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The German Invasion of Poland
In 1939, Adolf Hitler launched an invasion of Poland. Although, Poland tried their hardest they were outnumbered in everything ranging from men and machines on the ground to everything in the air. Two days later, Britain and France proclaimed war on Germany. Then a couple weeks later, Stalin invaded eastern Poland. Eventually, after all this fighting and declaration of war, Poland was divided between Hitler and Stalin. This event affected American history by starting the second World War. -
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World War ll
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The Battle of Britain
When France capitulated in June of 1940, Churchill announced to the British people that “Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war”. With this, Germans knew they needed to initiate a successful invasion. To do this they needed "air superiority". On July 10, the battle began with Luftwaffe attacks on shipping in the Channel. Airfields and aircraft factories came under attack. This event affected American history by allowing people to be free from Nazi occupation. -
The Blitz
In 1940, Britain was hit by air attacks from the Germans, London was bombed by accident, and Churchill organized an attack on Berlin. This all happened within a span of months; such little time with such a big impact. This evoked Germany to alter their attacks from RAF airfields to bombing Britain’s towns and cities. In total, the capital was bombed 57 nights in a row with more than 13,650 tons of high explosives used. This event affected American history by killing more than 43,000 civilians. -
Pearl Harbor
In 1941, Japan led a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack killed more than 2,400 Americans. Suddenly, the United States was at war. President Roosevelt sent a commission to investigate the attack on Pearl Harbor. The report shocked Americans by claiming that Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii had aided the attack on Pearl Harbor. This event affected American history by killing innocent citizens, forcing The US to join the war, and Japan and the United States becoming strong allies. -
The Battle of Midway
In 1942, Japan planned to seize the American island of Midway. Although, the United States intelligence broke the Japanese navy's code. Admiral Chester Nimitz ambushed the Japanese task forces and attacked the Japanese while they were still hundreds of miles from Midway; He knew Japanese were going to attack. This event affected American history by the Japanese suffering a loss of one heavy cruiser, 248 aircraft, and four carriers; while Americans lost 98 planes, one destroyer, and one carrier. -
Ho Chi Minh
In the 1940s and 1950s, Ho Chi Minh led the fight for Vietnamese independence from France. He did some pretty incredible things including speaking for Vietnamese independence (1919), joining the communist party (1930), and even becoming the leader of the Nationalist movement in Vietnam (1940). Ho Chi Minh affected American history by winning a major victory over French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1945. -
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Contemporary Years
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Cold War
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Development of the Hydrogen Bomb
In 1952, the United States and the USSR quested to form more and more destructive weapons; this is where the hydrogen bomb (or H-bomb) came from. This bomb could create a blast millions of times stronger than the atomic blasts. The atomic bomb destroyed an entire city; The hydrogen bomb is millions of times stronger than an atomic bomb; which means the hydrogen bomb is much, much more destructive. This event affected American history by creating a Cold War. Nobody wanted entire states taken out. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower
In January of 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the 34th President of the United States. Eisenhower was considered a hero to many. He was chosen to lead US forces in Europe and was selected as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. He also served in WWl and in the Philippines. He even expanded social welfare programs such as Social Security. Dwight D. Eisenhower affected American history because he was able to resolve conflicts between leaders of the national armies. -
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Civil Rights
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, after Rosa Park's arrest, African American leaders organized a bus boycott; called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Woman's Political Council (WPC) of Montgomery helped initiate the boycott. In this boycott, forty thousand people refused to use the public bus system. Martin Luther King Jr was asked to lead the boycott and keep it going. This event affected American history by the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. -
Space Race
In 1957, a contest was afoot between the Soviet Union and the United States, the Space Race. The Soviet Union had launched the first spacecraft into orbit, Sputnik 1, in 1957; Americans thought they were winning. In response to Soviet success, the United States began to focus on development of their own technology. In response to Sputnik, the United States formed NASA, The Mercury program, and the Apollo program. This event affected American history by putting the first man on the moon! -
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The 1960s
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Birmingham Campaign
In 1963, the Birmingham Campaign was set up to put an end to "discriminatory economic policies" in the Alabama city against African American society. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in America. White resisters burned crosses and staged bombings. Martin Luther King Jr knew that holding the Campaign in Birmingham would put people's lives at risk. This event affected American history by forcing desegregation in Birmingham and paving the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
March on Washington
In August of 1963, Civil rights leaders planned a March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The goals were to; Celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, Protest racial discrimination, Demand legal equality, and Insist on passage of major civil rights legislation. The March on Washington was acknowledged with helping pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This event affected American history by giving authorization of the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Kennedy Assassinated
