US HISTORY:

America's initial Stone Age inhabitants arrived here by traversing the Bering Strait. During the following centuries, a wide variety of Indian cultures developed and prospered across the land. After Columbus made his initial voyage to this New World, word of its potential riches spread acrossEurope, and explorers and settlers by the thousands soon stepped ashore along the Atlantic Oceancoastline. In 1620, the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, landing in what is modern-dayMassachusetts; their settlement named Plymouth survived, and the story of a new nation was subsequently born. One century later Britain's upstart colonies broke from England and declared their new-found independence during the Revolutionary War. The new country of America expanded rapidly, well beyond the reach of the original 13 colonies, and inevitable conflicts and wars over lands rightfully claimed by Native Americans was the result. Indigenous Indians (Native Americans) were stripped of most of their lands and moved to reservations; the central plains were purchased from Napoleon (France); Florida was grabbed from Spain, and the entire southwest (including California) was annexed after a successful war with Mexico. The growing influence and size of the United States of America began to take shape. A few more important facts regarding Native Americans, who were first conquered and displaced by overwhelming military power: as English expansion westward continued, it justifiably experienced widespread Amerindian resistance to their new settlements. In the end, many historical experts believe that among the various contributing factors to the ultimate demise of early Native Americans, epidemic disease was the overwhelming cause of their population decline because of their lack of immunity to new diseases brought from Europe. Soon railroads - the driving engines of coast-to-coast commerce - were up and running; the economy exploded and towns sprang up across the land. In the southern states slavery was an on-going, serious problem, and this new and fast-growing nation was soon ravaged by a bloody Civil War between north and south; the north (northern states) eventually won, and slavery was abolished. The end of the Civil War spurred the reintegrating and rebuilding of the Southern states and the greater settlement and development of the American Old West. This was due to a variety of social and technological developments, including the completion of the First Transcontinental Telegraph in 1861 and the First Transcontinental Railroad soon after. The 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia completed the country's mainland expansion. In 1893, the indigenous monarchy of the Pacific Kingdom of Hawaiiwas overthrown in a coup led by American residents, and the still-growing United States annexed the archipelago in 1898. Victory in the SpanishAmerican War the same year demonstrated that the United States was a world power and led to the annexation ofPuerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The emergence of many prominent industrialists at the end of the 19th century gave rise to the Gilded

Age, a period of growing affluence and power among the business class. Railroads were the major industry then, but the factory system, mining, and labor unions also gained in importance. In the northern states, urbanization and an unprecedented influx of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe hastened the country's industrialization. The wave of immigration, lasting until the mid-1920s, provided labor and transformed American culture. No stranger to wars, small or large, the U.S. provided significant help in ending World War I; it singlehandedly destroyed the Japanese Empire after they attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor; defeated Adolph Hitler and the German Army in World War II, with the heroic assistance of the United Kingdom (UK), and other allied forces, including Russia. Mistakes it has surely made, as segregation and much-needed civil rights for blacks, and arguably theVietnam War fiasco, and the on-going wars inAfghanistan and Iraq are certainly some of its questionable decisions. Today the United States of America (USA), remains the planet's only true global super power, and the major provider of financial aid and military assistance across this planet. As the world's largest economy, it's a significant leader in the fields of agriculture, education, energy, health care, high-tech, service industries, space exploration, and manufacturing of all descriptions. The country includes (50) states; (48) continental states, plus Alaska and Hawaii,, the two newest states. Dozens of major cities cover the land from coast-to-coast. Washington, D.C., the capital, reflects the incredible history of America, and stands as a proud symbol of its freedom, liberty, and justice for all.

US MAP: The United States of America, commonly called the United States (US, or USA, or America), consists of fifty states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, D.C. are positioned in central North America between Canada andMexico. The state of Alaska is west of Canada and east of Russiaacross the Bering Strait, and the state of Hawaii is in the mid-North Pacific. The country also has five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and theCaribbean. At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with around 315 million people, the United States is thethird-largest country by total area and the third-largest by both land area and population.

