U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

57 facts cite this source

History Modern

Algeria Gained Independence From France

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History War & Conflict

Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, starting the Falklands War

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Geography Countries

Azerbaijan declared the restoration of its independence

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History Modern

Bush and Gorbachev signed a deal to slash chemical weapons

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History Modern

China's Xinhai Revolution began with the Wuchang Uprising

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History Modern

Cuban revolutionaries triumph as Batista flees Havana

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Society & Economy Politics & Law

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty

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Society & Economy Economics

In 1971, the US dollar stopped being convertible to gold

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History Modern

The Berlin Wall fell after a garbled press conference in 1989

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History Modern

Fidel Castro becomes prime minister of Cuba

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Geography Countries

Kiribati Gained Independence

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History Modern

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the Soviet Union dissolved

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History Modern

Panama declared independence, clearing the way for the canal

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Geography Countries

Singapore became an independent nation

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Space Space Exploration

Sputnik 1 launched, opening the Space Age

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Geography Countries

Texas became the 28th U.S. state

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History War & Conflict

The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba began

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History War & Conflict

The Iran-Iraq War began

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History War & Conflict

The Korean War armistice silenced the guns

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Language & Communication Media & Communication

The Moscow-Washington hotline went into operation

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History Modern

The Soviet Union lifts the Berlin Blockade

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History Modern

The Treaty of Paris recognized American independence

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History Modern

The U.S. Air Force broke free of the Army

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History Modern

The U.S. embassy in Tehran was seized, starting a 444-day hostage crisis

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Geography Borders & Maps

The U.S. signed the Gadsden Purchase treaty with Mexico

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Geography Landmarks & Wonders

The U.S. handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama

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Geography Borders & Maps

The US agreed to buy Alaska from Russia

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History Modern

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence

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History War & Conflict

The Yom Kippur War caught Israel off guard

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History War & Conflict

The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War

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History Modern

Pakistan was born in the Partition of British India

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History Modern

Cyprus wins independence from Britain

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History Modern

Uganda gains independence from Britain

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Geography Countries

Burma Chose Its Own Path Out of Empire

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History War & Conflict

The Paris Peace Conference Opens After WWI

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Geography Countries

Western Samoa: the first Pacific island nation to break free

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Society & Economy Trade

China's first treaty-port concession was carved out of Shanghai in 1845

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Society & Economy Trade

Egypt Nationalized the Suez Canal

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History Modern

Greece's Junta Devoured Its Own Leader

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Geography Countries

Iceland declared full independence from Denmark

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History Modern

Israel Declares Independence

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Geography Countries

Kuwait Gained Independence From Britain

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History Modern

Mao Proclaimed the People's Republic of China

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History Empires & Civilizations

Mountbatten named last Viceroy of India

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Society & Economy Politics & Law

The day the West unveiled NATO's founding treaty

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Society & Economy Economics

OPEC Turned Oil Into a Weapon

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History War & Conflict

Tanks crush the Prague Spring

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History Modern

The Berlin Airlift Began Supplying a Blockaded City

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History Modern

The Cuban Missile Crisis Formally Ended

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History Modern

The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was founded

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History Modern

The Haitian Revolution began

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Society & Economy Economics

The Marshall Plan Was Proposed at Harvard

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Sports Olympics

The Munich Olympics Massacre Began

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Society & Economy Politics & Law

The Truman Doctrine Was Announced

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History War & Conflict

The United States Entered World War I

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History Modern

Tiananmen Square crackdown began in Beijing

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History War & Conflict

The Yalta Conference Begins

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