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United Nations founded
The United Nations was formed as a replacement for the League of Nations, which had been ineffective. It is an international organization formed to create peaceful political and economic cooperation between countries. -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
Prime Minister Winston Churchill's speech referring to a metaphoric "iron curtain" was one of the first references to an inevitable Cold War of ideology. He announced, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” This speech was in response to the growth of Soviet Communism in Europe. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was presented to congress by President Truman. It was created to allow the U.S. to give economic and military aid to any country that was threatened by Soviet aggression and communism. -
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Berlin Airlift
The city of Berlin, which was split up between U.S.S.R., the United States, Great Britain, and France, was deep within the part of Germany that was occupied by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union blockaded Berlin, so in response, the U.S. created the Berlin Airlift in order supply West Berlin with food, medicine, coal etc. These supply delivery flights lasted almost a year. This event showed to the Soviet Union that the U.S. would not give up. -
NATO forms
NATO, which is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed to deter Soviet expansionism, to forbid the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North American presence on the continent, and to encourage European political integration. It included 10 European countries as well as Canada and the United States. The creation of NATO prompted the creation of the Warsaw Pact, which included the Soviet Union and its allies. -
USSR tests A-bomb
In August of 1949, the USSR tested its first atomic bomb, code named "First Lightning." The explosion, which at 20 kilotons, was near to that of "Trinity,” the first U.S. atomic explosion. -
Rosenberg Trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a married couple convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage in 1951, were put to death in the electric chair. They were accused of being apart of a plot to leak information about the A-bomb to the USSR. -
Eisenhower in the House
Dwight D. Eisenhower won the election by a landslide for the presidency of the United States in 1952. His presidency marked the first Republican in the oval office in about 20 years. He was a five-star general in the army as well as the first Supreme commander of NATO. His main goal to aim for in office was to focus on the Soviet Union and reduce federal deficits. As president, he approved the establishment of NASA and ended the war in Korea. -
Stalin has Fallen
On March 1, 1953, Joseph Stalin, who was then 74 years old, was found on the ground in his room. He had suffered a massive stroke. The following day, he was paralyzed and speechless, and could not be helped. On the 5th of March, with his daughter by his side, he died. Stalin's temper, stress, arterio-sclerosis, and age had brought on the stroke. Following his death, Nikita Krushchev became the leader of the Soviet Union and de-Stalinization began. -
Warsaw Pact formed
In response to the creation of NATO, which consisted of the U.S. and its allies, the Soviet Union and its satellite nations created the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was a treaty between Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. It meant that if any of the nations signed on went to war, the others would support them. The creation of the Warsaw Pact led to more nations being on the brink of war and speeding up of the arms race. -
Eisenhower back in the White House
In the presidential election of 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower was re-elected. He still had much support after of a successful first term during which he ended the Korea War. -
Sputnik hits the road
On October 4, 1957, the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, is launched by the Soviet Union. This prompted the U.S. to speed up its efforts in the space race. -
Khrushchev become Soviet Premier
On March 27, 1958, Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev replaced Nicolay Bulganin as Soviet premier. He became the first leader since Joseph Stalin to simultaneously hold the USSR’s two top offices. -
NASA forms
Prompted by the race in technology with the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law on July 29, 1958. NASA began its space race with the USSR as Pioneer 1 was launched. The creation of NASA caused a quick advancement in technology as the two nations raced to put satellites in the sky and humans on the moon. -
Khrushchev finally visits a country that doesn't suck
In September of 1959, Nikita Khrushchev arrived in Washington D.C. for a historic visit. Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the U.S. The visit was made with good intentions and Khrushchev was seeking peace with the U.S. He stated upon arrival that he had come "with an open heart and good intentions. The Soviet people want to live in friendship with the American people.” This meeting did not lay down any specific negotiations, it created a feeling of brief friendship. -
Kennedy takes the lead
On November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy won the presidential election with his running mate, Lyndon B. Johnson. He was the first Catholic president as well as the youngest president to assume office. -
Bay of Pigs
In an attempt to revolt against Fidel Castro, 1,400 Cuban refugees were trained by the CIA to invade Cuba. The plan was a disaster and the refugees were outnumbered and surrendered to Castro's troops. -
Berlin Wall built
Berlin, the capital city deep within Soviet East Germany, was divided between France, England, and the U.S. on the west side, and occupied by the USSR on the east side. To keep Germans in East Berlin from escaping to capitalistic West Berlin, the Berlin Wall started construction on August 13, 1961. The Berlin Wall became the literal iron-curtain that divided Europe. On the night of August 13th, 30 miles of barbed wire was placed, and 2 days later on the 15th, concrete walls were constructed. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
When President Kennedy discovered that the USSR was transporting nuclear weapons to Cuba and Cuba already had Soviet missile bases almost completed, he called to quarantine the island of Cuba. This confrontation stopped seconds short of a nuclear war and JFK and Khrushchev agreed to reduce nuclear weapons. -
JFK assasinated
President John F. Kennedy was shot twice at 12:30 P.M. while in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. It is theorized that Lee Harvey Oswald was the shooter. Oswald is assumed the killer because of his history of living in the Soviet Union, married a Soviet woman, founded a pro-Castro organization, worked in the school book depository from which JFK was shot etc. JFK's death lead to more USSR aggression, as a relationship had been forming between Kennedy and Khrushchev.
