1954 DOMINO THEORY- President Eisenhower's Theory that if Vietnam would become communist, so would other nations in South East Asia. 17th Parallel- France's agreement to split Vietnam into the Northern Communist and Southern Non-Communist Nations. 1955 WARSAW PACT- The Soviet Union and seven of its Eastern European allies form the Warsaw Pact, to counter NATO. 1956 CUBAN REVOLUTION- Fidel Castro lands on Cuban soil with a force of 82, most die or are captured. 1957 SPACE RACE- Begins, Soviets launch first man made object into space, Sputnik, US outraged and scared, quickly increase their own Space Program, by building NASA. 1958 ASWAN HIGH DAM- Soviets lend $100 million to Egypt to build Aswan High Dam, in return, create a new ally in the Middle East BERLIN WALL-  First steps towards physically separating East and West Berlin begin, Soviets begin to build Berlin Wall. 1959 FIDEL CASTRO- comes to power in Cuba, Cuba is converted to communism, America now in panic. 1960 U-2 INCIDENT- American U-2 spy plane is shot down over Soviet Union, pilot Gary Francis Powers is convicted of Espionage and is sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison. PRESIDENTAL DEBATE- First airs on national television between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, Kennedy later is elected the 35th President of the United States. 1961 BAY OF PIGS- US trained Cuban exiles attempt to invade Cuba, attempt is crushed easy by Cuban forces. 1962 CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS- US blockade Soviet Supplies to Cuba because of Soviet nuclear missle installations in Cuba. 1963 PRESIDENT KENNEDY- is assasinated. The nation mourns for 3 days after his death, Lee Harvey Oswald suspected of shooting Kennedy, but is killed on his way to trial on live television by Jack Ruby. 1964 CHINA IS A NUCLEAR COUNTRY-  China announces that it has set off its first atomic bomb GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION-  President Johnson signed this in order "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." 1965 PEACE PROTESTS-  Peace marches protesting the war in Vietnam are held across the country OPERATIN "ROLLING THUNDER"-  U.S. sustained bombing of North Vietnam 1966 U.S. BOMBS HANOI-  American planes bomb Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam, for the first time 1968 TET OFFENSIVE-  The Vietcong attack during a hold in the war for the Chinese holiday Tet MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S ASSASSINATION-  in Memphis, Tennessee ROBERT KENNEDY'S ASSASSINATION-  during the Democratic presidential primary in California, he was assassinated in Los Angeles 1969 SALT- United States and the Soviet Union begin preliminary Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) in Helsinki, Finland 1970 KENT STATE RIOT-  Natinal Guardsmen kill four students in a group protesting invasion of Cambodia. 1971 PEACE WITH CHINA-  reults when President Nixon publicly abandons hostile policy toward China by announcing American intentin to trade with that country.  This brings an end to the 20-year "Cold War" with the World's most populous nation 1972 WATERGATE SCANDAL-  Five men are arrested for breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic Party at the Watergate building complex in Washington D.C. 1973 NIXON RESIGNS-  Richard Nixon accepts the responsibility for the break-in at the Wategate complex, but denies knowledge of the cover-up that followed VIETNAM WAR ENDS-  The U.S., North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Viet Cong reach an agreement in Paris and the Vietnam war is over CONTINUE

Timeline/Glossary