US GEOGRAPHY: For additional geography details please use the yellow navigation bar at the top of this page.

Alaska is America's largest state Rhode Island is America's smallest state California is America's largest state by population Wyoming is America's smallest state by population America's highest point is Mt. McKinley, Alaska America's lowest point is Death Valley, California US GEOGRAPHY NOTES: Hawaii (not shown on the large map upper left) is approximately 2,550 miles southwest of Los Angeles in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. Politically it is part of the United States in North America, but geographically, because of its (isolated location), is not considered part of any continent. The Great Lakes, shared by the USA and Canada are a chain of 5 large freshwater lakes that form the largest lake group in the world, covering an area of 95,000 sq miles. Once vital to fur trading and regional development in the early history of both countries, the Great Lakes (in modern times) remain a significant transportation route for iron ore, steel, petroleum, grain, American automobiles, and much, much more.

Alaska (not shown on the large map upper left) is a state in the United States, situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with the international boundary with Canada to the east, theArctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across theBering Strait. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 4th least populous and the least densely populated of the 50 United States.

This topographical relief map shows elevations and depressions representing mountains, hills and valleys by shades of color. This one displays color relief for the 48 states of the continental United States. In general terms, the continental United States is dissected by a vast central plain (the Great Plains) from just west of the Great lakes, south to the Gulf of Mexico. The western third of the country is covered by

the massive Rocky Mountain system and many other mountains ranges and hills. In the east the much-lower Appalachian Mountains and its assorted ranges front a broad coastal plain that stretches from the far-northeast to the southern Texas coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. That coastal plain of the southern and southeastern U.S extends to the continental shelf and is generally characterized by level (flat) land with assorted mixed forests. The coastal areas include bayous, deltas, marshes, mud flats and swamps. Famous Natives listed represent a very small sampling of potential choices. For additional U.S. Famous Natives view the individual U.S. State pages.

John Adams 2nd american president Susan B. Anthony activist/woman suffrage alliance Louis Armstrong musician Lucille Ball actress, comedian Clara Barton founder american red cross Beach Boys musical group Andrew Carnegie financier/philanthropist Bob Dylan singer/songwriter Thomas Edison inventor extraordinaire Henry Ford industrialist/philanthropist Benjamin Franklin diplomat/inventor/scientist Robert Frost poet Bill Gates founder microsoft/philanthropist Ernest Hemingway author Bobby Jones golfer Martin Luther King civil rights leader Stephen King author Abraham Lincoln 16th american president Joe Louis boxer Douglas MacArthur general/statesman Rosa Parks civil-rights freedom fighter Edgar Allen Poe author/poet Jackie Robinson baseball player Eleanor Roosevelt first lady/humanitarian Theodore Roosevelt 26th american president Pete Sampras tennis player George Washington general, 1st american president John Wayne actor Fast Facts

Name: United States, or USA, or U.S. Name: (long form) United States of America Name Orgin: America is named after the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci Capital City: Washington D.C. (pop. 599,657) Currency: U.S. Dollar (conversion rates)

All U.S. currency: (banknotes)

Flag GDP: $14.26 trillion (2009) GDP: (per capita) $46,000 (2009) Landforms/Land Sizes Languages: English 82%, Spanish 11%, others Largest Cities: (by population) New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia National Day: July 4 Population: 313,281,717 (2012 census) Population Clock: (It's Ticking) Population & Density: (all countries) U.S. State Populations: (all states) Religions: Protestant 52%, Catholic 24%, others Geo Statistics Land Area:

