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Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. He was notably known for his popular recordings in the late 1930s. His songs heavily influenced later generations of musicians in the 50s. He is also the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). -
G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill, also known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided many benefits for World War II veterans. Benefits included dedicated payments and living expenses to attend high school or college, low-costing mortgages, one year of unemployment compensation and more. Political issues occurred for a decade and a half because these benefits weren't given to WWI vets. -
Little Boy
On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay bomber plane dropped Little Boy, the first nuclear weapon used as an attack, on Hiroshima, Japan. After defeating the Japanese in their territorial area, the Japs refused to surrender under conditions and the U.S. To justify an end to the war with the Japanese, the U.S. bombed Japan. -
Fat Man
3 days after Little Boy bombed Hiroshima, the U.S. used another atomic bomb, code-named Fat Man, to bomb Nagasaki, Japan. This was the last nuclear weapon used to end World War II. Fat Man was dropped by a different plane however, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Bockscar". -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a boundary set to divide Europe into two sections, East and West Europe, from the end of WWII to the end of the Cold War era. The U.S. and allies controlled West Europe while the Soviets had East Europe. The NATO and Warsaw Pact were formed as a result of the Iron Curtain. -
Period: to
Cold War
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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy that applied worldwide. The Doctrine was solely about stopping the spread of communism and actions being taken to stop it. Economic and military aid was given to countries to help them fight communism, especially Europe after the war. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, created by George Marshall, was a plan to reconstruct the U.S. controlled section of Europe. Marshall gave out loans to rebuild Western Europe from the war. The plan also restored faith in capitalism in Europe. American labor practices were transferred to West Europe to give Europe an advance in agriculture. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift occurred because Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin was upset about capitalism in Germany. Stalin took action and sealed off the borders of Berlin, he wanted the Western Allies to leave Berlin. As a solution, Berlin was divided into 4 different military zones. The U.S., British, French and Soviet all had their own zones. -
Korean War/Forgotten War
The Korean War was officially a conflict, not a war. North Korea's dictator at the time, Kim il-Sung, invaded the South when the U.S. pulled out of South Korea. Joseph Stalin, Russia's premier, was supporting Kim il-Sung as he wanted the dispersion of U.S. resources. After many battles in Korea, the "war" ended in a stalemate for 2 years and made peace at the 38th parallel. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was President Truman's proposal to Congress to continue FDR's New Deal. Although it is said to be similar to the New Deal, it does have its differences. New laws were made from the Fair Deal such as education, health, insurance and the Fair Employment Practices Commission. -
Period: to
1950s
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Rock n' Roll
Rock n' Roll was started by African American rhythm and blues. It was also known as a slang for "sex". Teenagers, termed after WWII, would listen to this and rebel against their parents. Teenagers would also listen to Rock n' Roll as a leisure activity. What made Rock n' Roll popular was when Bill Haley and the Comets made "Rock around the clock tonight". Other Rock n' Roll icons include Elvis Presley, Ike Turner, Little Richard, and etc. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley and the Comets were an American rock n' roll band that set off Rock n' Roll to be a popular trend. After their hit song "Rock around the clock tonight", rock and roll became so popular that a majority of the US were listening to it. The band continued until the death of Bill Haley in 1981. -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley made Rock n' Roll a phenomenon when he decided to join the trend. Elvis was born and raised extremely poor, but that all changed when Rock n' Roll was a popular topic. He sang songs of rhythm and blues melded with gospel and country. Creating his own sexually suggestive dance style he was known as "Elvis the Pelvis". Elvis also took songs from the original African Americans when he sand Big Mama Thorton's "Hound Dog". -
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. was also a sensation to the Rock n' Roll trend in the 1960s. He learned to play a musical instrument at the age of eight. Later in the early 1950s, he formed a band and released his first song recording in 1951. -
