World History Timeline

Countries / North America

History of United States

144 notable historical events in United States, in chronological order.

War · 42Politics · 47Treaty · 18Revolution · 3Science · 14Technology · 25Exploration · 10Religion · 2Culture · 4Art · 1Economy · 12Disaster · 4Disease · 1Birth · 3Death · 5

11th century

  1. c. 11th century★★★★★

    Cahokia at its peak

    Cahokia, near present-day St. Louis, is the largest urban center of the Mississippian culture in North America, dominated by Monks Mound.

    Culture· United States

15th century

  1. c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★

    The transatlantic slave trade

    From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.

    Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom

17th century

  1. May 1607★★★★★

    Founding of Jamestown

    English colonists establish Jamestown in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

    ExplorationPolitics· United States, United Kingdom
  2. December 1620★★★★★

    Mayflower Pilgrims found Plymouth Colony

    The Mayflower Pilgrims sign the Mayflower Compact and establish Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.

    ExplorationReligion· United States, United Kingdom
  3. 1692 – 1693★★★★★

    Salem witch trials

    In colonial Massachusetts, more than 200 people are accused of witchcraft and 19 are hanged.

    ReligionPolitics· United States

18th century

  1. February 22, 1732★★★★★

    Birth of George Washington

    George Washington, commander of the Continental Army and first President of the United States, is born in Virginia.

    Birth· United States
  2. 1754 – 1763★★★★★

    French and Indian War

    Britain and France, with their Indigenous allies, fight for control of North America; France is defeated and loses most of its territory on the continent.

    War· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France
  3. 1756 – 1763★★★★★

    Seven Years' War

    A global conflict among the European powers fought in Europe, North America and India; Britain gains colonial supremacy and Prussia confirms its great-power status.

    War· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Spain, United States, Canada, India
  4. March 5, 1770★★★★★

    Boston Massacre

    British soldiers fire into a crowd in Boston, killing five people and heightening tensions between the colonies and Britain.

    Politics· United States, United Kingdom
  5. December 16, 1773★★★★★

    Boston Tea Party

    Colonists protesting British taxation dump an entire shipment of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor.

    PoliticsRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  6. April 19, 1775★★★★★

    Battles of Lexington and Concord

    The first clashes between colonial militia and British troops in Massachusetts begin the American Revolutionary War.

    WarRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  7. July 4, 1776★★★★★

    United States Declaration of Independence

    The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the 13 colonies free from Britain.

    PoliticsRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  8. October 17, 1777★★★★★

    British surrender at Saratoga

    British General John Burgoyne surrenders to the Continental Army at Saratoga, a victory that helps bring France into an alliance with the Americans.

    War· United States, United Kingdom
  9. February 14, 1779★★★★★

    Death of James Cook in Hawaii

    The explorer James Cook was killed in a clash with Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay during his third voyage.

    DeathExploration· United States, United Kingdom
  10. October 19, 1781★★★★★

    British surrender at Yorktown

    General Cornwallis surrenders to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.

    War· United States, United Kingdom, France
  11. September 3, 1783★★★★★

    Treaty of Paris (1783) recognizes US independence

    Britain signs a treaty with the United States in Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War and recognizing American independence.

    Treaty· United States, United Kingdom
  12. September 17, 1787★★★★★

    Signing of the United States Constitution

    The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia adopts and signs the US Constitution, creating a federal government with separation of powers.

    Politics· United States
  14. December 14, 1799★★★★★

    Death of George Washington

    Former President George Washington dies at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.

    Death· United States

19th century

  1. April 30, 1803★★★★★

    Louisiana Purchase

    The United States buys the vast Louisiana territory from France, roughly doubling the size of the country.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, France
  2. May 14, 1804 – September 23, 1806★★★★★

    Lewis and Clark Expedition

    Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lead an expedition across the American West to the Pacific coast and back.

    Exploration· United States
  3. February 12, 1809★★★★★

    Birth of Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States who led the country through the Civil War, is born in Kentucky.

    Birth· United States
  4. June 18, 1812 – 1815★★★★★

    War of 1812

    The United States declares war on Britain; fighting in North America and at sea ends with the Treaty of Ghent and no change in borders.

