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Korean War begins
North Korean tanks and infantry crossed the 38th parallel, causing a three year long war with the US and South Korea. This war yielded approximately 200,000 casualties for the US and South Korea alone. The United States was more concerned to protect South Korea, rather than defeat the enemy (North Korea). Americans could not fully grasp this concept, making the Korean War unsupported.
God Please Protect America by Jimmie Osborne -
Rosa Parks incites Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on an Alabama bus. She was arrested for this "rebellious" act, causing a boycott on Alabama buses by the African American community in the southern state. This boycott lasted 381 days. As a result, the government deemed public transportation segregation unconstitutional.
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks/videos/rosa-parks-and-the-montgomery-bus-boycott -
Alaska and Hawaii become states
Alaska was officially a state on January 3, 1959. Eisenhower was reluctant to admit Alaska sooner due to the fear of their government prohibiting military installations. Once their government stated they would allow it, Alaska was admitted as a state. Hawaii was admitted on August 21, 1959. It was previously a US territory but became associated with the American identity after the Pearl Harbor attack. -
Greensboro Sit-ins
On this day, African American students sat at a white-only lunch counter at Woolworth's in North Carolina. These students remained in their seats regardless of the racial comments and physical objects thrown at them. Their sit-in encourage many youth to join the stand against segregation and racial inequality all throughout the South. Eventually, the Woolworth's lunch counter was desegregated.
http://www.travelchannel.com/videos/historic-lunch-counter-sit-in-0154295 -
John F. Kennedy is assassinated
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 while traveling in a convertible during the motorcade. His assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald. While Kennedy did not die immediately, he was pronounced dead nearly thirty minutes after the shot was fired. He died at the age of only 46.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU83R7rpXQY -
Immigration Act of 1965
The Immigration Act of 1965, also called the Hart-Cellar Act, changed the quotas for immigrants from different countries. After this act, more immigrants arrived from Asia, Africa, and Latin American rather than Europe. For the first time, an immigration limit was set for the Western Hemisphere. The reunification of families was a main goal for the Immigration Act of 1965. -
Apollo 13 returns to Earth
After an incredibly rough and eventful launch and orbit, the Apollo 13 returned to Earth on April 17, 1970. It landed in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa. The mission was defined by its discomfort other than the lack of food and water. The conditions within the module consisted of temperatures near freezing at night and condensation covered walls. -
Nixon visits China
President Nixon travelled to China in order to ease the tensions between the United States and the People's Republic of China, a communist territory. By visiting China, Nixon hoped to separate the two looming Communist powers of the world. By having the PRC on the United States' side, Nixon could use that leverage against making deals with the Soviets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWPFuOFxV50 -
SONY introduces the Walkman
On this day in 1979, SONY introduced its latest technology, the portable music player. It featured two headphone jacks for two listeners, blue and silver casing, and weighed about 14 ounces. While it was not the first portable music player, its small size and headphones made it the perfect product for consumers. The Walkman helped sell cassettes over records and changed to portable music game forever. -
Mount St. Helen erupts
In the state of Washington, the volcano Mount St. Helen erupted in 1980. Two months prior to the eruption there were many earthquakes and steam-venting episodes. An earthquake is in fact what caused the large eruption on May 18. That morning the world's largest landslide ever recorded occurred, followed by the incredible eruption of hot lava and old rock. This eruption has been decided as the most destructive eruption in United States history. -
ArrowAir Flight 1285 crashes
ArrowAir Flight 1285 carried troops from the 101st Airborne Division soldiers, heading from Cairo, Egypt back to the United States. 247 passengers will killed as well as 8 crew members. This flight crashed after the aircraft stalled, crashed, and burned only a half-mile off the runway. The tragedy occurred in Gander, Canada, the last stop the flight was to make before arriving at Fort Campbell. -
Challenger Space Shuttle explodes
The Challenger shuttle exploded only 73 seconds after lift-off on January 28, 1986. This was the spacecraft's 10th mission. All seven crew members died. The cause of the problem stemmed from the cold temperature of the morning of the lift-off affecting parts of the shuttle. This awful disaster yielded the temporary suspension of all shuttle missions for NASA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE
