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The Invention of the Model T
While automobiles did exist prior to this, they were a rare sight and not often in the possession of the common man. It was the first of the "affordable" kind and marked a new age in American modernization. -
The Zimmermann Telegram
A telegram intercepted by British cryptographers. The contents of which contained the German Minister Arthur Zimmermann offering potential United States territory to Mexico if they were to align with the Germans. The discovery of this was what pushed the United States into joining the war. -
The WW1 Armistice
This was the "end" of World War 1. After years of carnage and death, Germany had finally begun to seek an end. An armistice for those who don't know is a written agreement to cease fire. This armistice was signed between the "Allies" and Germany. It was a stopgap until the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which "guaranteed" peace. -
The 19th Amendment
Although passed by congress on the 4th of June, 1919, it was not ratified until August 18th, 1920. This amendment gave ALL American women the right to vote. Women's suffrage had been the subject of protests and petitions since the early 1800s. -
Charles Lindbergh’s Flight
This flight was the first transatlantic flight, but the real significance is the potential it opened up for the aviation industry within commercial America. -
Black Thursday
Whether you want to blame the banks, the government, or the people, there was no question that the average American was too casually dependent on the stock market. It became a pastime and without proper entry barriers, the second things started to dip so did everyone else. Billions were lost in this stock market crash which forced the government and banks to put more thought into the stock market and try to keep things like this from happening again. -
The New Deal
A package name for a grouping of programs put in to combat the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in hopes that we could pull ourselves out of "the hole". Despite failing to "end" the Great Depression, it provided relief and a system to build on for the future. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor
Hitler's rise to power was a hungry and reluctant one, but his appointment as Chancellor was the first time he was truly put in position to enact what we now understand were his goals. -
The Munich Agreement
An agreement between France and Nazi Germany. The agreement detailed that France would not honor its alliance with Czechoslovakia and would allow Germany to annex it. -
Hitler Invades Poland
Also known as the Poland Campaign, this is considered to be the start of World War II. -
Pearl Harbor
A surprise attack on a U.S naval base within Hawaiian territories, this marked the United State's entry into the war. -
D-Day
The Normandy landings, also referred too as "Operation Overlord" was the beginning of an Allied Invasion in the hopes to liberate France which had been annexed by the Germans. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Near the end of World War II, the United States released 2 nuclear bombs onto Japan three days apart from each other killing an estimated 200,000 civilians. These bombings were the first and still to this day, only use of nuclear weaponry in times of conflict. -
The formation of United Nations
The United Nations was formed in 1945 with the goal of maintaining peace. From it's beginning of 51 member states (America, Britain, China, etc) it has now peaked so far at 193. It's goal is to promote harmony, maintain peace, and keep an eye out. -
The Long Telegram
Written by George Kennan who was the American in charge of foreign affairs in Moscow, it detailed his and the U.S's views on the Soviet Union and the communist state. It was the cornerstone of America's policy on the cold war and outlined the strategies of containment. -
The formation of NATO
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance comprised of 29 North American and European countries. It's goal is to better coordinate military operations and work together towards mutual goals. -
Russians acquire the Atomic Bomb
A long and frustrating process, the Russian's want for their own "superweapon" had been hindered by the Germans and by Stalin's reluctance. However, with the help of captured German scientists, Soviet Spies, and the news of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union developed it's first nuclear weapon. "First Lightning" -
The Korean War
Building up from a growing tension with no compromise from either side and a Cold war to blame for the build up, the Korean War was one that American's were very involved in. Even up until just this past April where President Trump orchestrated peace proposals between the North and South Korean leaders. Despite the Armistice being signed in 1953, the war has only ended as of this past year. -
Brown v Board of Education
A landmark Supreme Court case in which a previous decision was ruled unconstitutional. This meant that public schools could no longer racially segregate and was a huge win for the civil rights movement and Americans as a whole. -
The Vietnam War
A proxy war in which major players like the United States funded different sides of a civil war which spiraled out of control until the Case-Church Amendment which removed our armed forces. -
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat
Arguably the most important moment for civil rights in U.S history and the best example of Civil Disobedience in the modern era, Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger once the white's section was filled led to her arrest. Soon after though, she became the face (along with M.L.K) of the civil rights movement and of the NAACP. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
A near disaster in which the U.S and the Soviet Union pushed each other in an arms race nearly to nuclear war. Thankfully, J.F.K negotiated and agreed to dismantle the missiles in turkey in exchange for the Soviet Union dismantling the missiles in Cuba. -
JFK’s Assassination
A very sad day in American history in which J.F.K was shot during a parade. There is much controversy surrounding the logistics of the bullet, the route, the vehicle choice, and the deaths of all those involved. Either way, Lee Harvey Oswald was considered responsible for the shooting and at the end of the day, all that matters is that we lost a great man who didn't deserve to die. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
A unilateral decision by President Lyndon B. Johnson to declare war and use military force in a South Asian conflict which led to the Vietnam. -
The Apollo 11 Moon Landing
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. The space race was won and we escaped the bounds of our orbit, giving hope to dreams of space exploration and a future outside the Earth. -
The Watergate Break-ins
A break into the Watergate office building. The break in was a big deal as that was the DNC headquarters, but the even bigger deal was the Nixon Administration's involvement in orchestrating it and other illegal/immoral activities. -
Nixon’s Resignation
With undeniable proof of Nixon's involvement in conspiracies, he had no real choice but to get booted out. He, however, was not impeached and resigned before he could be. In his words he resigned for the good of the country and asked the American people to support the new President, Gerald Ford. -
The invention of the Internet
It's hard to pinpoint an exact spawn of the internet, but the key moment that developed it to what we now know today as the internet was ARPANET's adoption of TCP/IP which allowed for the development of networks. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was more than just a physical wall, it was ideological barrier that was symbolic of a darker conflict filled past. Thanks to the people and Ronald Reagan (Historically, but not literally. He had very little effect on the decision to take down the wall) it came down. -
The 9/11 Attacks
9/11 refers to the terrorist attacks against the United States, taking place at the World Trade Center when al-Qaeda flew two planes into the building. It resulted in the death of nearly 3000 people and shook the world. This attack is responsible for the continuous heightening of national security in America, heavy airport security, and arguably the Afghan/Iraq wars.