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Germany
West Germany granted full sovereignty by its three occupying powers. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks arrested for not giving up her seat. -
Stalin
Nikita Khrushchev denounced Joseph Stalin. -
Polio
Dr. Albert Sabin discovered oral polio vaccine. -
Race seperation
US Supreme court rules race separation on buses in Alabama unconstitutional. -
Transatlantic telephone cable
First transatlantic telephone cable went into operation from Newfoundland to Oban. -
Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya gained independence from Great Britain. -
Little Rock Nine
President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered US troops to support the integration of nine black students at Little Rock Central High School. -
Earth satellite
USSR launches Sputnik I. -
First animal in space
USSR launches Sputnik 2 with a dog (Laika). -
Operation Sunshine
US atomic submarine USS Nautilus began 1st transit of North Pole. -
Integration
US Supreme Court ordered the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate. -
Luna 1
Luna 1 became 1st craft to leave Earth's gravity. -
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro became the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista. -
Hawaii
Hawaii became the 50th state in the US. -
Luna 2
Luna 2 launched by USSR. It was the 1st spacecraft to impact on the Moon. -
Guided missile
1st guided missile launched from nuclear powered sub. -
Submerged circumnavigation
US atomic submarine USS Triton completed 1st submerged circumnavigation of the globe. -
OPEC
Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia, and Venezuela form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. -
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong formed in South Vietnam. -
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was acquitted of treason in Pretoria. -
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. -
Bay of Pigs
Cuban exiles landed in Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. -
Space Race
JFK announced US goal of putting a man on Moon before the end of decade. -
Cuban missile crisis
The Cuban missile crisis began. -
Equal Pay Act
US Equal Pay Act signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. -
MLK Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech. -
Federation of Malaysia
Federation of Malaysia formed by Malaya, Singapore, British North Borneo, and Sarawak -
JKF
President John F. Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. -
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela sentenced to life in prison in South Africa. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. -
Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law. -
Indo-Pakistani War
India and Pakistan cease-fire went into effect, ending Indo-Pakistani War. -
Vietnam War
US planes bombed Hanoi and Haiphong. -
Cuban Adjustment Act
The Cuban Adjustment Act came into force, which allowed 123,000 Cubans opportunity to apply for permanent residence in the US. -
US and USSR
US and USSR signed a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons in outer space. -
Operation Junction City
US and South Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City against the Viet Cong. -
Six-day war
Six-day war between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria -
Civil Rights Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed 1968 Civil Rights Act. -
Vietnam War
The Battle of Khe Sanh began at the Khe Sanh Air Base. -
MLK Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Epperson v. Arkansas
In Epperson v. Arkansas, the US Supreme Court declared unconstitutional Arkansas law banning teaching evolution in public schools. -
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong became the first person to step on the Moon. -
Operation Banner
Operation Banner began -
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War ended. -
Divorce law
California passed 1st "no fault" divorce law. -
Idi Amin
Idi Amin appointed himself President of Uganda. -
Nixon
Richard Nixon installed a secret taping system in the White House. -
Battle of Garibpur
Indian troops defeated the Pakistan army. -
Biological weapons
US, USSR, and 70 other nations agreed to ban biological weapons. -
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
US Senate ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. -
Roe v. Wade
US Supreme Court legalized most abortions -
Vietnam War
US and North Vietnam signed cease-fire -
World Trade Center
The (then) world's tallest building opened in New York. -
Nixon
US President Richard Nixon announced he will resign. -
Ford
Gerald Ford swore the oath of office to take his place as the 38th US President. -
Ethiopia
Ethiopia abolished its monarchy. -
Vietnam War
US ended its involvement in the Vietnam War.