US History Timeline

The past decades have been filled with significant events that have shaped the course of US history. Our US History timeline provides a comprehensive overview of the top events that have occurred, including key dates and milestones that have defined the era. Whether you are a student, history enthusiast, or simply curious about the major events that have shaped the US in recent years, our timeline is a valuable resource for understanding the country's past and present.

• 10,000 BCE - Paleo-Indians migrate to North America.

• 3000 BCE - Native American cultures develop.

• 1000 - Cahokia, the largest pre-Columbian city in North America, is established.

• 1492 - Christopher Columbus reaches the Bahamas.

• 1513 - Juan Ponce de León explores Florida.

• 1513 - Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches Pacific Ocean.

• 1528 - Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca becomes first European to explore Texas.

• 1565 - Spanish establish St. Augustine, Florida, the first permanent European settlement in North America.

• 1583 - English explorer Humphrey Gilbert claims Newfoundland for Queen Elizabeth I.

• 1584 - English explorer Walter Raleigh establishes Roanoke Colony in Virginia.

• 1607 - English establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first successful British colony in North America.

• 1608 - French establish Quebec, the first successful French colony in North America.

• 1619 - First African slaves brought to Jamestown.

• 1620 - Pilgrims establish Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.

• 1692 - The Salem witch trials take place in Massachusetts.

• 1732 - James Oglethorpe founds Georgia as a colony for debtors and prisoners.

• 1754-1763 - The French and Indian War is fought between the British and French over control of North America.

• 1763 - The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War, giving Britain control of much of North America.

• 1764 - The Sugar Act is passed by the British Parliament, sparking protests in the colonies.

• 1776 - The Declaration of Independence is signed, officially separating the thirteen colonies from Great Britain.

• 1787 - The United States Constitution is written and ratified.

• 1803 - The Louisiana Purchase is made, doubling the size of the United States.

• 1861-1865 - The American Civil War is fought, resulting in the abolition of slavery and the reunification of the country.

• 1869 - The first transcontinental railroad is completed, connecting the east and west coasts of the United States.

• 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, revolutionizing communication.

• 1898 - The Spanish-American War is fought, resulting in the United States acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

• 1903 - The Wright brothers make the first successful flight in a powered aircraft.

• 1914-1918 - The United States enters World War I, helping to defeat Germany and its allies.

• 1919 - Prohibition is enacted, banning the sale and consumption of alcohol.

• 1920 - Women are granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

• 1927 - Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

• 1929 - The stock market crashes, leading to the Great Depression.

• 1935 - Social Security is enacted, providing retirement benefits to American citizens.

• 1941-1945 - The United States enters World War II, helping to defeat Germany, Japan, and Italy.

• 1945 - The United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, effectively ending World War II.

• 1947 - Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.

• 1948 - The Marshall Plan is implemented, providing economic aid to Western Europe after World War II.

• 1949 - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established, a military alliance between the US and Europe.

• 1950-1953 - The Korean War takes place, with US involvement.

• 1954 - The Supreme Court rules in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

• 1957 - The Civil Rights Act of 1957 is passed, the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

• 1960 - John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States.

• 1961 - The Bay of Pigs invasion, a failed attempt to overthrow the Cuban government, takes place.

• 1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis occurs, a tense standoff between the US and Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.

• 1963 - President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

• 1964 - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed, banning discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin.

• 1965 - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is passed, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.

• 1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

• 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles, California.

• 1969 - The Apollo 11 mission successfully lands humans on the moon.

• 1973 - The Vietnam War ends with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.

• 1974 - President Richard Nixon resigns in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.

• 1980 - Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States.

• 1991 - The Gulf War takes place, with US-led forces expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

• 1993 - Bill Clinton becomes the 42nd President of the United States.

• 1995 - Oklahoma City bombing kills 168 people in the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history.

• 1998 - President Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice.

• 2001 - 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon kill nearly 3,000 people.

• 2003 - US-led invasion of Iraq begins.

• 2005 - Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, leaving thousands dead and causing billions of dollars in damage.

• 2008 - Barack Obama becomes the first African American President of the United States.

• 2009 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is passed to stimulate the economy during the Great Recession.

• 2010 - Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is signed into law.

• 2011 - US military forces kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

• 2012 - President Obama is reelected for a second term.

• 2016 - Donald Trump is elected President of the United States.

• 2020 - COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout the United States, resulting in widespread lockdowns and economic disruption.

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