🌍 Cold War (1940s–1960s)

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. program during WWII to develop atomic bombs.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japanese cities where atomic bombs were dropped in 1945, ending WWII.

Four Freedoms

FDR’s speech outlining the freedoms of speech, worship, want, and fear.

Berlin Blockade/Airlift (1948–49)

USSR blocked access to West Berlin; U.S. and allies flew in supplies.

Division of Berlin

Post-WWII, Berlin was divided into East Berlin (Soviet) and West Berlin (Allied).

Berlin Wall (1961–1989)

Barrier built by East Germany to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to the West.

Chinese Civil War

Conflict where Communists, led by Mao Zedong, defeated Nationalists in 1949.

Korean War (1950–1953)

Conflict where North Korea invaded South Korea; ended in stalemate at the 38th Parallel.

Suez Canal Crisis (1956)

Conflict where Egypt nationalized the canal; resulted in invasion by Britain, France, and Israel.

McCarthyism

Fear-driven campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and society.

Hollywood Ten

Filmmakers jailed for refusing to testify about communism before HUAC.

Rosenbergs

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg executed for allegedly spying for the USSR.

Blacklisting

Denying employment to suspected communists, particularly in the entertainment industry.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Expanded Truman Doctrine to include support in the Middle East.

Containment

U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism, based on George Kennan's Long Telegram.

Marshall Plan

U.S. initiative providing aid to help rebuild Western Europe.

Iron Curtain

Term used by Winston Churchill to describe Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

NATO (1949)

Military alliance led by the U.S. to counter the Soviet threat.

Warsaw Pact (1955)

Soviet-led military alliance in response to NATO.

United Nations

International organization formed after WWII to promote peace.

Bay of Pigs (1961)

Failed U.S. invasion of Cuba aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Confrontation between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Sputnik (1957)

The first satellite launched by the USSR; ignited the Space Race.

Civil Defense Authority

Organization that promoted nuclear attack preparedness in the U.S.

Nuclear Proliferation

Spread of nuclear weapons technology after WWII.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Leader of the Civil Rights Movement, known for his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Emmett Till

14-year-old victim of racial violence whose murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.

Little Rock Nine

Group of Black students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court case ruling that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956)

Boycott leading to the desegregation of public buses.

Sit-ins

Nonviolent protests to challenge segregation at public places.

Freedom Rides

Interracial bus rides into the segregated South to test compliance with Supreme Court rulings.

Birmingham Campaign (1963)

Nonviolent protests met with violence, raising awareness for Civil Rights.