Preceden

World War

Main

Postdam Conference

1945

The big three leaders met at postsdam Germany, near berlin. in this, last last of the the world war II heads of state conferences

Victory of Europe

1945

The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more

Victory of japan

1945

to the afternoon of August 15, 1945, in Japan, and, because of time zone differences

Yalta Conference

1945

The Yalta Conference was a meeting of British prime minister Winston Churchill, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt early in February 1945 as World War II was winding down

West Berlin

1946

One of the most dramatic standoffs in the history of the Cold War begins as the Soviet Union blocks all road and rail traffic to and from West Berlin. The blockade turned out to be a terrible diplomatic move by the Soviets, while the United States emerged from the confrontation with renewed purpose and confidence.

Hollywood Blacklist

1947

The Hollywood Blacklist came into being in 1947 when the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) began to summon certain Hollywood entertainment professionals on the suspicion that their work was communist-inspired. As the media began extensive coverage of the proceedings, some writers, producers, and directors became known as the "Hollywood Ten."

marshall plan

1948

american programs to aid europe in which the united states gave support to help rebuild european

Mao Zedong takes control of China

1949

Mao and his communist supporters had been fighting against what they claimed was a corrupt and decadent Nationalist government in China since the 1920s. Despite massive U.S. support for the Nationalist regime, Mao's forces were victorious in 1949 and drove the Nationalist government onto the island of Taiwan.

Joe McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt

1950

McCarthy enthusiastically agreed and took advantage of the nation’s wave of fanatic terror against communism, and emerged on February 9, 1950, claiming he had a list of 205 people in the State Department who were known members of the American Communist Party

Soviets explode first atomic bomb

1952

At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, the USSR successfully detonates its first atomic bomb, code name "First Lightning." In order to measure the effects of the blast, the Soviet scientists constructed buildings, bridges, and other civilian structures in the vicinity of the bomb.

Julius and ethel Rosenberg

1953

In one of the most sensational trials in American history, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage for their role in passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during and after World War II. The husband and wife were later sentenced to death and were executed in 1953.

Vietnam War begins and ends

1956 - 1975

Secret negotiations led to an agreement between the United States and North Vietnam which guarenteed the withdrawal of U.S. troops. After the treaty was signed in 1973 and American troops were withdrawn, the U.S. was limited to supplying South Vietnam forces and giving air support. The fighting continued, and on April 17, 1975, Saigon was captured by North Vietnamese forces and renamed Ho Chi Minh City, ending the Vietnam War.

John F. Kennedy elected President

1960

Nixon took every opportunity to characterize Kennedy as too young and inexperienced to handle the awesome responsibilities of America's Cold War diplomacy.

Berlin wall falls

1961 - 1989

Rise of berlin wall

1961 - 1989

both the physical divsion between west berlin and east germany

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962

In October 1962, an American U-2 spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba.

Apollo 11 lands on the moon

1969

The Apollo 11 launch date had arrived with just months to spare: Nine years earlier, U.S. President John F. Kennedy had said that by the end of the decade the country would put a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth.

The successful Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, ushered in an era of moon exploration that has so far gone unrivaled.

The House Un-American Activities Committee

1969

Established in 1938, the committee wielded its subpoena power as a weapon and called citizens to testify in high-profile hearings before Congress. This intimidating atmosphere often produced dramatic but questionable revelations about Communists infiltrating American institutions and subversive actions by well-known citizens