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The World's First Nuclear Submarine
The USS Nautilus, commissioned by the U.S. Navy, was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. It was launched on January 21, 1954. It was commissioned on September 30, 1954. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War. -
The First Satellite
ARPA launched the first satellite in what would become the world's first global satellite navigation system. Known as Transit, the system provided accurate, all-weather navigation to both military and commercial vessels, including the U.S. Navy's ballistic missile submarine force. -
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John F. Kennedy's Presidency
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. During this time, he set out to redeem his campaign pledge to get America moving again. His economic programs launched the country on its longest sustained expansion since World War II; before his death, he laid plans for a massive assault on persisting pockets of privation and poverty. -
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Lyndon B. Johnson's Presidency
Lyndon Baines Johnson, often referred to by his initials LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States. He assumed the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A "Great Society" for the American people was the vision of Lyndon Johnson. As president, he obtained passage of one of the most significant legislative programs in the nation's history but found his presidency overwhelmed by opposition to the Vietnam War. -
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate. This promoted the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. -
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Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, during the Vietnam War. The forces of the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) carried out a massive artillery bombardment on the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh, located in South Vietnam near the border of Laos. For the next 77 days, U.S. Marines and their South Vietnamese allies fought off an intense siege of the garrison, one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. -
The First Operational Space Telescope
The American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO-2 launched, allowing us to explore the universe. The OAO program was developed to increase awareness of the benefits of orbiting telescopes to the scientific community. Four satellites were developed for this program between 1966-1972, but only two were launched successfully into low Earth orbit. -
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Richard Nixon's Presidency
When Richard Nixon was elected in 1968, he declared that his goal was “to bring the American people together.” The nation was divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his presidency, Nixon ended American fighting in Vietnam, improved relations with the Soviet Union, and transformed American's relationship with China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. -
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Gerald Ford's Presidency
Ford was confronted with almost insuperable tasks. There were the challenges of mastering inflation, reviving a depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace.
The President acted to curb the trend toward Government intervention and spending as a means of solving the problems of American society and the economy. In the long run, he believed, this shift would bring a better life for all Americans.