-
1492
Columbus
Columbus sets off on his voyage. -
1497
John Cabot
John Cabot explores Newfoundland. -
1503
First Africans
First Africans are brought to the Americas. -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon
Juan Ponce de Leon explores Florida. -
Period: 1517 to
Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation spurs religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. -
1519
Hernan Cortes
Hernan Cortes begins the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. -
1531
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro subdues the Incas of Peru. -
1541
Jaques Catier
Jaques Cartier, sailing for France, explores the St. Lawrence River. -
1561
St. Augustine Colony
St. Augustine, the first European colony in present-day America, is founded. -
Period: to
Roanoke Island
Raleigh's Roanoke Island venture. -
Spanish Armada
The English defeat the Spanish Armada. -
Jamestown Colony
Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English colony, is established. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain founds Quebec. -
Pocahontas
Pocahontas marries John Rolfe. -
Africans Arrive
First Africans arrive in English America. -
Africans in Jamestown
First Africans arrive at Jamestown. -
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth colony is founded; Pilgrims agree to the Mayflower Compact. -
Uprising
Indian uprising in Virginia. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony is founded. -
Settlement of Maryland
Settlement of Maryland begins. -
Harvard College
Harvard College is established. -
Pequot War
-
Period: to
English Civil War
-
English Monarchy
Restoration of the English Monarchy. -
Restoration of Monarchy
Restoration of the Stuart monarchy - King Charles II -
Halfway Covenant
Puritans initiate the "Half-Way Covenant." -
Virginia Law
Virginia enacts law declaring that children of slave women are slaves. -
French Exploration of Mississippi River
The French explored the Mississippi River valley from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. -
Period: to
King Philips War
-
Bacon's Rebellion
-
Pop'e
Pop'e leads rebellion in New Mexico. -
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is established by William Pen. -
Dominion of New England
Dominion of New England is established -
Glorious Revolution
-
Royal Charter
Royal Charter for Massachusetts is established. -
Salem Witchcraft Trials
-
Period: to
Great Awakening
(1730s-1740s) -
Georgia is Founded
-
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger is tried for seditious libel. -
Stono Uprising
-
George Whitefield
George Whitefield preaches his first sermon in America, in Philadelphia. -
Jonathan Edward
Jonathan Edward preaches "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." -
Albany Congress
Albany Congress adopts Plan of Union -
Period: to
French & Indian War
-
Pontiac's Rebellion
-
Sugar Act
Parliament passes the Revenue(Sugar) Act. -
Repeal of Stamp Act
Parliament repeals the Stamp Act and passes the Declaratory Act. -
Townshend Duties
Parliament levies the Townshend duties. -
Boston Massacre
-
Stage of Boston Tea Party
Colonists stage the Boston Tea Party -
Coercive Acts/First Continental Congress
Parliament passes the Coercive Acts; colonists hold First Continental Congress -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
-
Second Continental Congress
Colonists hold Second Continental Congress -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published; Declaration of Independence is signed. -
Troops cross Delaware River
General Washington's troops cross the Delaware River; Battle of Trenton. -
Period: to
Winter at Morristown
Washington's troops winter at Morristown, New Jersey. -
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga; General Burgoyne surrenders. -
Period: to
Winter at Valley Forge
Washington's troops winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. -
Americans and French Form an Alliance
-
Articles of Confederation are Ratified
-
Battles of Cowpens
Battles of Cowpens and Guildford Courthouse. -
Surrender of Yorktown
General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Virginia. -
Articles of Confederation Take Effect
-
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris is signed. -
Newburgh Conspiracy
General Washington puts an end to the Newburgh Conspiracy -
Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance outlines a detailed plan for organizing western territories. -
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
Treaty of Fort Stanwix forces the Iroquois to give up land in New York and Pennsylvania. -
Land Ordinance
Land Ordinance outlines a plan for surveying and selling government lands. -
Statute of Religious Freedom
Virginia adopts the Statute of Religious Freedom. -
Constitutional Convention Call
Delegates call for a constitutional convention. -
Period: to
Shays Rebellion
-
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention is held in Philidelphia. -
Period: to
Federalist Papers
The "Federalist Papers" are published. -
Confederation government government is phased out.
