1955 - 1975

  • Period: to

    Geneva Convention

    More than 1,400 scientists from 73 nations attend the first United Nations-sponsored International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy held in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Sputnik

    The Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite. Marking the dawn of the Space Age, the event pushes the US government into action and leads to the formation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  • Shippingport Atomic Power Station

    The Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the world's first full-scale nuclear power plant, becomes operational at Shippingport, Pennsylvania.
  • Berlin Wall

    East Germany begins construction of the Berlin Wall, which closes all land routes between East and West Berlin.
  • Nuclear Testing

    The U.S. resumes nuclear weapons testing, with an underground test at the Nevada Test Site.
  • Richard Nixon

    Richard M. Nixon is inaugurated President.
  • Treaty for the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons

    The United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and forty-five other nations sign the Treaty for the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
  • Gerald Ford

    Gerald R. Ford becomes President.