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Elvis Presley TV Debut
Elvis Presley first appeared on national television on January 28, 1956, in New York. It would help push him into the public view and started his musical career pioneering Rock N Roll, a style of music that garnered controversy. Key Concept 8.3.2 https://youtu.be/sGZm7EOamWk -
Cuban Missile Crisis
After a U-2 reconnaissance mission discovered Soviet ballistic missiles being assembled in Cuba, President John F Kennedy was briefed of the find on October 16, 1962, which started an international political crisis. After a standoff that included a naval blockade of Cuba to stop the shipment of missiles, the Soviet Union withdrew it's missiles from Cuba in exchange for US withdrawal from Turkey. Key Concept 8.1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIlOBOuGqaM -
University of Alabama Desegregated
After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, African-American students tried to desegregate the University of Alabama and enroll for summer classes. Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked the enrollment offices' doors with state troopers, causing President Kennedy to send the Alabama National Guard and end the blockade. -
John F Kennedy Assassinated
President John F Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States and Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, later killed by a gunman while in police custody. -
Johnson Sends Troops To Vietnam
On July 28, 1965, President Lyndon B Johnson announces 50,000 US troops would be sent to Vietnam, almost doubling the amount in-country. This marked a turning point in the escalation of the war until US forces withdrew in 1973. Key Concept 8.1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89_3DgW_7mg -
Rise in Anti-Vietnam War Protests
Starting on college campuses, the anti-war movement gained national momentum in 1965 after US bombing campaigns increased in Vietnam, bring America deeper into the war. Many organizations such as the Students for a Democratic Society formed in the wake. -
Ping Pong Diplomacy
Ping Pong Diplomacy was a series of table tennis matches between players of the People's Republic of Chine and United States, who's players became the first Americans to visit Beijing since 1949. The competitions marked a deescalation of tensions between the communist and capitalist powers. -
Watergate Scandal
After five men connected to Richard Nixon's reelection campaign were arrested while breaking into the DNC's Headquarters in Washington DC, Nixon took measures to cover up the crime. He resigned on August 8, leaving Gerald Ford as president. Key Concept 8.2.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A7xQaOp14c -
Arab Oil Crisis
Member countries of OPEC declared an oil embargo on the United States on October of 1973 for support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. By the end of the embargo in 1974, oil prices had risen to $12/barrel. Key Concept 8.2.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMm3kvlchI -
Apple Inc Founded
The Apple technology company was created by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to sell personal computers. The company would move to pioneer technological innovations alongside Microsoft. Key Concept 9.2.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mctZYeiNq9o -
1980 Election of Ronald Reagan
After the rocky presidency of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan won the 1980 Presidential Election in a landslide with 489 electoral votes. He would run for a second term in 1984 and won again with 525 electoral votes. An assassination attempt was made on March 30, 1981. Key Concept 9.1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvg7lRsCVJ8 -
1980s AIDs Epidemic
Cases of HIV began springing up in major US cities through 1981, seen disproportionately in young gay men. At the start, the disease was not well understood and treated with a mix of medications.