-
French Revolution Begins
-
George Washington Inauguration
President George Washington is inaugurated. -
Rhode Island Ratifies Constitution
Rhode Island becomes the last state to ratify the Constitution. -
Bill of Right Ratification
Bill of Rights is ratified. -
U.S. Bank
Bank of the United States is created. -
Haiti Slave Revolt
Slave revolt in Santa Domingo (Haiti). -
Proclamation of Neutrality
Washington issues a proclamation of neutrality. -
Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin. -
Jays Treaty
Jays Treaty is negotiated with England. -
Whiskey Rebellion
-
Turnpike Completed
Philidelphia-Lancaster Turnpike is completed. -
Treaty of Greenville
By the Treaty of Greenville, the United States purchases western lands from Native Americans. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pinckney's Treaty is negotiated with Spain. -
Wilderness Road Opens
-
Washington's Farewell Address
President Washington delivers his farewell address. -
XYZ Affair
-
Alien and Sedition acts
Alien and Sedition Acts are passed. -
Jefferson as President
Thomas Jefferson is elected as president. -
Gabriel Conspiracy
Gabriel conspiracy in Richmond, VA. -
Marbury V. Madison
-
Louisiana Purchase
-
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
-
Chesapeake Affair
-
Embargo Act
Embargo Act is passed -
Clermont, Steam Boat
Clermont, the first successful steamboat, sails to Albany. -
International Slave Trade
International slave trade is outlawed -
Participation In International Slave Trade Outlawed
Participation in the international slave trade is outlawed. -
Fletcher v. Peck
Supreme Court issues Fletcher v. Peck decision. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
-
Charles Deslondes Revolt
Charles Deslondes revolt in Louisiana. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
-
Treaty of Ghent
-
Hartford Convention
-
Battle of New Orleans
-
Construction
Construction of the National Road begins. -
American Colonization Society
American Colonization Society is founded. -
Second Bank
The Second Bank of the United States is established. The first protective tariff goes into effect. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Supreme Court issues McCulloh v. Maryland decision.
United States and Spain agree to the Transcontinental(Adams Onis) Treaty.
Tallmadge Amendment. -
Florida &Missouri
Florida becomes a territory.
Missouri becomes a state. -
Mexico's Independence
Mexico gains independence from Spain. -
Denmark Vasey Conspiracy
Denmark Vasey conspiracy is discovered in Charleston, South Carolina. -
Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe enunciates the principles of the Monroe Doctrine. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
Supreme court issues Gibbons v. Ogden decision.
John Quincy Adams wins the presidential election by what some critics claim is a "corrupt bargain" with Henry Clay. -
Erie Canal Opens
-
Promotion of Temperance
Ministers organize the American Society for the promotion of Temperance. -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson wins presidential election.
John C. Calhoun publishes South Carolina Exposition and Protest. -
"Tariff of Abomination"
"Tariff of Abomination" goes into effect. -
Book of Mormon
Joseph Smith reveals the Book of Mormon. -
Indian Removal Act & Maysville Road Bill
Congress passes the Indian Removal Act.
Andrew Jackson vetoes the Maysville Road Bill. -
Period: to
Charles G. Finney
Charles G. Finney begins preaching in upstate New York. -
Mechanical Reaper
Cyrus McCormick invents a mechanical reaper. -
Cherokee Nation V. Georgia
Supreme Court issues Cherokee Nation V. Georgia decision. -
Nat Turner
Nat Turner leads slave insurrection in Virginia. -
The Liberator
William Lloyd Garrison begins publication of The Liberator. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Supreme Court issues Worcester v. Georgia decision.
South Carolina issues ordinance of nullification.
Andrew Jackson vetoes the Bank Recharter Bill. -
Henry Clay's Compromise Tariff
Congress passes Henry Clay's compromise tariff. -
American Anti-Slavery Society
American Anti-Slavery Society is founded. -
National Trades' Union
National Trades' Union is organized. -
American Defeat At The Alamo
Americans are defeated at the Alamo. -
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren is elected president. -
Transcendental Club
Transcendental Club holds its first meeting. -
Steel Plow
John Deere invents the steel plow. -
Financial Panic
Financial panic follows a drop in the price of cotton. -
Elijah P. Lovejoy
Abolitionist editor Elijah P. Lovejoy is murdered. -
Period: to
Eastern Indians
Eastern Indians are forced west on the Trail of Tears. -
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison, a Whig, is elected president. -
Liberty Party
Abolitionists form the Liberty party. -
President John Tyler
John Tyler becomes president. -
Commonwealth v. Hunt
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issues Commonwealth v. Hunt decision. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Americans and British agree to the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. -
First Clipper Launched
Rainbow, the first clipper ship, is launched. -
United States Annexes Texas & Mexico War
United States annexes Texas.
Mexico War begins. -
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is published. -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe invents the sewing machine. -
Mormon Trek
Mormons, led by Brigham Young, undertake trek to Utah. -
Donner Party Dies en route to California
Most members of the Donner party dies en route to California. -
California Gold Rush
California gold rush begins. -
Seneca Falls Convention
At the Seneca Falls Convention, women issue the Declaration of Sentiments.
