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Japan invades Manchuria
This started Japanese aggression against China and Indochina. This was Japan's attempt to create a Japanese sphere of economic domination. This eventually leads to the US imposing embargoes against Japan, which then leads to the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. Pearl Harbor's attack is a day American's will never forget, making it an important event to US history. -
Nuremberg Laws
These laws were passed by Hitler in Germany that restricted the rights of Jews. The laws were anti-semitic and racist. This is important to US history because this made the US realize that what was happening in Germany was wrong, which led them to get involved. -
Munich Pact
This pact allowed Hitler to take more land from Britain and France in exchange for Hitler to agree to not try to take more territory. This pact was violated by Hitler when he continued to take territory, which ended the European policy of appeasement. -
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Kristallnacht
On this night in Germany, Nazis vandalized Jewish homes, schools, and businesses. This event killed around 100 Jews. This is important to US history because this event influenced the US to get involved with what was happening in Germany. -
Neutrality Acts of 1939
This act is also known as Cash and Carry. This act allowed nations at war to buy goods from the United States if they paid in cash and carried the products on their own ships. This is important to US history because this angers Japan, which played a part in their response to attack Pearl Harbor. -
Germany invades Poland
This led France and Britain to declare war on Germany. This is important to US history because this event makes FDR attempt to change American policy from isolationism to international involvement, anticipating that we may get involved in the war. -
Lend-Lease Act
In this act, Congress allowed Roosevelt to dispose of any government and defense article. This act angered Japan. This is important to US history because this act led to Japan attacking Pearl Harbor. -
Executive Order 8802
This order made it so that you couldn't discriminate against people because of their ethnic or racial background in the nation's defense industry. This is important to US history because this allowed people of color to work in all branches of the military without being discriminated against. -
Atlantic Charter
This charter was signed by FDR and Winston Churchill which strengthened the alliance between Great Britain and the US. This charter also showed Roosevelt's commitment to end German and Japanese aggression. This is important to US history because this showed Roosevelt was going to stop the spread of communism. -
Atlantic Conference
This was a conference between Roosevelt and Churchill which strengthened their alliance during WWII. This is important to US history because this brought them together and they discussed how to handle Germany and Japan. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in response to US embargoes. This results in the death of 2,400 Americans and 1,300 wounded. This event is important to US history because this event made the US declare war on Japan and get involved in WWII. -
Executive Order 9066
This order authorized the internment of Japanese American citizens. This was put in place because Americans feared Japanese Americans due to the Pearl Harbor attack. -
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Battle of Midway
This battle stopped the advance for the Japanese and put them on the defense. This is important to US history because this even showed that the island-hopping strategy we used worked. -
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Operation Torch
This was the invasion of North Africa to free the Mediterranean Sea from German control. This invasion was also done to protect oil fields in the Middle East. This is important to US history because this turned the tides for the Allies side of the fight. -
D-Day (invasion of Normandy)
The allied powers take planes and land in Normandy on the western front. Their goal is to surround Germany and make them surrender. This is important to US history because this event led to the victory of the allied powers in WWII. -
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Battle of the Bulge
This battle was the last German offensive. This battle showed the end for the Nazis. The allied forces marched towards Berlin to force Germany to surrender. This is important to US history because this battle led to the defeat of Germany in WWII. -
Korematsu v. United States
This case took place because Korematsu didn't want to leave due to the Executive Order 9066. He argued that the internment violated his Constitutional rights. He lost the case because the Supreme Court deemed the internment Constitutional. This is important to US history because this shows that the Supreme Court hasn't always protected the rights of minorities. -
Yalta Conference
This was a conference between Churchill, FDR, and Stalin. They discussed the final plans for the defeat of Europe and discussed post war European Plans. This is important to US because this conference made it possible to plan what to do after WWII. -
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Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The US bombs Hiroshima and Nagasaki to prevent US soldiers to have to fight on Japanese land. This causes Japan to surrender and for the Allies to win WWII. This is important to US history because this was the first time America used atomic bombs and this resulted in our victory in WWII. -
United Nations is created
The United Nations was created to keep order internationally. This is important to US history because the US played a major role in organizing and starting the United Nations. -
Truman Doctrine
This is a doctrine passed by Truman that pledged to contain communism. This doctrine was first applied when the US supplied military and financial aid to Greece and Turkey to help them combat the spread of communism. This is important to US history because this is the official document that pledged to keep communism from spreading. -
Marshall Plan
This plan was proposed by George Marshall. This plan promotes economic rebuilding and prevent European countries from falling to communism. This is important to US history because this plan stops many countries from becoming communist. -
Israel is established
The US helps with the establishment of Israel to give Jews a place to call home after the horrific events that took place while Hitler was in power. This event demonstrated the impact of German war crimes had on the US and the rest of the world. This is important to US history because this even showed the US's response to the crimes committed by Germany during WWII. -
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Berlin Airlift
The US gives the people in Berlin food, water, and other goods by dropping them from places above Berlin. They do this because the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin. This is important to US history because this was the US's first Cold War win. -
US establishes NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization established a military alliance against the Soviet Union. This treaty is created out of the fear of nuclear warfare. -
Soviet Union tests Atomic Bomb
This event leads the US to accelerate the development of the hydrogen bomb. This event is important to US history because this event started the beginning of the nuclear arms race between the US and the Soviet Union. -
Korean Conflict (War)
Communist North Korea invades South Korea. The United Nations gets involved and demands a ceasefire defended South Korea. It ends with a treaty where North Korea keeps communism on their side of the 38th Parallel. This is important to US history because we were successful in keeping communism contained in North Korea. -
Eisenhower Doctrine
This doctrine was passed by President Eisenhower intervene in the Suez Crisis and extended containment to the Middle East. The Suez Crisis occurred when Israeli troops pushed into Egypt towards Suez Canal after Egypt was nationalized it. -
Soviet Union launches Sputnik
This event sparks the beginning of the space race between the Soviet Union and the US. This results in the US Congress passing the National Defense Education act to promote students to learn more about science and math. This is important to US history because this event is the reason why our education system is the way it is today and helped catch up and surpass the Soviet Union. -
National Defense Education Act
This act was passed by US Congress to promote science and math skills in schools after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. This is important to US history because this act allowed the US to surpass the Soviet Union in the space race. -
Rise of the Berlin Wall (Construction begins...)
The Berlin Wall is built in Berlin to separate the Soviet Union Eastern Berlin and British Western Berlin. The wall symbolized the Cold War and the wall was built to keep people from Eastern Berlin from escaping into Western Berlin. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to prop up friendly government. The US supported the Afghan resistance movement, but had to do so secretly due to the containment policy. This is important to US history because the Soviets end up withdrawing. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the end of the Cold War. It mainly falls due to the major changes in the Soviet Union and the movement for liberation in Eastern Europe.