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Soviets Create and test Nuclear bomb
On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. It came as a great shock to the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to possess nuclear weapon knowledge so soon. Previously, the United States had used two atomic bombs on Japan to cause them to surrender during World War II. The impact that the possession of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union had upon the United States was that it caused Americans to question their own safety. President Truman resp -
Korean War
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel.This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials knew, it was a war against the forces of communism itself. -
Vietnam War
Between 1945 and 1954, the Vietnamese waged a war against France, which received $2.6 billion in financial support from the United States.To support the South's government, the United States sent in 2,000 military advisors--a number that grew to 16,300 in 1963. The military condition deteriorated, and by 1963, South Vietnam had lost the Mekong Delta to the Viet Cong. Even today, many Americans still ask whether the American effort in Vietnam was a sin, or necessary. -
Soviets Launch Sputnik
"Sputnik 1" was the first artificial Earth satellite to enter a low elliptical orbit around Earth. The satellite traveled at 18,000 mph and completed a full orbit around our planet in 96.2 minutes. The Sputnik is the event that triggered the Space Race, which was a large component of the Cold War. This event has large significance towards the Cold War. The space race is one of the main things people will think of when they think of the Cold War, and Sputnik is what started it all. -
U2 Spy Plane
An international crisis erupted in May 1960 when the USSR shot down an American U-2 spy plane in Soviet air space and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was forced to admit to the Soviets that the U.S. CIA had been flying spy missions over the USSR for several years. The Soviets convicted Powers on espionage charges and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. This event raised massive tension between the US and USSR. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 14, 1962, a U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba discovered nuclear missile sites under construction. These missiles would have been capable of quickly reaching the United States. President Kennedy ordered a small group of officials to debate the crisis. Known as ExComm, they met v ery often for the next two weeks. The group was split between those who wanted a military solution, such as an invasion or air strikes, and those who sought a diplomatic solution to remove the missiles. -
US Sends a Man to the Moon
On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. About six-and-a-half hours later, Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. As he set took his first step, Armstrong famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Apollo 11 mission took place eight years after President John Kennedy announced a national goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. (US wins) -
Nixon Visits China
President Richard Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China. After arriving in Beijing, the president announced that his breakthrough visit to China is “The week that changed the world.” In meeting with Nixon, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai urged early peace in Vietnam, but did not endorse North Vietnam’s political demands. North Vietnamese officials and peace negotiators took a dim view of Nixon’s trip, fearing that China and the United States would make a deal behind their backs.