John Humphrey Noyes establishes the Oneida Community. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican War. -
Free-Soil Party
Free-Soil party is organized.
California gold rush begins. -
California Gold Rush
California gold rush begins. -
Ain't I a Woman?
Sojourner truth delivers her famous speech Ain't I a Woman? -
Fort Laramie Treaty
Plains Indians agree to the Fort Laramie Treaty. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Congress passes the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
The Republican Party is founded. -
Walden, or Life in the Woods
Henry David Thoreau's Walden, or Life in the Woods is published. -
Gadsden Purchase
With the Gadsden Purchase, the United States acquires 30,000 square miles from Mexico. -
Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is published. -
Bessemer Converter
Bessemer converter process allows steel to be made quickly and inexpensively. -
Pro-slavery Acts of Violence
A pro-slavery mob sacks Lawrence, Kansas; John Brown stages the Pottawatomie Massacre in retaliation.
Charles Sumner of Massachusetts is caned and seriously injured by a pro-slavery congressman in the U.S. Senate. -
Lecompton Constitution & Dred Scott Decision
U.S. Supreme Court issues the Dred Scott decision.
Lecompton Constitution declares that slavery will be allowed in Kansas. -
Illinois Senate Race
Abraham Lincoln debates Stephen A. Douglas during the 1858 Illinois Senate race. -
New York's Central Park
Construction of New York's Central Park begins. -
Raid At Harpers Ferry, Virginia
John Brown and his follower's stage rais at Harper Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to incite a massive slave insurrection. -
First Oil Well Struck
First oil well is struck in Titusville, Pennsylvania. -
Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode is discovered. -
Darwin's On the Origin of Species
Darwin's On the Origin of Species is published. -
South Carolina Secede From Union & Crittenden Compromise Proposal
South Carolina secede from the Union.
Crittenden Compromise is proposed. -
Fort Sumter Fall & Call To Arms
Fort Sumter falls to Confederate forces; Lincoln issues call to arms. -
Bull Run Battle
First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). -
Trent Affair
The Trent affair commences when a Union warship stops a British ship on the high seas and takes two Confederate agents into custody. -
Abraham Lincolns Inauguration
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated president. -
Peninsular Campaign
Peninsular campaign. -
Battles of Shiloh, Bull Run 2, & Antietam
Battles of Shiloh, Second Bull Run, and Antietam. -
Morrill Land Grant Act, Transcontinental Railroad, And Homestead Act
Congress passes the Morrill Land Grant Act.
Congress guarantees the construction of a transcontinental railroad.
Congress passes the Homestead Act. -
Homestead Act
Congress passes the Homestead Act. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Vicksburg, Gettysburg, & Chattanooga
Siege of Vicksburg, Battles of Gettysburg, and Chattanooga. -
Lincolns Refusal Of the Wade-Davis Bill
Lincoln Refuses to sign the Wade-Davis Bill. -
Sand Creek Massacre
-
Thirteenth Amendment
Thirteenth Amendment is ratified. -
Freedmen Bureau
Congress sets up the Freedmen's Bureau -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House. -
Lincoln Is Assassinated
Lincoln Is Assassinated -
Ku Klux Klan & Civil Rights Act
Ku Klux Klan is organized.
Congress passes Civil Rights Act. -
Military Reconstruction Act &Tenure of Office Act
Congress passes the Military Reconstruction Act.
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act -
14th Amendment Ratification & Impeachment
14th Amendment is ratified.
