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Stock Market Crash
The Stock Market Crash of 1929, known as "Black Tuesday," was caused by the corruption of the stock market throughout the '20s. There were not any laws limiting stock market activities yet, so buyers and sellers were able to do nearly anything, such as buy now pay later, which put many in debt and led to the Great Depression. People lost all of their money because of investing in stocks and banks closed as well. -
Roosevelt's First Election
Democratic candidate Franklin Roosevelt beat his republican opponent Herbert Hoover in 1932. Roosevelt won by a landslide with 472 electoral votes, 22 million public votes and winning 42 of the states. His victory marks the most drastic win in history. -
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STORY: THE HOLOCAUST
The Holocaust actually started 6 years before WWII. Anti-Semitism had been prevalent throughout history, but the Nazi regime is the group responsible for the largest wipeout of Jews during this time period. The Holocaust started by forcing Jews to wear distinct clothing with a star on their sleeve and evolved to separating families into different concentration camps and executing masses at death camps. An estimate of 3 million Jews were killed during WWII. Many museums remember the lives lost. -
CCC
The Civilian Conservation Corps was founded in 1933 the year after President Roosevelt was elected. It was one of his New Deal plans and ended up as one of the most successful. The CCC employed thousands of men and boys across the country who were not involved in the army. They created national parks and restored deforested areas by planting 3 billion trees. Many of our national parks and trails are in existence because of the CCC's work. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was established by the House and the Senate to supply benefits for factory workers who had been injured at their job and the elderly. It also was created to provide aid for the handicapped and unemployed. The act was extremely successful and is still in existence today. -
FDR Court Packing Scandal
President Roosevelt suggested to add 15 new judges to the Supreme Court to supposedly make it more efficient. In reality, he just wanted to appoint the new judges so they wouldn't shut down his New Deal programs, like the previous judges. He also enforced a new bill that gave full retirement pay to judges over 70, but if judges refused to retire, a new one would be appointed, giving Roosevelt a liberal advantage. -
HUAC Founded
The House Un-American Activities Committee was formed to patrol disloyal and disruptive activities of citizens, employees and anyone suspected to have communist connections. Their investigations are similar and tied to Joseph McCarthy's. -
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STORY: TECHNOLOGY DURING WWII
There was a drastic change from technology during the First World War to the Second. For one, the machine gun was a new invention at the time and made it extremely fast and easy to kill people at a fair distance, which soldiers did not have in WWI. Soldiers were also given better equipment and care during combat. Although the new weaponry and technology made life easier for the troops, it's also to blame for the deadly battles of the war and many of innocent lives lost during this time. -
Germany Breaks Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was created between Germany and Great Britain and signed on September 30, 1938. Hitler threatened to take over Czechoslovakia if Britain did not allow him to have the Sudetenland, so the pact was created to avoid war and conflict. Hitler claimed he would not make anymore territorial demands. However, he broke this agreement when he sent troops in to seize Czechoslovakia. -
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STORY: WWII
WWII is the most recent world war and deadliest by far in history. There are many elements that attribute to the cause of the war, mainly just political differences between countries in Europe, such as fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Holocaust also took place during this war, in which the Nazis killed over 3 million Jews in Europe through concentration and death camps. The Axis powers, Germany, Japan and Italy, opposed the Allies, the U.S., Soviet Union, France, Britain, Canada and others. -
Battle of Britain
This military campaign during WWII protected the United Kingdom from Nazi Germany. The UK used the Royal Air Force against Germany's Luftwaffe. The main reason behind the campaign was for Germany to convince Britain to agree to a peace settlement, but the battle ended with British victory. It lasted until October 31, 1940 (3 months and 3 weeks). -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese navy executed the surprise attack on the United States navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was intended to prevent the U.S. from interfering with Japan's plan to fight in the overseas U.S., U.K. and Netherlands territories. It directly caused U.S. entrance into WWII. -
FDR Dies/Truman as President
President Roosevelt's health had been declining since 1940 and died due to an extreme cerebral hemorrhage. Since Truman was Vice President at the time, he became president once Roosevelt's death was announced. Roosevelt was carrying an entire war on his back for the country, which was suddenly handed to Truman, so he became president at a controversial time. -
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord is the code name for the Battle of Normandy when Allies successfully invaded German-occupied Western during WWII by airborne and amphibious (naval ships protecting grounds and air) assault. The Allies created many codenames/words for the places they were going to invade and plans of attack. The invasion went until August 30, 1944. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Manhattan project had been in the works during Roosevelt's presidency, which was the creating of the two atomic bombs. There was a lot of debate and valid arguments for dropping and not dropping the bomb, but the final decision was to use them since they cost so much money and scientists had put a lot of work into creating them. The bombs were used to prepare the Allies for invasion of Japanese mainland. The bombs killed at least 129,000 people with most being civilians. -
