Event Timeline From 1887 to Present

  • Interstate Commerce Act

    Interstate Commerce Act
    The Interstate Commerce Act was passed on February 4th, 1887. It Established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), regulating railroads and ensuring fair rates and practices.
  • Sherman Antitrust Act

    Sherman Antitrust Act
    The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed on July 2, 1890. The Sherman Antitrust Act aimed at curbing monopolies and promoting competition in business. It was the first federal antitrust law in the U.S. and was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison.
  • Ellis Island Opens

    Ellis Island Opens
    Ellis Island Opened on January 1, 1892. Ellis Island was an Immigration station in New York Harbor, serving as the entry point for millions of immigrants.
  • Spanish-American War

    Spanish-American War
    The Spanish-American War started on April 21, 1898 and ended on December 10, 1898. In the war the U.S. defeated Spain, gaining control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, marking the U.S.'s rise as an imperial power.
  • Philippine-American War

    Philippine-American War
    The Philippine-American War started on Feb. 4, 1899. It consisted of a conflict between the United States and Filipino revolutionaries led by Emilio Aguinaldo, who sought independence after the U.S. annexed the Philippines following the Spanish-American War.
  • Wright Brothers' First Flight

    Wright Brothers' First Flight
    The Wright Brothers' First Flight was on December 17, 1903. Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully flew the first powered airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It kick-started the expansion for aeronautics all over the world.
  • The Federal Reserve Act

    The Federal Reserve Act
    The Federal Reserve Act was passed on December 23, 1913.The act established the Federal Reserve System, centralizing the nation's monetary policy, supervise banking, and issue a new currency.
  • World War I

    World War I
    The Great War started on July 28, 1914 and ended in 1918. The U.S. entered the war in 1917, contributing to the Allied victory. It led to the fall of four great imperial dynasties Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey, resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and, in its destabilization of European society, laid the groundwork for World War II.
  • The 19th Amendment

    The 19th Amendment
    The 19th amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. It gave women in America the ability to vote for country decisions.
  • The Great Depression

    The Great Depression
    The Great Depression started in 1929. It was a severe global economic downturn that began with the stock market crash of 1929, often referred to as "Black Thursday," which triggered widespread panic and led to a sharp decline in both private and corporate wealth.
  • World War II

    World War II
    World War II started on September 1, 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, triggering declarations of war from Britain and France two days later. It later ended on September 2, 1945 with the victory of the Allied forces.
  • Brown v. The Board of Education

    Brown v. The Board of Education
    Brown v. The Board of Education was decided on May, 17 1954. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson allowing white and black students to attend the same schools.
  • Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

    Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
    The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy took place in Dallas Texas on November 22, 1963 while riding in a motorcade with his wife Jacqueline Kennedy. It was marked as a turning point in US history.
  • Civil Rights Act

    Civil Rights Act
    The Civil Rights Act was passed on July 2, 1964. It was a landmark piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public accommodations, employment, and federally funded programs, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce everything.
  • Apollo 11 Moon Landing

    Apollo 11 Moon Landing
    The Apollo 11 Moon Landing happened on July 16, 1969. It was a huge landmark in American history as we were the first country to land on the moon.
  • Election of Ronald Reagan

    Election of Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Reagan was elected on November 4, 1980. Reagan became president, ushering in a conservative shift in U.S. politics and a new era of economic policies.
  • End of the Cold War

    End of the Cold War
    The Cold War ended in late 1991. The dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War and solidified the U.S. as the world's leading superpower.
  • Impeachment of Bill Clinton

    Impeachment of Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998. The House voted in favor of two articles of impeachment, finding that Clinton had committed perjury before the grand jury and had obstructed justice, but rejected the remaining articles.
  • 9 11 Attacks

    9 11 Attacks
    The 9 11 attacks happened on September 11, 2001.It was a terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon led to significant changes in U.S. foreign and domestic policy, including the War on Terror.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic

    COVID-19 Pandemic
    The COVID-19 Pandemic was in 2020. The global pandemic caused widespread illness, death, and economic disruption in the U.S., prompting major public health and economic interventions.