Congress impeaches President Andrew Johnson; the Senate fails to convict him. -
First Transcontinental Railroad Completed
First transcontinental railroad is completed at Promontory, Utah. -
Barbed Wire
Joseph Glidden invents barbed wire. -
Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell patents his telephone. -
Lightbulb
Thomas A. Edison makes the first successful incandescent lightbulb. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
-
Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1877 ends Reconstruction. -
Great Railroad Strike
Great Railroad Strike. -
Munn v. Illinois
Supreme Court issues Munn v. Illinois decision. -
President Rutherford B. Hayes
With the Compromise of 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes becomes president and Reconstruction comes to an end. -
President Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes is inaugurated president. -
President James Garfield Assassinated
President James A. Garfield is assassinated. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act. -
Standard Oil Trust
John D. Rockefeller organizes the Standard Oil Trust. -
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
Congress passes the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. -
End of Indian Wars
Surrender of Geronimo marks the end of the Indian Wars. -
Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois decision
Supreme Court issues Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois decision. -
American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor is organized. -
Haymarket Incident
In the Haymarket incident, a bomb set off at a Chicago labor rally kills and wounds police officers. -
Severalty Act
Congress passes the Severalty Act. -
Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission is created. -
Hull-House
Hull-House, a settlement house, opes in Chicago. -
First Electric Elevator
Otis Elevator Company installs the first electric elevator. -
Battle of Wounded Knee
-
Congress Passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Congress passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, and the McKinley Tariff. -
Mississippi Plan Resegregates
Mississippi Plan resegregates public facilities by race. -
Basketball
Basketball is invented. -
Homestead Strike
-
Ellis Island
Ellis Island, a federal center for processing immigrants, opens. -
Omaha Platform
People's party drafts its Omaha platform. -
Frontier Thesis
Fredrick J. Turner's "frontier thesis." -
Economic Depression Affect
Economic Depression affects a substantial proportion of the population. -
Pullman Strike
-
Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed -
Atlanta Compromise Speech
Booker T. Washington delivers his Atlanta Compromise speech. -
Cuban Insurrection
Cuban Insurrection breaks out against Spanish rule. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Supreme Court issues Plessy v. Ferguson decision. -
The Maine Explodes
U.S. battleship Maine explodes in Havana Harbor. -
War of 1898
War of 1898. -
Annexation of Hawaii
United States annexes Hawaii. -
U.S. Ratifies Treaty of Paris
U.S. Senate ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the War of 1898. -
Period: to
Filipino Resistance
Filipino insurgents resist U.S. domination. -
Yellow Fever
Army Yellow Fever Commission confirms the cause of yellow fever. -
Boxer Rebellion
International alliance quells the Boxer Rebellion. -
Baseball's National League
Baseball's National League is formed. -
U.S. Steel Corporation
J Pierpont Morgan creates the U.S. Steel Corporation. -
Attempt to Arbitrate Coal Strike
Theodore Roosevelt attempts to arbitrate the coal strike. -
Northern Securities Company Broken
Justice Department breaks up Northern Securities Company. -
Elkins Act
Congress passes the Elkins Act. -
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is founded. -
Panamanians Revolt
Panamanians revolt against Columbia. -
First Airplane
Wright Brothers fly the first airplane. -
Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War. -
Movie House
First movie house opens. -
The Jungle
Upton's Sinclair The Jungle is published. -
Meat Inspection Act
Congress passes the Meat INspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. -
Great White Fleet
Great White Fleet circumnavigates the globe in a demonstration to America's rise to world-power status. -
Muller V. Oregon
Supreme Court issues Muller V. Oregon decision. -
NAACP Is Created
National Association for the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) is created. -
President William Taft
William Taft is inaugurated president. -
Mann-Elkins Act
Congress passes the Mann-Elkins Act. -
NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire
Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire. -
Federal Reserve Act
Congress passes the Federal Reserve Act. -
Clayton Anti-Trust Act
Congress passes the Clayton Anti-Trust Act. -
Panama Canal
Panama Canal opens. -
World War I
World War I starts in Europe. -
United States Intervenes
United States intervenes in Mexico. -
Lusitania Torpedoed
British liner Lusitania, with Americans aborad, is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine. -
National Defense Act
Congress passes the National Defense Act. -
Louis Brandeis
Louis Brandeis is nominated to fill a seat on the Supreme Court. -
Universal Negro Improvement Association
Marcus Gravey brings to New York the Universal Negro Improvement Association. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Zimmerman telegram reveals that Germany is attempting to incite Mexico to enter the war against the United States. -
United States Enter The Great War
United States Enter The Great War. -
Fourteen Points Speech
Woodrow Wilson delivers his Fourteen Points speech. -
Signing of Armistice
Representatives of warring nations sign armistice. -
Schenck v. United States
Supreme Court issues Schenck v. United States decision. -
Race Riots
Race riot breaks out in Chicago. -
Red Scare
U.S. attorney general launches Red Scare. -
The Treaty Is Presented to The Germans
The Treaty of Versailles is presented to the Germans. -
Nineteenth Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing women's suffrage, is ratified. -
Prohibition
Prohibition begins. -
This Side of Paradise
F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise is published. -
Albert Einstein's Nobel Peace Prize
Albert Einstein recieves the Nobel Peace Prize in physics. -
Emergency Immigration Act
Congress passes the Emergency Immigration Act. -
Washington Naval Conference
Representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France,
Italy, and Japan attend the Washington Naval Conference. -
Official End of War
Joint resolution of Congress officially ends the war among the United States, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. -
The Waste Land Is Published
T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land is published.
First radio commercial is aired. -
League of Nations Observers
United States begins sending observers to the League of
Nations.
