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Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Francis Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo. This formally starts WWI -
Christmas Truce
Firing between trenches stopped on Christmas day on the Western Front. The enemies celebrated the holidays together. -
Lusitania is Sunk
The "Lusitania" is sunk by a German U-Boat. This was a passenger boat with 148 Americans onboard. This brought the United States into WWI. -
British Nurse Executed
British nurse Edith Cavell, who was working with the Red Cross at the time, is shot and killed by Germans. She was thought to be a spy who was helping Allied soldiers escape Belgium. -
Submarine Warfare Suspended
President Woodrow Wilson threatens to cut off ties with Germany after the sinking of another passenger boat. Germany agrees to stop submarine warfare because they didn't want the United States to join the war with the Allies. -
United States Enters WWI
After the Germans continue to use unrestricted submarine warfare, Woodrow Wilson presents war to Congress. The United States then declares war on the Germany which enters them into WWI -
WWI Ends
An armistice is signed by Germany and the Allies. This is the formal end to the war. It is deemed as a victory for the Allied powers and total defeat of the Germans. Also, the Allies made the armistice harsh towards the Germans. -
Nazis Sign Pact of Steel with Italy
A political alliance was formed between Italy and Germany which was formally known as the Pact of Friendship. -
Nazis Invade Poland
Germany invades Poland in 1939. Within weeks, the Polish Army fell to the Nazis and they were now under Hitler's control. -
Italy Declares War on Britain and France
Because of the alliances previously made by Germany and Italy in the Pact of Steel, Italy declares war on France and Britain. -
Tripartite Pact Signed
The Tripartite Act is signed by Germany, Japan, and Italy. This pact creates the three Axis powers that will fight against the Allies. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes bomb the United States' Pearl Harbor which formally enters the US into WWII. -
Japanese Internment
Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which ordered all Americans of Japanese descent on the west coast to go to internment camps. They were seen as threats to the nation. In total, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to these camps. -
Germany and Italy Surrender in North Africa
The Allies successfully captured German and Italian forces in North Africa. The Axis powers won nothing from this battle and it a huge failure for them. -
Himmler Orders Liquidation
Heinrich Himmler, a leading member of the Nazi Party, orders that all Jewish ghettos in Poland be liquidated. This means that all Jews will be sent to concentration camps. -
Mussolini Re-Establishes Fascist Government
After being thrust from power in July of 1943, Benito Mussolini re-establishes a Fascist regime in Northern Italy. -
First Kamikaze
The first suicide air raids occur against US warships in Leyte Gulf; these suicide planes would be later known as Kamikazes. -
Hiroshima Bombing
The first atomic bomb is dropped in Hiroshima, Japan by the United States. This bomb killed an estimated 80,000 people upon impact and thousands more died from radiation exposure. -
Nagasaki Bombing
The second atomic bomb is dropped in Nagasaki, Japan by the US. This bomb killed an estimated 40,000 people. -
Korean War Begins
President Harry Truman sends United States troops to Korea to try and stop the spread of communism. -
US Defeated in Osan
Going in thinking they will have an easy win, the United States is defeated by the North Korean army in Osan. They quickly realize that they are up against a better army than they originally thought. -
Victory at Inchon
The US troops successfully claim the city of Inchon. From there, they move onto Seoul and take it back from the North Korean army. -
China Joins War
China joins the war on the North Korean side. They prove to be an important factor to the Northern side because they win many battles and are able to push the United States and the South Korean armies back. -
Battle of Heartbreak Ridge Begins
A battle begins in what is known as the Punchbowl part of South Korea. United States and French troops battle North Korean and Chinese troops. The United States and French troops ended up winning the month long battle, killing over 25,000 enemy troops. -
Truce Between Nations
North Korea and South Korea sign an agreement to stop fighting. Even though the nation is still divided, there will be a neutral zone that separates the two nations. -
U.S. Increases Advisers
The United States announces that they will be increasing their troops in Vietnam from 327 men to 685 men. -
Kennedy Elected
Democrat John F. Kennedy is elected at the 35th President of the United Sates. He defeated the Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon. -
Viet Cong Formed
The National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam is formed. Along with that, the military branch of this, known as the Viet Cong, is formed. This is all formed by North Vietnam. -
First U.S. Combat Death
A U.S. servicemen dies in Vietnam which is the first reported combat death. For many, this marks the beginning of the Vietnam War. -
Military Assistance Commands Vietnam Established
The MAAG is replaced by the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam in Saigon. The military is ordered to fire if they are fired upon. By the end of the year, over 11,000 troops are in Vietnam. -
First U.S. Combat Troops
The first combat troops for the United States arrived in Vietnam. -
Berkeley Teach-In
Over 30,000 people attended an three day anti-war protest at Berkely University. This was the biggest war protest throughout the war. -
March on the Pentagon
100,000 people storm the Pentagon in protest of the Vietnam War. -
Tet Offensive