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman, also known as Little Richard, was an American musician, songwriter, singer, and actor. He was best known for being the architect of Rock n' Roll. His music also played a role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. This changed all of the United States public schools to be integrated into anyone, no matter what race or color shall attend any school. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a protest in which African Americans refused to ride buses in Montgomery, Alabama during the mid 1950s. It is considered as the first large-scale demonstration against segregation in the US. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up a bus seat to a white man, she was arrested and fined after the occurrence. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14-year old African American who was brutally murdered in Money, Mississippi while visiting family. Till was murdered for "flirting" with a store owner's wife, four days before his death. Two white men caught Till in his house and beat him where they later drove to a shack near a river. There Emmett Till was shot in the back of the head and was dumped into the river tied to a cotton gin fan. -
Polio Vaccine
The Polio Vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, was a vaccine that fully cured people with polio. Polio was common in the 1950s before the cure was discovered. In 1952, about 58,000 cases were reported and 3,000 died from the disease. He was well known for curing the United States children of polio for quite some time. -
Little Rock 9
Little Rock 9 refers to the 9 African American students attending Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced so much racial discrimination to the point where they had to be escorted. Governor George Wallace blockaded the entrance to the school so the black students were blocked out. This led to the integration of many public schools. -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation, referred mostly by the name of "Beatniks", were novelists, poets, and artist The Beatniks stood for their individual freedom and pleasure, hence their abuse of drugs. While rejecting many American values, they also make the foundation for many war protests afterwards. -
ICBMs
The ICBM ,(Inter Continental Ballistic Missile), was a nuclear missile developed in the late 1950s that could go anywhere in the world quicker than other nuclear bombs. Bombers would crossover to missiles and the development of ICBMs would intensify the arms race between the US and USSR. President Truman called this change of weapons, "New Look", and he thought it would deter the Soviets. -
Television Politics
Television became very popular during the 1950s as politics were more involved in television broadcasts. During the election of 1960, candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were shown on TV for most of their interviews for U.S President. John took advantage of television usage and made himself look good for the camera while Nixon sweated and looked unprepared. -
Space Race
The Space Race was a challenge between the US and USSR to see who could get to space faster than one another. It started when the Soviets developed Sputnik, the first orbiting satellite, in the fall of 1957. Sputnik was a the size of a basketball and only made a beeping radio signal back to Earth. Americans were fearful of this because they thought they were falling technologically behind, so they created NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). -
Counter Cutlure
The Counter Culture was a community of people, known as "hippies", that rejected middle class values. LSD and heroin were the most common drugs used by a lot of them, which made for the many drug laws created in the 70s. They also made commercialized rock music and marijuana. -
Hippies
Hippies are a name termed after members of the counter culture. Hippies rejected middle class values and protested against their beliefs. By doing this they developed new drugs, including LSD, heroin, and marijuana. -
Sit-Ins
On February 1, 1960, four African American students sat in a white only lunch counter in North Carolina and asked for coffee. Employees refused to serve them and the students waiting patiently facing many racial threats against them. Whites harassed them by beating or violating them before leaving. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. He is a popular icon relating to Civil Rights with MLK. He joined the Nation of Islam with founder Elijah Muhammad thinking the Islamic religion was only for Muslims, but he soon found out it was a lie. Malcolm repudiated the Nation of Islam, disavowed racism and founded Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. -
LSD
LSD was a drug ,created by the counter culture, that made people go through a weird trip. This new drug was mostly consumed by members of the counter culture, as they were the creators of the drug. New drug laws had to be made following the creation of this harmful drug. -
OPEC
OPEC is an international organization that controls most of the world's oil today. Founded by Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela the organization grew larger by 9 countries in the later years. Their objective is to coordinate and unite petroleum policies among its members to secure stable prices for petroleum producers. -
Period: to
1960s
