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Stock Market Crash
On “Black Thursday” of 1929, the stock market faced its most devastating crash in all of United States History. This event is what sparked the United States economy into its Great Depression, leaving its citizens in terrible economic situations and poverty. -
Roosevelt 1st Election
The United States Presidential Election of 1932 was a huge win for Franklin D Roosevelt. Former President Herbert Hoover was defeated in a landslide, FDR emerged victoriously and became president. -
CCC
The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s deals in the “Alphabet Soup”. It was put in place during the Great Depression to provide young men the opportunity to have a job, make money and have the necessities to survive like food, water and shelter. It was very beneficial for the young men and the environment, many national parks were formed and many men were able to enter the workforce. -
Social Security Act
Signed by president Franklin D Roosevelt, is a system that was developed to provide welfare for various circumstances with certain requirements. Some circumstances were: old age, unemployment, child aid, child welfare, public health, and blindness. -
FDR Court Packing Scandal
President Franklin D Roosevelt announced his controversial plan to expand the Supreme Court to fifteen judges. Roosevelt did this to pack the court with judges that would be favorable of his deals and laws since the supreme court at the time had declared his New Deal legislation to be unconstitutional. -
HUAC Formed
The House of Un-American Activities Committee was formed to investigate potential threats to American values and capitalism. They would investigate people and organizations accused of being communist spies or even supporters. They were well known for their actions against Hollywood when they blacklisted the “Hollywood Ten”. -
Germany Breaks Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was signed on September 30th, 1938, to ensure that Sudetenland would be Hitler’s last territorial demand from Europe. However, the Pact was broken about half a year later when Hitler invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia. Germany continued taking and controlling more territories as the War progressed. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the defense of United Kingdom against the attacks from Nazi Germany. The Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom from Nazi attacks and the Blitz, a large scale bombing offensive during nights. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
During World War Two, Japan surprised the United States with an attack at a naval base on the island Hawaii. This was the event that brought the United States in the World War despite its policy of non-interventionism. -
Operation Overlord/D-Day
Operation Overlord was a plan to liberate northwestern Europe from Nazi control. Allied troops landed along the coast of Normandy divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword. The operation was a huge victory for the Allies. -
FDR Dies/Truman President
Since 1940, President Franklin D Roosevelt showed signs of declining health. He was tested and found to have high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. His conditions were kept secret from the public, but his appearance was obvious. He was eventually diagnosed with cerebral hemorrhage and died in the hospital at the age of 63. President Harry S Truman took office upon the death of FDR. -
Nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki
During World War Two, Japan and the United States were engaged in combat and America was looking for a way to end it. After many attempted negotiations, United States resorted to dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Despite the devastating destruction that the bomb brought upon the city, Japan still refused to surrender. In response, the United States dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki and Japan finally surrendered. -
United Nations created
The United Nations was formed after World War Two to maintain peace and international order to prevent another World War. The “Four Policemen”, United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union and Republic of China, were the main founders of the United Nations. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a promise by the president, Harry S Truman, to help countries from the threat of communism. It’s intention was to prevent the spread of communism and the Soviet Union’s influence. If any countries were in need of aid or protection from communism, the United States would provide and take necessary actions to help those countries. -
Berlin Airlift
During the Berlin Blockade, NATO air forces would fly over supplies to communist East Germany. The intention was to help the communist side to gets its citizens to support capitalism and move to West Germany. -
Korean War (beginning and end)
Korea was split in two, North and South, with different government systems, North having communism and South having capitalism. The United States got involved because of the Truman doctrine’s promise to help countries under the threat of communism. The United States supported the capitalist side with South Korea to fight against communism in North Korea. -
Rosenberg Trials
Accused of being spies for the Soviet Union, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried by the federal government. They were not only found guilty, but they were also sentenced to death. Although they were proven to be guilty, their execution is considered to be unjust. -
Brown v Board
This supreme court decision was an incredible success in the civil rights movement. It ruled that segregation in the public school system was unconstitutional. It became unlawful for states to have separate public schools for black students and white students. -
Lynching of Emmett Till (Important to me)