Land: 3,537,436 sq miles (9,161,923 sq km) Water: 181,274 sq miles (469,497 sq km) Total: 3,718,710 sq miles (9,631,420 sq km) Land Area: (individual states) Land Area: (all countries) Horizontal Width: 2,680 miles Vertical Length: 1,582 miles Geographic Center: In the continental 48 states, it is a point 2 miles to the northwest of Lebanon, Kansas; with Alaska and Hawaii included, that point is near Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Note: Maximum lengths and widths are point-to-point, straight-line measurements from a Mercator map projection, and will vary some using other map projections Elevations:

Highest Point: Mt. McKinley, (Alaska) 20,320 ft. (6,194 m). Highest Point: (continental 48 states) Mount Whitney, (California) is the highest point at 14,495ft (4,418 m) Lowest Point: Death Valley, (California)(-282 ft.) (-86 m) Mean Elevation: (average) 2,512 feet

Land Borders:

Alaska, USA - Canada 1,538 miles (2,475 km) Canada - USA 3,145 miles (5,061 km) Mexico - USA 1,951 miles (3,141 km) Bordering Countries (2) Canada and Mexico

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Land Divisions: The U.S. is divided into 50 states and 1 district. States: o Illinois o Missouri Alabama o Indiana o Montana Alaska o Iowa o Nebraska Arizona o Kansas o Nevada Arkansas o Kentucky o NewHamps California o Louisiana hire Colorado o Maine o New Jersey Connecticut o Maryland o New Mexico Delaware o Massachuset o New York Florida ts o North Georgia o Michigan Carolina Hawaii o Minnesota o North Idaho o Mississippi Dakota District: District of Columbia (Washington, DC) Land: (most northern-southern-eastern-western)

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Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvani a Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas

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Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Most northern state: Alaska Most southern state: Hawaii Most eastern state: Alaska (it's true) Most western state: Alaska

If you exclude Alaska and Hawaii.......

Most Northern Pt: Angle, Minnesota, at 49 23'N Most Southern Pt: East Cape, Florida, at 25 7'N Most Eastern Pt: West Quoddy Head, ME, at 66 57'W Most Western Pt: Cape Alva, WA, at 124 44 Coastlines:

Coastlines: 12,383 miles (19,928 km) Atlantic coastline: 2,069 miles (3,330 km) Pacific coastline:+ Hawaii: 7,623 miles (12,268 km) Gulf of Mexico coastline: 1,631 miles (2,625 km) Alaska coastline: 1,060 miles (1,706 km)Counties: Counties in the U.S.: 3,066

Counties map Largest County: (by population) Los Angeles, 9.2 million In general terms, the continental United States is dissected by a vast central plain (the Great Plains), while the massive Rocky Mountain system and many other mountains ranges and hills cover much of the west. The lower Appalachian Mountains and its assorted ranges front a broad coastal plain that stretches from the far-northeast to the southern Texas coastline on theGulf of Mexico. For specific landform details on Alaska and Hawaii, or other U.S. States, follow these links. Major rivers of the United States include the Colorado, Columbia, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and the Rio Grande. Largest lakes (outside of the Great Lakes) include theGreat Salt Lake, Utah, and Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

Landforms of the U.S. Map (large printable) Landforms of North America (details)

USA Landforms:

Appalachian Mountains: The Appalachians, about 1,500 miles in length, extend from central Alabama in the U.S. up through the New England states and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Quebec. Significant Appalachian ranges include:

The Cumberland Mts. in Tennessee The Blue Ridge Mts. in Virginia The Alleghenies in Pennsylvania The Catskills Mts. in New York The Green Mts. in Vermont The White Mts. of New Hampshire The highest point is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 ft (2,037 m) Cascades: A mountain range stretching from northeastern California across Oregon and Washington. Major peaks includedMt. Hood, Mt. Ranier, and Mt. St. Helens. Coast Range: Mountains running along the Pacific Ocean coastlines of California, Oregon, Washington. They also extend along the western border of British Columbia, Canada, and the southern edge of Alaska, all the way to Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island.

