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Corona Launched
The US launched the first Corona satellite (equipped with a good camera), helping the US spy on the USSR during the Cold War. -
Casto Takes Control of Cuba
Castro came to power in Cuba, making the relations between the US & Cuba very bitter (to this day they are also), and leading to several future conflicts. -
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Operation Peter Pan (green)
Mass exodus of thousands of unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States. By doing this, the US took a firm stance against Fidel Castro & his regime's oppressive manner, and vowed to protect the Cuban children, raising tension between the 2 countries. -
Flexible Response Strategy Adopted
Flexible response called for mutual deterrence to give the US the capability to respond to aggression across the spectrum of war rather than just with nuclear weapons. It strengthened the idea of an arms race between the US & the USSR. -
Alliance for Progress Proposed
JFK proposed a 10 year, billion dollar program for aid for Latin America, to repair US relations with Latin America, because they'd been damaged badly in recent years. By supporting them, the US was attempting to get the countries of Latin America on the side of democracy rather than communism, because the fear of communism was a big possibility. -
Yuri Gagarin in Space
He was the first human to ever journey into outer space. His aircraft orbited the Earth on 4/12/1961, spurring the space race onward tremendously. -
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Bay of Pigs Invasion (red)
The US supported Cuban exiles in air raids and attacks on the Cuban peninsula, against Castro's forces. The Bay of Pigs turned into a disaster, the US stopped supporting because of fear of a larger conflict, and Cuba stopped it quickly. It lead to much more tension in the future, and showed the world that the US was willing to use force to contain communism. -
Alan Shepard in Space
He was the first American to enter space, and was behind the USSR by just under a month. By the US entering space, the USSR and the US continued vying to be the best and were on an equal (or near equal) playing field. -
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Berlin Crisis (green)
The USSR sent an ultimatum demanding that the West withdraw its forces from West Berlin, following the East German government building a wall to stop its population from leaving to the West. The Berlin Crisis heightened tensions between the US & the USSR, and lead the two countries closer to an armed conflict. -
Berlin Wall Built
The Berlin Wall was built on August 13, 1961, in response to thousands of East Germans fleeing Germany to the democratic West. The Communist East Germans built it to prevent this, stopping emigration from Germany to the West, strengthening their grip in Germany, and preventing the US from influencing Germany as heavily. -
JFK Announces Increased Aid to South Vietnam
JFK announced that the US would increase aid to South Vietnam, including sending in more troops, in an effort to reduce the effects of communism in the area. -
John Glenn in Space
John Glenn orbited the Earth, and was the first American to successfully do so. This put the US on a completely equal playing field with the USSR and spurred the US to continue their space programs and be better than the USSR, and made the USSR realize the capabilities of the US's space programs. -
Telstar 1 Launch
Telstar was a series of communications satellites launched into orbit by the US that provided the first transatlantic television feed. Because the US was the first to do this, it heightened the Space Race of the Cold War between the US & the USSR. -
"Moon" Speech
JFK announced America's plan to reach the Moon, in an attempt to gain public support for the Apollo program. By doing this, he helped contribute to the Apollo program eventually sending the first person in history to the moon, and boosted the US in its Space Race against the USSR. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis (red)
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day period where the US & the USSR went into a heated stand-off over nuclear missiles being installed on Cuba, establishing a naval blockade Cuba and prepared its army and navy to use military force to neutralize the threat. This made the world realize that the world was on the brink of nuclear war. -
Limited Test Ban Treaty Signed
The treaty prevented any nuclear weapons tests or explosion in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. This lead to the US and the USSR reaching an agreement on nuclear weapons, that they are harmful for the environment and shouldn't be used in this manner, slowing down the arms race. -
Moscow-Washington Hotline Established
The hotline allowed JFK to have a direct phone line to Moscow, to facilitate communication between the 2 leaders, as a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, amongst other conflicts. It helped prevent future disasters such as this, helped reduce the risk of war, and served as a step to end the hostilities of the Cold War. -
Ngo Dinh Diem Assassinated
The South Vietnamese government was captured on November 1, and Diem was killed the day after with his brother, leading to political chaos in the country. The US in response became more involved in Vietnam in an attempt to stabilize the South Vietnamese government and repel the communists.
