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Period: to
Vietnam War
Prolonged conflict between Communist forces of North Vietnam, backed by China and the USSR, and non-Communist forces of South Vietnam, backed by the United States. President Truman authorizes $15 million in economic and military aid to the French, who are fighting to retain control of French Indochina, including Vietnam. As part of the aid package, Truman also sends 35 military advisers. -
President sends federal troops to Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., to enforce integration of black students.
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Explorer I, first American satellite, is launched.
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Hawaii becomes the 50th state.
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Alaska becomes the 49th state.
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John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as the 35th president.
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Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba fails.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
President Kennedy denounces Soviet Union for secretly installing missile bases on Cuba and initiates a naval blockade of the island. -
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech before a crowd of 200,000 during the civil rights march on Washington, DC.
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President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Tex. He is succeeded in office by his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson.
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President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act.
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North Vietnamese torpedo boats allegedly attack U.S. destroyer in Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.
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Congress approves Gulf of Tonkin resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures necessary to defend U.S. forces and prevent further aggression.
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U.S. planes begin bombing raids of North Vietnam.
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First U.S. combat troops arrive in South Vietnam.
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In his annual state of the Union address, President Johnson proposes his Great Society program.
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Twenty-Fifth Amendment
to the Constitution is ratified, outlining the procedures for filling vacancies in the presidency and vice presidency. -
North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong launch Tet Offensive, attacking Saigon and other key cities in South Vietnam.
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American soldiers kill 300 Vietnamese villagers in My Lai massacre.
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Sen. Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles, Calif.
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Four students are shot to death by National Guardsmen during an antiwar protest at Kent State University.
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U.S. troops invade Cambodia.
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The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
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Roe v. Wade: Landmark Supreme Court decision legalizes abortion in first trimester of pregnancy.
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Ford is the first vice president to succeed to the office under the terms laid out by the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
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Representatives of North and South Vietnam, the Viet Cong, and the U.S. sign a cease-fire agreement in Paris.
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Last U.S. troops leave Vietnam
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House Judiciary Committee recommends to full House that Nixon be impeached on grounds of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
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House Judiciary Committee recommends to full House that Nixon be impeached on grounds of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
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House Judiciary Committee recommends to full House that Nixon be impeached on grounds of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
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South Vietnamese government surrenders to North Vietnam; U.S. embassy Marine guards and last U.S. civilians are evacuated.