Forrest Gump Timeline Project

United States History 1950-1990

Period: 1950 to 1990

Korean War

Jun 25, 1950

The Korean War was the first proxy war fought between the Soviet Union and the US. After the fall of the Japanese in WWII, Korea was free, the Soviet wanted to spread communism while the US wanted to contain it. This war was fought over the disagreement of communism between the two groups.
Key Concepts 8.1 I B relates to the Korean war because it mentions containment and how the Korean War was the cause of the fight for containment.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaegqvl4aE

Montgomery bus boycott

Dec 1, 1955

This was one of the first sparks of the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks was an African American woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. She was then arrested for this which lead to the bus boycott. The boycott was a protest about segregated seating in Montgomery, Alabama.
Key Concepts 8.2 I A relates to the Montgomery bus boycott because civil rights activist who fought for discrimination.
Video: https://www.biography.com/video/rosa-parks-sparks-bus-boycott-34625563

Sputnik

Oct 4, 1957

The Sputnik was the first ever artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet. This technological advancement started the space race which was a competition between the US and Soviet on whose technology held dominance.

Equal Pay Act

Jun 10, 1963

In this year, President Kennedy established the Equal Pay Act which, stated that employers should pay men and women equally when they are doing the same job that requires the same skills. This was one of the first steps taken in reducing the size of gender discrimination at work.
Key Concepts 8.2 II B relate to this because different ideologies starting movements for injustices and inequality issues.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR41T36LhMA

Brown v Board of Education

1964

This Supreme Court case overruled Plessy v Ferguson which said that segregated facilities were allowed "separate but equal." In this case the court said that "separate but equal" facilities especially schools were actually not equal.
Key Concepts 8.2 I B relates to this because it specifically mentions the case and talks about how it brought racial equality up into the Supreme Court.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1siiQelPHbQ

Great Society

1965

This legislation passed by President Johnson aimed to help poverty and racial inequality. Medicare and Medicaid were both passed to help the elderly and poor receive health care. A Job Corps was also made to help men who were in poverty get an education in a special field and then a job.
Key Concepts 8.2 III B relates to this because it mentions how Johnson was trying to better America by ending discrimination and poverty.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD3Vn44F7as

Vietnamization

1969

This was a strategy created by President Nixon when US involvement in Vietnam had gotten out of hand. The plan was to slowly remove American forces from Vietnam and allow South Vietnam to handle the rest of the war on their own.

Watergate Scandal

Jun 17, 1972

This scandal was when people working with Nixon were caught after their actions of wiretapping phones and stealing documents to make sure Nixon would be reelected. This lead to the resignation of Nixon and a forever distrust between the federal government and the people.
Key Concepts 8.2 III E relates to this because it mentions political scandals resulting in public trust issues with the government, which was what the Watergate Scandal was.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXCxZE0hZ40

Bakke v University of California

1978

This case occurred when a white male was rejected by UC and claimed it was because they were accepting students of color that got lower scores than him. He sued, and the court said that affirmative action was okay in some situations but it wasn't in this specific case so he got into the school and graduated.
Key Concepts 8.2 III relates with this because it talks about race and individual rights being an issue between different beliefs.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4b77yvDzlw

Reaganomics

1981

This was President Reagan's plan to help America with spending which asked for tax cuts, lower social spending, increase military spending, and deregulate domestic markets. Reagan followed supply-side economics and the trickle down theory which both stated that lowering taxes would help economic growth.
Key Concepts 9.1 I A relates with this because it mentions how Reagan cut taxes and deregulated industries during his presidency.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWrJGWkK4oU

HIV/AIDS

1983

AIDS was a disease that quickly spread between homosexual men. The people affected by this epidemic called for government funding so research could be done to find treatment. At first the government didn't take much action at first, they eventually spent millions of dollars to help the situation. The disease also lead to HIV which was another dangerous disease.

Hubble Space Telescope

Apr 24, 1990

This telescope was created to get better and clear pictures from space, ground telescopes could not provide clear pictures because the atmosphere blurs some of the light. After its launch the telescope was sending back blurred pictures because there was a spherical aberration in the primary mirror but the issues was later resolved and clear pictures were begin sent to Earth.