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Biggest Event Through 1950-1990
The most important event through that time span was the March on Washington because it was the biggest civil rights protest in history and it pressured the government to pass more legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The march was itself a commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 years before. And by gathering at the Lincoln Memorial demonstrators called the nation to focus on the yet-unfulfilled legacy of freedom, equality, and dignity for all Americans. -
Elvis Presley Emerges
Elvis Presley became a national phenomenon by the spring of 1956. His music drew inspiration from black rhythm and blues and resonated with the "Baby Boom" generation. The Catholic Church criticized him for swinging hips and weekly headlines titled "Beware Elvis Presley." In addition television critics said he had an "appalling lack of musicality" and his performances were "vulgar" and "animistic." He is often considered the first media superstar and has produced 90 record albums. -
Integration of University of Alabama
The University of Alabama was ordered to allow two African American students to attend it during its summer session by a federal district court. The decision was made because the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that American state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality in the case Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka. -
March on Washington
A huge march was organized in Washington, D.C. to gain public support for the civil rights movement. More than 200,000 blacks and whites gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the march.It intended to raise awareness on the political and social challenges that African Americans faced in the country. Many musicians and speakers participated in the march.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington -
President John F. Kennedy Assassinated
President Kennedy was visiting Dallas with his wife, Jacqueline, on the morning of November 22, 1963. He was shot in the neck and the head as he rode in an uncovered limousine at 12:30. Kennedy was soon rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at 1:00 pm. Kennedy's assassination also delayed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to be pass and his vice president Lyndon B. Johnson will sign it for him a year later after his death.
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/jfk-assassination -
The Hippie Movement
There is no exact date when it began, but it was known to be very popular in the mid-1960s . It was a counterculture started in San Francisco by youngsters who wanted to live life differently. Hippies wanted to move away from the ordinary ways of life and the culture. They also challenged social norms by dressing up in tie-dye, growing their hair and beards to be long, talking differently, and using drugs such as marijuana and LSD.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie -
Anti War Protests
The protests against the Vietnam War began after the United States involvement in Operation Thunder. The disapproval of the war grew with students starting groups like the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Other organizations started to hold sit-ins and boycott goods to try and end the United States involvement in the war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Y0ekr-3So&feature=youtu.be -
Black Panther Party Founded
The Black Panther Party was an African American revolutionary leftist organization from 1966-1982. They believed in preventing racism against blacks, and that all blacks deserved to be treated equally to whites in society. The group was specifically known for its rhetoric, military posture and its way of expressing their beliefs.
https://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/black-panthers -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King, Jr. had been standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee when he was shot without warning. He was hit by a bullet James Earl Ray. The bullet entered his right cheek, traveled through his neck, and landed in his right shoulder blade. King was was best known for combating racial discrimination by using nonviolent protest tactics to achieve civil rights.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination -
American Astronauts Walk on the Moon
Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight to land the first humans on the Moon in history on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" E. Aldrin, Jr. became the first American astronauts to walk on the Moon, Armstrong being the first of the two. Although the Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin didn't walk on the Moon until the next day, on July 21.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html -
Ping-Pong Diplomacy
The United States tried to ease the tensions between the USSR and China in the early 1970s. Nixon wanted China to help in the United States fight to contain communism and he tried to achieve this goal by having the two Nations compete against each other in table tennis, this policy became known as Ping-Pong Diplomacy. -
Watergate Scandal
A security guard at the Watergate Hotel in D.C. found a door that was taped to prevent latching. He removed it and later found it to be re-taped. He called the police, who arrested five men wearing business suits and latex gloves in the offices of the Democratic National Committee.They had supposedly been taking pictures of documents while repairing wiretapping equipment. This event also led President Nixon to resign. https://www.history.com/topics/1970s/watergate -
John Lennon Assassinated
At around 10:50 pm on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot in the back and shoulder four times at the entrance of his apartment building in New York. He was assassinated by his so-called fan, Mark David Chapman who had gotten his autograph earlier that evening. Lennon was carried into a squad car and rushed to Roosevelt Hospital.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-lennon-is-assassinated-in-new-york-city -
HIV/AIDS Epidemic
HIV grew in the United States in the 1980s it was found that the disease was sexually transmitted and those with the disease were discriminated against. President Reagan started the fight against HIV/AIDS by investing Government funds into treatment research.
