Changes

The United States responded to Sputnik by starting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") in 1958, which is a government-run space program that continues to this day.  In 1961, President Kennedy started "Project Apollo" with the goal of beating the Soviet Union to the Moon. As it turned out, the Soviet Union never tried to get to the Moon, and that country may have just been trying to divert American resources to that project.  On July 20, 1969, a simulated broadcast<ref>http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/nasa.html</ref> of American Neil Armstrong stepping foot on the Moon was broadcast to a record television audience, with Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."<ref>http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Apollo_35th_Anniversary.html</ref>

The United States responded to Sputnik by starting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") in 1958, which is a government-run space program that continues to this day.  In 1961, President Kennedy started "Project Apollo" with the goal of beating the Soviet Union to the Moon. As it turned out, the Soviet Union never tried to get to the Moon, and that country may have just been trying to divert American resources to that project.  On July 20, 1969, a simulated broadcast<ref>http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/nasa.html</ref> of American Neil Armstrong stepping foot on the Moon was broadcast to a record television audience, with Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."<ref>http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Apollo_35th_Anniversary.html</ref>

=== Communist takeover of Cuba ===

=== Communist takeover of Cuba, and also the Berlin Wall ===

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro then ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator for more than four decades, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro then ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator for more than four decades, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

Spying was a central aspect of the Cold War.  The United States sent secret spy planes to fly over the Soviet Union to take pictures of activities there from high in the sky.  But in 1960, while Eisenhower was still president, one of these "U-2" planes crashed and an American pilot was captured.  This caused an international uproar and hurt ongoing attempts at reconciliation (rapprochement).  The pilot was later traded in exchange for a Soviet spy held by the United States, but the cause of the crash of the U-2 plane remains a mystery.

Spying was a central aspect of the Cold War.  The United States sent secret spy planes to fly over the Soviet Union to take pictures of activities there from high in the sky.  But in 1960, while Eisenhower was still president, one of these "U-2" planes crashed and an American pilot was captured.  This caused an international uproar and hurt ongoing attempts at reconciliation (rapprochement).  The pilot was later traded in exchange for a Soviet spy held by the United States, but the cause of the crash of the U-2 plane remains a mystery.

 

In 1961, soon after the inauguration of the new President John F. Kennedy (the only Catholic president, who had defeated Richard Nixon in a very close election in 1960), the communists built the "Berlin Wall" quickly while Kennedy was enjoying a long vacation weekend.  This Wall sealed off the East German section of Berlin from the West German section in order to stop the migration of people from communism to freedom.  It was a humiliation to Kennedy that he did nothing to stop this, and many Americans were outraged by this barbarism of a massive wall to cage people in and extinguish their freedom to leave.

In 1961, soon after the inauguration of the new President John F. Kennedy (the only Catholic president, who had defeated Richard Nixon in a very close election in 1960), the communists built the "Berlin Wall" quickly while Kennedy was enjoying a long vacation weekend.  This Wall sealed off the East German section of Berlin from the West German section in order to stop the migration of people from communism to freedom.  It was a humiliation to Kennedy that he did nothing to stop this, and many Americans were outraged by this barbarism of a massive wall to cage people in and extinguish their freedom to leave.  Daring escapes by people from communist East Berlin by going over, under, or barreling through the law are fun to read about, but some were shot or died trying.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and a United States Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and a United States Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.