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas at 12:30 p.m. while riding in a motorcade. Kennedy’s motorcade was turning past the Texas School Book Depository at Dealey Plaza. Crowds were lining the streets—when shots rang out. The driver raced to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital. By 2:15 pm Lee Harvey Oswald, a new employee at the Book Depository, was arrested for JFKs assassination. This event affected American history by Lyndon B. Johnson quickly becoming President. -
Smoking "Hazardous To Your Health"
The first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health negates decades of tobacco advertising that suggest healthful benefits. The report had been released on a Saturday morning to discourage a "knee-jerk" reaction on Wall Street. After the report, Congress passed the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965, requiring health warnings on packages and banning ads on broadcast media. This event affected American history by saving millions of people's lives from inhaling smoke. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In 1964, two US navy ships were "allegedly" attacked by North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, Congress passed The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution authorized the president to take any actions he felt were necessary to deal with threats to US forces or allies in Southeast Asia. This event affected American history by allowing Lyndon B. Johnson to broaden U.S. involvement in the war and with Vietnam without officially "declaring" war. -
Operation "Rolling Thunder"
President Lyndon B. Johnson believed that a program of limited bombing in North Vietnam would deter support for Vietcong. Johnson approved the Rolling Thunder in February 1965. Rolling Thunder then extended for three years and eight months. This involves 634,000 tons of bombs and 305,380 raids. The result of this was 182,000 civilians killed, 818 pilots killed, and hundreds more captured in North Vietnam. This event affected American history by destroying North Vietnam's oil storage facilities. -
Selma March
In Alabama, 1965, voter registration drives led to white resistance and violence. Civil rights leaders responded by planning a 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. They were hoping to force Governor Wallace to secure voting rights for African Americans in Alabama. This event affected American history by significantly reducing the variation between Black and white voters in the U.S. It also allowed African Americans to participate in politics and government (local, state, and national levels). -
The "Hippie" Comes Into Being
In 1965, Michael Fallen started a series of stories for the city Examiner. These stories introduce the word "hippie" to readers. Fallen's articles describe the migration of beatniks from North Beach to Haight-Ashbury in search of cheaper rents and usually bohemian lifestyle of the beatnik/hippie community. Fallen's articles are widely popular. This event affected American history because it started the pro-environment movement and therefore the establishment of Earth Day. -
The First Super Bowl
In 1967, The First Super Bowl took place. It was The Green Bay Packers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Forty to Sixty Million TV viewers were watching. In the first half of the game, it was close but after halftime, The Packers were slightly ahead, 14 to 10. The Chiefs only got one touchdown but the Packers managed to get a whopping 5 touchdowns. In the end, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs. This event affected American history by bringing people together through American culture. -
Dr. Martin Luther King Assassination
In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was in Memphis, Tennessee to support a strike. James Earl Ray, an escaped convict and White supremacist, assassinated Dr. King. After the tragedy riots rang out in more than 100 cities. King's death silenced one of the most influential and inspirational leaders in American History. This event affected American history by leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the "Fair Housing Act". -
First E-mail Message
In 1969, The first computer transmission was performed by ARPANET at 10:30 p.m. on October 29 from one host computer at UCLA to another at Stanford. In the picture, you can see Ray Tomlinson. He is credited as having sent the first email and initiating the use of the "@"-at sign. This event affected American history by drastically reducing the use of traditional mail. Information got from one person to another much fast and with less likeliness of getting lost (unlike trusting an actual person). -
Wounded Knee - American Indians on a Closing Frontier
In 1973, American Indians staged a protest at Wounded Knee. These Indians took Wounded Knee by force. They wanted the US government to change tribal leaders, review treaties and treatment of American Indians. Federal marshals surrounded the protest and the negotiations lasted 71 days. This event affected American history by signaling the end of the Ghost Dance movement (a religious movement started by Plains tribes in the late 1800s). -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
In 1989, the Soviet Union was weakening which, in turn, also weakened communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe. Eastern Germany opened its borders in November of 1989. The people of Berlin began to "bulldoze" right through the Berlin Wall. Soon the symbol of communist oppression was destroyed. This event affected American history by reuniting East and West Germany (in October 1990); which the United States helped negotiate. The new Germany became a member of NATO. -
September 11th, 2001
9/11 was a day of horror for many people living in New York City on September 11, 2001. It consisted of four coordinated attacks by a Wahabi terrorist group that resulted in many casualties. On that day many people risked their lives to save others. It is one day that changed the future and one that will forever be remembered. There were attacks at the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and Ground Zero. This event affected American history killing many innocent citizens and harming others. -
The Recession of 2008
In 2008, a recession began. Trouble in the housing industry helped cause this recession. There were bad loans, foreclosures, losses for investors, and recession in markets. Debt levels started to increase, housing prices and values began to fall, people lost money, and banks became less likely to lend. This event affected American history by thousands if not millions of Americans losing their homes and by the summer of 2010 the ten percent (10%) more people were unemployed.