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The Vietnam War
The Vietnam war started on November 1st, 1955 to April 30th 1975. It was fought between North and South Vietnamese armies. North Vietnam was supported by communist allies. The South was supported by anti-communist allies. The Viet Cong fought a guerrilla war against anti-communists. During the war, the U.S. conducted a strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Forest was involved in this war that lasted about 19 long years and ended in the victory of North Vietnam. -
Students for a Democratic Society
SDS was a radical college student organization that protested racism, violence, and poverty. It led thousands of campus protests before it split apart at the end of the 1960s. In the movie, Jenny was part of SDS and her boyfriend at the time was a leader of the group. -
Integration of the University of Alabama
Governor George Wallace sent state troopers to block African Americans from entering many schools in Alabama, despite the President’s commands. On June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent National Guard troops to the University of Alabama to escort two African American students, Vivian Malone and James A. Hood, into the school. Forrest Gump was attending the university and picked up Vivian Malone’s book when the school was first integrated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF_3LW8lGP4 -
LBJ became president
Lyndon B. Johnson became the president of the United States on November 22nd, 1963, after the assassination of John F Kennedy. He was re-elected to be president for his second term in office. LBJ designed the Great Society legislation by upholding civil rights, Medicare, Medicaid, aid to education, public services, urban and rural development. He made it his mission to lead the war on poverty, by growing the economy and helping millions of Americans rise above the poverty lines. -
The assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22nd, 1963. He was shot while riding with john Connolly, in Dallas Texas. He was shot in the neck and head before being rushed to the hospital, where he died shortly after. They had concluded that Oswald acted alone in the shooting , but he was later killed by Jack Ruby before he could stand trial for his crime.
https://youtu.be/KPW_E16fmwc -
Black Panthers Party
The Black Panthers Party was a group of black militants formed in Oakland, California to protect black rights. They inspired the idea of black power and supported black neighborhoods. Gump ran into them when Jenny took him to a meeting between them and SDS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h91Gq9Z9-1s -
The moon landing of 1969
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans on the Moon. Apollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on July 16. Neil Armstrong became the first to step on the moon. Neil and the rest of the men spent two and a half hours collecting 47 pounds of lunar material to bring back to earth.
https://youtu.be/cwZb2mqId0A -
Attempted assassination of George Wallace
George Wallace had been shot four times at close range at a campaign rally in Laurel, Maryland on May 15th, 1972. Wallace was hit in the abdomen and chest, and one of the bullets lodged in Wallace's spinal column, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.Wallace needed many pints of blood and barely pulled through. He was shot by Arthur Bremer who was seen at a Wallace rally in Wheaten, Maryland, earlier that day.
https://youtu.be/UAeEOCioMZs -
The watergate Scandal
In 1972 and President Richard Nixon administration’s attempted cover-up of its involvement in the break in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters. When this was discovered and investigated the administration’s resistance lead to a constitutional crisis. One of the illegal activities done by the administration was bugging offices of political opponents. -
Hurricane Carmen
Hurricane Carmen formed in the Caribbean and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. It hit southern states, including Alabama, causing $162 billion in damages. It destroyed every shrimping boat in Alabama, expect Gump’s, making him rich. -
Apple
Apple Computer was founded April 1st, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It was introduced to consumers as an affordable and user-friendly computer. Dan invested money into Apple Computers which became very profitable, making him and Forrest even wealthier. -
HIV/AIDS Epidemic
The HIV/AIDS epidemic was a deadly outbreak in the '80s that started with gay men. Soon many drug users and minorities began to catch the disease. There was no cure and it was very expensie to treat. Jenny seemed to have caught and died from AIDS in the end of Forrest Gump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LKJ5ZzzL0w
