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United Nations Formed
As World War II was about to end in 1945, nations were in ruins, and the world wanted peace. Representatives of 50 countries gathered at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, California. -
Truman Doctrine
The doctrine stated that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. This was to prevent communism worldwide. -
“Hollywood Ten”
Congress voted to hold the “Hollywood 10” in contempt. The Hollywood 10 were: Albert Maltz, Dalton Trumbo, John Howard Lawson, Samuel Ornitz, Ring Lardner Jr., Lester Cole, Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Edward Dmytryk, and Robert Adrian Scott. -
Marshall Plan
George Marshall proposed that the United States provide economic assistance to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe. -
NATO formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere. -
Korean War
June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953
The Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea and both sides gained and lost territory. -
Space Race/Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched the earth’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1. The successful launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in the United States, who had hoped that the United States would accomplish this scientific advancement first. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs invasion was launched by Cubans in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. -
Berlin Wall Goes Up
The SED, the state party of the GDR, began to seal off the borders around West Berlin, first with barbed wire and a few days later with walls. This was to put an end to the mass emigration to Berlin and to stabilize its power. -
U.S. official enters Vietnam War
President Johnson committed the first U.S. ground troops to the Vietnam War. -
Soviets invade Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, aiming to support the newly established communist regime and suppress the Mujahideen rebellion against the government. -
Berlin Wall Comes Down
Civil unrest in Germany put pressure on the East German government to loosen some of its regulations on travel to West Germany. It was announced that Germans were now allowed to travel to West Germany, and the announcement failed to clarify that some regulations would remain.