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Brown vs. The Board of Education
This famous case resulted in the Supreme Court unanimously declaring segregated educational facilities were inherently unequal. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was the second longest conflict the U.S. has ever participated in. The War was unpopular with many Americans and cost thousands of lives with little to show for it. -
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give up her Seat
Although not the first person to refuse to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks became a rallying point for Civil Rights activists. She had been active in the Civil Rights Movement before the incident on the bus. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The invasion force was made up of mostly Cuban émigrés, and was quickly overthrown by Cuban soldiers and civilians. The failed invasion was one of Kennedy's most embarrassing acts as president. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Often considered the height of the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the Cold War came to turning hot. The Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles over to Cuba to threaten the U.S., but eventually removed them on the condition that the U.S. removed their missiles from Turkey and would not invade Cuba. -
"I Have a Dream"
King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The dream would become a rallying cry for minorities as they fought to gain equal rights. -
Kennedy is Assassinated
Kennedy was shot while in Dallas. The Vice President Lyndon Johnson was inaugurated in his place. -
The Civil Rights Act
Johnson navigated the Civil Rights Act through congress and eventually signed it. It "barred segregation in public accommodations and outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, and national or religious origin" (YAWP). -
Voting Rights Act
This act along with the Civil Rights Act was crucial to ending Jim Crow and desegregating life for African Americans. -
The Watergate Scandal
Five men were arrested for attempting to install bugging equipment in the Democratic Nation Committee building in Watergate complex. The scandal was eventually traced back to Nixon who resigned two years later.
