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G.I. Bill
The G.I Bill was created to support WWII veterans convert back to civilian life. It created hospitals, low interest mortgages, and covered tuition for college attending veterans. These provisions expired in 1956. -
Trinity Test
The Trinity Test was the first nuclear weapon detonated. It was part of the Manhattan Project and was a breakthrough in nuclear technology. This was succeeded by the Little Boy and Fat Man in WW2. -
Little Boy
The Little Boy was an atomic bomb used in World War 2 on the Japanese city, Hiroshima. This led to the end of the war because of the mass killings and destruction it caused. -
Fat Man
The Fat Man, was an atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city, Nagasaki. This bomb, along with the little boy, ended World War 2. -
Iron Curtain
A speech was given by Winston Churchill at Westminster College about how an "Iron Curtain" has fallen across Europe, dividing capitalist and communist countries -
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Cold War
The Cold War consisted many proxy wars and technological races such as the Space Race and the Arms Race between the U.S and the U.S.S.R. This "war" was a fight between capitalism and communism. -
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2nd Red Scare
The second red scare consisted of the rise of McCarthyism, the idea that communists have invaded the government but he really used it to attack political opponents. It also included the fear that we were falling behind the soviets in nuclear technology. -
Marshall Plan
President Truman signed the Marshall Plan, a plan made up by George Marshall, to help Europe rebuild after WWII. This results in the restoration of West Europe's faith in capitalism. -
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Berlin Airlift
After World War 2, there were tensions between the Soviet Union and the other Allied forces on how Germany would be divided. The Soviets controlled the surrounding area around Western Berlin, in result American and British planes dropped supplies to them so they wouldn't join with the Soviets in East Berlin. -
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was proposed by president Harry S. Truman in his January 1949, State of the Union address. These laws focused on the continuation of the New Deal previously proposed by FDR. The result created around 11 million jobs -
Beat Generation
The Beat Generation is a literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. Core elements of Beat culture are a rejection of standard narrative values, spiritual quest, exploration of American and Eastern religions, rejection of materialism, explicit portrayals of the human condition, experimentation with drugs, and sexual liberation and exploration. -
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1950's
The 1950's was a progressive period. With the rising popularity of rock and roll, television, medicine, and the start of the Civil Rights Movement transformed America. -
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Korean War
The Korean war was fought between communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea. The U.S fought against the North pushing them back to the Chinese border until an agreement was made to set the border at the 38th parallel. -
Ike Turner
Ike Turner was born on November 5th, 1931. He was an American musician and pioneer of rock and roll during the 1950s but is most well known for his songs during the 1960s and the 1970s. -
Television
Television in the 1950's was a technological phenomenon that shaped the future of the U.S. It became the the primary source of information for Americans about politics, world events, etc. -
Polio Vaccine
The Polio vaccine, created by Dr. Jonas Salk allowed for thousands of people to receive protection against polio. This caused the eradication of polio almost across the globe. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Jonas Salk was was a medical researcher who developed the first polio vaccine on March 26, 1953 and was able to help nearly fully eradicate the crippling disease. -
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Civil Rights
The 1950's and 1960's were an important progression for civil rights for African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement faced many successes and failures as African-Americans fought for equal rights and opportunities both violently and non-violently. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954, the Supreme Court decided the court case between Brown v. Board of Education. This case contended with the previous Plessy v. Ferguson case which started segregation. This case overturned the previous ruling, desegregating schools. -
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta was born on April 10th, 1930. She was an American labor leader and civil rights activist who advocated for workers, immigrants and women's rights. She also was a co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, and a civil rights activist during the 1950's and 1960's. -
Albert Sabin
Albert Sabin, born on August 26th, 1906, furthered Salk's polio vaccine by creating an oral vaccine. However it did not cure the initial infection from Polio, it was easier to receive Salk's Vaccine -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was born on February 4th, 1913. She was civil rights activist during the Civil Rights Movement, starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott on December 1st, 1955 -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was ignited by Rosa Parks, when she refused to give up her seat to a white person on December 1st, 1955 and ended in December 20th, 1956. This was the first large scale protest in the civil rights era. It proved successful when buses were desegregated. -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presely, born on January 8th, 1935, was one of the most significant cultural icons during the 20th century. He was known as the King of Rock and Roll. He started his career in 1954 and was known for his sexual dance moves. He had his first hit song in 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel." -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine Crisis started when 9 African-American kids were enrolled at Little Rock Central High school. The governor, Orvaul Faubus, decided to refuse the federal ruling that schools were now desegregated and denied them entry into the school. -
Orvaul Faubus
Orvaul Faubus was born on January 7th, 1910. He was a Democratic politician and was the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955-1967. His most notable action is standing against desegregation in 1957 during the Little Rock Nine by denying African-American students into a previously white school. -
Anti-War Movement
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. -
LSD
LSD was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938. This new drug was popularized in the 1960s and spread throughout the world. The government experimented with the drug as a potential chemical weapon but eventually banned the drug in 1967. -
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1960's
The 1960's saw many historical events such as the assassination of JFK, the rise of a new culture, and new technology. -
Sit-Ins
