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Ike Turner
American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. -
G.I. Bill
provided educational and other benefits for people who had served in the armed forces in World War II. -
Period: to
Contemporary
Contemporary history is a subset of modern history which describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. -
38th Parallel established as border
is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane it has formed the border between North and South Korea prior to the Korean War. -
Little Boy
was the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima -
Hiroshima
The city was destroyed in World War II when an American airplane dropped the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare -
Nagasaki
an inlet of the East China Sea. The first Japanese port to be opened to foreign trade in the 1500s, Nagasaki was devastated by the second atomic bomb used in World War II -
Iron curtain
boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War 2 -
Truman Doctrine
the principle that the US should give support to countries or peoples threatened by Soviet forces or communist insurrection. -
Period: to
Cold War
The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc. -
Berlin Airlift
At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany, they also divided Germany into occupation zones. -
Fair Deal
Was an ambitious set of proposals put forward by U.S. President Harry S. Truman to Congress in his January 1949 State of the Union address. More generally the term characterizes the entire domestic agenda of the Truman administration -
Beat Generation
A literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. -
Period: to
1950`s
experienced marked economic growth – with an increase in manufacturing and home construction among a post–World War II economic expansion. -
McCarhyism
a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy -
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as acid, is a psychedelic drug known for its psychological effects. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band created in 1952 and continued until Haley`s death in 1981 -
Polio Vaccine
There are two types of vaccine that protect against polio: inactivated polio virus vaccine (IPV) and oral polio virus vaccine (OPV). -
Earl Warren Supreme Court
Earl Warren was an American jurist and politician, who served as the 30th Governor of California and later the 14th Chief Justice of the United States. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. -
Albert Sabin
A Polish American medical researcher, best known for developing the oral polio vaccine which has played a key role in nearly eradicating the disease. -
Orval Faubus
was an American Democratic politician who served as 36th Governor of Arkansas. Was against integration at the little rock schools. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
An American medical researcher and virologist. He discovered and developed one of the first successful polio vaccines -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till reportedly flirted with a white cashier in Money, Mississippi. Four days later, two white men tortured and murdered Till. His murder galvanized the emerging Civil Rights Movement. -
Little Richard
Is an American musician, singer and songwriter. An influential figure in popular music and culture for more than six decades. -
Elvis
was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School -
Sputnik
first of the soviets artificial satellites to be placed in orbit. -
Period: to
1960s
This "cultural decade" is more loosely defined than the actual decade, beginning around 1963 with the Kennedy assassination and ending around 1972 with the -
Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) -
New Frontier
A slogan used by President John F. Kennedy to describe his goals and policies. Kennedy maintained that, like the Americans of the frontier in the nineteenth century, Americans of the twentieth century had to rise to new challenges, such as achieving equality of opportunity for all. -
Peace Corps
a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. -
March on Washington
The purpose of the march was to stand up for civil and economic rights for African Americans during a time when racism was more prevalent throughout society. -
Birmingham Bombing
The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was an act of white supremacist terrorism which occurred at the African-American 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday. -
Ascendency of Lyndon Johnson
Became the 36th president of the United States following the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. -
Assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
was an American former U.S. Marine who assassinated United States President John F. Kennedy -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a 1964 voter registration project in Mississippi, part of a larger effort by civil rights groups such as the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to expand black voting in the South. -
Daisy Girl Ad
was a controversial political advertisement aired on television during the United States presidential election by incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. -
Great Society
Was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65. The main goal was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. -
Selma March
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile highway from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery. -
Death of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American clergyman and civil rights leader who was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee -
Warren Burger Supreme Court
the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger was a conservative, and the U.S. Supreme Court delivered numerous conservative decisions under him. -
Stonewall Riot
were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours -
The New Right
refers to a late 1970s/1980s onward movement both within and outside of the Liberal/National Coalition which advocates economically liberal and increased socially conservative policies -
Period: to
1970s
"pivot of change" in world history focusing especially on the economic upheavals.[1] In the Western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and economic liberty of women, continued to grow. -
Stagflation
a portmanteau of stagnation and inflation, is a situation in which the inflation rate is high, the economic growth rate slows, and unemployment remains steadily high. -
Watergate
Watergate was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s, following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office. -