Coastal Plain: This area of the southern and southeastern U.S extends to the continental shelf and is generally characterized by level (flat) land with assorted mixed forests. The coastal areas include bayous, deltas, marshes, mud flats and swamps. Continental Divide: In North America the Western Continental Divide is an imaginary line that sits atop a continuous ridge of mountain summits that divide the continent into two main drainage areas. Details and map. Great Plains: The Great Plains of North America slope east from the Rockies and extend to the edge of the Canadian Shield and the western edges of the Appalachians. The land is generally smooth with large treeless areas and shallow river valleys. Minor hills and mountains are found in the Ozark Plateau of Missouri, and in the Boston Mountains and Ouachita Mountains of northwestern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Sandhills and buttes cover parts of the north central U.S. in Nebraska. Rivers:

Major rivers of North America

Hundreds of rivers and their tributaries slice across North America. Here we highlight the major ones, and offer a brief description. Brazos: This Texas river begins in the northern part of the state in Stonewall County, and flows southeast into Brazoria County and the Gulf of Mexico. It's (840 miles) (1,351 km) in length.

Churchill: This river of central Canada rises in northwestern Saskatchewan, then flows east into Manitoba, and on into Hudson Bay. It passes through numerous lakes and is known for the rapids along its path. It's (1,000 miles) (1,609 km) in length. Colorado: Beginning in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado, it moves southwest, ending in the Gulf of California. It's (1,450 miles) (2,333 km) in length and over the centuries formed numerous canyons along its winding path. The most famous of these is the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. The river has more than 30 electric power plants along its run, as well as dozens of dams and reservoirs. Columbia: This wide, fast-flowing river begins in the Canadian Rockies of southeast British Columbia, Canada, flowing south through the State of Washington, then forming the natural border between Washington and Oregon. It ends in the Pacific Ocean and is (1,152 miles) (1,857 km) in length. Hydroelectric power development in the river basin brought inexpensive electricity to the Pacific Northwest, but it severely affected salmon spawning and local fish migration. Fraser: This river of British Columbia, Canada, begins in the Canadian Rockies near Yellowhead Pass, then flows in a variety of directions (generally south), finally turning west to empty into the

Strait of Georgia, just south of Vancouver. It's (850 miles) (1,368 km) in length. Mackenzie: It's the longest river in Canada and dissects the Northwest Territories. It flows generally northwest into Mackenzie Bay and the Beaufort Sea. This historic river was discovered by Sir Alexander MacKenzie, and along its path are thick, green forests and dozens of major lakes. It's (1,200 miles) (1,800 km) in length. If then combined with its tributaries - the Slave, Peace and Finlay rivers - it extends to (2,635 miles) (4,240 km), and becomes the second longest river in North America, second only to the Mississippi/Missouri river system combination at (3,877 miles) (6,236 km) in length. Mississippi: It is the major river of North America and the United States at (2,339 miles) (3,765 km) in length. It flows from northwestern Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico, just below the city of New Orleans. It is a significant transportation artery and when combined with its major tributaries (the Missouri and Ohio rivers) it becomes the third largest river system in the world at (3,877 miles) (6,236 km) in length. Missouri: It begins in southern Montana in the Rocky Mountains, first flowing north then generally southeast across the heart of the United States, ending at the Mississippi River, just to the north of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the longest river in the United States (2,500 miles) (4,023 km). Ohio: Formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Ohio flows generally southwest. It forms the natural borders of Ohio and West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, as well as parts of the borders of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. It empties into the Mississippi River at the Illinois border and is (975 miles) (1,569 km) long. Rio Grande: It is one of the longest rivers in North America at (1,885 miles) (3,034 km). It begins in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, then flows south through New Mexico. It forms the natural border between Texas and the country of Mexico as it flows southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico it is known as Rio Bravo del Norte. Used for drinking water by both countries, the river is becoming more polluted as population centers that dot the river grow in size, and then dump sewage and pesticides into the water. St. Lawrence: This river flows northeast out of Lake Ontario and on into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It's (760 miles) (1,225 km) in length and permits the passage of deep-water ships between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. It includes a series of man-made canals, locks and dams, and is considered one of the most vital shipping routes on the planet. Additional details on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. Yukon: It begins in the southwestern edge of the Yukon Territory of Canada, and then flows northwest across the border into Alaska. This massive river continues southwest across central Alaska,

ending at the Bering Sea. Even at a length of (1,265 miles) (2.035 km), most of it is navigable, however, it remains frozen from October through mid-June.