During the 1960's, the Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum with its nonviolent measures. This began at the Greensboro sit-in in North Carolina and quickly spread throughout the country as a protest. -
Greensboro, North Carolina
On February 1, 1960, a new tactic was added to the peaceful activists' strategy. Four African American college students walked up to a whites-only lunch counter at a store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and asked to be served and refused to leave until they were. -
New Frontier
The New Frontier was used by democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy as his domestic policy plan. This speech was given at the Democratic National Convention during his acceptance speech. -
Peace Corps
The Peace corps was a volunteer program that was made by the United States. The goal of the organization was to provide assistance to people outside of the U.S and to diffuse knowledge. -
Bay of Pigs
A failed military invasion of Cuba executed by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group brigade 2506 ordered by JFK. It was intended to overthrow the increasingly communist government of Fidel Castro. -
Assassination of JFK
The assassination of John F. Kennedy took place in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. The shooter was Lee Harvey Oswald who was also assassinated soon after the presidents death. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was born October 18th, 1939. He was a former marine and the convicted assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Two days later while transferring between jails, he was shot by a Dallas nightclub owner, Jack Ruby and killed. Speculation exists that he was not the only shooter. -
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby, born on March 25th, 1911, was a night club owner who shot and killed alleged assassin of JFK Lee Harvey Oswald. He later became ill and died of lung cancer in prison. -
Hippies
The counter culture was a way of life and set of attitudes opposed the prevailing social norm. Hippies were famous for their drug use and opposing the war. "Make love not war". -
Death of Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a hotel balcony in his second floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The spread of King's death prompted racial outbreaks in racial violence, killing 40 people and destroying a lot of property. -
Nixon's Presidency
On November 7th, 1972, President Richard Nixon was re-elected after his 1968 victory. He campaigned to end the war in Vietnam but instead continued the war effort. In his second term he was involved in the Watergate scandal and was forced to resign. -
Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is a federal agency created by president Nixon. The purpose of this agency is to help protect and preserve the environment, it was created alongside the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and OSHA. This also led to the creation of national parks for endangered animals. -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate scandal was the first major political scandal on the executive level. This was executed by President Nixon, he spied on his political opponents in the Watergate Hotel. He hired several "plumbers" to do his dirty work and it was discovered later that they were bribed to keep silent. This resulted in Nixon resigning before impeachment and the lost of faith in the government. -
Title IX
Title IX was created as a part of the Education Amendments. This prohibited discrimination against sex in any federally funded program. -
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is an conservative organization that was a research institute. This played a prominent role in creating future policies and is one of the most influential conservative research centers. -
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC)
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, began in the 1960's. In October 1973, OPEC launched an oil embargo in retaliation against the United States for supplying the Israeli military and was used to gain leverage in negotiations. -
Gerald Ford's Presidency
Gerald Ford was the Vice President to Richard Nixon before he resigned, and was president from August 9th, 1974 to January 20th, 1977. Ford was the only person to serve as vice president and president without being elected. His biggest political downfall was when he pardoned Nixon for his Watergate scandal, this resulted in his failed run for reelection. -
Equal Rights Amendment(ERA)
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, was proposed by president Jimmy Carter. This Amendment was intended to create equal rights for everyone regardless of sex, and it also intended to end legal distinctions between men and women. -
The Moral Majority
The Moral Majority was a popular political organization associated with the Christian right and Republicans. It was founded by minister Jerry Falwell in 1979. This group played a role in future elections with the mobilization of Christians in the Republican party. -
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Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a crisis that occurred under the Carter Administration. Multiple Americans were taken hostage from the U.S Embassy in Iran. This was a result of the U.S harboring the Shah and refused to turn him over to Iran. The hostages were held for 444 days only to be released after Reagan was elected. -
Rap Music
Rap music, or Hip hop, originated in 1979, but really became popular in the 1980's. The founding father of rapping, DJ Kool Herc, made music by rhythmically chanting rhyming speech. -
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson, born on April 8, 1946, is an African American entrepreneur, media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. He is the founder of the Black Entertainment Network, or BET. He is also the first ever black billionaire. -
Election of 1980
This election was between republican Ronald Reagan, democrat Jimmy Carter, and independent party John B. Anderson. This resulted in a landslide win for Reagan because of Carter's failure with the Iran Hostage Crisis. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
A.I.D.S originated in Sub-Saharan Africa as a chimpanzee disease, SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) and made its way to U.S shores in 1960, but wasn't discovered until the 1980's. By 1989 over 30,000 known deaths were caused by A.I.D.S. -
Reaganomics
Reaganomics referred to Reagan's economic policies, this included ideas such as trickle-down economics, or free-market economics. The four pillars of Reagan's policy was the reduction of the growth of government spending, reduce federal income tax and capital gains tax, reduce government regulation, and tighten money supply to prevent inflation. -
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine stated that the U.S will put an end to Communism and the global influence the Soviet Union has. Under this doctrine the U.S supported anti-communist guerrillas and resistances in foreign countries to roll back communism. -
Music Television(MTV)
MTV is a television channel headquartered in in New York City. This channel aired music videos and was led by TV personalities known as "video jockeys." It's main demographic is was young adults. -
Home Video Game Systems
