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Birthday
Forrest was named after one of the founders of the Klu Klux Klan. The KKK was a group of white men that thought their race was superior and that any other race was bellow them. -
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Ping Pong Diplomacy
After Forrest had left Vietnam and was in the veterans clinic he watched some other people play ping pong. One of the players had noticed he was watching and taught him how to play. Ping Pong Diplomacy was a way for the United States and China to talk diplomatically without trying to hurt one another.
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Vietnam war
After Forrest had finished college, he joined the army. While in the army, Forrest was sent to fight in the Vietnam war where he had got shot while saving his platoon. The United States had entered the Vietnam war to continue their foreign policy of containment. Many americans were unhappy with the war because media was unsencered and had shown all of the gruesome details of war.
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Desegregation of the University of Alabama
Forrest had witnessed the integration of the University of Alabama. He didn't understand the problem with another race, and wasn't racist. The desegregation of the university upset many white people because they thought the african americans were trying to take everything that belonged to them and thought that they were inferior. The desegregation had happened because of Brown v. Board, and because the president was going to enforce the ruling. -
Assassination of Kennedy
Forrest briefly talks about the assassination of President Kennedy after he had met him. The assassination of President Kennedy was important because he was a president during the cold war and the Civil Rights Movement. Kennedy had started his term in 1961 and was cut short by the assassination. He was president during the Bay of Pigs and during the Freedom rides. He had a lot of things to handle foreign and domestic.
https://youtu.be/F46VxwRG8ws -
Anti-Vietnam War movement
While accepting a medal, Forrest had wanted a look around the capital, and had gotten swept up in a crowd of protesters. The anti-Vietnam war movement was a group of Americans that were against the Vietnam war. Most of the people were against it because the media was able to show the suffering that the soldiers went through.
https://youtu.be/rKuLtVXGRp8 -
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Black Panther Party
Forrest had briefly met some members of the Black Panther Party with jenny and her abusive boyfriend. The Black Panther Party was a radical group of African Americans that fought for Civil Rights. It was founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton.
https://youtu.be/P6qb27VJzDY -
Robert Kennedy assassination
Robert Kennedy was the younger brother of John F. Kennedy. Robert was killed just under five years after his brother. He was running for presidential office, and was excited because he had gained more support, but was killed before election. -
America lands on the Moon
The Moon landing is slightly shown on a television in Forrest Gump while others in the army watch Forrest practice ping pong. The Lunar Landing is important because it had ended the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
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George Wallace attempted assassination
Forrest had witnessed George Wallace attempt to stop the integration of the university of Alabama. He was nearly assassinated because the shooter didn't think he could of shot Nixon who was president at the time.George Wallace was the Governor of Alabama during the Civil Rights movement that was against integration. -
Watergate Scandal
President Nixon had helped Forrest get a room at the Watergate Hotel when the scandal was happening. Forrest had witnessed the intruders snoop around in the dark, and had called the front office of the hotel. The Watergate Scandal is the reason President Nixon 'quit'. He lied about knowing about it and tried to cover up what he knew. He was going to be impeached but he quite before that could happen. -
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Hurricane Carmen
When Forrest starts shrimping, he wouldn't catch anything. After Hurricane Carmen, his boat was the only shrimp boat left in tact. The hurricane had hit the Gulf part of the United States including all of Louisiana, most of Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, and a bit of Texas. There were eight fatalities during this hurricane. Even though most coastal cities had evacuated, the hurricane was so strong it had enough power to reach the top of most coastal states.
https://youtu.be/74Kt91I6Y18 -
End of Vietnam war
At the end of the Vietnam war, america had shown their need and effort to contain communism. America was able to keep communism contained. The Vietnam war had helped us show that we will help who ever needs it. -
Attempted Assassination of President Reagan
Forrest had seen on T.V. the attempted assassination of President Reagan. The attempt happened on his sixty-ninth day in office. Reagan was shot and ended up with up with some internal bleeding and a punctured lung as the bullet had hit his underarm and grazed his side. During his presidency Reagan had lifted an embargo on grain to the soviet union, visited West Berlin, initiates exchange with China, and many other things.
