Key Historical Events (1950-2015)

A collection of flashcards covering significant historical events from 1950 to 2015.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea from 1950-1953.

Dien Bien Phu

Battle in 1954 marking the end of French colonial influence in Vietnam.

Polio vaccine

Developed by Jonas Salk in 1955 to prevent poliomyelitis.

Suez Canal Crisis

A diplomatic and military confrontation in 1956 when Egypt's Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.

Sputnik

First artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Cuban Revolution

The 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro that resulted in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

Berlin Wall

Barrier started by East Germany in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

1963 treaty prohibiting nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere.

Chinese Cultural Revolution

Political movement from 1966 to 1976 aimed at preserving Chinese Communism.

6-Day War

A conflict in 1967 between Israel and neighboring Arab states.

Yom Kippur War

A 1973 conflict initiated by a coalition of Arab states against Israel.

OPEC Oil Embargo

An oil crisis beginning in 1973 that saw Arab members of OPEC refuse oil sales to the US.

Cambodian Genocide

Mass murders committed by the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979.

Iranian Revolution

1979 uprising led by Ayatollah Khomeini resulting in the overthrow of the Shah of Iran.

Socialist Market Economy

Economic reforms initiated in 1979 by Deng Xiaoping in China.

Palestinian Intifada

A series of Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation beginning in 1987.

Tiananmen Square

Site of pro-democracy protests in Beijing in 1989, which were violently suppressed.

Namibia independence

Namibia became independent in 1990, marking the end of colonial rule in Africa.

World Wide Web

The system of interlinked hypertext documents developed in 1990.

Persian Gulf War

A conflict that began on January 1, 1991, following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

USSR disbands

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 into 15 independent states.

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement formed in 1994 to eliminate trade barriers.

Rwandan Genocide

The mass slaughter of Tutsi by Hutu extremists in 1994.

1st all race elections in South Africa

Historic elections in 1994 that allowed all South Africans to vote.

EU formed

Establishment of the European Union in 1999 with a unified currency.

9/11 Attacks

Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, resulting in significant loss of life.

US invades Iraq

Military action initiated by the US in 2003, known as Operation Enduring Freedom.

Global Great Recession

A significant global economic downturn which began in 2007.

Arab Spring

A series of anti-government protests and armed rebellions across the Arab world starting in 2011.

Paris Agreement

An agreement established in 2015 to combat climate change and global warming.