1940's
The U.S. entered World War II after this December 7, 1941 attack.
What is Pearl Harbor?
This Cold War policy aimed to stop the spread of communism.
What is Containment?
A secretive 1961 operation involving Cuban exiles ended in international embarrassment for the U.S.
What is the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
This Middle Eastern conflict triggered a global energy crisis later in the decade.
What is the Yom Kippur War?
This 1986 disaster exposed serious flaws in Soviet transparency and nuclear safety.
What is the Chernobyl?
This international organization was founded in 1945 to promote peace
What is the United Nation?
This 1957 launch by the Soviet Union started the Space Race.
What is Sputnik?
A group of teenagers danced weekly to this show’s countdown of popular songs.
What is American Bandstand?
A New York club named for a car brand became the epicenter of a new dance movement.
What is Studio 54?
This early-1980s TV series featured an unlikely superhero whose powers were unreliable after he lost the instructions for his alien suit.
What is The Greatest American Hero?
This swing bandleader was nicknamed “The King of Swing.”
Who is Benny Goodman?
This western TV show starred Clayton Moore
What is the Lone Ranger?
This animated family debuted in prime time, becoming television’s first successful cartoon sitcom.
What is The Flintstones?
A late-decade peace agreement between two longtime rivals reshaped diplomacy in the Middle East.
What are the Camp David Accords?
A legal drama starring a small-town lawyer tackled abortion, homelessness, and civil rights.
What is LA Law?
Women who worked factory jobs during WWII were often called this.
Who is Rosie the Riveter?
This female singer was known for “Que Sera, Sera.”
Who is Doris Day?
A 13-day standoff brought the U.S. and USSR closer to nuclear war than ever before.
What is the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A British glam rocker famously “killed off” his alter ego on stage mid-decade.
Who is David Bowie?
This arcade game featuring a yellow, pellet-eating character became a global phenomenon.
What is Pac Man?
This 1941 presidential address helped shift public opinion toward U.S. involvement in World War II by defining core democratic ideals worth defending.
What is The Four Freedoms Speech?
This 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
This late-decade achievement fulfilled a promise made earlier in the decade and dramatically shifted Cold War prestige.
What is the Apollo 11 Moon Landing?
A double LP released in 1979 explored themes of isolation, fame, and psychological collapse.
What is The Wall?
This cable network helped launch the 24-hour news cycle.
What is CNN?