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Gorbachev is born
Mikhail Sergeyvich Gorbachev is born on March 2nd, 1931 in Privolnoye, a village in the Stavropol region of the Soviet Union. His father and grandfather were members of the local Communist party and his father was a local party official so the Gorbachev family was privileged. Mikhail went to school until the Nazi occupation of the Stavropol region when he go labor in the fields. This event is significant because Gorbachev went on to become the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 (Sullivan 8-10) -
Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
On May 21st, 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to solo pilot a nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew from Newfoundland, Canada to Derry, Ireland in 15 hours. After this she was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by the United States Congress. This is important because not only did someone do a transatlantic flight only 5 years after the first but Amelia was a woman and in the 1930s women didn't have the same status as men. (History.com Staff) -
The First Atomic Bomb is Tested
On July 21st, 1945 the US military tested the world's first atomic bomb. At 5:29 am in Alamogordo, New Mexico the bomb was detonated. The destruction was equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. This was known as the Trinity Test and it brought an end to the Manhattan Project, the US Military's project to make an atomic bomb. This is important because atomic bombs were eventually made by other countries and now humanity had the ability to obliterate everyone on Earth. (History.com Staff) -
Gorbachev Joins The Communist Party
In 1950 Gorbachev applied to join the Communist Party and he was accepted later that year. The Communist Party was the ruling party of the Soviet Union. This is important because it gave Mikhail his first government position and one that would help him go onto become General Secretary. (Sullivan 12-14) -
The First Men Land on the Moon
On July 20th, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.The Eagle lunar module landed on the Moon and Neil Armstrong walked out and said his now famous quote "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This is important because in the 1960s the USA and USSR were competing to put the first man on the Moon and the USA succeeded, ending the Space Race. (History.com Staff) -
Gorbachev joins Politiburo
In 1979 Gorbachev joined Politiburo and was made a full member in 1980. The Politiburo had 12 to 15 members and was the policymaking body of the Communist Party. This is important because the full members of Politiburo are next in line for the position of General Secretary. (Sullivan 35-36) -
AIDS is discovered
In 1981 the CDC found two new cancers exclusive to homosexual men. However they also found that women and drug users could get the disease and they named it acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. This is important because AIDS is spreading fast with 35 to 40 thousand being diagnosed with AIDS each year in the United States. (Sillicano et al. and HIV in the United States: At A Glance) -
The Policies of Perestroika and Glastnost are Implemented
During his first year as leader of the Soviet Union Gorbachev implemented the policies of Perestroika and Glastnost. Perestroika was reforming the economic and political system and Glastnost was making it so people could be more open and honest. This is important because the Soviet Union's economy was not doing well and for years people who didn't agree with the government and spoke their mind were arrested. (Harkins & Harkins 23-24) -
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary
On March 11th, 1985 after the death of Konstantin Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of Politiburo which is the leader of the Soviet Union. This is important because the Soviet Union was one of the world's most powerful countries. (Malia 409) -
The Wreck of the RMS Titanic is found
On September 1st, 1985 the wreck of the RMS Titanic was found in the North Atlantic during a joint US-French expedition. In 1912 the"unsinkable" ship hit and iceberg on its maiden voyage and sunk. Using an experimental submarine called Argo the team discovered the wreck 13,000 feet below the sea 400 miles off of Newfoundland, Canada. (Tikkanen) -
Gorbachev goes to the Reykjavik Summit
On October 11th Mikhail Gorbachev arrived at the two day long Reykjavik Summit, The goal was to limit the nuclear weapons of the Soviet Union and United States of America. Although the talks failed due to Gorbachev wanting the United States to end SDI, both him and President Reagan wanted to limit the nuclear bombs of the world. This is important because it showed that the USSR and US could work together and that the USSR wanted to limit it's nuclear arsenal. (Encyclopedia Britannica Editors) -
Gorbachev the INF treaty with Ronald Reagan
In December of 1987 Gorbachev met with Ronald Reagan in Washington D.C. to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. This treaty would have the US and USSR eliminate their intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe. Although this was only 4% of each country's nuclear arsenal this was important because the US and USSR voluntarily got rid of nuclear missiles. (Kort 146) -
The Ivory Trade is banned Worldwide
Throughout the 1980s poachers hunting elephants for their ivory tusks nearly halved the African elephant population. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) decided to ban the Worldwide Ivory trade in 1990 as to protect elephant species around the world. This is important because now elephants won't constantly be hunted for their precious tusks (Encyclopedia Britannica Editors) -
Gorbachev becomes the first and only President of the Soviet Union
In Gorbachev instituted a new democratic election system in 1989 and on March 14th, 1990 Gorbachev was elected president of the Soviet Union. On March 15th he was inaugurated and officially became the first president of the Soviet Union. This is important because for the past 73 years of its existence the Soviet Union did not have the people elect the leaders, rather members of the government chose a member of Politburo.(Biography.com Editors) -
The August Coup takes place
While vacationing in Crimea with his family Gorbachev was captured and a group of Communist Conservatives known as the "Gang of Eight" tried to take control of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev eventually was freed and Boris Yeltsin, Russian President, led the capture of the Gang of Eight. This is important because it led to Gorbachev losing popularity and helped lead to the dissolution of the USSR. (Biography.com Editors) -
Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union
On December 25th, 1991 Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union. In Fall of 1991 countries that formed the Soviet Union declared independence and the Commonwealth of Independent States was formed. Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President and the next day Boris Yeltsin took his desk in the Kremlin. This is important because the USSR was one of the world's most powerful countries and now Russia, as well as several other countries, take its place on the map. (McKenzie and Curran 373-375)