United Nations Founded
The UN was created in San Fransisco, CA in order to maintain world peace and international cooperation. It was the replacement of the failed League of Nations with the first members being France, U.S., U.K. and the Soviet Union. -
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STORY: COLD WAR
The Cold War was a conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over political ideology. U.S. and Western territories supposed capitalism, whereas the USSR supported communism. Although there was never actual man to man fighting involved, there were many indirect conflicts or "fights," such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs Invasion. The two nations became extremely competitive with one another because of their opposing views. The U.S. was victorious when the USSR fell in 1991. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was created by President Truman to support countries that were being threatened by the Soviet Union to promote anti-communist views. The Doctrine also provided economic relief to Greece and Turkey because of the devastations from WWII. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift marked the first major crisis of the Cold War when the Soviet Union blocked access to Berlin for the Allies. The U.S. Air Force, British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force and others joined together to fly supplies over the blockade in order to help trapped citizens. They flew food, gas and other necessities to the people. The airlift was very successful, so the Soviets removed the blockade. -
Korean War
North and South Korea fought over political ideologies, with the North supporting communist China and USSR and the South following the U.S. views. Korea was split into the two regions because of the Cold War, divided by the 38th parallel. Many U.S. troops were sent to the South and the fighting ended on July 27, 1953. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, but there was no Peace Treaty to unify the country. -
Rosenberg Trials
Americans and communists Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were suspected of selling U.S. nuclear bomb secrets to the Russians. David Greenglass, Julius's brother-in-law confessed after being fired from his job during the Red Scare that Julius had asked David to pass on secret information about nuclear happenings to the Soviet Union. His confession is the only clear evidence of the Rosenberg's involvement. The Rosenbergs were sentenced to death and Greenglass got 15 years in prison. -
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STORY: CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
War has shaped our history especially during this time period, but the Civil Rights Movement has shaped our society today. Leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X sparked the courageous actions by African Americans throughout the nation to fight for civil rights, whether violently or non-violently. African Americans had been struggling with their rights ever since slavery, but this was the first mass protest that brought national attention and action to fix the issue. -
Brown v Board of Education
Brown v Board ruled laws segregating public schools unconstitutional,overruling Plessy v Ferguson. It was unanimous 9-0 decision that paved the way for integration. -
Vietnam War
Like Korea, Vietnam was split into two sections with North supporting communism and South anti-communism. However, some people in the South still supported the communist views of the North, so they were called the Vietcong. U.S. bombed North Vietnam numerous times, but the fighting finally ended on April 30, 1975. It was extremely controversial war and there was a lot of opposition to it in America. -
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STORY: VIETNAM WAR
The Vietnam War started due to internal political conflicts in Vietnam. The North supported communist views with China and the USSR while the South supported Western ideology, like the U.S. The Viet Cong (people in the South who supported communism) and the North were originally fighting to unite the country, but it just turned into a bloody battle that lasted 20 years. The U.S. got involved by bombing North Vietnam multiple times while China was supporting the North by supplying them materials. -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union's Sputnik was the first satellite launched into space. It orbited for 3 weeks, then the batteries died and it fell into the atmosphere. It marked the beginning of the Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. -
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STORY: HIPPIE MOVEMENT
The hippie movement began in the midst of the Vietnam War when opposition to the war increased because of ridiculous strategies implemented by the U.S. government.They were a counterculture group who advocated for peace, love, anti-war and maintaining the environment. They believed in creating an alternative society/community to hopefully achieve world peace. Their actions weren't very successful in ending the war, but they made a large impact on society at the time since they were so radical. -
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STORY: ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
The Anti-War Movement is often associated with and credited to the hippies, but many others around the country shared the same ideas. Many people believed that the government was taking things out of control and not minding our own business, so anti-war views spread quickly during the Vietnam War. People were afraid the government/president was given too much power to control outside wars and felt it was wrong to keep sending more troops. Public opinion influenced the media and the world. -