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Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was founded by President John F. Kennedy. It encouraged young college graduates to work in poor countries and humanitarian projects. The plan did not go as President Kennedy wanted it to because of his assassination 1 year short of his full term. -
U-2 Missile Site
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Americans feared the Soviets when they sent troops and ICBMs to Cuba. Spy planes were built to find out where the missile sites were on the island. U-2 spy planes would fly high above the clouds over Cuba and try to locate the missile sites. They were successful. The missiles were armed and President Kennedy didn't know that and he also thought there were only 10 thousand troops in Cuba as there were 40 thousand. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was the murderer of the 35th President of the United States. He took advantage of Kennedy's open roof vehicle and waited on the 6th floor of a book depository. As the president was passing by, Lee took five shots at him, but only two struck the president. Lee was an ex-marine who was defected back to the Soviet Union, but came back to the U.S. via special permission. -
Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the U.S. who was assassinated traveling through downtown Dallas by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy loved convertibles and wanted everyone to see him, so he put the top down while riding through Dallas. Oswald took advantage and made 5 shots towards the president while only 2 struck Kennedy. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Hospital where he later died. -
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby was a Texas-born man who owned a nightclub. On November 24, 1963, he shot and killed President Kennedy's murderer 2 days after his assassination. Ruby was later found guilty of the murder, and was sentenced to death. His conviction was appealed, but as he got a new trial, he died of pulmonary embolism. -
Daisy Girl Ad
The Daisy Girl Ad was a controversial political advertisement aired on television during the election of 1964. This ad was considered as an important factor in Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory over Barry Goldwater in the presidential election. -
Great Society
The Great Society was a set of democratic programs introduced by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It promised education, good standard of living, and beautification. It also fought for Civil Rights in the 60s, and also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Although it was first proposed by JFK, his successor LBJ signed it into law. -
Anti-War Movement
The Anti War Movement was a movement during the Vietnam War. Antiwar activists formed the National Mobilization Committee to end the war in Vietnam. Many people were being drafted to go into the war and antiwar activists didn't seem to like it. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was proposed to overcome all voting barriers that did not allow African Americans to vote. Signed by LBJ, it showed to the people that the government was helping African Americans. It also prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory laws. -
Death of MLK
MLK traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to give a speech at a local church. He stayed at the Lorraine Motel. On April 4, 1968, MLK was out on the balcony talking to someone when he was shot through the cheek which severed a major artery. James Earl Ray was the shooter and tried to escape from conviction, but was later arrested in London. -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
Warren E. Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Although he considered himself a conservative, he also made liberal decisions in court as well. such as, abortion, capital punishment, school segregation and more. Burger was nominated by President Nixon in 1969 and served as Chief Justice until 1986. -
Stonewall Riot
The Stonewall Riot was a police raid of a gay bar in Stonewall, NYC June 1969. This caused a violent protest in NYC. However, the effect of the riot was gay rights being brought to the forefront. -
Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency, abbreviated to "EPA", was initiated by President Nixon at the time in 1970. The agency's priorities were to protect the environment. Air and water pollution standards were set throughout the US. -
Period: to
1970s
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Watergate
The Watergate scandal is when 5 of Nixon's "plumbers" stole campaign information at the Watergate Hotel. Nixon tries to distance himself from the scandal, but was soon caught after investigations. Nixon was revealed using tape systems during the trial of the "plumbers" and was demanded to give them over. Instead of giving the tape over, he edited them and handed false versions to the Senate. -
Title IX
Title IX was part of the Feminist Movement in the 1970s and 80s. It was also part of the 1972 Education Act. Title IX was passed as a federal civil rights law which allowed any sex to participate in any education program or activity. More teams and sports for women athletes were created as a result. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, provided legal equality of the genders and prohibited discrimination dependent on gender. Congress passed the amendment in 1972 and hoped to have every state ratify it by 1979, but 3 states failed to ratify it. Recently, the Nevada Legislature, one of three states to not ratify ERA, was the first to ratify ERA after the 1979 deadline. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court case issue about abortions. Before the case, many states outlawed the legalization of abortion for years. Jane Roe had a baby and gave it up for adoption before the case decision. SCOTUS ruled outlawing abortion is unconstitutional and Roe won. -