Viet Cong forces attacked U.S. troops on the Vietnam holiday of Tet. These were attacks that were not expected. This causes the U.S. public to lower their support in the war. -
My Lai Massacre
Hundreds of civilians are killed in South Vietnam in a town of My Lai. Most of the civilians killed were women, children, and elderly men. These people didn't present themselves as a threat to the soldiers. -
Burning of Draft Cards Ruled Free Speech
After a Supreme Court ruling, people burning their draft cards is an example of the 1st Amendment's free speech and cannot be punished by law. -
Cambodia Invasion
President Nixon announces that American and South Vietnamese troops have invaded Cambodia. They did this to destroy Viet Cong bases that were stationed in Cambodia. -
Kent State Killings
A protest had been going on at Kent State University since May 1st. They were protesting the Vietnam War. Ohio National Guards were called to the campus to restore order on campus. In an attempt to stop the protesters, the guardsmen shot 67 rounds into the crowd. Four people died as a result of this and 9 people were wounded. Of those dead, two of them weren't protesters. -
Jackson State Killings
After allegedly setting a dump truck on fire on campus, police were called to the scene at Jackson State University. Then, it was reported that black students threw bricks at the officers. The police began open firing on the students. Two students were killed as a result of this. -
Twenty Sixth Amendment
The 26th amendment is ratified today. This amendment lowered the age to vote from 21 to 18. The reason this was changed was because people did not think it was fair to send troops over into the Vietnam War at 18, but they weren't allowed to vote at 18. They thought that if they were going to die for their country they should be able to have a say in their country. -
George H.W. Bush Elected
George H.W. Bush was elected as the 41st President of the United States -
Slobodan Milosevic Becomes President
Slobodan Milosevic was elected the president of Serbia. He was also their party leader. When he became president, it gave more power to the Serbs in Yugoslavia. -
Iraq Invades Kuwait
Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq, delivered a speech about Kuwait in early 1990. In this speech, the country's leader made accusations towards Kuwait. Shortly after the speech was given, Hussein sent orders for his army to invade Kuwait. -
Iraqi Withdrawal from Kuwait
The United Nations asked Iraq to withdrawal their troops from the country of Kuwait. Ultimately, they did not remove the troops they had stationed in Kuwait. -
Operation Desert Storm Begins
After giving Iraq time to withdraw their troops, the United Nations decided it was time to try and push the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. In charge of the army that invaded Kuwait, Norman Schwarzkopf used different tactics to help end the war quickly. He used Stealth Bombers, Cruise Missiles, Smart Bombs, and night bombing equipment. -
Ground Offense Begins
After a month of air strikes on the Iraqi army, the United Nations decided to fight on the ground. This took place in the southern part of Iraq and Kuwait; it was also know as Operation Desert Sabre. -
Treaty Signed to End War
A treaty was signed to end the Persian Gulf War. The treaty stated that Iraq had to recognize Kuwait as a country as well as get rid of all weapons of mass destruction. These weapons include nuclear, biological, and chemical. The treaty also stated that Hussein had to step down form power. Although they recognized Kuwait as a country, Hussein did not step down from power and they did not release all WMD. -
Slovenia and Croatia Declare Independence
A civil war began after Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Slovenia won their independence under the rule of Milosevic. -
Somali Civil War Begins
The Somali Civil War starts in the year of 1991 because there was resistence to the Siad Barre regime during the 1980's. -
Bosnia Gains Independence
After World War I, Bosnia was part of Yugoslavia. However, after the second world war, Bosnia was created because Yugoslavia had broken up into different countries. Josip Tito reunified the country of Yugoslavia. When he died, the country struggled and they wanted independence from the country. -
UN Resolution 751
This authorized humanitarian relief efforts in Somalia to help the starving citizens. It also set up UN operations in Somalia; this was also known as UNOSOM. They wanted to sort out the confusion among the groups in the region and help get supplies where they were supposed to go. -
Operation Provide Relief
This was a plan that would help give relief to the starving Somalians without using the military. -
Operation Restore Hope
U.S. Marine and Navy Seals arrive in Mogadishu to help secure the area. At first, the plan was successful and cooperative. -
Troops Killed in Mogadishu
In October of 1993, dozens of U.S. troops were killed or wounded in this battle. -
Sarajevo Attack
The Bosnian Serbs attacked the capital of Sarajevo. This resulted in 68 deaths and more than 200 wounded. Because of this attack, an international call for help was issued. -
NATO Bombing
After the worst part of the "ethnic cleansing" had begun, NATO realized what was going on. They began to try and help the Muslim community. They dropped bombs on the Serbs to try and stop them from hurting the Muslims. -
Milosevic Talks Peace
After the United Nations had been bombing Bosnia for about a month, the leader of the country wanted to talk peace. Everyone involved met at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Milosevic agreed to democratic elections. The two main portions of this democracy were the Bosnian Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation. Also, war criminals were handed over for prosecution. -
Mohamed Farrah Aidid Dies
The Somali military commander and faction leader dies on this date. He was the leader of the Somali National Alliance.