Major rivers of the United States

Rocky Mountains: The Rocky Mountains, about 3,000 miles in length, extend from the U.S State of New Mexico up through the western United States and on into the northernmost reaches of Canada's British Columbia. The highest point in the Rockies is Mt. Elbert, located 10 miles southwest of Leadville, Colorado. It stands at 14,433 ft (4,399 meters). Sierra Nevada: This mountain range of eastern California is about 400 miles in length. The highest point is Mt. Whitney at 14,494 ft. (4,418 meters).

Major Rocky Mountain ranges include:

Absaroka Bear River Beaverhead Big Belt Big Horn Bitterroots Canadian Clearwater Columbia Swan Tetons Unita

Front Guadalupe Laramie Lemhi Lewis Lost River Medicine Bow Monashee Owyhee Wallowa Wasatch

Purcell Sacramento Salmon River San Andres Sangre de Cristo Sawatch Shoshone Steens Stillwater Wind River Wyomin

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USA Flag:

The flag of the United Statesfeatures thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states; the 13 stripes the 13 original colonies.The flag is known as Old Glory, and no one knows for certain who designed it. Most historians believe that U.S. Congressman, Francis Hopkinson was the original designer, while a few still believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one. Great Seal of the United States:

The seal was developed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at the direction of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1776. A final design was approved in 1782, and today (both sides) are found on the back of the U.S. one-dollar bill, and often stamped onto specific documents, including foreign treaties and presidential proclamations. Detailed drawings and additional information National Emblem:

The Bald Eagle was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1782. It was selected by the USA's founding fathers because it is a species unique to North America. It has become the living symbol of the USA's freedom, spirit and pursuit of excellence. Its image and symbolism have played a significant role in American architecture, art, folklore and music. Official Motto: "In God We Trust" Note that "E Pluribus Unum" (out of many, one) was made popular during Revolutionary War times, and there is ample basis in Congressional actions, history and law for referring to it as a motto of the United States. National Anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner" Originally a poem, it was composed by Francis Scott Key during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry; U.S. Timeline (Page 1) 1500's

(1541) Explorer Juan Ponce de Len of Spain, landed on the coast of Florida (1565) The Spanish settled Saint Augustine, Florida, the first permanent European colony in North America 1600's

(1616) The Native American population was devastated by a smallpox epidemic (1619) The first representative assembly met in Virginia; the first slaves were brought to Jamestown from Africa (1620) Pilgrims from England arrived and established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts; the Mayflower Compact was signed; the first public library was established in Virginia

(1652) Rhode Island enacted the first law declaring slavery illegal (1664) The English seized New Amsterdam from the Dutch and renamed it New York 1700's

(1712) Carolina colony was divided into North and South Carolina (1754) The French and Indian War began (1760) A huge fire destroyed much of Boston (1763) The Seven Years war ended. Britain gained control of the territory east of the Mississippi River from France (1770) The Boston Massacre occurred (1773) In protest against the British tea tax, a group of colonists, disguised as Indians, boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor and dumped more than 300 crates of tea overboard (1774) The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with 56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia (1775) The American Revolution War began (1776) The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress (1777) The first official flag of the United States was approved by the Continental Congress; the Articles of Confederation were adopted (1783) Great Britain acknowledged American independence with the Treaty of Paris, ending the war (1785) The Continental Congress relocated to New York City, the temporary capital of the United States (1787) The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to draft the Constitution (1788) The Constitution of the United States was ratified; New York City was chosen by the Congress to be the temporary capital (1789) George Washington was unanimously elected president of the United States; the U.S. Army was established by Congress; a day of Thanksgiving was established by a congressional resolution (1790) The first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, were ratified (1793) The cotton gin was invented (1797) John Adams was inaugurated as the second president of the United States 1800's