Affordability of personal computers
In the late 1970s, affordable personal computers were manufactured for the public. Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak created the Apple 1 Computer in 1976 shocking many people with this invention. Bill Gates also created a new cheap operating system for personal computers soon after called "Windows". -
The Moral Majority
Founded by Jerry Falwell, the Moral Majority was a new religious movement. Jerry Falwell was an evangelical preacher who was pro-life, pro-family, pro-American, and pro-morality. The Moral Majority was led by Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Oral Roberts. It later formed a conservative political bloc in the late 70s and 80s. -
Three-Mile Island
Three-Mile Island was an island that had a partial nuclear reactor meltdown in Eastern Pennsylvania in 1979. Nuclear radiation started leaking out into a nearby town where the townspeople protested to move locations. Many Americans were weary of nuclear power after this event. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran Contra Affair was a secret situation with the Contras and President Reagan. Sandinistas, pro-communists, overthrow the pro-American dictator in Nicaragua in 1979. Reagan secretly arms Contras, against sandistas, but Congress soon finds out. The Reagan Administration continues illegally supporting Contras exchanging weapons for American hostages. In 1986, a man by the name of Oliver North crashed a plane revealing the weapons. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a situation in which 52 Americans were taken hostage in Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini was the leader of the Islamic Revolution and mistrusted the US. Special forces were sent into Iran, but 2 helicopters collided with each other in the Iranian desert. After 444 days, Khomeini ended the crisis and freed the hostages. -
Election of 1980
The Election of 1980 was between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Reagan was a former governor of California and actor in the 1940s & 50s. Jimmy Carter was re-running for his second term, but he was brought down because of the Iran Hostage Crisis. Ronald Reagan won the presidential election in the fall of 1980. -
Period: to
1980s
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AIDS Crisis
A.I.D.S. is a deficiency that affects the immune system. In 1981, thousands of homosexuals were affected by this deficiency. Heterosexuals thought they were immune to this crisis, but were soon affected by it too by blood transfusions. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine, created by President Ronald Reagan, was made to overcome the global influence the Soviet Union had to end the Cold War. The Doctrine supported rebels fighting communism to get rid of it, not contain. -
Sandra Day O'Conner
Sandra Day O'Conner was the first female Supreme Court Justice. President Reagan nominated her. She was a moderate who sided with conservatives of the court, but later sided with liberals. Sandra retired in 2006 due to her husband's declining health with Alzheimer's. -
Music Television (MTV)
Music Television became popular as entertainment when cable television was created. It broadcasts music and many other entertaining things. MTV was founded on August 1, 1981 in NYC by four founders. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
SDI, also known as "Star Wars", was a plan to defend against Soviet missiles. The plan was intended to give Soviets the same technology so they could go bankrupt, but SDI failed for the US. However, the Soviets took the challenge, spending more resources, resenting communism, and shortage of food. -
Video Head System (VHS)
VHS players were developed to play video recordings on tape cassettes. They were intentionally made for professional usage, but were later brought to homes for entertainment use. -
Challenger Explosion
On a cold morning January 28, 1986, a tragic event happened when NASA launched space shuttle "Challenger". 7 crew members aboard the shuttle flying into space. As the shuttle was rocketing into space, an o-ring seal failed due to the fact that it could not handle the cold weather. Challenger exploded into pieces and everyone was in shock watching live. -
Internet
The internet started in military bases exchanging data in the 1960s. Several years later, supercomputers in the 1980s allowed communication on college campuses. The late 1990s was the explosion of America Online (AOL). By 1994, 6 million users are on the internet, and by 2001, an exceedingly 130 million users have access to the internet. -
Persian Gulf War/1st Iraq War
The Persian Gulf War/First Iraq War was a 2 year war in Iraq. Iraq fights Iran in the 80s and later invades Kuwait because of cheap oil. President George H.W. Bush launched Operation Desert Storm sending troops to Saudi Arabia, invading countries taking over oil fields. The 1st phase was bombing Iraq's important installations, power grids, and communications. The 2nd phase were ground troops defeating Iraq forces in Kuwait. -