    War· United States, United Kingdom, Canada
  5. December 2, 1823★★★★★

    Monroe Doctrine

    President James Monroe declares that the United States will oppose any further European colonization or intervention in the Americas.

    Politics· United States
  6. May 28, 1830★★★★★

    Indian Removal Act

    President Andrew Jackson signs a law enabling the forced relocation of Native American nations west of the Mississippi, leading to the Trail of Tears.

    Politics· United States
  7. March 6, 1836★★★★★

    Battle of the Alamo

    Mexican troops under General Santa Anna storm the Alamo in San Antonio, killing its Texan defenders; the battle becomes a symbol of the Texas Revolution.

    War· United States, Mexico
  9. 1846 – 1848★★★★★

    Mexican–American War

    War between the United States and Mexico following the US annexation of Texas; Mexico is defeated and loses about half of its territory.

    War· United States, Mexico
  10. October 16, 1846★★★★★

    First public demonstration of ether anaesthesia

    At Massachusetts General Hospital, William Morton anaesthetises a surgical patient with ether in public, opening the era of surgical anaesthesia.

    Science· United States
  11. January 24, 1848 – 1855★★★★★

    California Gold Rush

    The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill draws some 300,000 people to California from around the world, transforming the American West.

    Economy· United States
  12. February 2, 1848★★★★★

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

    The treaty ends the Mexican–American War, with Mexico ceding California and much of today's Southwest to the United States.

    Treaty· United States, Mexico
  13. July 19, 1848 – July 20, 1848★★★★★

    Seneca Falls Convention

    The first women's rights convention in the United States adopts the Declaration of Sentiments, including a demand for women's suffrage.

    Politics· United States
  14. July 8, 1853★★★★★

    Perry Expedition arrives in Japan

    U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's 'Black Ships' enter Edo Bay, pressing Japan to end its isolation policy.

    PoliticsExploration· Japan, United States
  15. April 12, 1861 – 1865★★★★★

    American Civil War

    War between the Union and the seceding Confederate states, centred on slavery, ending in Union victory and the abolition of slavery.

    War· United States
  16. April 12, 1861 – April 13, 1861★★★★★

    Battle of Fort Sumter

    Confederate forces bombard Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, opening the American Civil War.

    War· United States
  17. January 1, 1863★★★★★

    Emancipation Proclamation

    President Lincoln proclaims freedom for enslaved people in the Confederate states in rebellion.

    Politics· United States
  18. July 1, 1863 – July 3, 1863★★★★★

    Battle of Gettysburg

    Union forces defeat Robert E. Lee's army in Pennsylvania in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, a turning point of the conflict.

    War· United States
  19. November 19, 1863★★★★★

    Gettysburg Address

    Abraham Lincoln delivers a brief speech dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg, affirming the ideals of liberty and equality.

    Politics· United States
  21. April 14, 1865★★★★★

    Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

    John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre days after the Civil War effectively ends; Lincoln dies the next morning.

    PoliticsDeath· United States
  23. March 30, 1867★★★★★

    Alaska Purchase

    The United States signs a treaty to buy Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million.

    Treaty· United States, Russia
  24. May 10, 1869★★★★★

    First transcontinental railroad completed

    The golden spike is driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, completing the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

    TechnologyEconomy· United States
  25. March 10, 1876★★★★★

    Bell's first telephone call

    Three days after receiving his patent, Alexander Graham Bell makes the first successful telephone call to his assistant Thomas Watson.

    Technology· United States
  26. June 25, 1876 – June 26, 1876★★★★★

    Battle of the Little Bighorn

    Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors defeat the US 7th Cavalry Regiment led by George Armstrong Custer.

    War· United States
  28. December 29, 1890★★★★★

    Wounded Knee Massacre

    US Army troops kill hundreds of Lakota people, many of them women and children, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

    War· United States
  29. April 1898 – December 10, 1898★★★★★

    Spanish–American War

    The United States defeats Spain, gaining Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, while Cuba is freed from Spanish rule.

    War· United States, Spain, Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico
  30. 1899 – 1902★★★★★

    Philippine–American War

    After Spain cedes the Philippines to the United States, forces of the Philippine Republic fight American rule but are defeated.

