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The Iron Curtain
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave his famous "Iron Curtain" speech that marked the start of the Cold War. -
Berlin Blockade
Joseph Stalin closes off the routes that were used to bring supplies into West Berlin. Those living in Western Berlin no longer had access to food supplies and faced starvation. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift supplied citizens of Berlin with basic necessities by plane after the Soviet Union blocked off the city. -
Formation of NATO
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO was formed to defend Europe against the Soviet Union. -
End of Berlin Blockade
Russia ended the Berlin Blockade. The access routes to Berlin are re-opened. -
Formation of the Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union forms the Warsaw Pact with East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria. The Warsaw Pact was formed as a Communist military defense organization in opposition to NATO. -
Space Race
Americans reacted in fear when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite to orbit the earth. The Space Race was a rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Russia in space technology. -
U-2 Incident
American pilot Francis Gary Powers's USA U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet Union airspace. A planned Paris summit between the United States and Soviet Union broke down as a result of this incident because President Eisenhower denied responsibility. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs invasion was an unsuccessful attempt by Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, to invade Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro. -
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built. The borders between East and West Germany were sealed. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S. discovers that the Soviets were secretly installing military bases that included nuclear weapons in Cuba. War was averted thanks to President Kennedy when he set up a naval blockade. On October 28, the Russians reached a compromise to remove the weapons. -
JFK's Assassination
During a visit to Dallas, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. There has been speculation that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the only one involved in JFK's assassination. Some believed that communist countries or even CIA were involved. The vice-president, Lyndon B. Johnson, becomes President of the United States -
The Soviets Invaded Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to drive out Hafizullah Amin. This resulted in the end of Détente. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was demolished. The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the downfall of the European communist governments. The Iron Curtain divide of Europe ended as a result of the Berlin Wall being demolished. -
The Cold War Ends
The Soviet Union breaks up into independent republics.