Benito Mussolini comes to power in Italy. -
President Warren G. Harding Dies
President Warren G. Harding dies in office. -
Immigration Act
Congress passes the Immigration Act. -
Scopes "Monkey Trial"
Scopes "monkey trial" tests the teaching of evolution in Tenesee public schools. -
First Solo Transatlantic Flight.
Charles Lindbergh jr. makes first solo transatlantic flight. -
President Hebert Hoover
Herbert Hoover is elected president.
More than sixty nations sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact pledging not to go to war with one another, except in matters of
self-defense. -
Stock Market Crashes
Stock market crashes. -
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
Congress passes the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. -
Glass-Steagall Act
Congress passes the Glass-Steagall Act. -
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
Congress sets up the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. -
Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany. -
Bonus Expeditionary Force Converges To Demand Payment
Bonus Expeditionary Force converges on Washington to
demand payment of bonuses promised to war veterans. -
Emergency Banking Relief Act
Congress passes the Emergency Banking Relief Act. -
Beer-Wine Revenue Act
Congress passes the Beer-Wine Revenue Act. -
Civilian Conservation Corps
Congress establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps. -
Tennessee Valley Authority
Congress creates the Tennessee Valley Authority. -
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Congress establishes the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation. -
Civil Works Administration
Congress creates the Civil Works Administration. -
Works Progress Administration
President Roosevelt creates the Works Progress
Administration. -
Wagner Act
Congress passes the Wagner Act. -
Social Security
Social Security goes into effect. -
Panay Incident
Panay Incident. -
Anschluss
Hitler forces the Anschluss (union) of Austria and Germany. -
Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath is published. -
Nonaggression Pact
Soviet Union agrees to a nonaggression pact with Germany. -
Poland Invasion
German troops invade Poland. -
Native Son
Richard Wright’s Native Son is published. -
Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese launch surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. -
Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway. -
Roosevelt and Churhill Meet
Roosevelt and Churchill meet Stalin, in Tehran. -
Meeting at Casablanca
Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Combined Chiefs of Staff
meet at Casablanca. -
Allied Forces In Sicily
Allied forces land on Sicily. -
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act
Congress passes the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill
of Rights). -
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act
Congress passes the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act
(GI Bill of Rights). -
D-day
D-day. -
FDR Death & Hitler's Suicide
Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies; Hitler commits suicide. -
Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference. -
United Nations Charter
Fifty nations at war with the Axis Powers sign the United
Nations Charter. -
V-E Day
V-E day. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped in Japan
Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Japanese Surrender
Japanese surrender. -
Taft-Hartley Labor Act
Congress passes the Taft-Hartley Labor Act. -
National Security Council
National Security Council (NSC) is established. -
Airlifting Supplies
Allied forces begin airlifting supplies to West Berlin -
Israel
Israel is proclaimed an independent nation. -
No Segregation in The US Armed Forces
Truman issues an executive order ending segregation in the
U.S. armed forces. -
President Truman
Truman defeats Dewey in the presidential election. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is created. -
Communist China
China “falls” to communism. -
War in Korea
United States and other UN members go to war in Korea. -
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is published. -
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are executed. -
Armistice in Korea
Armistice is reached in Korea. -
Geneva Accords
Geneva Accords adopted. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
4 Army-McCarthy hearings are televised. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
Supreme Court issues ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott begins. -
Suez War
In Suez War, Israel, Britain, and France attack Egypt. -
Hungarian Revolt Surpessed
Hungarian revolt against the Warsaw Pact is quickly
suppressed. -
Baby Boom Peak
Baby Boom peaks. -
Jack Kerouac’s On the Road
Jack Kerouac’s On the Road is published. -
Troops Sent To Protect Students
Federal troops ordered to protect students attempting to
integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. -
Sputnik 1
Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1. -
Spy Planes
U-2 incident reveals that the United States is flying spy
planes over the Soviet Union. -
Staged Sit In
Students in Greensboro, North Carolina, stage a sit-in to
demand service at a “whites-only” lunch counter. -
Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs fiasco. -
Berlin Wall Erection
Soviets erect the Berlin Wall. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban missile crisis. -
Washington March
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. -
JFK Assassination
John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. -
Civil Rights Act
Congress passes the Civil Rights Act. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress passes the Tonkin Gulf resolution. -
Malcolm X Assassination
Malcolm X is assassinated by a rival group of black Muslims. -
Watts, California, Riots
Riots break out in the African American community of
Watts, California. -
Tet Offensive
Viet Cong stages the Tet offensive. -
MLK Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated. -
Robert Kennedy Assassination
Robert Kennedy is assassinated.
