Cold War

Marshall Plan

1948

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/marshall-plan-1
"The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was a U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War II. "

Berlin Airlift

Jun 24, 1948

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-airlift-begins "The Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United States begins a massive airlift of food, water, and medicine to the citizens of the besieged city. For nearly a year, supplies from American planes sustained the over 2 million people in West Berlin."

Creation of NATO

Apr 4, 1949

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato
"The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union."

First successful Soviet Nuclear weapon test

Jul 29, 1949

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-explode-atomic-bomb
"The atomic explosion, which at 20 kilotons was roughly equal to “Trinity,” the first U.S. atomic explosion, destroyed those structures and incinerated the animals."