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Ku Klux Klan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raVFzZZLp3A
The Ku Klux Klan first flourished in the 1860's as a direct response to the results of the Civil War. It experienced another rise in popularity during the early 1900s as a result of growing nativism. This is when the very controversial film "The Birth of a Nation" was released. Forrest Gump's face is actually pasted onto a picture from this controversial movie during a scene where we see his grandfather that he was named after. -
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Vietnam War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPPaZU18rUg
The Vietnam War was the longest and least successful war in United States history. It was a very controversial war that led to many protests in the country. Forrest Gump finds himself in the middle of a firefight where he learns the true brutality of war. -
Elvis Sings Hit Song "Hound Dog"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJslCsekjIg
This was one of Elvis' biggest hits, and in the movie we see Forrest teach Elvis how to dance to it. Then afterward, we see his mother saying that it was not appropriate for kids to watch, which goes to show how different the times were back then. It is also ironic because she doesn't want Forrest to watch it even though he was the one who taught Elvis the dance move. -
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The Hippie Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcOTZeZ3_40
The Hippie Movement took place during the 1960's as a protest to modern culture that rejected the standard ways of life. Hippies often lived in communes and were very experimental in doing drugs such as LSD. They were very active in protesting the Vietnam War which is why they are relevant in Forrest Gump. -
Desegregation of Schools And George Wallace's Assassination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkXxczF49U
In the movie Forrest unknowingly attempts a protest to keep African-American students from enrolling in the University of Alabama. This was a very heated moment in American history. JFK eventually had to send troops to order the desegregation of the school. This event led directly to assassination of Governer George Wallace, who tried very hard to keep the school segregated. -
Assassination of JFK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMoAUsTuf0
In one scene we see Forrest get to to meet JFK and then mentions that someone later shot that man. JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963, while riding in a parade. Just a few years later his little brother was assassinated while running for president. -
Period: to
Black Panther Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpnYAId6dU
Here we see Forrest in the middle of a Black Panther party, which is something new for him. The Black Panthers were a violent civil rights group. In this scene Forrest is wearing his uniform and is made fun of because of it due to the dislike of the Vietnam War that many Black Panthers felt. -
Moon Landing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4
During the movie, the characters can be seen watching the first moon landing on TV. This was one of the biggest events in American history because it turned the tides in the Space Race and helped show America's technological dominance. -
Ping Pong Diplomacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJ4wh1kwR8&t=22s
Ping-Pong Diplomacy was a successful attempt to ease reestablish a diplomatic relationship with China. In the movie Forrest Gump gets to play ping-pong on this team and becomes an international celebrity and even gets to meet the president. -
John Lennon and Musical Protesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAn-AWXtHv0
In one scene of the movie, we see Forrest Gump talk to John Lennon in a conversation that mirrors the lyrics to his hit song "Imagine". This song was written during a time when many artists voiced their political opinions in their songs. This was called Protest Music and was very influential in changing opinions of the Vietnam War. -
Watergate Break In
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmnSMlAstMc
In the movie we see Forrest look out the window of his hotel to see people breaking in to the section across from him. The camera pans down and we see the name Watergate Hotel. This is a reference to the famous Watergate Scandal that started on June 17, 1972 and eventually led to Nixon's resignation. It was this event that led to America's distrust in its own government that still sticks with us to this day. -
Hurricane Carmen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9zcxt0oCGM
In one scene of Forrest Gump, a Hurricane Carmen comes through and destroys all of the local shrimping boats except for Forrest Gump's. This allows him to become very successful due to decreased competition in the area. Hurricane Carmen was a very destructive that cost $162 million dollars in damage, and was so damaging that they retired the name Carmen from being used again. -
Apple Inc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfqw8nhUwA
In one scene of the movie, we see that Forrest Gump is invested in Apple Inc. Back in the 1980s, Apple was quickly rising in popularity due to innovative new products. Apple is now one of the largest technology companies in the world. -
Smiley Face T-shirt
In the movie, Forrest helps to created the Smiley Face T-shirt that was immensely popular in the early 80s. The smiley face was originally created as a way to raise employee moral but eventually became the product seen in Forrest Gump. -
Period: to
AIDS Epidemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDVNdn0CvKI
In the movie it is implied that Jenny dies of the AIDS virus. During the 1980s, AIDS began to infect millions of people, sparking panic among the American public. The effects of this large outbreak can still be seen today.
