Recent Event Highlights: John F. Kennedy becomes president, Soviets get the hydrogen bomb, Eisenhower becomes president, U.S. gets the hydrogen bomb, Soviets get the atomic bomb, Truman becomes president, and 14 more...
Created by tneubauer on Oct 8, 2010
Last updated: 10/14/10 at 05:29 PM
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John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. When sworn in Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,". Kennedy was the president who ordered for Cuba to be blockaded. JFK was eventually assinated on Nov. 22, 1963.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Biographies+and+Profiles/Biographies/John+F.+Kennedy+The+35th+President+of+the+United+States+Page+4.htm
A U2 was a plane that U.S. flew over the USSR to spy on them. The U.S. thought that the U2 was to high up in the air to be shot down. Francis Gary Powers was flying the U2 when it was shot down. Powers was captured by the Soviets. Eisenhower tried to tell the Soviets that the plane was just a weather plane that went off course. The Soviets didn't believe him because they found pictures of Soviets from very high up in the air. The Soviet's response to this was: "Don't you fly into the Soviet Union! Don't you fly into the socialist countries!" Krushchev demanded. "Respect sovereignty and know your limits! If you don't know your limits, we will strike!"
http://www.rferl.org/content/Fifty_Years_Later_Gary_Powers_and_U2_Spy_Plane_Incident_Remembered/2029269.html
The Soviets pushed the first artificial satellite above the friction of the earth's atmosphere. The satellite then traveled around the earth at 18,000 mph. It weighed 200 pounds. Sputnik made the U.S. worry that the Soviet's might drop a nuclear bomb on them.
It was a defense treaty between 8 communist Eastern European counties. It was the Communist's response to NATO. It was a military agreement which said that if any of the 8 countries were to be attacked, all of the countries in the Warsaw Pact had to come to the victim country's aid.
The head of Guatemal's government, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, gave 200,000 acres to the peasants. The 200,000 acres of land was owned by the United Fruit Company, which was an American company. The CIA went into Guatemala because they thought that Guatemala might become communist. The CIA is able to overthrow the Guatemalan government.
The Soviets catch up to the U.S. by creating their own hydrogen bomb. Many believe the Soviets stole their ideas for the hydrogen bomb from the U.S. The main person working on the Soviets hydrogen bomb was Igor Kurchatov. The hydrogen bomb was called "Joe" and was a very powerful bomb. Kurchatov says “I couldn’t ignore how horrible and inhuman our work was. But the war that had just ended was also inhuman. I wasn’t a soldier in that war, but I felt like one in this scientific and technological war. (Kurchatov himself said we were soldiers, and this was no idle remark.)”
http://www.aip.org/history/sakharov/hbomb.htm
Iran's prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, placed the oil industry under the government's control. Iran's economy began to fall because of this. The U.S. believed that this would cause Iran to become communist. The CIA tried to persuade the shah to overthrow Mohammed but the people remained loyal to their shah. Mohammed eventually fled.
Eisenhower was a general in the U.S. army for many years. He defeated Adlai Stevenson. Eisenhower was the one who ended to Korean War and also kept pressure on the Soviet's during the Cold War. When elected president, Eisenhower said "Now, where will a new administration begin. It will begin with its president taking a firm, simple resolution. That resolution will be to forego the diversions of politics and to concentrate on the job of ending the Korean War, until that job is honorably done. That job requires a personal trip to Korea. Only in that way could I learn how best to serve the American people in the cause of peace. I shall go to Korea."
http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/203.html
The U.S. created the first thermonuclear bomb. The bomb was called "Mike". It was 1000x more powerful than the atomic bomb. The U.S. first tested at the Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea crossed the 38th parellel invading South Korea. The UN came to South Korea's aid even though they were unprepared for war. North Korea was drove the troops to the corner of Pusan. The UN was threatened by the Chinese that if they were to cross the 38th parellel, China would enter the war. North and South Korea eventually came to terms and the 38th parallel became the dividing line between the two countries. After the war, Eisenhower said "We have won an armistice on a single battleground, not peace in the world". He was talking about how the Korean
War was only the beginning of the Cold War. Also, General MacArthur was relieved of his position during this war.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=85
The Soviets began to research and create atomic bombs after they had learned that the U.S. was working on making an atomic bomb. The Soviet's lead scientist was Igor Kurchatov.
China joined the Soviets in communism. China became communist after defeating their rival Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War. Unemployment and poor living conditions lead to China becoming communist. Mao Zedong was the leader of the Chinese when China became communist.
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization). It was when 12 Nations joined together to create a treaty to go against the Soviet's aggression.Truman said "by this treaty, we are not only seeking to establish freedom from aggression and from the use of force in the North Atlantic community, but we are also actively striving to promote and preserve peace throughout the world."
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/nato/nato.htm
It was when the Soviet's blocked all access to Berlin in their attempt to try to get Berlin to become Communist. The Berlin Airlift was when the UK and U.S. planes used to fly over Berlin and drop off supplies. American ambassador to Britain, John Winnant, stated the accepted Western view when he said "that the right to be in Berlin carried with it the right of access."
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/berlin.htm
It was the U.S. program for rebuilding a stronger economy for European countries. The U.S. began giving money to European countries. The Marshall Plan was named for Secretary of Stae George C. Marshall. Truman explained why the Marshall Plan was need: "It would be an unspeakable tragedy if these countries, which have struggled so long against overwhelming odds, should lose that victory for which they sacrificed so much. Collapse of free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for them but for the world."
http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war8_TrumanDoctrine.htm
It was when President Truman announced that the U.S. was going to give aid Greece and Turkey. The U.S. aided Greece and Turkey so that they did not fall to Communism. Truman stated "the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Doctrine
An American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay, dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on the city of Hiroshima. After dropping the bomb, Truman said "The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold."
http://www.doug-long.com/truman.htm
It was boundary that seperated the Warsaw Pact countries from the NATO countries. The Iron Curtain was created by the Soviet Union.
President Roosevelt dies which leaves vice president, Harry Truman, as president. Truman was the president who issued for the atomic bombs to be dropped, and for the the hydrogen bomb to be made.
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