US History Timeline by Kimberly Walsh

Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech (March 5, 1946)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-04 16:16:03 UTC

Winston Churchill used the speech to show the need for the United States and Britain to make peace with each other during Soviet Communism. He emphasized consistency and persistency during difficult times. This speech was important because it helped our country during a difficult time.

Creation of the United Nations (October 24, 1945)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-04 16:21:04 UTC

The United Nations is an organization founded in 1945 after the second World War. 51 countries agreed to maintain peace and security and develop friendly relations. This helped to have overall respect for human rights.

Marshall Plan (April 3, 1948)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-04 16:33:35 UTC

On this day, President Truman signed the Economic Recovery Act of 1948. This later became known as the Marshall Plan. The goal of this was to prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Blockade (June 24, 1948)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-04 16:42:41 UTC

All land and river transit between West Berlin and West Germany was cut off by Joseph Stalin. The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War.

The Creation of Israel (May 14, 1948)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-04 16:47:10 UTC

On the day the British Mandate over Palestine inspired, the Jewish council gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum. This is where they approved the establishment of the state of Israel.

NATO (April 4, 1949)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 15:49:37 UTC

NATO is an international organization. Its purpose is to provide people with political and military security. It is the strongest military organization in world history.

Communist Revolution in China (October 1, 1949)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 15:52:23 UTC

Communist leader Mao in China declared the formation of the people's republic in China. This had a major impact on on the global balance of power in China.

Korean War (June 25, 1950)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 15:55:07 UTC

The Korean War was fought between North and South Korea. It was North Korea's attempt to conquer South Korea militarily. The war ended in a stalemate.

Brown V Board of Education (May 17, 1954)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:04:02 UTC

This was a very important event in US History. It took place in Topeka where it was decided that separating children in schools based on race was unconstitutional.

Vietnam War (November 1, 1955)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:11:15 UTC

The Vietnam War was a major conflict during the Cold War. The casualties were brutal and extensive. It resulted in North Vietnamese victory.

Post War Baby Boom (mid 1946-mid 1964)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:27:16 UTC

After World War 2, the amount of babies born increased greatly. Approximately 78 million Americans were born during this time.

1940 United States Census (April 1, 1940)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:37:10 UTC

It was found that the population of the United States doubled after World War II ended. This was a result of the baby boom and immigration as the economy was boosted after the war.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (December 5, 1955)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:42:02 UTC

This event started with Rosa Parks being asked to give up her seat on the bus. This caused outrage and people began to boycott the bus.

Suez Crisis (October 29, 1956)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 16:46:13 UTC

The Suez Crisis was the second part of the Arab-Israeli War. It was a British-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. It had an impact on U.S. relations with Middle Eastern countries and European allies.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (January 10, 1957)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 17:14:35 UTC

The Southern Christian Leadership conference is a civil rights organization. It was made to coordinate protests in the community.

Sputnik (October 4, 1957)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 17:19:39 UTC

This day changed history when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik - an earth orbiting satellite. Americans felt technologically superior.

Bay of Pigs (April 17, 1961)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 17:26:51 UTC

Cuban exiles launched an invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba. President John F. Kennedy approved of this invasion. The attempted invasion ultimately failed.

Berlin Wall Built (August 13, 1961)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-05 17:52:57 UTC

A wall was built to seal the borders around West Berlin. This was an attempt to protect West Berlin from attacks in Germany.

Freedom Riders Began (May 4, 1961)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 15:16:45 UTC

The freedom riders were civil rights activists. They left Washington D.C. on two buses that went to New Orleans. They faced resistance and encountered violence.

Creation of the United Farm Workers (August 22, 1962)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 15:20:13 UTC

The United Farm Workers was a labor union made to empower migrant farm workers. It helps to improve their wages and working conditions. It was created due to poor working conditions for farmers.

Cuban Missile Crisis (October 16, 1962)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:14:10 UTC

This was a directed and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Kennedy discovered missiles unbeknownst to Cuba and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union ultimately won this crisis.

Publication of the Feminine Mystique (February 19, 1963)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:20:20 UTC

The Feminine Mystique was a very influential novel written by Betty Friedan. It was a great inspiration for the feminist movement in the United States.

March on Washington (August 28, 1963)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:26:14 UTC

The March on Washington was the largest gathering of civil rights. People gathered for jobs and freedom. Everyone went to Washington D.C. by planes, trains, cars and buses.

Assassination of JFK (November 22, 1963)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:29:17 UTC

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald. He was assassinated on a presidential motorcade along with a police officer.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (July 2, 1964)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:34:15 UTC

This civil rights act prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It helped to prevent discrimination in the workplace.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (August 6, 1965)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:41:21 UTC

This was a very important civil rights act. It outlawed racial discrimination when voting. it outlawed many discriminatory practices such as a literary test when voting.

1968 Tet Offensive (January 30, 1968)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:47:10 UTC

This was a great communist propaganda victory. It was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War.

1969 Stonewall Riots (June 28, 1969)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 16:51:33 UTC

The Stonewall Riots were a series of violent, spontaneous actions against a police raid. It took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The police tried to justify the raid with a search warrant.

“Red Power” occupation of Alcatraz (November 20, 1969)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 17:08:16 UTC

A group of Native Americans gathered all Indian tribes on Alcatraz. It was a 19 month long protest for treatment under the Indian Termination Policy

Watergate (June 17, 1972)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 17:11:58 UTC

The Watergate refers to clandestine and illicit activities conducted by Nixon's aides. A night guard at a hotel in Washington D.C. noticed suspicious activities and caught the president in the act. It is believed that Nixon bugged his opponents offices, conducted unauthorized investigations, and misused government agencies for political purposes.

Title IX of the Educational Amendments passed 1972 (June 23, 1972)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 17:15:13 UTC

These amendments were put in place in order to prohibit discrimination based on sex. This was most important for education programs and activities that receive federal assistance.

Roe v Wade (January 22, 1973)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 17:18:49 UTC

Roe v Wade was a very important decision in the supreme court that ruled the US constitution granted women the right to an abortion. It provided women the right to privacy as well as safe pregnancy care.

Resignation of Richard Nixon (August 9, 1974)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 17:22:32 UTC

President Richard Nixon delivered a nationally televised speech announcing that he intended to resign as president. His resignation was due to the Watergate scandal.

The Moon Landing (July 20, 1969)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:06:16 UTC

NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the lunar surface of the moon.

The Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:15:15 UTC

Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days by a group of Iranian college students who took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. It was a diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and Iran.

9/11 Terrorist Attacks (September 11, 2001)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:18:57 UTC

Coordinated terrorist attacks were made on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon. This led to widespread changes in U.S. policies, including the instigation of the War on Terror and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Storming the Capital (January 6, 2021)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:30:14 UTC

On this day, the capital building of America was stormed. It was attacked by a mob of Trump supporters. This was two years after his defeat in the presidential election.

Election of Donald Trump (November 8, 2016)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:40:37 UTC

On election day in 2016, republican candidate Donald Trump defeated his democratic counterpart Hilary Clinton. This allowed for republicans to regain control of congress.

Los Angeles Riots (April 29, 1992)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 18:46:52 UTC

This was a major outbreak of violence, looting and arson in Los Angeles, California. This happened in response to four white men beating a black man.

Covid-19 Virus (March 13, 2020)

kwalsh154 — 2024-06-06 20:37:26 UTC

On Friday, March 13, 2020 the president of the United States declared a national emergency concerning the coronavirus outbreak. The nation took action to prevent the spread of the virus.