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Russian Revolution
The Russian Czar was overthrown by the Bolshevik Party, lead by Vladimir Lenin. He became the first dictator of a Marxist state. -
Potsdam Confrence
A meeting between the allied forces of WWII. President Truman, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Stalin were of attendance. They discussed the administration of Germany, and decided that they would only accept an "unconditional surrender" from Japan. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
An American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese city Hiroshima. It immediately vaporized 90% of the city, killing 80,000 people. -
Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
The same American B-29 bomber flied over Nagasaki, dropping the world's second atomic bomb and killing 40,000 people. This bombing ended World War II with Japan's unconditional surrender. -
Iron Curtain
An ideological curtain formed by the Soviet Union in order to separate itself from non-communist states after WWII. Winston Churchill made a speech in which he dubbed this barrier the "Iron Curtain" in 1946. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman requested aid for all European countries in need. That appeal was dubbed the Truman Doctrine. -
Marshall Plan
Channeled $13 billion from the U.S. to finance the economic recovery of Europe. It restored the confidence of the European people. -
Molotov Plan
A system created by the Soviet Union in order to provide aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern Europe that were involved with the Soviet Union. -
Hollywood 10
10 members of the Hollywood film industry publicly denounced the tactics used by HUAC. This angered Congress, and they received jail sentences and were banned from working for major Hollywood industries. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union made an attempt to block all supplies coming into Berlin. The United States announced that they would stay in Berlin and sent B-29 bombers into the city to drop goods for the people. -
Berlin Airlift
The United States, France, and Britain announce that they will stay in Berlin, and supplied their sectors from the air, using B-29 bomber planes to deliver food, coal, and even candy to the people of Berlin -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a group of western nation who joined forces to prevent the spread of communism. This alliance provided the framework for the military standoff of the Cold War. -
Soviet Bomb Test
The Soviet Union performed the first successful test of their atomic bomb in Kazakhstan. -
Alger Hiss Case
Alger Hiss, a Russian spy, was convicted of perjury and sentenced to 5 years in prison. -
Korean War
North Korea invades South Korea, and American troops came to support the non-communist South Korea. America did not want the Korean war to expand to China or Russia, which could have created WWIII. -
Rosenberg Trial
This couple, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were accused (and convicted) of selling U.S. nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. They were both sentenced to death by electric chair. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
A series of televised hearings which sought to learn whether Senator McCarthy had used improper influence to win preferential treatment for a former staff member who had been drafted. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The decisive engagement in the first Indochina war, French forces had been occupying the valley. The Viet Mihn commander gathered his troops and, with the help of China, launched a surprise attack on the French. -
Geneva Confrence
In order to solve problems in Asia, representatives from the world powers meet at a neutral site. France was getting tired of fighting Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Mihn, and wanted a way out of the war. France agreed to withdraw their forces from Northern Vietnam, and Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel. -
Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union's version of NATO. It was a mutual defense organization that put the Soviets in charge of the armed forces of the member states. -
Hungarian Revolution
Beginning with thousands of people demanding a more democratic government as well as freedom from the Soviet Union, it lasted only 12 days before the Soviet Union put an end to it using military force. Hungarian people tried to fight back, but could not overpower the Soviet Union's tanks. -
U-2 Incident
A diplomatic crisis brought on by an American U-2 spy plane being shot down in Soviet airspace, as well as capturing the pilot. This forced the US to admit that the CIA had been sending pilots over the Soviet's airspace for years. The pilot was convicted of espionage in the USSR, and served 2 years in prison before being exchanged for a Soviet spy the US had captured. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
When America could not get rid of Fidel Castro, Cuba's new leader, the CIA used American-trained Cubans to launch a full scale invasion of Cuba. It was a failure, and they had to surrender within 24 hours of invading. -
Berlin Wall
The East German Communist government begins building a wall separating East and West Germany. They wanted to keep western "fascists" from entering East Germany as well as undermining the the socialist state. The wall was taken down on November 9, 1989. Many East Germans immediately left to West Germany. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
There was a 13-day military standoff between the USSR and America because the USSR installed nuclear missiles on Cuba. The US put a naval blockade around Cuba, and President Kennedy made it clear he would use military force if necessary. It ended when the Soviet leader offered to take the missile sites off of Cuba if the US took missiles out of Turkey and promised not to invade Cuba. -
Assassination of Diem
Ngo Dihn Diem is assassinated in South Vietnam along with his brother. This forced the U.S. to become more involved in Vietnam. As well as inspiring political chaos throughout the nation. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated in November of 1963 while travelling through Dallas, Texas in a convertible. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress hands President Johnson an essential "blank check" to do whatever he wanted in Vietnam military-wise. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
What was supposed to be a short bombing on the Ho Chi Mihn trail in Vietnam turned into a almost four year span of constant bombing from 1965-1968. -
Tet Offensive
The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched an attack on over 100 cities in South Vietnam. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in early April, 1968. The impact of his death led to an out pour of anger in black Americans and a period of national mourning. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
In early April 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. His assassination led to an out pour of anger among black Americans as well as a period of national mourning. -
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Senator Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the presidential primary in California. -
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Senator Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. He died one day later. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union led the Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion against Czechoslovakia to defeat reformist trends in Prague. This successfully halted the actions of the reformists, but it had unintended consequences for the communities in the communist bloc. -
Riots of the Democratic Convention
Tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters battled in the streets against the police as the convention itself falls apart over an internal disagreement about Vietnam. -
Election of Nixon
Robert Nixon beats democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey after losing to John Kennedy eight years prior. -
Kent State
At a protest on the Kent State campus, the Ohio National Guard is called. It quickly becomes a riot and four students are killed and nine are wounded. -
Nixon Visits China
President Nixon takes the first step in normalizing relations with communist People's Republic of China. This visit began the process of re-establishing diplomatic relations between the United States and China. -
Cease-fire in Vietnam
A cease-fire went into effect at 8 a.m. Saigon time, or midnight Greenwich Mean time. However, both sides ended up violating the cease-fire. Southern Vietnamese forces continued to take back villages occupied by communists in the two days before the cease-fire began and the communists attempted to capture additional territory. -
Fall of Saigon
As the outskirts of Saigon are reached by the North Vietnamese army, the United States realizes that their presence in the city would become unwelcome. Many Americans were evacuated by helicopter. The surrender of Saigon was announced by the South Vietnamese president, General Duong Van Mihn. -
Reagan Elected
From movie star, to governor of California, to President. Reagan was elected in 1981 to 1989, serving two terms as President of the United States. -
SDI announced
Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars, was announced in late March as an anti-ballistic missile system to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
For the first time in 8 years, the Soviet Union and United States met with each other. Leader of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev, proposed a de-arming agreement in exchange for President Reagan giving up on Star Wars. -
"Tear Down This Wall" Speech
President Reagan challenges Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall in his 1987 speech in front of the wall. Two years later, East Germany demolished the wall. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Cold War began to thaw over Eastern Europe, the spokesman for Eat Berlin's communist party announced that the city would change it's relations to the West. At midnight, East Berliners broke through the wall and rushed into West Berlin.
