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French Defeated at Dien Bien Phu
Defeat of French forces leading Vietnamese to "autonomy". -
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Civil Rights and Vietnam Eras
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Brown vs. Board of Education ruling issued
Declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. -
U.S. Military Aid to South Vietnam
U.S. military aid and advisers were sent to South Vietnam after the French withdrew from Vietnam all together in April of 1956. -
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Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama
African Americans boycotted city buses until they could sit wherever they wanted on them. -
Little Rock Nine
Eisenhower sends troops to Little Rock Arkansas to ensure integration of Little Rock Central High School. -
Greensboro Sit-In
The first of many sit-ins, during which four students from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina sat down at the white-only counter at the Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina. This eventually led to the desegregation of the Woolworth's store on July 25, 1960. -
The March On Washington
This was a large political rally in support of civil and economic rights for African Americans and was where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This was an important legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women, including racial segregation and was passed in 1964. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Passes
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 in response to a sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Torpedo Squadron 135 and the destroyer USS Maddox on August 2, giving authorization for the use of conventional military force in Southeast Asia. -
Malcolm X is Assassinated
Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist that was gunned down at a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity where he was giving a speech. -
Selma to Montgomery March "Bloody Sunday"
During this march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and local police with billy clubs and tear gas. The protesters did not make it to Mongomery. -
U.S. Combat Troops Arrive in Vietnam
U.S. Marines arrive in South Vietnam on March 8, 1965 in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement (the revocation of the right to vote) of African Americans. -
Tet Offensive Begins
A military campaign to strike military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam and to spark a general uprising among the population that would then topple the Saigon government. -
Martin Luther King, Jr., is Assassinated
Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent American leader of the African-American civil rights movement, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968 is Passed
The 1968 act expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, or national origin. -
Anti-War Protest in Chicago
Anti-war protest in Chicago, often called "police riots", police beat and tear gassed many protesters and the event was largely publicized. -
National Moratorium Antiwar Demonstrations
Hundreds of thousands of Americans take part in National Moratorium antiwar demonstrations across the country. -
National Guard Troops Kill Student Protesters at Kent State
National Guard troops kill four unarmed student protesters at Kent State in Ohio. -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate scandal begins to be uncovered. -
Last U.S. Troops Leave Vietnam
The last United States soldiers leave Vietnam while approximately 8,500 American civilians, embassy guards and defense office soldiers remain. -
U.S. Involvement in Vietnam Ends
Capture of Saigon leading to the end of the Vietnam War.