lasted until the December of the following year when the buses were ruled unsegregated. -
French Leave Vietnam
French leave vietnam After realizing the declining lack of hold on VIetnam, the French leave Vietnam. The defeat by the Vietnamese and the slow end to imperialism helped lead to the exit of Vietnam. -
Federal Aid Highway Act
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 In 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act Bill, also know as the National Insterstate and Defense Highways Act. The project was the largest public works project to date initially authorizing 25 billion dollars worth of constuction. The hight constraints of the highways were put in place in case of needed tranport of nuclear missiles. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Stanford.edu The SCLC was created with the goal to propell the civil rights movement through nonviolent action. The conference was established to help coordiante local protest groups. -
Little Rock Nine
Little Rock NineEisenhower Presidential Library Due to the ruling of Brown vs. Board, nine African-American students were enrolled at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Civilians, as well as Governor Faubus promised to prevent the students from entering the school. As president Eisenhower's first civil rights push, he ordered that federal officers accompany the students to class. -
Viet Cong is formed
The Viet Cong Viet Cong was the Southern Vietnames force thhat faught against the US and the South Vietnamese government during the Vietnam war. This group supported the communist North Vietnamese gonvernment. -
Peace Corps
FJK Presidential Library Kennedy first proposed the Peace Corps in 1960 as a group of talented men and women who dedicate themselves to progress and peace of developing countries. The Peace Corps was officially established by executive order in 1961 lead by Shriver. The first countries to participate were Ghana and Tanganyika. -
Bay of Pigs
JFK Presidential Library Before Kennedy became president, the CIA planned a mission to train Cuban exiles to start a revolt and overthrow Fidel Castro. Kennedy agreed to folllow through with the plan but pulled out the air strikes fearing that they would lead to an all out war. On the day of the invasion the Cuban exile force was destroyed and the assumed natives did not revolt. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
JFK Presidential Library In October of 1962 American spy planes spotted Soviet Union nuclear missile sites in Cuba. Kennedy placed a naval blockade around Cuba and demanded that the Soviet Union remove the missile sites. Both countries recognizing the severe possible consequences, the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles in return for the removal of American missiles in Turkey. -
Anti-Segregation Protests
SCLC On April 16th Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife were arrested during an anti-segregation protest in Birmingham, Alabama. In jail, MLK wrote his famous Letter From a Birmingham Jail. -
Medgar Evers Assassination
Stanford.edu Medgar Evers was an influential NAACP leader. He had announced earler that there would be a demonstration in Jackson. He was then shot and killed in his driveway. He was given high honors and was barried at Arlington National Cemetary. -
March on Washington
Stanford.edu During th summer March on Washington more than 200,000 demonstrators marched for jobs and freedon in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech. -
Kennedy Assassination
JFK Presidential Library Around 12:30 pm, as President Kennedy was visiting Dallas, Texas, the President was shot and was prnounced dead at 1:00 pm at Parkland Memorial Hospital. The presidents body was brought to Air Force One and Vice President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office, sworn in by court judge Sarah Hughes. -
24th Amendment
Cornell University Law School The twenty-fourth amendment to the Constitution was a step to ensure equal voting rights. The amendment ensures that no person may be denyed the right to vote based on an inability to pay poll taxes. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
NPR President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July second. The bill ended legal discrimintion of employment based on race. The Bill also established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce these laws. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Yale Law School In the Gulf of Tonkin a USS destoryer engaged three Northern Vietnamese torpedo boats resulting in a sea battle with no US casualties. The incident resulted in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave the President a blank check to fight communist aggression. -
Malcom X Assassination
News in History Malcom X was shot as he was beginning to speak in front of a group her founded called the Organization of the Afro-American Unity. He was only 39 years old. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Department of Justice The Voting Rightst Act of 1965 officially declared that discrimination in voting practices was illegal. Specially the law targeted discrimination against race. -
MLK Assassination
National Archives Martin Luther King was shot and killed just after 6 pm on April fourth. MLK was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He was pronounced dead at 7 pm that night. -
Bombing of Cambodia
Ohio History In March of 1969 President Nixon authorized the secret bombing of Cambodia. Many thought the war may have been coming to an end at this point, however, this action increased opposition to the war. -
Moon Landing
NASA Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins boarded Apollo 11. When Neil Armstrong first landed on the moon he said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." -
Watergate
Watergate In order to ensure a win in the next presidentional election, Nixon and his advisors assembled a team of mean to dispell rumors and dig up unfavorable secrets of political opponents. This team broke into the Watergate hotel to steal democrat secrets. The men were arrested for burglary and Nixon denyed any involvement. When it was discoered he lied, he was forced to resign beofre he could be impeached. -
Equal Rights Amendment
ERA The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to constitituion to ensure equal rights for women. It passed in the House and the Senate but failed to receive to manditory amount of votes from the state legislatures. -
Ford is Sworn In
Geral R. Ford Presidential Library In 1974, after Nixon's resignation, Ford is sworn into office as the 38th president. Ford announces that "Our long, national nightmare is over." -
Ford pardons Nixon
G.R. Ford Library As a favor to Nixon, Ford pardons him for any crimes that he may have committed during his presidencey. This action surprised the public and therefore his popularity took a nose dive. -
Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act allows for full or partial disclosure of government controlled documents and information. Preident Ford refused to sign it but he was vetoed by congress. -
End of Vietnam War
US Department of State The Vietnam War was considered a loss for the US and South Vietnamese. US military envolvement ended in 1973 and the capture of Saigon marked the end of the war in 1975. North and South Vietnam were united the following year.
