| 1 | 1865 | - 31 Jan 1865—31 Jan 1965: Slavery abolished
Congress passes 13th Amendment abolishing slavery
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| 2 | 1949 | - 1949—1949: Communist China founded
China is created as a single territorial unit with a common administration and a modernizing economy.
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| 3 | 1950 | - 1950—1950: Korean War
Korean War
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| 4 | 1955 | - 1 Nov 1955—1 Nov 1955: Start of Vietnam War
Start of Vietnam War
- 1 Dec 1955—1 Dec 1955: Rosa Parks arrested for not moving to the back of the bus
Rosa Parks arrested for not moving to the back of the bus
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| 5 | 1958 | - 1958—1958: NASA Formed
NASA Formed
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| 6 | 1959 | - 1959—1959: Silicon Chip invented
Invention of the silicon chip is the major technical invention of the past century, making possible the computer age.
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| 7 | 1960 | - 1960—1960: 1st Contraceptive Pill
First contraceptive pill made available for women, who can now make their own biological choices about reproduction.
- 1960—1960: Explosion of an atom bomb device by France
Explosion of an atom bomb device by France; Election of John F. Kennedy as President of USA
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| 8 | 1961 | - 5 May 1961—5 May 1961: Alan Shepard is first American in space
Alan Shepard is first American in space
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| 9 | 1963 | - 28 Aug 1963—28 Aug 1963: MLK delivers “I Have a Dream†speech
MLK delivers “I Have a Dream†speech
- 22 Nov 1963—20 Nov 1963: JFK Assassinated
JFK Assassinated
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| 10 | 1965 | - 1965—1965: Death of Sir Winston Churchill
Death of Sir Winston Churchill; Singapore becomes the sovereign independent nation; outbreak of Indo-Pak war.
- 9 Sep 1965—9 Sep 1965: Sandy Koufax throws a perfect game
A high-school baseball star in Brooklyn, Sanford “Sandy†Koufax signed a professional contract with his hometown team, the Dodgers, in 1955 after an Ebbets Field tryout. “There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up,†general manager Al Campanis recalled. “The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.†Campanis was Catholic, Koufax Jewish, but the pitcher’s talent was not a question of faith. By 1961, Koufax was the best in baseball on his way to four no-hitters. On Sept. 9, 1965, the hurler threw a perfect game in a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. But after leading his team into the World Series, he declined to pitch Game 1 because it fell on Yom Kippur. The Dodgers lost to the Twins 8-2. But Koufax came back to throw a complete game shutout in Game 5, helping his team take the Series in seven games.
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| 11 | 1968 | - 4 Apr 1968—4 Apr 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr
At the center of the widespread social and political upheaval of the 1960s were the civil rights movement, opposition to the Vietnam War, the emergence of youth-oriented counterculture, and the establishment and reactionary elements that pushed back against change. The April 4, 1968, assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the most prominent civil rights leader, revealed the tragic, violent consequences that could result from a country’s political polarization.
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| 12 | 1972 | - 1972—1972: Watergate Scandal
Watergate Scandal
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| 13 | 1980 | - 1980—1980: Iraq/Iran War
War starts between Iran and Iraq; Ronald Reagon elected USA President.
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1948 - 1980 (31 years)