(1800) Washington, D.C. became the official United States capital (1803) France sold its Louisiana territories to the United States (1804) Lewis and Clark left St. Louis on an expedition to find a route to the Pacific Ocean (1812) The United States declared war on Britain over interference with maritime shipping and expansion to the west (The War of 1812) (1814) The British captured Washington, D. C. and set fire to the White House and Capital; Frances Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner; the war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent (1819) The U.S. acquired Florida from Spain (1820) The Missouri Compromise. Maine was admitted as a free state and Missouri as a slave state (1825) The Erie Canal opened (1836) Texas declared its independence from Mexico; the Battle of the Alamo took place with all Texan defenders killed (1845) U.S. annexed Texas (1846) U. S. acquired Oregon Territory; U. S. declared war on Mexico in order to gain California and other territories in the southwest (1848) The Mexican War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U. S. purchased California, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico and Arizona, parts of Colorado and Wyoming; gold was discovered in California (1854) The abolitionists (opponents of slavery)established the Republican Party (1860) Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was elected president; South Carolina seceded from the Union (1861) Eleven pro-slavery southern states seceded from the Union; Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy; the Civil War began

(1863) The Emancipation Proclamation was issued, which freed the slaves in the Confederate states; President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address (1865) The Civil War ended with General Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant; President Lincoln was assassinated; the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, prohibiting slavery (1867) The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia (1871) The Chicago fire killed 300 people and left 90,000 homeless (1876) Lt. Col. George Custer's regiment was eliminated by Sioux Indians at the Little Big Horn River (1886) The Statue of Liberty was dedicated (1898) The U. S. declared War on Spain; the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war; Spain gave Puerto Rico and Guam to the U. S.; the U. S. purchased the Philippines; U. S. annexed Hawaii 1900's

(1900) Galveston, Texas was hit by a hurricane (the Great Storm) killing over 6,000 people (1903) U. S. acquired the Panama Canal Zone; the Wright brothers made their first flight (1906) Earthquake in San Francisco left 500 missing or dead and destroyed four square miles of the city (1914) World War I began; the Panama Canal opened (1917) U. S. declared war on Germany (1918) World War I ended (1920) The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote; the sale and manufacture of alcoholic liquors was outlawed (1927) Charles Lindbergh made the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight (1929) The stock market crash began the Great Depression (1931) The Star-Spangled Banner was adopted as the national anthem(1932) Amelia Earhart was the first woman to complete a solo non-stop transatlantic flight (1933) New Deal recovery programs were enacted; Prohibition was repealed (1935) Social Security Act was passed; the Bureau of Investigation became the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by J. Edgar Hoover (1939) World War II began. The U. S. declared neutrality (1941) U.S. declared war on Japan after attacks at Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines; Germany and Italy declared war on the U. S. and the U. S. reciprocated (1945) U. S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered; the United Nations was established (1947) The Central Intelligence Agency was established; the U.S. established a policy of aid for countries threatened by Communism, known as the Truman Doctrine; the Cold War with the Soviet Union began (1949) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established (1950) The Korean War began. U. S. armed forces played a leading role against North Korean and Chinese troops (1951) President Truman spoke in the first live television broadcast, coast-to-coast (1952) First hydrogen bomb detonated by the U. S. (1953) The Armistice Agreement was signed, ending the Korean War (1961) The Bay of Pigs invasion occurred, an unsuccessful attempt to invade Cuba by Cuban exiles (1962) The U.S. forced the Soviet Union to withdraw its nuclear weapons from Cuba (the Cuban Missile Crisis); Lt. Col. John Glenn was the first U. S. astronaut to orbit the earth (1963) President John F. Kennedy assassinated (1964) North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked a U.S. destroyer in The Gulf of Tonkin; Civil Rights Act becomes a law (1965) U. S. planes began bombing raids of North Vietnam; U.S. combat troops arrived in South Vietnam (1968) American soldiers killed 300 Vietnamese villagers in the My Lai massacre; civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, was assassinated; Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated (1969) U.S. astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr., were the first people to walk on the moon (1970) U. S. troops invaded Cambodia