Roe v. Wade
is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. -
Heritage Foundation
The Asian Studies Center is The Heritage Foundation's oldest research center. It was established in 1983 in recognition of the dynamic Asia-Pacific region’s growing importance to U.S. interests. -
Endangered Species Act
provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. -
Oprah Winfrey
Is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. -
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
Black Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the BET Networks division of Viacom. -
Three-Mile Island
The Three Mile Island accident was caused by a nuclear meltdown in reactor number 2 of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic standoff between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days -
Period: to
1980s
The decade saw great socioeconomic change due to advances in technology and a worldwide move away from planned economies and towards laisse-faire capitalism. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumococcus pneumonia in young gay men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. Originally the disease was called GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency), but by 1982, after scientific discovery that the disease was also transmitted by other means, so now its called AIDS. -
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Governor of Georgia prior to his election as president. His term ended in 1981. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States. -
Space Shuttle Program
Officially called the Space Transportation System, was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. -
Reagonomics
the economic policies of the former US president Ronald Reagan, associated especially with the reduction of taxes and the promotion of unrestricted free-market activity. -
Music Television (MTV)
MTV originally an initialism of Music Television is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by Viacom Media Networks. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”
also known as Star Wars, was a program first initiated under President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from specifically the Soviet Union. -
Reagan Doctrine
It was orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to overwhelm the global influence of the Soviet Union in an attempt to end the Cold War. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair, also referred to as Irangate, Contragate, was a political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. was a clandestine action not approved of by the United States Congress -
Challenger Explosion
the NASA shuttle orbiter mission STS-51-L and the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The spokesman for East Berlin's Communist Party announced a change in his city's relations with the West. Starting at midnight that day, he said, citizens of the German Democratic Republic were free to cross the country's borders. -
Period: to
1990s
characterized by the rise of multiculturalism and alternative media Movements such as grunge, the rave scene and hip hop spread around the world to young people during that decade, aided by then-new technology such as cable television and the World Wide Web. -
Rodney King Incident
He was a taxi driver who became internationally known after being beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers following a high-speed car chase -
George H.W. Bush
American politician who was the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. -
Bill Clinton
American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. -
World Trade Center Attack - 1993
The 1993 World Trade Center bombing was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, when a truck bomb detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Is an agreement among the United States, Canada and Mexico designed to remove tariff barriers between the three countries. -
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy
Was the official United States policy on military service by gays, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted by the Clinton Administration -
Counter Culture
a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
United States federal law that, prior to being ruled unconstitutional, defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. -
Lewinsky Affair
Was an American political sex scandal that involved 49-year-old President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The sexual relationship took place between 1995 and 1996 and came to light in 1998. -
Bush v. Gore
Was a divided Supreme Court ruled that the state of Florida's court-ordered manual recount of vote ballots in the 2000 presidential election was unconstitutional. The case proved to be the climax of the contentious presidential race between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. Because the returns were so close, Florida law called for an automatic machine recount of ballots. -
9/11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States. Two planes collided with the world trade center, another collided with the pentagon, and the passengers of the fourth took back there plane and crashed it into a field. -
PATRIOT ACT
Is an Act of Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush. With its ten-letter abbreviation (USA PATRIOT) expanded, the full title is "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001". -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. ... To receive federal school funding, states had to give these assessments to all students at select grade levels. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. The storm surge also devastated the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, making Katrina the most destructive. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of general economic decline observed in world markets during the late 2000s and early 2010s. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country. -
Barack Obama
Served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He is the first African American to have served as president, as well as the first born outside the contiguous United States. -
George W. Bush
served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was also the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Great Recession, the ARRA's primary objective was to save existing jobs and create new ones as soon as possible. -
“Obamacare”
An informal term for a federal law intended to improve access to health insurance for US citizens. The official name of the law is the Affordable Care Act or (in full) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
