Study Tool: Chronological Events of the 1953-1960 Era 

Does not include issues on social history covered separately.   Br = Great Britain   Fr= France   USSR = Russia

 

Date

Presidential Election/ Event

Beyond America

Foreign Policy

Government Institutions

US Economic Development

Issue/Organization Development

Political Party Development

1950s

 

 

 

 

 

Revival of Ku Klux Klan; White Citizens Council est.

 

1950

 

 

 

Sweatt v. Painter

 

 

 

1953

 

 

CIA covert action in Iran, reinstate Shah (Br plan)

 

 

 

 

1953

 

 

 

Chief Justice Earl Warren appt.

 

 

 

1953

 

 

 

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

 

 

 

1953-03

 

USSR: Stalin dies

 

 

 

 

 

1953-04

 

 

 

Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare est.

 

 

 

1953-04-22 to 06-17

 

 

 

Televised McCarthy hearings

 

 

 

1953-06

Speech[1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

1953-07

 

 

Korea: Truce ends war

 

 

 

 

1953-11

Speech[2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

1954

 

 

Aid to Fr of $3B over Vietnam

 

 

Elvis Presley begins career

 

1954

 

 

CIA covert action in Guatemala, est. military dictatorship

 

 

Salk vaccine

 

1954-05

Speech[3]

Vietnam: Fr defeat at Dien Bien Phu

 

 

 

 

 

1954-12

 

 

 

Senate “condemned” McCarthy

 

 

 

1955

 

 

 

 

 

1st McDonald’s and 1st Holiday Inn est.

 

1955-12

 

 

 

 

 

Rosa Parks; Montgomery Bus Boycott

 

1956-06

 

 

 

 

Federal Highway Act of 1956[4]

 

 

1956-06

 

Egypt: Nationalizes Suez

 

 

 

 

 

1956-10

 

Israel: Invades Gaza  and Sinai peninsula

Br/Fr: retake Suez

 

 

 

 

 

1956-10-11

 

USSR: Crushed Hungarian Revolution

 

 

 

 

 

1956-11

Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai Stevenson

 

 

 

 

 

Democrats retain Congress majority

1957

 

 

 

 

 

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) est.

 

1957-09

 

 

 

 

 

Gov. Orval Faubus, Little Rock, AR; rioting by 9-23

 

1957-09-24

Little Rock - 1000 paratroopers

 

 

 

 

 

 

1957-10-04

 

USSR: Sputnik

 

 

 

 

 

1958-09

 

[5]

 

National Defense Education Act

 

 

 

1958-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Democratic victories

1959-07

 

 

 

NASA est.

 

 

 

1960-05

 

USSR: Capture U-2, Gary Powers

Military spending:

1950 – 12.9 B

1960 – 39.2 B

 

 

 

 

1960-11

Richard M. Nixon v. John F. Kennedy

 

 

 

 

Televised debates

 

1961-01

Ike’s Farewell address

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2010

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com

Last Updated:

2010

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/

 

 



[1] Against “book burners”

[2] Right to meet “accuser face to face”

[3] On “demagogues thirsty for personal power and public notice”

[4] Purpose: evacuation in the event of nuclear war

[5] April-May – Nixon’s tour in South America met by anti-US demonstrations in Peru and Venezuela. August – Red China renewal of bombardment of Quemoy and Matsu. October – cease-fire on both sides.