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Harry Truman
Harry Truman was inaugurated as U.S. president after being elected in 1948 to his own term; previously he was sworn in following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II, on August 6 and August 9, 1945, respectively. -
Korean War
North Korea and South Korea declare war after Northern forces stream south on June 25. -
H-Bomb
H-Bomb is in the middle of its development as a nuclear weapon, announced in early 1950 and first tested in late 1952. -
Polio Vaccine
The vaccine for polio is privately tested by Jonas Salk. -
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin dies on March 5, yielding his position as leader of the Soviet Union. -
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a hit single released by Bill Haley & His Comets in May, spurring worldwide interest in rock and roll music. -
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein dies on April 18 at the age of 76. -
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev makes his famous Secret Speech denouncing Stalin's "cult of personality" on February 25. -
Sputnik
Sputnik becomes the first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, marking the start of the space race. -
California baseball
California baseball begins as the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants move to California and become the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. They are the first major league teams west of Kansas City. -
Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur, a film based around the New Testament starring Charlton Heston, wins eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. -
U-2
U-2: An American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union, causing the U-2 Crisis of 1960. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin is separated into West Berlin and East Berlin, and from the rest of East Germany, when the Berlin Wall is erected on August 13 to prevent citizens escaping to the West. -
Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia: The Academy Award-winning film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence starring Peter O'Toole premieres in America on December 16. -
John F Kennedy
JFK blown away: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated on November 22 while riding in an open convertible through Dallas. -
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh: A Vietnamese communist, who served as President of Vietnam from 1954–1969. March 2 Operation Rolling Thunder begins bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail supply line from North Vietnam to the Vietcong rebels in the south. On March 8, the first U.S. combat troops, 3,500 marines, land in South Vietnam. -
Richard Nixon back again
Richard Nixon back again: Former Vice President Nixon is elected President in 1968. -
Apollo 11
Moonshot: Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing, successfully lands on the moon. -
Watergate
Watergate: Political scandal that began when the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. was broken into. After the break-in, word began to spread that President Richard Nixon (a Republican) may have known about the break-in, and tried to cover it up. The scandal would ultimately result in the resignation of President Nixon, and to date, this remains the only time that anyone has ever resigned the United States Presidency. -
Punk rock
Punk rock: The Ramones form, with the Sex Pistols following in 1975, ushering in the punk era. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States in 1980, but he first attempted to run for the position in 1976.