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Dwight D. Eisenhower Inaugurated
Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated as the thirty-fourth President of the United States. -
Emmett Till Murdered
Emmett Till, a young Northern African-American visiting relatives in the South, is murdered after attempting to flirt with a white woman. The cruelty of his death inspires younger African-Americans to join the civil rights movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins
In response to Rosa Park's arrest, African Americans begin a boycott of Montgomery buses. This event causes the civil rights preacher Martin Luther King, Jr. to rise in popularity. -
Rosa Parks Arrested
African-American Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. Her action inspires the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in general. -
Little Rock Nine Escorted to Central High School
President Eisenhower employs the 101st Airborne Division to escort the Little Rock Nine, African-American students attempting to integrate into the Little Rock school system, to the formerly all-white Central High School. -
National Defense Education Act Passed
The National Defense Education Act, which aims to educate Americans on warfare and defense in the face of the Soviet threat, is passed. -
First Debate between Kennedy and Nixon
The first presidential debate between candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon occurs. It is the first presidential debate to be televised. Nixon's sweaty, nervous appearance compared to Kennedy's calm, attractive appearance is assumed largely responsible for influencing voters' opinions on the two candidates. -
John F. Kennedy Inaugurated
John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as the thirty-fifth President of the United States. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion Ends Unsuccessfully
The Bay of Pigs Invasion, in which Cuban immigrants to America are sent to overthrow the Cuban government, fails when there is proven to be little Cuban support for the invasion. -
Freedom Rides Begin
The Freedom Rides, where African-Americans take advantage of the ruling that segregated buses are unconstitutional by riding them from the North into the Deep South, begin. -
Alan Shepard Becomes First American in Space
Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space and the second human to enter space after the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. -
James Meredith Enrolls at University of Mississippi
James Meredith, an African-American, enrolls at the formerly all-white University of Mississippi. His enrollment is widely protested, and President Kennedy sends the National Guard to intervene. -
George Wallace Gives "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" Speech
Governor George Wallace give his "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" speech while standing in the door of the University of Alabama as a symbolic gesture supporting the continuance of the policy of segregation. -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Gives "I Have a Dream" Speech
Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington, in which he expresses his desire for equality and an end to racism. -
President Kennedy Assassinated
President Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding through Dallas, Texas. -
Lyndon B. Johnson Inaugurated
Lyndon B. Johnson is inaugurated as the thirty-sixth President of the United States on the same day that former President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Passed
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination of race, religion, and gender in public and job settings, is passed. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Allows U.S. to Enter Vietnam War
In response to an incident in which Vietnamese naval forces confronted U.S. naval forces, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing the United States to wage war on Vietnam. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits voting discrimination and brings an end to Jim Crow voting preventions, is passed. -
Richard Nixon Inaugurated
Richard Nixon is inaugurated as the thirty-seventh President of the United States. -
Equal Rights Amendment Passed
The Equal Rights Amendment, which intends to prohibit legal distinctions in regards to sex, is passed by Congress; however, the amendment fails to be ratified by enough states and is eventually defeated. -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal, in which members of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President attempt to break into the Democratic National Convention at the Watergate Complex, places suspicion upon President Nixon. He denies involvement in the scandal, but his refusal to comply with the resulting investigation leads to his downfall. -
Roe v. Wade Decided
Roe v. Wade is decided, providing women the right to abortion before the third trimester. -
OPEC Oil Embargo Begins
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), consisting of Arab nations, places an embargo on oil exports to the United States due to its support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. An oil crisis ensues. -
President Nixon Resigns
Due to the damage to his reputation resulting from the Watergate Scandal, President Richard Nixon chooses to resign from the presidency. -
Gerald Ford Inaugurated
Gerald Ford is inaugurated as the thirty-eighth President of the United States. -
President Ford Pardons Nixon
President Gerald Ford chooses to pardon former President Nixon. He receives widespread unpopularity for this action. -
Vietnam War Ends
The Vietnam War ends in an armistice. Soon after the United States exits the conflict, North Vietnamese invade South Vietnam and unite the nation under communist rule.