Emmett Till was a 14 year old african american boy from Chicago who was visiting family in Mississippi. While he was visiting, his friends dared him to talk to a white girl and other white men heard. Later, Roy Bryant and JW Milam abducted Emmett and murdered him by the Tallahatchie River. Emmett’s mother decided to have an open casket so the world could see the violence that was used against her boy. This event is extremely important because it is a big motivator in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Vietnam war (start to end)
The Vietnam war was a war between the communist North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam. The communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, was admired by the people, but America disliked him because he stood for communism. The war ended with the fall of Saigon, the United States sent in several helicopters for mass evacuation of South Vietnamese. -
Montgomery bus boycott (Important to me)
The Montgomery Bus Boycott campaign started with the famous civil rights activist, Rosa Parks. She was an african american woman who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white bus rider. The campaign ended successfully on December 20th, 1956 with the ruling of Browder v Gayle which declared segregated buses as unconstitutional. This is one of the most famous and well-known acts during the Civil Rights Movement and it is taught in schools everywhere today. -
Little Rock Nine (Important to me)
At Little Rock Central High in Arkansas, nine african american students were to integrate and attend the school. However, not all approved integration. Many segregationists held protests outside the school and they attempted to block the students from attending. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to support the segregationists and block the african american students. The Little Rock Nine are the symbol today for desegregation in schools during the Civil Rights Movement. -
Sputnik
Launched by the USSR, Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. The launch sparked the start of the “Space Race” between the Soviet Union and the United States for scientific advancement and development. -
Greensboro lunch Sit-ins
The Greensboro sit ins were nonviolent protests in North Carolina. The movement led to stores removing their racial segregation policies. The Greensboro sit ins are the most well-known because they are considered to have started the chain in the sit in movement. -
Birth Control Approved (Story Event)
The Food and Drug Administration approves the birth control pill. This paved the way for the sexual revolution and women’s rights for reproductive health. The fight for women’s rights did not stop here, it continued to the workplace with the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode buses to fight against the segregation of blacks and whites on the buses. The first freedom ride left Washington DC on May 4th, 1961 to arrive in New Orleans. Many freedom riders were attacked and even killed. Eventually, the movement was successful and segregated public buses were ruled unconstitutional. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built by the USSR to surround West Germany to represent the “Iron Curtain” between communism and capitalism. The USSR controlled East Berlin as the communist side and NATO countries controlled West Berlin side which as the capitalist side. The wall was created by USSR to keep people from escaping from East Berlin to West Berlin. -
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women (Story Event)
John F Kennedy appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as the chairwoman of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. It fought against discrimination in the workplace and advocated for fair hiring prices, paid maternity leave and child care. However, women were still being underpaid so the movement in support of the Equal Pay Act began. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
USSR’s leader, Nikita Khrushchev, decided with Fidel Castro to put nuclear missiles in Cuba. However, the United States saw this as a threat to the nation’s safety. This conflict was the closest that the Cold War ever got to full-scale nuclear war. -
Equal Pay Act (Story Event)
The Equal Pay Act made it illegal for women to be paid less than a man for the same job. This was a huge step forward for equality in the workforce and equality between the sexes in general. However, there was more to be done in equality within the workforce in terms of getting a job. So, the fight for equal employment began. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was held at Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Over 250,000 civil rights supporters attended. This is the event where Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous, most well-known speech titled “I Have a Dream”. The speech calls for an end to racism and segregation. -
Assassination of JFK
In Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, JFK was shot while riding in presidential motorcade. He was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald who was a former US Marine and he was also a Marxist. Oswald was arrested by Dallas Police about 70 minutes after the shooting. -
Title VII of Civil Rights Act (Story Event)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits the discrimination of employees based on race, ethnicity, religion and gender. Employers cannot discriminate against women solely based on their gender which creates equal opportunity for obtaining jobs and positions. But to ensure that there is no discrimination, an organization called the EEOC was made. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Important to me)
