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Eiffel Tower Completed
The Eiffel Tower was originally built as an entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, and was initially criticized but eventually became a very recognizable landmark around the world. It was the tallest structure until 1930. -
Wright Brothers’ First Flight
In Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight in a powered aircraft. Their plane, the Wright Flyer, stayed in the air for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet. -
Titanic Sinks
The Titanic was a famous luxury cruise boat that was new for its time. It sank on its voyage from Southampton to New York due to a giant iceberg. Over 1500 people died, mostly due to slow rescue responses and faulty lifeboats. -
Treaty of Versailles
This treaty officially ended WWI. It imposed heavy restrictions on Germany. It also redrew national borders and established the League of Nations. The terms of the treaty did contribute to WWII. -
First "Talkie" Movie
The Jazz Singer became the first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue and sound, revolutionizing the film industry. The success of this movie led to a rapid decline of silent films, which changed the entertainment industry greatly. -
Stock Market Crash & Great Depression
The Wall Street stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, which led to mass unemployment, bank failures, and economic collapse across the U.S. and beyond. -
Prohibition Ends in the U.S.
After 13 years of banning alcohol, the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, allowing legal alcohol sales again. The move was largely due to the failure of enforcement, which led to organized crime and disobedience of the amendment in the first place, so they removed it. -
United Nations Founded
After WWII, the devastating effects led to the creation of the United Nations. It was created to promote peace, security, and cooperation around the globe. There were 51 countries apart of this. It replaced the League of Nations and has had much stronger and better effects. -
Korean War Begins
On June 25, 1950, North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, supported by the U.S. and UN forces. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, but no peace treaty was signed, leaving Korea divided to this day. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and fueling the Civil Rights Movement. -
USSR Launches Sputnik 1
The Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik 1, the first satellite into orbit which shocked the world, as they started the space race between the US and Soviet Union. This led to NASA and increased expenditure in STEM related fields. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13-day standoff between the U.S. and The Soviet Union occurred when the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. After some negotiations, the crisis was resolved when the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba and secretly removed missiles from Turkey. It was a close call to a nuclear war -
Star Trek Premieres
The original Star Trek TV series aired, introducing American audiences to Captain Kirk, Spock, and the USS Enterprise. Though it was not initially a major hit, it became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers, and space enthusiasts. -
The Moon Landing
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of beating the Soviet Union in the Space Race. -
First Mobile Phone Call
Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, made the first-ever mobile phone call from a prototype cell phone on New York street. The call was made to a rival researcher at Bell Labs, and it paved the way for the modern smartphone revolution. -
Watergate Scandal & Nixon Resigns
President Richard Nixon resigned from office after the Watergate scandal, where his administration was caught covering up a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. He was doing things being the people and governments back, which was not good. -
9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and another in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died, leading to the War on Terror and the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. -
Facebook is Launched
Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard roommates launched Facebook, initially a social network for college students. It rapidly expanded and became the world’s largest social media platform, changing the way people communicate and share information. -
Osama bin Laden Killed
After hunting the terrorist for nearly 10 years, US Navy SEALs raided a compound in Pakistan, finding Osama Bin Laden and killing him. The mission was authorized by Barrack Obama and marked a proud important victory for American history. -
The COVID-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic led to widespread lockdowns, over 1 million American deaths, and the largest government stimulus spending in U.S. history. The pandemic changed daily life, work, healthcare, and education.