Cold war flag

The Cold War (1945 - 1991)

By riomijal
  • Period: to

    Cold War

  • HUAC

    HUAC
    history.com HUAC (House Un-American Activities) begins holding meetings to show that Communist ideals are thriving in the US and need to be stopped. Thousands of people from Hollywood, state departments, federal employees, teachers and more lost their jobs.

  • Truman Doctrine

    Truman Doctrine
    History.com" It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation…by outside pressures." --President Truman. This kind of thinking would influence American foreign policy for years to come.

  • Soviet Union atomic bomb

    Soviet Union atomic bomb
    History.com The Soviet Union successfully detonates its first atomic bomb.

  • NSC–68

    NSC–68
    Office of the HistorianThis was a top-secret document that pushed for the US to use military force in order to contain Communism and the Soviet threat.

  • Korean War

    Korean War
    History.com War breaks out in Korea when the Soviet-backed North invades the South. It appears to Americans that this is another step in a Communist threat to take over the world.

  • "MIKE"

    "MIKE"
    History.com The US successfully detonates its first hydrogen bomb named "Mike".

  • SU Hydrogen bomb

    SU Hydrogen bomb
    history.com The Soviet Union successfully detonates its first hydrogen bomb, now matching the power of the US.

  • Sputnik

    Sputnik
    history.com The Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite into orbit. They used an R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile which also made Americans nervous; it could be launched into US airspace seemingly easily.

  • Explorer I

    Explorer I
    NASA The Space Race begins when the US launches its own satellite to rival that of the Soviet Union. Eisenhower also launched NASA this year.

  • First Man in Space

    First Man in Space
    history.com The Soviet Union launches the first man into space.

  • First American Man in Space

    First American Man in Space
    WikipediaWikipedia Americans launch their first man into space.

  • Historic Announcement

    Historic Announcement
    history.com JFK Announces Goal to Land Man on Moon

  • Nixon

    Nixon
    history.com Richard Nixon takes office. He takes some important steps to establish diplomatic relations with communist places and takes steps to reduce the nuclear war threat.

  • Neil Armstrong

    Neil Armstrong
    history.com Neil Armstrong becomes the first man on the moon. This event marks the end of the Space Race with the Soviet Union and made America the declared winner.

  • Ronald Reagan

    Ronald Reagan
    history.com Ronald Reagan takes office. His policies are more akin to Nixon's in that he works for military involvement in subduing Communist governments.

  • Reunification

    Reunification
    history.com wall article East and West Germany finally reunite about a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

  • Gorbachev

    Gorbachev
    History.com Soviet Union Article Gorbachev resigns after the dissolution of the Soviet Union