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Henry Ford introduced the Model T, the first affordable automobile for average Americans. Used assembly line production, drastically reducing manufacturing time and cost. Transformed American society: mobility, suburbs, road systems.
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A secret diplomatic message sent by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to Mexico. This proposed that if the U.S. entered WWI against Germany, Mexico should ally with Germany.
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Agreement between the Allies and Germany to end fighting in WWI. Signed at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month. Ended one of the deadliest wars in history. Set the stage for the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed harsh penalties on Germany.
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Granted women the right to vote in the United States. Expanded democracy to half the population.
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First solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. Flew in the Spirit of St. Louis. Helped launch the commercial airline industry.
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The stock market began to crash as investors panicked and sold shares rapidly. First major sign of the Great Depression. Triggered a chain reaction of bank failures, unemployment, and economic collapse.
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President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany. Hitler quickly consolidated power, eliminating political opposition. Marked the beginning of Nazi dictatorship.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s programs to combat the Great Depression. Included relief (immediate help), recovery (economic rebuilding), and reform (prevent future crises). Expanded the role of the federal government. Provided millions of jobs.
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Britain and France agreed to let Hitler annex the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia). Policy of appeasement: giving in to avoid war. Encouraged Hitler to continue expansion. WWII began less than a year later.
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Germany invaded Poland using blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) tactics. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. Official start of World War II.
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Japan launched a surprise military attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 2,400 Americans were killed; battleships and aircraft were destroyed. Japan wanted to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet to prevent interference with its expansion in Asia.
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The Allied invasion of Nazi‑occupied France, landing on the beaches of Normandy. Largest amphibious invasion in history. Marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.
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The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 100,000 people were killed instantly; many more died from radiation. U.S. leaders believed it would force Japan to surrender without a costly invasion.
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International organization created after WWII to promote peace, cooperation, and human rights. Replaced the failed League of Nations. Provided a forum for diplomacy during the Cold War.
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George F. Kennan, a U.S. diplomat in Moscow, sent a long analysis of Soviet intentions. Argued that the USSR was expansionist and would only respond to firm resistance. Became the foundation of the U.S. containment policy.
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed by the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations. A mutual defense pact: an attack on one is an attack on all. Countered Soviet influence in Europe.
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The USSR successfully tested its first nuclear weapon. Ended the U.S. monopoly on nuclear power. Intensified the arms race. Led to the development of even more powerful weapons (hydrogen bombs).
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North Korea (supported by USSR and China) invaded South Korea (supported by the U.S. and UN). Fighting ended in a stalemate at the 38th parallel. First major armed conflict of the Cold War. Demonstrated U.S. commitment to containment.
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Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (“separate but equal”). Major victory for the Civil Rights Movement. Civil rights, constitutional law, equality.
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Conflict between communist North Vietnam (supported by USSR/China) and South Vietnam (supported by the U.S.). U.S. involvement peaked in the late 1960s with over 500,000 troops. Guerrilla warfare, jungle combat, and unclear objectives made victory difficult. North Vietnam captured Saigon in 1975, unifying Vietnam under communism.
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Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Elevated Martin Luther King Jr. as a national leader. Demonstrated the power of nonviolent protest.
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U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet nuclear missiles being installed in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade (“quarantine”) around Cuba to stop further missile shipments. For 13 days, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. The USSR agreed to remove the missiles. Closest the world ever came to nuclear war.
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President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime but was killed two days later by Jack Ruby. Lyndon B. Johnson became president and pushed forward major civil rights and social programs. Political instability, national trauma, leadership transition.
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After reports (later questioned) that North Vietnamese boats attacked U.S. ships, Congress passed a resolution giving President Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam. Led to massive troop deployments and full-scale U.S. entry into the Vietnam War. Executive power, war escalation, Cold War policy.
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Began as ARPANET, a U.S. Defense Department project in 1969. Evolved through the 1970s–80s with email, networking protocols, and global connections. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, making the internet accessible to the public. Revolutionized communication, business, education, and daily life.
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NASA’s Apollo 11 mission successfully landed humans on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface on July 20. Major victory in the Space Race against the USSR. Demonstrated U.S. technological and scientific leadership.
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Five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. They were connected to President Nixon’s reelection campaign. The break-in itself was minor — the cover-up was the real scandal. Investigations revealed illegal wiretapping, campaign fraud, and abuse of power.
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Facing impeachment for obstruction of justice and abuse of power, President Richard Nixon resigned. Vice President Gerald Ford became president. First and only U.S. president to resign. Restored some public trust in the system by showing that no one is above the law.
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East Germany announced that citizens could freely cross into West Berlin. Crowds dismantled the wall, symbolizing the collapse of communist control. Marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Led to German reunification in 1990. End of the Cold War, freedom movements, political transformation.
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Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes. Two hit the World Trade Center towers, one hit the Pentagon, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. Led to the War on Terror, including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Created major changes in U.S. security, including the Department of Homeland Security and TSA.
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A novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019 and spread globally. Led to lockdowns, school closures, overwhelmed hospitals, and major economic disruption. Vaccines were developed at record speed. One of the most significant global crises of the 21st century. Changed work, education, healthcare, and global supply chains.