|
|
|
1946 |
| February 9: Stalin hostile speech - communism & capitalism were incompatible March 5 : "Sinews of Peace" Iron Curtain Speech by Winston Churchill - "an "iron curtain" has descended on Europe" March 10 - Truman demands Russia leave Iran July 1: Operation Crossroads with Test Able was the first public demonstration of America's atomic arsenal July 25: America's Test Baker - underwater explosion |
1947 |
| Containment March 12 : Truman Doctrine - Truman declares active role in Greek Civil War June : Marshall Plan is announced setting a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutrition September 2 - Rio Pact - U.S. meet 19 Latin American countries and created a security zone around the hemisphere |
1948 |
| Containment February 25 : Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia March 2: Truman's Loyalty Program created to catch Cold War spies March 17: Brussels Pact organized to protect Europe from communism June 24 : Berlin Blockade begins lasting 11 months |
1949 |
| Containment April 4 : NATO ratified May 12 : Berlin Blockade ends 29 August : Russia tested its first atomic bomb October 1 : Communist Mao Zedong takes control of China and establishes the People's Republic of China December 1 - Chiang Kai-shek moved to Formosa and created Nationalist government |
1950 |
| January 30 - Truman approved H-bomb development February : Joe McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt and loyalty tests June 24: Korean War begins. Stalin supports North Korea who invade South Korea equipped with Soviet weapons |
1951 |
| January 12 : Federal Civil Defense Administration established April 11 - Truman fires MacArthur |
1952 |
| A-bombs developed by Britain |
1953 |
| March 17-June 4 Nuclear Arms Race atomic test series of 11 explosions at Nevada Test Site April 15: RAND report on the "Vulnerability of U. S. Strategic Air Power" July : Korean War ends December 8: Ike's Atoms for Peace speech |
1954 |
| March 1: H-bomb Castle-Bravo test March : KGB established CIA helps overthrow unfriendly regimes in Iran and Guatemala July : Vietnam split at 17th parallel |
1955 |
| May : Warsaw Pact formed |
1956 |
| June 29: USSR sent tanks into Poznan, Poland, to suppress demonstrations by workers September 4: USSR sent military aid to Afghanistan October - November : Rebellion put down in Communist Hungary. October 29: Suez Crisis began with Israeli attack led by Moshe Dayan against Egyptian forces in the Sinai Egypt took control of Suez Canal |
1957 |
| August 26: Vostok rocket launched 1st ICBM October 4 : Sputnik launched into orbit November 3: Sputnik II launched - Laika died in space |
1958 |
| January 31: Explorer I launched July : NASA began Mercury project using Atlas rocket November : Khrushchev demands withdrawal of troops from Berlin |
1959 |
| January : Cuba taken over by Fidel Castro September : Khrushchev visits United States; The Kitchen Debate |
1960 |
| A-bombs developed by France May : Soviet Union reveals that U.S. spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory November : John F. Kennedy elected President of USA December 19: Cuba openly aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies. |
1961 |
| April : Bay of Pigs invasion see Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline August 13 : Berlin border is closed August 17 : Construction of Berlin Wall begins |
1962 |
| U.S. involvement in Vietnam increases see Vietnam War Timeline October : Cuban Missile Crisis see Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline |
1963 |
| 1963: July : Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ratified 1963: November : President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas |
1964 |
| August : Gulf of Tonkin incident - see Vietnam War Timeline October: A-bombs developed by China |
1965 |
| April : U.S. Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight Communism July : Announcement of dispatching of 200,000 U.S. troops to Vietnam |
1966 |
| B-52s Bomb North Vietnam |
1967 |
| The US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara admits that the US bombing raids had failed to meet their objectives |
1968 |
| January : North Korea captured U.S.S. Pueblo President Johnson does not run for the presidency and Richard Nixon Elected President of the USA August : Soviet Red Army crush Czechoslovakian revolt |
1969 |
| July 20 : Apollo 11 lands on the moon |
1970 |
| April : President Nixon extends Vietnam War to Cambodia |
1971 |
| Publication of the Pentagon Papers |
1972 |
| February: President Richard Nixon visits China July : SALT I signed |
1973 |
| January : Cease fire in Vietnam between North Vietnam and United States September : U.S. supported coup overthrows Chilean government October : Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet aid |
1974 |
| 1974: August : President Nixon resigns |
1975 |
| April 17 : North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam which falls to Communist forces |
1976 |
| February: Soviet and Cuban forces help to install Communist government in Angola. |
1979 |
| January: U.S. and China establish diplomatic relations. July : SALT II signed November : Shah of Iran overthrown; Iranian Hostage Crisis December: Soviet forces invade Afghanistan |
1980 |
| August: Polish shipyard workers strike Solidarity Union formed. Strike leader Lech Walesa is elected as the head of Solidarity |
1983 |
| President Reagan proposes Strategic Defence Initiative 1983: October : U.S. troops invades and overthrows regime in Grenada |
1985 |
| Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the Soviet Union initiating a campaign of openness called "glasnost" and restructuring called "perestroika" |
1986 |
| October : President Reagan and Gorbachev resolve to remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe |
1987 |
| October : Reagan and Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short-range nuclear missiles |
1989 |
| January : Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan June : Poland becomes independent September : Hungary becomes independent November : Berlin Wall is demolished and East Germany allows unrestricted migration to West Germany December : Communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Rumania Decline of the Soviet empire |
1990 |
| March : Lithuania becomes independent May 29 : Boris Yeltsin elected as President of Russia October 3 : Germany reunited |
1991 |
| August : End of Soviet Union and the Cold War Ends |
Cold War Timeline |
| History & Timelines Index |
| Timelines of Events |
| Next Event Timeline |
|
