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U.S. bombs Hiroshima
On August 6th, 1945,the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb, named "Little Boy", on the Japanese city, Hiroshima. The U.S. was the first country to use this type of weaponry during war. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day--U-S--Drops-Atomic-Bomb-on-Hiroshima--Japan.html -
Korean War begins
On June 24th, 1950, communist North Korea declares war on South Korea. The U.S. fought alongside South Korea for the duration of this three year battle.
Soures: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/korean-war-begins
http://koreanoodles.com/64-years-ago-today-the-korean-war-begins/ -
Sputnik launched into orbit
On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite successfully called, Sputnik I. This event started the "space race" between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. Sources: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/
https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/milestones-of-flight/online/current-objects/1957.cfm -
Explorer 1 launched
On January 31st, 1958 the U.S. launched its first satellite into orbit. Explorer I, also known as Satellite 1958 Alpha was the U.S. answer to Sputnik I in the "space race". Sources: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/expinfo.html
http://www.phy6.org/Education/wexp13.html -
Fidel Castro takes over Cuba
On January 1st, 1959 revolutionaries had finally taken down Batista, after years of trying with only a few small victories. Castro took over as prime minister just a week after the guerrillas took control from Batista. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/fidel-castro
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/04/world/americas/fidel-castro---fast-facts/ -
Soviet Union shoots down U.S. spy plane
A U-2 flight disappeared while going over Russia piloted by Francis Gary Powers. The Soviet Union did not release the information about what happened to that plane for a while. The Soviet Union did finally reveal the remains of the plane and proof that the pilot was still alive. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-u-2-spy-plane-shot-down
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/american-u-2-spy-plane-pilot-francis-gary-powers-whose-u-2-news-photo/50374526 -
John F. Kennedy elected president
In the 1960 presidental election, John F. Kennedy ran against vice president Richard Nixon. After his victory, John F. Kennedy was the youngest man to ever be elected president of the U.S. This was also the first election to have televised debates. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-f-kennedy-elected-president
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kennedy-defeats-nixon-presidency-1960-article-1.2423198 -
Bay of Pigs invasion
Kennedy inherited a CIA campaign to help spark an "anti-Castro" uprising on Cuba. The plan was broken down into stages. U.S. involvement was meant to be kept under wraps, but that did not stand true. Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion
http://www.redstate.com/2013/09/03/obama-re-enacts-bay-of-pigs-invasion/ -
Construction of the Berlin Wall begins
The Berlin Wall was made to prevent the travel between the people in East and West Berlin. The concrete wall was successful in sealing off two sections of Berlin. This wall soon became the physical symbol of the Cold War. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-germany-begins-construction-of-the-berlin-wall
http://mashable.com/2014/11/09/berlin-wall-construction/#DZsW6bx3skqI -
Cuban Missile Crisis
During this crisis the U.S and Soviet Union engaged in a 13 day political and military stand-off. This was becasue of the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba very close to the U.S. shore. After the news of this broke man people feared that the world was on th brink of nuclear war. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis -
JFK assassination
On November 22nd, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in an open-top convertible in Dallas, texas alongside his wife. Just two hours after the president was shot, his vice president, Lydon Johnson, was sworn in aboard the Air Force One. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-f-kennedy-assassinated
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/14/us/jfk-assassination-5-things/ -
SALT agreements signed in Moscow
U.S President Nixon and Soviet President Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreements, which covered 2 major issues. First, it limited the number of ABM sites each country could have. Second, each country was limited to the same intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles levels they already had. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/salt-agreements-signed
http://coldwar-meador.weebly.com/strategic-arms-limitation-talks-salt.htm -
The signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
The Soviet Union's leader, Mikhail Gorbachev is the one that claimed his nation was ready to sign this treaty. The two leaders, President Reagan and Gorbachev, had been working on a way to reduce the nulear arm issue in Europe for two years. This treaty was designed to do just that. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gorbachev-calls-for-nuclear-weapons-treaty
http://www.rand.org/blog/2015/01/the-difference-between-negotiation-and-appeasement.html -
The fall of the Berlin Wall
This wall was the physical symbol of the Cold War. It was up for almost thirty years. The Cold War was beginning to calm down which led the spokesman for East Berlin's Communist party to announce that the citizens were allowed freely cross the border. That night crowds of people either crossed through the wall or began to actually chip away at the wall with tools. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall -
The end of the Cold War
The Soviet Union began to slowly fall apart. When Mikhail Gorbachev took office in 1985, he creted two new policies for political openess and economic reform. In four years every other country had changed from a communist government to a noncommunist one. By 1991 the Soviet Union fell apart and the Cold War was over. Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cold-war-history
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