-
United States enters World War I
President Woodrow Wilson requested Congress to declare war on Germany. Germany violated it's pledge to remove unauthorized submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. Germany was also trying to entice Mexico into an alliance against the United States. April 4th the Senate voted in support of the war and the House of Representatives agreed two days later. -
The Star Spangled Banner was adopted as the United States National Anthem
The lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner came from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry" a poem written by amateur poet Francis Scott Key. The poem used the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society. In 1931, Congress passed a joint resolution making the song the official national anthem of the United States and President Herbert Hoover signed it into law. -
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on the United States by the Japanese Navy. The United States was a neutral party in World War II but the Japanese Military thought the United States might interfere with their military plans for Southeast Asia. Their plan was to take out the United States Pacific Naval base so the United States was unable to interfere with their plans. Japan announced their declarations of war against the United States and the British Empire later that same day. -
United States enters the Korean war
On June 27, 1950 the United States officially enters the Korean war. The United States feared that if Korea fell that communism would spread. The United States also feared that if Korea fell that Japan would follow shortly after and Japan was very important for trade. -
Brown Vs. Board of Education of Topeka
Brown Vs. Board of Education of Topeka was a Supreme Court case in which the justices rules that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This ruling helped establish that "separate but equal" education was not equal. -
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers the "I Have a Dream" speech
At the civil rights march on Washington event Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd of at least 200,000 people. -
Civil Rights Act passes
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws any discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This act outlaws discrimination in businesses like restaurants, hotels, theaters, places of employment, etc. -
Roe Vs. Wade
Roe vs. Wade was a Supreme Court case in which the court ruled in favor that abortion was constitutional. This decision overruled many federal and state abortion laws and has since then been an ongoing debate. -
Richard Nixon resigns his presidency after the Watergate sandal
Richard Nixon went on live television to announce his resignation of presidency in light of the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal was Nixon's administration's attempt to hide its involvement in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. -
Challenger Explosion
The United States Space Program launched the Challenger space shuttle was scheduled to deploy a communications satellite and study Halley's Comet while they were in orbit. Just 73 seconds into flight the shuttle exploded with 7 crew members inside, one being a school teacher. Millions of Americans were watching on live television.