- 1492: Christopher Columbus arrives in the Americas, initiating European exploration and colonization.
- 1607: Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, is established in present-day Virginia.
- 1620: Mayflower Compact is signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing self-government in Plymouth Colony.
- 1776: Declaration of Independence is adopted, declaring the thirteen American colonies’ independence from British rule.
- 1783: Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the American Revolutionary War and recognizing the United States as a sovereign nation.
- 1787: United States Constitution is drafted and ratified, establishing the framework of the federal government.
- 1803: Louisiana Purchase – United States acquires a vast territory from France, doubling its size.
- 1861-1865: American Civil War – Conflict between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states) over issues including slavery and states’ rights.
- 1863: Emancipation Proclamation is issued by President Abraham Lincoln, declaring slaves in Confederate-held territories to be freed.
- 1865: Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln – Vice President Andrew Johnson assumes the presidency.
- 1865-1877: Reconstruction Era – Efforts to rebuild and reunify the country after the Civil War.
- 1898: Spanish-American War – United States gains territories including Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
- 1914-1918: World War I – United States enters the war on the side of the Allies.
- 1920: 19th Amendment is ratified, granting women the right to vote.
- 1929: Stock Market Crash leads to the Great Depression, a severe economic downturn.
- 1941-1945: World War II – United States enters the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, aiding the Allies in defeating the Axis Powers.
- 1954: Brown v. Board of Education – Supreme Court ruling declares racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
- 1963: Assassination of President John F. Kennedy – Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumes the presidency.
- 1964-1973: Vietnam War – United States engages in military intervention in Vietnam.
- 1969: Apollo 11 mission – United States successfully lands the first humans on the moon.
- 1974: Watergate scandal – President Richard Nixon resigns, and Vice President Gerald Ford assumes the presidency.
- 2001: September 11 attacks – Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon lead to the War on Terrorism.
- 2008: Barack Obama becomes the first African American President of the United States.
- 2010: Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is signed into law, aiming to expand access to healthcare.
- 2020: COVID-19 pandemic – United States, like the rest of the world, faces significant challenges due to the outbreak.
- List of Presidents and their tenure:
- George Washington (1789-1797)
- John Adams (1797-1801)
- Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
- James Madison (1809-1817)
- James Monroe (1817-1825)
- John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
- Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
- Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
- William Henry Harrison (1841) – Died in office
- John Tyler (1841-1845)
- James K. Polk (1845-1849)
- Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) – Died in office
- Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
- Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
- James Buchanan (1857-1861)
- Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) – Assassinated
- Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
- Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
- Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
- James A. Garfield (1881) – Assassinated
- Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)
- Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
- Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
- Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
- William McKinley (1897-1901) – Assassinated
- Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
- William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
- Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
- Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) – Died in office
- Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
- Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) – Four terms, died in office
- Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
- John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) – Assassinated
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
- Richard Nixon (1969-1974) – Resigned
- Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
- Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
- Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
- George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)
- Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
- George W. Bush (2001-2009)
- Barack Obama (2009-2017)
- Donald Trump (2017-2021)
- Joe Biden (2021-present)
- 2021: Inauguration of Joe Biden – Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States.
- 2021: January 6 Capitol Attack – Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol, leading to the temporary evacuation and disruption of the certification of the Electoral College results.
- 2021: COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign – United States initiates a nationwide vaccination campaign to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2022: Midterm Elections – Congressional elections are held, determining the composition of the House of Representatives and a portion of the Senate.