Period: to
1990s
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Rodney King Incident
Rodney King was an African American taxi driver who became internationally known as the victim of Los Angeles police beating him and others watching him. A released video footage taken by a bystander showed 4 officers beating King while other officers watched. This raised modern concern about police brutality of minorities in the US. -
Election of 1992
The Election of 1992 was between George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot, an independent. George H.W. Bush was popular because of the Persian Gulf War. Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas and was charismatic and understanding. Bill Clinton wins the election with 43% of the vote. George didn't win because Perot took votes away from him. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey became famous for being the richest black woman in the world. Achieving this milestone, Oprah created a well-known talk show about current issues and trends of the day. She also supported Obama in the election of 2008. -
NAFTA
NAFTA is an agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada. The agreement knocks down trade barriers and puts rules in place for several industries, mostly agriculture and technology. Americans lost many jobs because of this agreement. It also stopped Mexican knock-off products. -
Affordable cell phones
Affordable cell phones came about in 1995 as big heavy portable communication devices. These devices replaced landlines and allowed people to get on the internet in the later years. In the late 2000s, smart phones were developed granting computer properties into a small portable device to carry with you. -
Bush v. Gore
Bush v. Gore was a SCOTUS case that Al Gore took to court for the election of 2000. SCOTUS decides 5-4 that Bush won because judges couldn't be told how to count votes. Although Gore won popular vote by half a million, Bush won the electoral college. -
Election of 2000
The Election of 2000 was between George W. Bush, Al Gore, and Ralph Nader. After results, no one could decide who won the election, so Florida had to decide the winner. Florida then announces that Bush won the state. This election was one of the closest in American history. -
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader was a former consumer rights advocate and environmentalist. He was a candidate in the election of 2000 with Al Gore and George W. Bush. Nader was an independent during the election and was part of the green party. -
Lionel Sosa
Lionel Sosa is a Mexican-American advertising mogul and marketing executive. He is known for creating famous ads for big corporations such as Dr. Pepper, Coors, and etc. Sosa also created advertisements for presidential campaigns, including those of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. -
Period: to
Comtemporary
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9/11 Attacks
On September 11, 2001, 4 plane hijackers turned course and 2 of them hit the World Trade Centers in NY. 1 plane hit the Pentagon while another nosedived in a field. This event was very tragic as many watched the WTC collapsed calling for many casualties. This tragic event changed the perspective of many people and made planes more secure. -
PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an act of Congress signed into law by George W. Bush. With its ten-letter abbreviation expanded, its full title is "Uniting and Strengthening American by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism". The act is intended to avoid incidents like 9/11. In 2011, Obama signed an extension of the act to ensure America's safety. -
BET
Black Entertainment Television, founded by Robert Johnson, is a cable television network that targets African American audiences for entertainment. The channel formerly aired mainstream rap, hip-hop and R&B music videos. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
On August 23-31, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the US. As the hurricane being a deadly category five, the Gulf Coastal regions of the US took heavy damage. Katrina is tied as the most costliest tropical cyclone on record with $125 billion in damage. -
Election of 2008
The Election of 2008 was between Barack Obama and John McCain. Barack wins the election with 53% of the vote and beats McCain by a large margin. This election will be remembered in US history as Obama was the first African American president. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is an act in which the US government spends $700 billion. The money went towards creating new jobs whilst saving existing ones. The act will also spur economic growth. -
Sonya Sotomayor
In 2009, Sonya Sotomayor was nominated by President Obama to become a Supreme Court Justice. She became the first Hispanic SCOTUS judge in US history. Before being nominated to the Supreme Court, she was also nominated for US District Court for Southern District of New York and US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. -
Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, is an act that requires US citizens to have health insurance for a minimum of 9 months in a year. Otherwise, consequences are you are taxed for 2.5% of your income.