(1972) Five employees of President Richard Nixon were caught breaking into the Democratic headquarters in Washington, D. C. (the Watergate scandal) (1973) A cease fire agreement was executed by North and South Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the U. S.; the U. S. troops left Vietnam; the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy in the Roe v. Wade case; hearings began in the investigation of the Watergate scandal; Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned over charges of income tax evasion and corruption (1974) President Nixon resigned (1979) U. S. established diplomatic ties with mainland China; a nuclear reactor malfunction at Three Mile Island caused a near meltdown; Iranian students invaded the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held the employees as hostages (1986) The space shuttle, Challenger, exploded shortly after take off from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members; U. S. warplanes bombed cities in Libya; the Irangate scandal was uncovered - proceeds from secret sales of U. S. arms to Iran were used illegally to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua (1989) The oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, ran aground in Prince William Sound, and spilled more than 10 million gallons of oil, the largest in U. S. history (1991) U.S. led an international coalition in military operations (Desert Storm) to drive Iraqis out of Kuwait (1993) A bomb exploded in the basement of the World Trade Center, killing 6 people, injuring 1,000 and causing more than $500 million in damages; federal agents stormed the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas killing 80 cult members; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)was enacted, with the intention of creating a free-trade bloc between the U. S., Canada and Mexico (1995) A bomb in the federal office building in Oklahoma City exploded, killing 168 people (1998) U.S. and Britain launched air strikes against weapon sites in Iraq (1999) 14 students and 1 teacher were killed and 23 others wounded in a shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado; U. S. and China signed trade agreement 2000's

(2001) Four passenger aircraft were hijacked, two crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and the fourth in a field in Pennsylvania. 3,025 people were killed. The U. S. led massive air strikes at targets in Afghanistan to help defeat the Taliban and to find Osama Bin Laden, who was suspected of being responsible for the attacks on the U. S.; energy giant, Enron, declared bankruptcy after false accounting was discovered (2002) Department of Homeland Security created (2003) The space shuttle, Columbia, exploded upon reentry into the earth's atmosphere killing the seven crew members; the war against Iraq began (2004) Four hurricanes devastated Florida and southern areas of the U. S. (2005) Hurricane Katrina hit the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, 80% of New Orleans was flooded, hundreds of people were killed (2006) Millions of immigrants and supporters staged protests against the U. S. government's plans to criminalize illegal immigrants (2007) Wildfires in California caused over 500,000 to leave homes; bridge across Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed, 7 killed, 60 injured; gunman at Virginia Tech campus killed 33 (2008) Financial crises forced Lehman Brothers to file bankruptcy; investors lost over $50 billion in Ponzi scheme by Bernard Madoff; Barack Obama elected President of the United States (2009) US Airways plane crashed into New York's Hudson River, all on board survived; General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection; President Barack Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize; US Army major killed 13, injured 30 at Fort Hood Military Base in Texas; incident on international Northwest Airlines flight was failed bomb attack (2010) Catastrophic explosion on oil rig in Gulf of Mexico killed 11, injured 17, caused major ecological and financial damages; mine explosion in West Virginia killed at least 25; Health care bill passed (2011) Occupy Wall Street movement attracted thousands of demonstrators in New York City (2011) Last US troops left Iraq after invasion nine years ago (2011) US forces killed terrorist Osama bin Laden (2012) US soldier killed 16 Afghan civilians in Kandahar