Gabriel Willis - 1955-1975

By g62g

  • Rosa Parks Prompts Montgomery Bus Boycott

    African American seamstress Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white man. This prompted a large bus boycott that led to the federal court declaration that bus segregation laws were unconstitutional.

  • Incumbent President Eisenhower Wins 1956 Election

    Dwight D. Eisenhower, as with the previous election, runs against Democratic candidate Adlai E. Stevenson, only to win once again by a very large margin.

  • First U.S. Satellite Launch Fails

  • First Succesful U.S. Space Satellite is Launched

  • 49th and 50th States Admitted to U.S.

    Alaska was admitted on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state with Hawaii being admitted later in the same year on August 21 as the 50th state.

  • St. Lawrence Seaway is Opened

    This seaway was opened along the U.S.-Canada borders, which allowed for greater ship traffic between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes of the U.S. and Canada.

  • First U.S. Visit of a Soviet Leader

    Nikita Khrushchev visits President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

  • John F. Kennedy Elected President

  • The Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The United States supported Cuban exiles in the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba, to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro. It was quickly repulsed by Cuban forces.

  • Berlin Wall Constructed by Soviet Bloc

    This wall segregated the German city of Berlin, which was previously held in four sectors by Allied forces. This wall would stand tall for 28 years before its eventual fall.

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

    The Cuban Missile Crises begins. In response to the Soviet Union building offensive missiles in Cuba, President John F. Kennedy orders a naval and air blockade of military equipment to the island. An agreement is eventually reached with Soviet Premier Khrushchev on the removal of the missiles, ending the potential conflict after thirty-eight days.

  • The Civil Rights March on Washington D.C.

    This march for equal rights including over 200,000 people culminated in Dr. Martin Luther King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

  • President John F. Kennedy Assassinated

    President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald during a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office later that day, and two days later Oswald was also killed by Jack Ruby.

  • Tonkin Resolution Passed by U.S. Congress

    The Tonkin Resolution is passed by the United States Congress, authorizing broad powers to the president to take action in Vietnam after North Vietnamese boats had attacked two United States destroyers five days earlier.

  • Beginning of U.S. Medicare Program

  • The First Super Bowl is Held

  • Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King is Assassinated

  • Richard Nixon Elected President

    Richard M. Nixon retakes the White House for the Republican party, with his victory over Hubert H. Humphrey and George Wallace.

  • Neil Armstrong Steps Foot on the Moon

    The U.S. Astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to ever set foot on the moon, with the Apollo program now completing its mission. Edwin E. Aldrin also accompanies him as the second man to do so.

  • Invention of the Internet

  • The 1970 Census - Over 200 million U.S. Residents

  • 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

    The Senate approved this amendment to the Constitution that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, with approval from the House of Representatives coming on March 23. It was ratified by the states on June 30, and certified by the President on July 5.

  • Beginning of The Watergate Crisis

    The Watergate crisis begins when four men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office building in Washington, D.C.

  • Richard Nixon Wins Election of 1972

    In one of the most lopsided races in American Presidential election history, incumbent President Richard M. Nixon beat his Democratic challenger George S. McGovern, winning 520 Electoral College votes to McGovern's 17, and taking over 60% of the popular vote.

  • Supreme Court Ruling on Roe V. Wade

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that women cannot be prevented by a state from having an abortion during the first six months of pregnancy.

  • Beginning of Nixon Impeachment Hearings

  • President Richard M. Nixon Resigns Amidst Watergate

    President Richard M. Nixon resigns the office of the presidency, avoiding the impeachment process and admitting his role in the Watergate affair. He was replaced by Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who, on September 8, 1974, pardoned Nixon for his role. Nixon was the first president to ever resign from office.

  • Communist Takeover of South Vietnam

    Communist forces complete their takeover of South Vietnam, forcing the evacuation from Saigon of civilians from the United States and the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam.