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John F. Kennedy Elected 35th President of the US
In 1961, John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th President of the United States and served for less than one term as he was assassinated. Kennedy worked towards equal rights. Like other presidents during the Cold War, he worked to prevent Soviet Russia from spreading Communism and overpowering the US. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the point of highest tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The conflict arose when US intelligence discovered the Soviet Union had been building missile sites and placing missiles in Cuba. This could have resulted in a nuclear war, but President Kennedy instead placed a naval quarantine on Cuba. -
President Kennedy is Assassinated
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He was riding in his motorcade through Dallas, Texas, when he was shot by an assassin's bullets. -
Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the 36th President of the US
Following President Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Johnson enacted a program called the Great Society. This program included aiding education, attacking disease, Medicare, urban renewal, beautification, conservation, development of depressed regions, combatting poverty, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, and removing obstacles to the right to vote. -
Vietnam War Begins
Vietnam was formerly a French colony and upon gaining independence, was split into two halves: a communist North Vietnam and a non-communist South Vietnam. A communist revolutionary group called the Vietcong began revolting against the South Vietnam government and in 1963, overthrew and killed the South Vietnamese president, who was supported by the US. As a result, in August of 1964, US troops were sent to Vietnam to prevent further Communist aggression. -
Moonlanding
In 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 was successfully sent into space and reached the moon. Neil Armstrong, an astronaut, became the first man to set foot on the moon. -
Richard Nixon is Elected 37th President of the US
In 1969, Richard Nixon was elected the 37th President of the United States. Nixon sought to reconcile the nation as it was divided by domestic turbulence and war overseas. While serving, Nixon ended the war in Vietnam and improved relationships with the Soviet Union and China. However, on August 8, 1974, Nixon resigned from office due to facing impeachment as a result of the Watergate scandal. -
Gerald Ford Becomes the 38th President of the US
Following Nixon's resignation, Gerald Ford became the 38th President of the United States. During his presidency, Ford granted Nixon a pardon to calm earlier controversies. He worked to curb inflation and stimulate the economy. -
Microsoft is Formed
In 1975, Microsoft was formed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to write computer software.