John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States. At age 43, he became the youngest elected president and the first Roman Catholic to hold the office. His inaugural address is remembered for the famous line, 'Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,' which inspired a generation toward public service, idealism, and a renewed sense of civic duty during a time of Cold War tension.

During World War II, U.S. Marines launched a major amphibious assault on Iwo Jima, a heavily fortified Japanese island critical for its airfields and strategic location near Japan. The battle, lasting over a month, was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific Theater, with fierce fighting and high casualties on both sides. It is most famously remembered for the iconic photograph of Marines raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi.

In World War I, Germany launched the Spring Offensive, also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, on the Western Front. It was Germany’s last major attempt to break the stalemate before American forces could arrive in large numbers. Using new infiltration tactics and overwhelming artillery, German forces initially made significant gains. However, supply issues and Allied counterattacks eventually halted the advance, setting the stage for Germany’s ultimate defeat later that year.

Millions of Americans participated in the first Earth Day, a nationwide demonstration calling for environmental protection and awareness. Organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson, the event brought together activists, students, and communities to protest pollution, oil spills, and the destruction of natural habitats. Earth Day is credited with helping to launch the modern environmental movement and led to the creation of landmark U.S. legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, declaring that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson, the decision became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement and a critical step toward ending legalized segregation in the United States.

NASA’s Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module. Armstrong’s famous words, 'That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,' were broadcast to millions around the globe. The landing fulfilled President Kennedy’s 1961 goal, showcased U.S. technological achievement during the Cold War, and marked a defining milestone in human exploration.

Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, resulting in the drowning death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign worker. Kennedy did not immediately report the accident, leading to widespread criticism and scandal. The incident damaged his reputation, derailed his presidential ambitions, and remains one of the most controversial episodes in modern American political history.

President John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated while riding in an open motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. He was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, though conspiracy theories about the assassination have persisted for decades. Kennedy’s death shocked the world, abruptly ending a presidency marked by Cold War crises and civil rights struggles, and it brought Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson into office.

Aboard the ship Mayflower, anchored off Cape Cod, 41 Pilgrim men signed the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document created in the New World. Drafted to maintain unity and order among settlers, it established a form of self-government based on majority rule. The compact laid a foundation for later colonial governments and is considered a key step in the development of American democracy.

In protest of the Tea Act, which allowed Britain’s East India Company to sell tea at reduced rates while still taxing the colonies, American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. The act of defiance escalated tensions with Britain, leading to harsh retaliatory laws and fueling revolutionary sentiment that culminated in the American Revolution.

Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first successful powered, controlled, and sustained airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville piloted the aircraft for 12 seconds over 120 feet. Their breakthrough revolutionized transportation and laid the foundation for modern aviation, ushering in a new era of global mobility and technological advancement.

Pan Am Flight 103, traveling from London to New York, was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground. The attack, carried out by Libyan operatives, was one of the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism in history. It reshaped international security measures, fueled years of investigations and trials, and highlighted the global threat of state-sponsored terrorism.