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The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. The agreement resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. This led to the return of white Democratic control in Southern states and a rollback of rights for African Americans. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
This was the first significant federal law restricting immigration based on nationality. The act banned Chinese laborers from entering the United States, marking the beginning of formal racialized immigration laws that would affect various immigrant groups in the future. -
The wounded Knee Massacre
The Wounded Knee Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wounded Knee, was a brutal event where the US Army's 7th Cavalry killed nearly 300 Lakota citizens, primarily unarmed women, children, and elders, at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, after a failed attempt to disarm them. -
The wright Brothers First Flight
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, achieved the first successful, controlled, and sustained flight of a heavier-than-air, powered aircraft on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. -
The opening of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal, a vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, officially opened to traffic on August 15, 1914, after a decade of construction, significantly shortening shipping routes and boosting global trade. -
The 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, guarantees American women the right to vote, a right known as women's suffrage, ending a long struggle for political equality. -
The Stock Market Crash
The 1929 stock market crash, also known as "Black Tuesday," involved a dramatic and swift decline in the value of stocks, triggering the Great Depression and wiping out billions of dollars from people's businesses, investments, and accounts. -
The attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, resulting in significant damage and casualties, ultimately drawing the United States into World War II. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, the court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. -
March on Washington DC for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held on August 28, 1963, was a massive civil rights protest where over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to advocate for civil and economic rights for African Americans and to support pending civil rights legislation -
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission achieved the historic goal of landing humans on the Moon, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming the first people to ever walk on it. -
The end of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces, marking the end of the conflict and the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule. The US had withdrawn its troops in 1973 after signing the Treaty Of Paris Peace. -
The election of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was elected as the 40th President of the United States in the 1980 election. He ran as the Republican candidate against President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. Reagan's campaign focused on addressing the nation's economic struggles, promising a strong military, reducing government regulation, and cutting taxes. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War and division, fell, triggered by a press conference announcement of travel restrictions and freedom, leading to protesting crowds breaching the barrier and making the way for German reunification. -
Gulf War
The Gulf War, was also known as Operation Desert Storm, was a 1991 conflict where a UN-led coalition, primarily the United States, liberated Kuwait from Iraq's invasion, which had been sparked by Saddam Hussein's desire to control the oil-rich region. -
September 11 Attacks
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a 4th into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to fight back. -
The Financial Crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, a global economic downturn triggered by the bursting of the US housing bubble, which saw widespread defaults on subprime mortgages, leading to the failure of major financial institutions and a global recession. -
Obamacare
The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), often called "Obamacare," aimed to expand health insurance coverage and reform the US healthcare system by requiring most Americans to have health insurance, creating health insurance marketplaces, expanding Medicaid, and prohibiting insurers from denying coverage or charging more based on pre-existing conditions -
The COVID 19 Pandemic
Coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic and world isolation and social distancing. -
The Capital Riot
On January 6, 2021, the world witnessed an attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Vice President, Members of Congress, and the democratic process. Rioters, attempting to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress, broke into the Capitol building, vandalized and stole property, and ransacked offices.