Home Video Game Systems originally came from the 1970's but the 1980's were the golden age for gaming consoles. The first widely popular game system was the Atari 2600 selling around 30 million units, and years later it was exceeded by Nintendo's NES system. Game systems sales are still growing to this day. -
Iran-Contra affair
The Iran-Contra Affair, or Irangate/Contragate, was a political scandal under Ronald Reagan's presidency. The administration secretly sold weapons to Iran. Reagan did this to support Contras in Nicaragua while negotiating the release of U.S hostages. -
Challenger Explosion
The Challenger was a NASA space shuttle that exploded on January 28th, 1986. The shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into the flight and killed 5 astronauts. -
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey, born on January 29th, 1954, is a famous TV Host that had shows such as People Are Talking and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is also a media proprietor, actress, producer, and philanthropist. September 8th, 1986 is the launch of the Oprah Winfrey Show, the show she is most known for. -
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Gulf War/ 1st Iraq War
Also referred to as the "Operation Iraqi Freedom," the Gulf War started when the Iraqi Army occupied Kuwait in August 2, 1990. President George W. Bush deployed forces in Saudi Arabia and also urged other countries to also deploy troops. This was the largest coalition since WWII. -
Online Gaming
Online Gaming emerged around the same time the internet was commercialized. in 1990, Sega launched the first online multiplayer gaming service, Meganet for the Sega Genesis gaming console. Online gaming continues to be popular to this day. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King, April 2, 1965 - June 17, 2012, was a taxi driver who was beaten by the police after a high-speed car chase. A witness, George Holiday, recorded the incident and sent it to the news and the footage was broadcasted around the world. This raised public concern about how the U.S treats its minorities -
Internet
The internet originally began development in the 1950s in research laboratories with the initial concepts of packet networking. The internet was only used, before the 90s, in government buildings or in universities for studying. The internet was made commercial in 1991. -
Election of 1992
This was the 52nd presidential election. There were three major candidates, democrat Bill Clinton, Republican George H. W. Bush, and independent party Ross Perot. This resulted in the election of Bill Clinton and he will run for two terms. -
1993 World Trade Center bombing
The 1993 World Trade Center bombing was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. A truck bomb was detonated below the North Tower that was intended to topple the North Tower into the South Tower killing thousands of people. -
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
NAFTA is a trade deal signed by Canada, Mexico, and The United States creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. Has two major supplements, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation,(NAAEC) an agreement to protect the environment, and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation,(NAALC) aimed to improve the working conditions in North America. -
Don't ask, don't tell policy (DADT)
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy was enacted under Bill Clinton in 1994. This policy prohibited from discriminating or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual members. However, this also banned all openly gay and lesbian people from serving. The reason for this is that homosexuals would "create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of moral, good order and discipline and unit cohesion." -
Don't ask, don't tell policy(DADT)
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy was enacted under Bill Clinton in 1994. This policy prohibited from discriminating or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual members. However, this also banned all openly gay and lesbian people from serving. The reason for this is that homosexuals would "create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of moral, good order and discipline and unit cohesion." -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
This act enacted under president Bill Clinton, defined that marriage was between a man and a woman, it also allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. This was later ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013. -
Election of 2000
The election of 2000 was between Republican George W. Bush(former president George H. W. Bush's son) and Democratic candidate Al Gore, the Vice President at the time. -
Al Gore
Al Gore was born on March 31, 1948. He was the 45th Vice President from 1993 to 2001, under Bill Clinton. He was also the democratic nominee for the 2000 presidential election, but was beaten by George W. Bush. -
Bush v. Gore
This court case was between presidential candidates Gore and Bush. This ended with the Florida Supreme Court's law declaring that making new election laws to recount after they have been counted once is unconstitutional. -
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George W. Bush
George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946. He was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was also the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995. He faced Al Gore in the 2000 election as the Republican candidate. -
9/11 Attacks
The September 11th attacks were executed by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, lead by Osama Bin-Laden. This event involved the hijacking of four planes, two hitting the World Trade Center, one hitting the Pentagon, and one crashed in a field. 2,996 people were killed, and 6,000 people were injured. -
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act was signed in response to the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. The full name is, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
The purpose of this act was to provide all children with a good and fair opportunity to get a high-quality education. The four pillars of the act are accountability, flexibility, research-based education and parent options. -
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The Second Iraq War
The Iraq war started with the invasion of Iraq led by the United States that eventually led to the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for the next decade as insurgent forces began to rise to combat the occupying force. -
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Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961. He was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 until 2017. He was the first African-American president as well as the first born outside the mainland United States. He also served in the U.S. Senate (Illinois) from 2005 to 2008 and the State Senate (Illinois) from 1997 to 2004. -
Election of 2008
This election was between democrat Barack Obama and republican John McCain. This election resulted in the first ever African-American President Barack Obama. -
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater was born on January 2nd, 1909. He was an American politician who served in the 60's and 70's. He was also a five-term Senator from Arizona from 1953 to 1965 and from 1969 to 1987. He had a strong impact on the conservative resurgence and the libertarian movement.
