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Start of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam war starts, pitting the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam. North Vietnam and Southern Communist rebels (known as the Viet Cong) attempt to overthrow the government of South Vietnam and re-unite the country. The United States takes part as an ally of South Vietnam, and the conflict is only intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" is Released
Elvis Presley releases his version of the classic song “Hound Dog”. Presley had made his band record 31 takes of the song, over several hours, until he was satisfied with the right version. Luckily, it’s a hit and makes its way to the top spot in multiple charts. Forrest imitates Presley’s dance moves in the movie until his mom deems the music video not appropriate for him. -
Creation of the Smiley Face
The simple yellow smiley face is created by Harvey Ross Ball, an American graphic artist and ad man in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was commissioned to create a graphic to raise morale among the employees of an insurance company after a series of bad deals. He made the design in less than ten minutes and was paid $45 for his work. -
The University of Alabama is Desegregated
President John F. Kennedy deploys the National Guard to the University of Alabama to force its desegregation, as Alabama Governor George Wallace refuses to let African American students enroll otherwise. Faced with federal pressure, Wallace has no choice but to back off, and students Vivian Malone and James A. Hood enroll successfully the next day. In the movie, Forrest witnesses this desegregation firsthand. -
President John F. Kennedy is Assassinated
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in downtown Dallas, Texas shortly after noon. He was on the way to the Trade Mart, where he was scheduled to speak at a luncheon. Bullets strike Kennedy’s neck and head and he is immediately rushed to the hospital, but little can be done for his condition. -
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Apollo 11, made up of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, lands on the moon. It is the first spaceflight to do so successfully, ever. Armstrong and Aldrin spend just over two hours together outside the spacecraft and collect 47.5 pounds of lunar material. Apollo 11 ends the Space Race and fulfills John F. Kennedy’s mission to “[land] a man on the moon and [return] him safely to Earth.” -
President Nixon Visits China
Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, visits the People’s Republic of China to improve foreign relations.The trip lasts a week long and ends twenty-five years of isolation between the United States and China, resulting in the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979. In the movie, Forrest visits with Nixon as a Ping Pong player. -
John Lennon Appears on The Dick Cavett Show
John Lennon appears on The Dick Cavett Show with his wife, Yoko Ono. This interview is Lennon's first on American television since the breakup of The Beatles the year before. In the movie, Yoko Ono is replaced by Forrest. -
President Nixon Resigns from Office
President Nixon resigns from office after the infamous Watergate scandal, when operatives associated with his campaign broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex (Forrest sees this inside the hotel he is staying at). Secret tapes later revealed that Nixon had known about burglary and tried to cover it up. Rather than face an inevitable impeachment, he chooses to step down instead. -
Hurricane Carmen First Appears
A tropical depression emerges off the coast of Africa and quickly travels westward through the Caribbean Sea. This storm becomes Hurricane Carmen, which goes on to kill eight people, trigger flash flooding and a tornado, and collectively leave over $164 million in damage. In the US, the heaviest storms occur to the east of the storm's center, in Southern Alabama and the Northern Florida Panhandle. In the movie, Forrest is out shrimping when he gets caught in a storm, which boosts his business. -
End of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War ends after the city of Saigon falls to North Vietnam, and all of Vietnam unites under Communist control. This is a terrible defeat for the United States, which had withdrawn forces two years prior. Forrest had previously served and received a medal of honor for his heroism, before being discharged. -
Assassination Attempt on President Ford
A member of the Manson Family cult, Lynette Fromme, attempts to assassinate President Gerald Ford in Sacremento, California to make a statement to climate change denialists. Fromme, who is using a M1911 pistol with the ammunition in a detachable magazine, is not aware that she needs to pull back the gun slide to insert a cartridge into the pistol's chamber, so the gun does not go off.
