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Brown v. Board of Education
In 1896, the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case determined that "separate but equal" was constitutional. the Supreme Court overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision by ruling that segregation was "inherently unequal." Forrest was 10 years old when this event occurred and his whole class came together and sat around the radio to listen for news regarding the case. Forrest heard the voice come through the radio announcing that Plessy v.Ferguson had been overturned. https://youtu.be/TTGHLdr-iak -
Elvis Rises to Fame
In 1954 Elvis Presley signed with his first local record label. In 1955 he signed with RCA recording studios. His first song to be number one was "Hound Dog" -
Vietnam War 1955 - 1975
The war first started when the United States attempted at eliminating any Communist presence in Vietnam. The presidents this war were President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Nixon Forrest Gump enlists in the army after graduating and is sent to the front line in the war. While in Vietnam, he makes two new friends. After saving many soldier's lives in the war following a Vietnamese attack, he is awarded the Medal of Honor by Lyndon B. Johnson. https://youtu.be/LMUBWKJ5A_0 -
Allowing Blacks into School with Whites
The district court of Alabama ordered the University of Alabama to admit African American students Vivian Malone and James Hood for summer classes. This stunt by Wallace gave him a nationwide reputation as a strong supporter of segregation. Forrest was present when the University was designated and George Wallace stood in the door way. Forrest walked up to Vivian Malone and handed her the book she had dropped. He followed her and James Hood into school while everyone stood in disbelief. -
John F. Kennedy Assassination
JFK was going on a political tour through Texas, a left-wing majority state, where his ideals were not highly renounced, JFK was sitting in the backseat of a convertible while driving through Dallas when he was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Forrest Gump met with the President of the United States because of his achievements during his All-American football career. https://youtu.be/vzYwCmDDSLA -
The Black Panther Party
Was an African Amercian revolutionary organization founded in Oakland, California. They wanted to prevent racism against them, and make sure that all were treated equally to whites in society. After reuniting with Jenny at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Jenny introduces Forrest to her friends, who happen to be members of the Black Panther Party. Forrest is present during a meeting and talks to Masai. He then gets into a fight with a man who hits Jenny .https://youtu.be/W9PwhmyhYLA -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination
He was an activist and a key leader in the African American civil rights movement. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, provoked by the actions of Rosa Parks. His speeches are and forever will be immortal to the continuing fight for equality and freedom in America and worldwide. During his time, the issues he was promoting were highly controversial to the conservatives and those against African American suffrage. He was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Moon Landing
Armstrong was the first to step out on the moon. He famously said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." A camera provided live television coverage for people back on Earth to watch. They left an American flag on the moon's surface as a sign of accomplishment. While Forrest is in the Veterans Hospital after fighting in the the Vietnam War, on the television is footage and audio of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon. https://youtu.be/MgwWycuvx-0 -
Watergate Scandal
After investigations, the evidence found that President Nixon was aware of this and that several members of the Committee to Re-elect the president had participated in this break in. Soon after, Nixon resigned as president in order to avoid becoming impeached. Forrest witnesses the scandal from his hotel room in the Watergate hotel when he notifies the front desk of the flashlights seen across the way. -
Hurricane Carmen
Hurricane Carmen was the most intense and destructive tropical storm of 1974. It formed August 29, 1974 and died September 10, 1974. In it's time it cost over $162 Million in damage, and killed 8 people. Due to it's severity "Carmen" was removed from the list of tropical storm names. -
John Lennon Assassination
On Monday, December 8, 1980 John Lennon of The Beatles was shot to death. At the entrance of his home in New York, Mark David Chapman, a fan, pulled out a gun and shot him. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Roosevelt Hospital. -
Berlin Wall Crumbles
At the end of World War II, the Allied powers divided Germany into four zones. The United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union all occupied a piece. East Germany built a wall to keep people from crossing the border. The wall fell on October 3, 1990. The Berlin Wall was eventually chipped away, into smaller pieces. Forrest watches on the News that the Berlin Wall is being taken down. He wonders why a wall was ever put up, because World War II was over. https://youtu.be/k5BrP8uM1zA
