US History Timeline

World War 1

Jul 28, 1914

World War 1 began in 1914 because of the assassination of Austrian archduke Frank Ferdinand.

19th Amendment

Jun 4, 1919

On June 4th, 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment which granted voting rights to women.

Star-Spangled Banner

Mar 3, 1931

On March 3rd, 1931 the Star-Spangled Banner which was written by Francis Scott Key, was signed into law by President Hoover to become the official National Anthem of the US.

Fair Labor Standards Acts

Jun 25, 1938

This act was passed which established the first minimum wage in the US - starting at 25 cents per hour.

World War 2

Sep 1, 1939

World War 2 began due to Germany's invasion of Poland. On December 7th, 1941 the US joined the war due to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

22nd Amendment

Feb 27, 1951

The 22nd Amendment was ratified on February 27th, 1951 which states "No person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice." This amendment was proposed because President Roosevelt was on his 4th term election.

Explorer 1

Jan 31, 1958

Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States. It launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This lead to congress passing the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

Aug 28, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Civil Rights Activist that gave a speech during the March on Washington in front of hundreds of thousands of people. He spoke out to demand an end to racism, and economic and civil rights in the US.

Civil Rights Act

Jul 2, 1964

Civil Rights acts passed into law in 1964 which outlawed discrimination including sex, religion, race, or color in the US. This was signed by President Johnson.

Assassination of MLK

Apr 4, 1968

In April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel when he was assassinated.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Nov 2, 1976

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President at the time when he was assassinated in Downtown Dallas, Texas.

First Woman to be in the Supreme Court

Sep 21, 1981

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to sworn in to the Supreme Court Justice, she was sworn in by the Chief Justice Warren Burger.

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

Jul 31, 1991

This treaty (START) 1 was an agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States that required them to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons.

Transfer of Control of Panama Canal

Dec 31, 1999

In 1999, The US gave up control of the Panama Canal over to Panama.