Twentieth Century Events

In order to end the Second World War, the United States dropped two atomic bombs onto the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This event was significant because it marked the beginning of the development of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Rank (1-20): 1

Picture Citation: Aerial View of Hiroshima aft.Atomic Bomb. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/109119143/1/109119143/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

After the end of WWII when the Japan had unconditionally surrendered to the Allied powers, United States troops occupied Japan in order to enact military, political, and economic reforms. This event was significant because it led to the United States and Japan being able to establish a beneficial diplomatic relationship.

Rank (1-20): 6

Picture Citation: Intersection In Tokyo. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1152846543/1/1152846543/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

Mahatma Ghandi was an Indian Activist who led the anti-Apartheid movement. He was assassinated in 1948 by Nathuram Godse due to their opposing political views. This event was significant because Ghandi was always a symbol of hope and peace in India, and his assassination ended the era of change and independence in the country.

Rank (1-20): 10

Picture Citation: Gandhi's Grave. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1391972232/1/1391972232/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

Brown v. Board of Education was the United States Supreme Court Decision which ruled that segregation or the “separate but equal” concept in schools was unconstitutional. This event was significant because it allowed high schools nationwide to be integrated, starting with the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas, despite receiving backlash from opponents.

Rank (1-20): 7

Picture Citation:
SEGREGATION HEADLINE, 1954. - Front page of The New York Times, 18 May 1954, announcing the Supreme Court decision in the Brown v. Board of Education school segregation case.. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1401661805/1/1401661805/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

The Little Rock 9 were a group of 9 African American students who enrolled in the all white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. This event was significant because it was one of the first times that a high school had been integrated in the United States following the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

Rank (1-20): 13

Picture Citation: ANTI-INTEGRATION RALLY, 1959. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 31 Aug 2017.
quest.eb.com/search/1401804350/1/1401804350/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War which came very close to nuclear conflict. This event was significant because it showed the extent to which the United States was impacted by the Red Scare, and just how much the United States was desperate to prevent the spread of communism.

Rank (1-20): 4

Picture Citation: Cuban Missile Crisis launch site, Cuba. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 31 Aug 2017.
quest.eb.com/search/1321495272/1/1321495272/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States, and he was assassinated by a sniper in downtown Dallas in 1963. This event was significant because when a president of a nation is killed, not only is the family of the president wounded, but also the entire nation and its strength as a whole.

Rank (1-20): 9

Picture Citation: JOHN F. KENNEDY - (1917-1963). 35th President of the United States. The front page of the 'New York World-Telegram,' 22 November 1963, announcing the assassination of President Kennedy.. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1401681689/1/1401681689/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

The Watergate Scandal occurred when President Richard Nixon was connected to a team that infiltrated the Democratic National Committee's Headquarters at the Watergate hotel in order to steal documents and bug office phones. This event is significant because after the scandal was uncovered American people began to greatly distrust the government.

Rank (1-20): 12

Picture Citation: WATERGATE SCANDAL, 1973. - 'You Can't Trust Anybody.' Cartoon by John Pierotti for the New York Post, 8 May 1973, on former White House Counsel John Dean's decision to cooperate with investigators of the Watergate scandal and the resulting damage to the administration of President Richard Nixon.. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1401685144/1/1401685144/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

Roe v. Wade was the decision by the United States Supreme Court in 1973 that allowed women to keep the right to have abortions. This event was significant because it sparked a controversial debate regarding the moral and legal implications of abortions that is still continues today.

Rank (1-20): 16

Picture Citation: Pro-life march. . Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1422344167/1/1422344167/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.

After the Watergate Scandal in 1972, United States President Richard Nixon had lost the trust of the nation and decided to resign from his post as president in 1974. This event was significant because it marked the change in time periods from when people trusted the government completely to when people knew that the government was riddled with corruption and could not be trusted.

Rank (1-20): 18

Picture Citation:Richard Nixon's Resignation. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/1391916478/1/1391916478/cite. Accessed 22 May 2019.