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STORY: YOUTH IN AMERICA
Youth became increasingly aware of many social issues in the 1960s-70s and started acted upon it through protests and advocation. The youth participated in the Civil Rights Movement by going to the sit-ins on college campuses, advocated for women's rights and created other revolutions such as the sex revolution and hippie counterculture. Students also protested against war, such as protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State, ending with four dead. They were young, but their voices were powerful. -
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STORY: LGBTQ MOVEMENT
Along with other "minorities" such as Hispanics and African Americans, members of the LGBTQ community were heavily discriminated against at this time. They were a strong part of the counterculture movement with the hippies and advocated for love and peace. They stood for something completely radical at the time, but managed to spread the word and gain attention to their struggles. They also advocated for world peace and celebrating rather than hating each other, similar to the hippies. -
Greensboro Sit-Ins
African American students participated in the civil rights movement by staging sit ins at Woolworth's segregated lunch counter. A group of students would go in to protest, get arrested, then another group would come in and repeat. The protests were very peaceful and the students didn't fight back even when bystanders would spit on them or throw food. The sit ins spread to college towns throughout the south. -
Freedom Rides
The Freedom Rides were interstate bus routes that drove racially mixed passengers through the segregated South. African American riders tried to use white bathrooms and lunch counters while passing through South Carolina and other states. They provoked violent riots where mobs would attach the riders. The original route was planned to go through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and finish in New Orleans. Buses ran until December 10, 1961. -
Berlin Wall Built
The Berlin Wall was built to physically block access to Soviet controlled Berlin while also representing the idea of the "Iron Curtain," which blocked out Western ideology. Many Easterners tried to emigrate after the construction of the wall because most people trapped in the city supported Western views and wanted to be free. The wall remained standing for 28 years and finally got demolished on November 9, 1989. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over American missile deployment in Italy and Turkey and Soviet deployment in Cuba. The battle lasted for 10 days and is known as the closest the Cold War got to becoming a nuclear war. At the end, both the Soviet Union and the U.S. agreed to remove their missiles and the U.S. would not invade Cuba again. It ended on November 21, 1962. -
March on Washington
A crowd of 250,000 participated in the march in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial to advocate civil and economic rights of African Americans. This march was where MLK gave his infamous "I have a dream" speech that called for an end to racism. -
JFK Assassination
President John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in the presidential motorcade in Dallas. Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital 30 minutes after being shot. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave extra power to the president to help troops under any circumstances fighting in the Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnam). It was opposed by the Senate, but passed by Congress. It was controversial among the Senate because they were leery of sending troops into an area in which we have no business. -
Malcolm X Assassination
Malcolm X was shot in Manhattan by Talmadge Hayer, Normal 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson (Nation of Islam members). He has 21 gunshot wounds to his body. Two days prior to his death, X told an interviewer that the Nation of Islam was trying to kill him. He was pronounced dead at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital shorty after his arrival. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the gradual and continuous bombing of North Vietnam by U.S. air forces. It was a strategy used to persuade the North to end their communist regime, boost the Saigon regime for the South and destroy the effectiveness of the Ho Chi Minh trail where the North sent supplies and men to the South Vietcong. The U.S. failed in the end. -
Tet Offensive
Over 80,000 North Vietnam troops and Vietcong surprise attacked villages in South Vietnam against them and the U.S. There were many casualties, including North and South Vietnamese troops and civilians. It is the main cause American support for the war rapidly declined since it was seen as a defeat for North Vietnam and would require 200,000 more U.S. men to be sent over. -
MLK Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray on his hotel balcony in Memphis. Ray shot King in the neck and he was rushed to St Joseph's hospital, but died later that night. -
Woodstock
Over 400,000 people, mainly hippies, attended the 3 day musical festival to spread and advocate for peace and love. A lot of students joined the festivities and realized they could create a different community for themselves. It was not only a pivotal event for music in history, it emphasized the hippie movement and showed they could be powerful all together. -
Kent State
The Ohio National Guard fatally shot four unarmed students who were protesting the bombing in Cambodia. Nine others were wounded and ended up being paralyzed for life, who might have been protesting too or just walking by the site. The protest started with 500 students, then grew to 2,000 even though they were told not to protest. The students were viewed as un-American and officials wanted to shut their actions down. -
Vietnam Day
Vietnam Veteran's Day is the national holiday to remember the soldiers who fought and died in the Vietnam War. The first remembrance day was March 29, 1973, so this year marked the 45th annual celebration.