The CIvil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination of people based on race, religion or gender. It applied to voter registration, segregation in schools and employment and public facilities. This act was a huge step for the civil rights movement. This was one of the successful outcomes for equality in the Civil Rights Movement and it is still present today in voter registration, schools, employment and public facilities. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Passed on August 7th, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed authorization to put conventional military forces in Vietnam. The Resolution was signed and enacted on August 10th. It basically granted the president war time rights when they hadn’t officially declared war. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was an african american muslim who fought for black rights. He became a leader of the Nation of Islam which promoted black supremacy and did not support the civil rights movement because they stood for integration. However, he left the Nation of Islam because he changed his views to promote more unity and was assassinated by three of their members. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
During the Vietnam War, the United States carried out Operation Rolling Thunder. The Operation was a series of aerial bombardments on North Vietnam. The goal was to get North Vietnam to eventually surrender to end the destruction. -
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Story Event)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an agency that enforces civil rights in the workplace. They investigate complaints of worker discrimination and they impose penalties. This leads to empowerment in the women’s rights community and NOW is formed. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Important to me)
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 established that it was unlawful to discriminate in voting. It is considered the most effective act for the federal civil rights movement. This event was an extremely important and impactful step for the Civil Rights Movement and its advancement for equality. -
National Organization for Women (Story Event)
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was created by many feminists to end sexual discrimination. Their primary goal was to end discrimination in the workplace but they advocated to end discrimination in other areas as well. They would achieve this by lobbying, litigation and public demonstrations. The activists’ voices were heard and President Johnson ordered 11375. -
Executive Order 11375 (Story Event)
President Lyndon B Johnson listened to the organizations and activists and decided to use his power to support them as well. Executive Order 11375 banned discrimination on the basis of sex to ensure that women have the same opportunities in hiring and employment as males do. To further ensure that they have the same opportunity, they must also have the same education, so Title IX of the Education Amendments was put in place. -
Tet-offensive
The Tet Offensive was one of the largest military campaigns in the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese carried out surprise attacks against the South Vietnam’s military and control centers. America and the South Vietnamese suffered great losses and, in result, the American public’s support of the war greatly declined. -
Assassination of MLK
In Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee the civil rights leader was shot. He was rushed to the hospital, but did not survive. MLK was an extremely influential leader for the civil rights movement which made him a target for segregationists. -
Woodstock
Woodstock was a music festival that promoted peace and counter culture. Many well known bands and artists, such as Santana, Mountain, The Who and many more, performed at the music festival. The main genre was rock and it attracted the attention of over 400,000 americans. -
Kent State
At Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, college students were protesting bombing in Cambodia. Ohio National Guard came to control the crowd, but they ended up firing over 67 rounds at the protesters. Four students were killed and nine were wounded. -
Equal Rights Amendment Proposed (Story Event)
The Equal Rights Amendment barred sex discrimination in general, leaving little to no legal distinction between men and women. The Amendment passed the House of Representatives in 1970 and the Senate in 1972. The amendment gained much support from feminists who seeked more equality in all legal aspects, but many people disapproved of it for many reasons, leading to its failure of being ratified. -
Title IX of Education Amendments (Story Event)
Title IX of Education Amendments ordered that there will be no sexual discrimination under any educational program. This amendment ensures that women have equal opportunity and equal rights in terms of getting an education as a man would. Even though women had achieved many rights that men had, some feminists were still not satisfied and wanted complete equality with little to no boundaries between the sexes, so many supported the Equal Rights Amendment. -
Vietnam Day
National Vietnam Day is a day to honor and respect the men and women who served in the Vietnam War. It was the day that combat units were withdrawn from Vietnam. -
Fall of Saigon (Important to me)
Fall of Saigon was the final assault of the North Vietnamese against the South Vietnamese. America was forced to leave and South Vietnam surrendered as North Vietnam successfully invaded South Vietnam. This event is very important to know because it marked the end of the largely un supported Vietnam War. -
Equal Rights Amendment failure (Story Event)
After many years and even a three year extension, the Equal Rights Amendment failed to achieve ratification by a minimum of 38 states. There are many reasonable arguments for why it was not passed, for example: it would outlaw separate public bathrooms, deny women some financial support, and make women go into combat. Not all women want these things and recognize that men and women are different and need to be recognized as different in certain legal aspects.
