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Period: to
Korean War
The Korean War lasted 3 years, from June 1950 to July 1953. It resulted from about 75,000 Northern Korean soldiers crossing the 38th parallel and invading Southern Korea in 1950. America came to the aid of Southern Korea, while China and the Soviet Union aided Northern Korea. -
Bay of Pigs
1500 Cuban exiles armed and trained by the CIA attempted to invade Cuba but failed as a result of Pres. Kennedy's refusal to involve US Armed Forces. This failed invasion made the US look weak and vulnerable to attack by the Soviet Union. -
US Builds Troops in Vietnam
President Kennedy ordered that troops be sent to Vietnam and Thailand following communist attacks in bordering countries. The total troop build-up was about 500,000. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
As a result of the failed BOP invasion, the Soviets began building nuclear missile sites to prevent another invasion by the US. An American spy plane flew over Cuba and took pictures of the newly built Soviet sites, and immediately after seeing the pictures, Pres. Kennedy planned to blockade and invade Cuba unless the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles. The Soviets agreed to remove the missiles if the US missiles in Turkey were removed as well. -
Pres. Nixon and Brezhnev Sign SALT
Pres. Nixon visits China and the Soviet Union to improve relations with the communist countries in midst of the Cold War. While in the Soviet Union, Nixon, along with Leonid Brezhnev ( General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) sign the first SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) which was intended to restrain the arms race of nuclear weapons. -
US Involvement in Vietnam Ends
Following a grueling 20 year war, the Paris Peace Accords are signed. The Paris Peace Accords were agreements among North Vietnam, PRG, and South Vietnam. Following this signing the Vietnam War came to an end. -
OPEC Places Embargo on US
The Arab-dominated organization OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), placed an embargo on oil to the United States following America's support for Israel in the October War. The October War was an attack on Israel by Syria, Egypt and Iraq to retrieve lost territory. -
US Signs Treaty - Return Panama Canal
The US signs the Torrijos–Carter Treaties which is an guarantee that Panama would gain control of the Panama Canal after 1999; the canal was under control of the US since 1903. -
Establishment of Full Diplomatic Relations
The United States and the People's Republic of China announce that both governments will establish full diplomatic relations at the beginning of the new year. The United States also announced that it would no longer have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as well as withdrawing military forces from the country and terminating the Mutual Defense Agreement. -
Camp David Accords
Pres. Jimmy Carter sponsors peace talks between Egypt and Israel following the build-up of tension since the October Wars. During these peace talks, the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty which was witnessed by Pres. Carter. The E-I Peace Treaty contained agreements on mutual recognition, ending of the state of war, normalization of relations and the complete withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula. -
US Embargo on Soviet Union
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US places an embargo on sales of American grain to Soviet Union, boycotts Moscow Olympic Games, and delays the completion of SALT II. These "punishments" on the Soviet Union had little effect, as the Soviet Union got their resources from other countries. -
Ordered the Invasion of Grenada
Following a Marxist revolution that took place in Grenada, Pres. Ronald Reagan ordered an invasion of the Caribbean nation. It took less than a week for American forces to subdue the country. -
Iran-Contra Affair
The American public learns that the US secretly sold weapons to Iran in hopes of gaining release of American hostages in Lebanon. The transaction was not approved by Congress and unraveled into a scandal that cost jobs to many government officials. -
US Invades Panama - Operation Just Cause
The US invades Panama in an attempt to overthrow military dictator Manuel Noriega, who was suspected of drug trafficking, suppressing democracy in Panama, and endangering US Nationals. This invasion cost the lives of 23 US soldiers and 3 US civilians. -
Bush and Gorbachev Summit
Following the falling of the Berlin Wall, George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev hold a summit meeting in Washington, DC, discussing the the future reunification of Germany as well as the convincing that Germany join NATO. The summit ended with no concrete decisions, but with warm words of friendship. -
Persian Gulf War
A war began between the forces of the UN and those who followed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The US-led multinational force ended brutal year-long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. -
9/11 Attacks
A series four terrorist attacks took place in one day by terrorist group, Al-Qaeda. against the US. 19 members of Al-Qaeda hijacked planes in which the crashed into multiple important American buildings. This attack took the lives of 2,996 (including the attackers).