    War· Philippines, United States

20th century

  1. December 17, 1903★★★★★

    Wright brothers' first flight

    At Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers make the first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight.

    Technology· United States
  2. August 15, 1914★★★★★

    Panama Canal opens

    The US-built Panama Canal officially opens, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

    TechnologyEconomy· Panama, United States
  3. April 6, 1917★★★★★

    United States enters World War I

    The US Congress declares war on the German Empire, bringing the United States into World War I on the Allied side.

    War· United States, Germany
  4. June 28, 1919★★★★★

    Treaty of Versailles

    The peace treaty ending the war between Germany and the Allies is signed in the Hall of Mirrors, imposing war guilt, territorial losses and heavy reparations on Germany.

    Treaty· France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Italy
  6. May 20, 1927 – May 21, 1927★★★★★

    Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight

    Charles Lindbergh flies solo and nonstop from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis.

    TechnologyExploration· United States, France
  7. October 6, 1927★★★★★

    The Jazz Singer premieres

    The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length film with synchronised dialogue, premieres in New York, launching the era of talking pictures.

    CultureArtTechnology· United States
  8. 1929★★★★★

    Hubble shows the universe is expanding

    Edwin Hubble publishes the relation between galaxies' distances and recession velocities, evidence that the universe is expanding.

    Science· United States
  9. January 15, 1929★★★★★

    Birth of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Martin Luther King Jr., leader of the American civil rights movement, is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

    Birth· United States
  10. October 24, 1929 – October 29, 1929★★★★★

    Wall Street Crash of 1929

    The New York stock market collapses in late October, heralding the Great Depression that spreads around the world.

    Economy· United States
  11. February 18, 1930★★★★★

    Discovery of Pluto

    Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto at Lowell Observatory; in 2006 it is reclassified as a dwarf planet.

    Science· United States
  13. September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945★★★★★

    World War II

    Germany invades Poland, starting the deadliest conflict in human history, which ends with Japan's formal surrender on 2 September 1945.

    War· Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, France, Russia, United States, Japan, China
  14. December 7, 1941★★★★★

    Attack on Pearl Harbor

    The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, bringing the United States into World War II.

    War· United States, Japan
  15. June 6, 1944★★★★★

    D-Day: the Normandy landings

    Allied forces carry out the largest seaborne invasion in history on the Normandy coast, opening a Western Front to liberate Western Europe.

    War· France, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany
  16. February 4, 1945 – February 11, 1945★★★★★

    Yalta Conference

    Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet at Yalta to discuss the post-war reorganisation of Europe and the world.

    PoliticsTreaty· Ukraine, United States, United Kingdom, Russia
  17. April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945★★★★★

    Battle of Okinawa

    One of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War, causing heavy losses among soldiers and Okinawan civilians.

    War· Japan, United States
  18. May 8, 1945★★★★★

    Victory in Europe Day

    The Allies formally accept Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe.

    War· Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Russia
  19. July 16, 1945★★★★★

    Trinity nuclear test

    The United States detonates the world's first nuclear weapon in the New Mexico desert as part of the Manhattan Project.

    ScienceTechnology· United States
  20. August 6, 1945★★★★★

    Atomic bombing of Hiroshima

    The United States drops the first atomic bomb used in war on Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands instantly.

    WarDisaster· Japan, United States
  21. September 2, 1945★★★★★

    Surrender of Japan

    Japan signs the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, formally ending the Second World War.

    WarTreaty· Japan, United States
  22. October 24, 1945★★★★★

    United Nations founded

    The UN Charter enters into force after ratification by a majority of signatories.

    PoliticsTreaty· United States
  23. November 20, 1945 – October 1, 1946★★★★★

    Nuremberg trials

    An international military tribunal tries leading Nazi figures for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Politics· Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia
  24. February 1946★★★★★

    ENIAC unveiled

    ENIAC, the first programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer, is unveiled to the public at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Technology· United States
  25. March 5, 1946★★★★★

    Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech

    At Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill declares that an "iron curtain" has descended across Europe, a symbolic marker of the early Cold War.

    Politics· United Kingdom, United States
  27. December 1947★★★★★

    Invention of the transistor

    John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley at Bell Labs build the first working transistor, the foundation of modern electronics.

