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Invention of the Model T
The first Model T automobile is manufactured by the Ford Company. The iconic car would become the most produced automobile in history until it was surpassed by the Volkswagen Beetle. -
The Zimmerman Telegram Intercepted
British intelligence intercepts and decodes a secret telegram sent by the German Foreign Office proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the United States. -
WWI Armistice
An armistice is agreed upon between Germany and the Allies which brings all fighting in the first world war to a cease. -
Adoption of the 19th Amendment
After many years of effort from the suffragettes, Congress passes the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which prohibits voting discrimination based on sex. -
Charles Lindbergh's Flight
Aviator Charles Lindbergh completes the first successful solo trans-Atlantic flight when he lands the Spirit of St. Louis near Paris. -
Black Thursday
There's a panic on Wall Street when sellers trade nearly 13 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange causing $5 billion in losses to investors, beginning the Great Depression. -
The New Deal
When FDR was elected to the presidency, he began a series of projects aimed to bring back jobs and help the country recover from the Great Depression. -
Hitler Appointed Chancellor
Adolf Hitler is appointed chancellor in the new republic of Germany, which is still reeling from WWI. -
The Munich Pact
After a series of diplomatic meetings, the British and French prime ministers sign a pact with Hitler that assured that France would not provide military assistance to Czechoslovakia upon the German's invasion. -
Hitler Invades Poland
Nazi Germany's army invades Poland, marking the beginning of WWII. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese bombers launch a surprise attack on U.S. naval ships stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This triggers America's entry into WWII. -
D-Day
The Allied forces invade the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne invasion in history. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
The United States deploys the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. This bomb is followed a few days later by a second over Nagasaki. These attacks devastated the areas, causing tens of thousands of civilian casualties. -
The Formation of the United Nations
Created when 26 nations pledged to continue to fight together against the Axis powers, this organization still exists today. -
The Long Telegram
An 8,000 word telegram sent by George Kennan detailing his opinions on the Soviet Union, heavily influencing America's Cold War containment policy on Communism. -
The Formation of NATO
An intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European nations formed against the continued expansion of Communism. -
Russia Acquires the Atomic Bomb
Spies leaked information on the creation of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union, which detonated its first successful test just before the 1950s began. -
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The Korean War
A war between the two republics of Korea, the North and South. Split by the Cold War, the communist north was backed by China and the Soviet Union while the U.S. gave military support to the South. The war ended in a stalemate, and Korea is still split into two nations today, divided by one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. -
Ruling on Brown v Board of Education
The Supreme Court rules unanimously that segregation in schools based on race will no longer be tolerated. -
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The Vietnam War
A civil war in Vietnam that divided the country based on communism. The United States supported South Vietnam, but the conflict ultimately ended in some 3 million dead (mostly Vietnamese civilians) and the withdrawal of American forces. The country was unified as Socialist Republic of Vietnam a year later. -
Rosa Parks' Arrest
Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to leave her seat at the front of the bus in a brave statement against segregation. -
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
13 days of confrontation between America and the Soviet Union caused by the installation of nuclear missiles in Cuba by the Soviets. This was a little too close to home for the U.S.'s comfort and it was made clear that military force would be used if necessary. It seemed as if we were on the brink of nuclear war. Fortunately, the Soviet government agreed to dismantle the Cuban missiles if the U.S. agreed not to invade the island nation. -
JFK's Assassination
President Kennedy is fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald during a parade through Dallas. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
A resolution following the alleged attack on U.S. naval destroyers by North Vietnam. The attack and resolution were, in essence, the catalyst to the twenty year Vietnam War. -
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
The Apollo 11 spacecraft becomes the first successful manned mission to the moon. -
The Watergate Break-Ins
Burglars associated with the current president Richard Nixon are arrested inside the Democratic National Committee's headquarters and discovered to have stolen documents and bugged phones. This launches a series of scandals that would usher Nixon out of office. -
Nixon's Resignation
Following the Watergate scandals, Richard Nixon resigns from the presidency before his inevitable impeachment. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The travel restrictions that had kept East and West Berlin separate for almost thirty years are repealed, and soon the wall itself is demolished. -
The World Wide Web Goes Public
Previously just a large computer network for researchers, Tim Berners-Lee invented the Internet we are familiar with today and opened it to the public. -
The 9/11 Attacks
The most lethal terrorist attack in American history: four hijacked planes are deliberately crashed into the Twin Towers, causing them to crumble and take thousands of lives with them.
