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Invention of the Ligh Bulb
The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, and it changed the world in a big way. Even though others had worked on electric lights before, Edison made one that worked well and lasted a long time. Factories didn't have to stop working when it got dark. They could stay open longer, which meant people worked more hours, which helped businesses grow, but also meant workers had longer and sometimes harder days. -
Beginning of the Building of the Planimal Canaille
The building of the Panama Canal began in the 1900s after the U.S. took over the project from France, which had failed due to disease and engineering challenges. Construction officially started under U.S. control in 1904. The canal was built to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, making global trade and naval travel much faster. Workers faced harsh conditions, including heat, landslides, and deadly diseases like malaria and yellow fever. The canal was completed in 1914. -
Sinking of the Titanic
The RMS Titanic was a British passenger ship that began its voyage on April 10, 1912. It departed from Southampton, England, and was traveling to New York City. On the night of April 14, 1912, the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean.The iceberg had torn through several compartments, causing the ship to sink. There were more than 2,200 people on board, but the ship did not have enough lifeboats for everyone. As a result, over 1,500 passengers and crew lost their lives -
U.S. Enters WWI
World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved many countries. It began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The U.S. joined in 1917 due to German submarine attacks and the Zimmermann Telegram. Over 116,000 American soldiers died in the conflict. The war ended in 1918 with the signing of the Armistice. It led to major political changes and the fall of several empires around the world. -
Great Depression Begins
The Great Depression was a global economic crisis that began in 1929 after the stock market crashed in the United States. It led to unemployment, bank failures, and extreme poverty. Millions of people lost their jobs, homes, and savings. The crisis lasted through most of the 1930s and affected the U.S. and many other countries. -
Black Sunday Dust Storm (Dust Bowel)
Black Sunday occurred on April 14, 1935, during the Dust Bowl, a time of severe dust storms in the Great Plains. On that day, one of the worst storms hit, turning the sky black and forcing people indoors. The Dust Bowl was caused by drought and poor farming practices that left the soil dry and loose. These storms ruined crops, forced families to leave their farms, and made the Great Depression even worse for many Americans. -
Attack on Peral Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise military strike on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. Over 2,400 Americans were killed, and many ships and planes were destroyed. The attack shocked the nation and led the United States to officially enter World War II the next day. -
Japanese Internment in the U.S.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. government forcibly relocated over 120,000 Japanese Americans in internment camps across the western United States, fearing they might be loyal to Japan. These camps were located in remote areas, Families lived in small, makeshift barracks, with little privacy or comfort. Many lost their homes, businesses, and livelihoods. -
D-Day Invation
D-Day, or the Normandy Invasion, took place on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Allied forces, including the U.S., Britain, and Canada, launched an attack on Nazi occupied France. Over 156,000 soldiers landed on five beaches in Normandy. The goal was to establish a position in Europe and begin the liberation of France. More than 4,000 Allied soldiers died on D-Day, with thousands more wounded. This invasion was a turning point in the war, leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany. -
Auschwitz liberated
Auschwitz, one of the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camps, was liberated by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945, during World War II. Over 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered there. The Soviet soldiers discovered thousands of starving prisoners and evidence of the horrific things committed by the Nazis. -
Invention of the First Atomic Bomb
The first atomic bomb was created during World War II through the U.S. government’s secret Manhattan Project. Scientists like J. Robert Oppenheimer worked together to develop the bomb, hoping it would give the U.S. an advantage. After years of research, they successfully tested the bomb on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, during World War II, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb, named "Little Boy," killed an estimated 70,000 80,000 people instantly, with many more dying from radiation sickness and injuries in the following months, helping bring an end to the war. -
End of WW2
World War II ended in 1945. In Europe, the war paused with Germany’s surrender on May 7, 1945, following the fall of Berlin to Allied forces. This day is known as V-E Day(victory in Europe). In the Pacific, the war ended after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender on September 2, 1945, marking V-J Day(Victory over Japan). -
Brown V. Board of Education Ruling
Brown v. Board of Education was a U.S. Supreme Court case decided on May 17, 1954. The Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson decision that had allowed "separate but equal" facilities This was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Killing of Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American boy from Chicago who was visiting in Mississippi in August 1955. Emmett Till was accused of whistling at a white woman. He was kidnapped, tortured, and brutally murdered by two white men, who were judged by an all white jury. His open casket funeral, attended by his mother, Mamie Till, brought national attention to the awful acts based on the color of his skin, sparking the Civil Rights Movement. -
March on Washington/"I Have a Dream" Speech
The March on Washington took place on August 28, 1963, over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand civil rights, jobs, and equality for African Americans. During the event, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, calling for an end to racism and for all people to be treated equally. -
End of Vietnam War
The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, leading to the fall of South Vietnam. The war lasted nearly 20 years and divided the U.S. and Vietnam. An estimated 58,000 American soldiers died. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, marking the symbolic end of the Cold War.the wall divided East and West Berlin, separating communist East Germany from democratic West Germany. Many families were torn apart, unable to visit or contact them for years. Finally, East German officials opened the border. Crowds gathered to celebrate and tear down the wall. -
9/11 Terrorist Attacks
September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. Four planes were hijacked. Two crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and one crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. -
COVID-19 Declared a Pandemic
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Caused by the coronavirus, it spread across the world, leading to lockdowns, travel bans. Millions became sick, and many lives were lost. Schools and businesses closed, and daily life changed.