    TechnologyScience· United States
  28. April 3, 1948★★★★★

    Marshall Plan

    The United States enacts a large-scale economic aid programme to rebuild Western European economies after the Second World War.

    EconomyPolitics· United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
  29. June 24, 1948 – May 12, 1949★★★★★

    Berlin Blockade and Airlift

    The Soviet Union blocks road and rail access to West Berlin; the Western Allies respond by supplying the city through an airlift for almost a year.

    Politics· Germany, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, France
  30. April 4, 1949★★★★★

    NATO founded

    Twelve North American and Western European countries sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, creating the NATO collective defence alliance.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
  31. June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953★★★★★

    Korean War

    North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel; the war, drawing in US-led UN forces and China, ends in an armistice in 1953.

    War· South Korea, North Korea, China, United States
  32. September 8, 1951★★★★★

    Treaty of San Francisco

    Japan signs a peace treaty with the Allied powers, ending the occupation when it takes effect in 1952.

    Treaty· Japan, United States
  33. 1954 – 1955★★★★★

    Operation Passage to Freedom

    During the 300-day free-movement period after the Geneva Accords, roughly 800,000 to one million people, many of them Catholics, move from North to South Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam, United States, France
  34. May 17, 1954★★★★★

    Brown v. Board of Education ruling

    The US Supreme Court rules that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

    Politics· United States
  36. November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975★★★★★

    Vietnam War

    A conflict between North Vietnam and the Viet Cong on one side and South Vietnam, backed by the United States and its allies, on the other; it ends with the fall of Saigon in 1975.

    War· Vietnam, United States, Laos, Cambodia
  37. December 1, 1955 – December 1956★★★★★

    Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott

    Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, sparking a year-long bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

    Politics· United States
  38. April 17, 1961 – April 20, 1961★★★★★

    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    CIA-backed Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro but are defeated within days.

    War· Cuba, United States
  39. 1962 – 1971★★★★★

    Operation Ranch Hand

    The US Air Force sprays herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, over large areas of South Vietnam, with lasting health and environmental effects.

    WarDisaster· Vietnam, United States
  40. October 16, 1962 – October 28, 1962★★★★★

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    A 13-day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over nuclear missiles in Cuba brings the world closest to nuclear war.

    Politics· Cuba, United States, Russia
  41. January 2, 1963★★★★★

    Battle of Ấp Bắc

    A smaller Viet Cong force repels an attack by South Vietnamese troops with US advisers near Mỹ Tho.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  42. August 28, 1963★★★★★

    "I Have a Dream" speech

    Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

    Politics· United States
  43. November 1, 1963 – November 2, 1963★★★★★

    1963 South Vietnamese coup

    Generals led by Dương Văn Minh overthrow President Ngô Đình Diệm, who is killed with his brother Ngô Đình Nhu the next day.

    Politics· Vietnam, United States
  44. November 22, 1963★★★★★

    Assassination of John F. Kennedy

    US President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

    PoliticsDeath· United States
  45. July 2, 1964★★★★★

    Civil Rights Act of 1964

    President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

    Politics· United States
  46. August 2, 1964 – August 7, 1964★★★★★

    Gulf of Tonkin incident

    A clash between USS Maddox and North Vietnamese torpedo boats leads Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, enabling US escalation.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, United States
  47. March 2, 1965 – November 2, 1968★★★★★

    Operation Rolling Thunder

    A sustained US aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  48. March 8, 1965★★★★★

    US Marines land at Đà Nẵng

    Two battalions of US Marines land at Đà Nẵng, the first American ground combat units deployed to Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  49. August 6, 1965★★★★★

    Voting Rights Act of 1965

    A federal law prohibits racial discrimination in voting, protecting the voting rights of African Americans.

    Politics· United States
  50. November 14, 1965 – November 18, 1965★★★★★

    Battle of Ia Drang

    The first major battle between US Army forces and the North Vietnamese army, fought in the Central Highlands.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  51. January 21, 1968 – July 9, 1968★★★★★

    Battle of Khe Sanh

    North Vietnamese forces besiege the US Marine base at Khe Sanh in Quảng Trị; US forces abandon the base in July.

    War· Vietnam, United States
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