History of United States in Timeline

The United States of America is a federal republic located primarily in North America, comprising 50 states and Washington, D.C. Bordered by Canada and Mexico, it also includes Alaska, Hawaii, and several island territories. Home to 574 federally recognized tribes and 326 Indian reservations. It has the world's third-largest land area and a population exceeding 340 million, and is known for its ecological megadiversity.

1900: American Samoa acquired by United States

In 1900, American Samoa was acquired by the United States after the Second Samoan Civil War.

1904: 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis

The 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, were the first-ever Olympic Games held outside of Europe.

1913: Armory Show in New York City in 1913

In 1913, the Armory Show in New York City, an exhibition of European modernist art, shocked the public and transformed the U.S. art scene.

1917: Immigration to the United States

From 1865 through 1917, an unprecedented stream of immigrants arrived in the United States, including 24.4 million from Europe.

1917: U.S. Virgin Islands purchased from Denmark

In 1917, the U.S. Virgin Islands were purchased from Denmark.

1917: U.S. enters World War I

In 1917, the United States entered World War I alongside the Allies.

1920: Women's suffrage granted nationwide

In 1920, a constitutional amendment granted nationwide women's suffrage.

1929: Wall Street Crash

In 1929, the Wall Street Crash triggered the Great Depression.

1929: Academy Awards since 1929

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, have been held annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929.

1933: National Defense Act Amendments of 1933

In 1933, the National Defense Act Amendments created the Guard and provided for the integration of Army National Guard units and personnel into the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force.

March 1941: U.S. begins supplying war materiel to the Allies

In March 1941, the U.S., initially neutral, began supplying war materiel to the Allies of World War II.

1941: Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor

In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.

January 1944: Golden Globe Awards since January 1944

The Golden Globe Awards have been held annually since January 1944.

August 1945: U.S. uses nuclear weapons on Japan

In August 1945, the U.S. used the first nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, ending World War II.

1945: End of World War II

In 1945, the end of World War II left the U.S. and the Soviet Union as superpowers.

July 4, 1946: Philippines granted full independence

On July 4, 1946, the Philippines was granted full independence from the U.S. following World War II.

1946: Establishment of the Culinary Institute of America in 1946

In 1946, the Culinary Institute of America was founded by Katharine Angell and Frances Roth.

1947: Integration of Air National Guard into the U.S. Air Force

In 1947, the National Defense Act Amendments of 1933 provided for the integration of Air National Guard units and personnel into the U.S. Air Force.

1950: Military Interventions

The United States has engaged in over 400 military interventions since its founding in 1776, with over half of these occurring between 1950 and 2019.

1958: Establishment of NASA

In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established.

1961: Start of NASA's Apollo program

In 1961, NASA started the Apollo program.

1964: Wilderness Act

In 1964, the idea of wilderness shaped the management of public lands with the Wilderness Act.

1965: Establishment of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities in 1965

In 1965, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities was established as an agency of the United States federal government.

1967: Public Broadcasting Act of 1967

NPR was incorporated in February 1970 under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

1969: Apollo 11 Mission

In 1969, the Apollo 11 mission achieved the first crewed Moon landing.

1969: First crewed Moon landing

In 1969, the U.S. prevailed in the Space Race, culminating with the first crewed Moon landing.

February 1970: Incorporation of NPR in February 1970

In February 1970, NPR was incorporated under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

1972: End of Apollo Program and Start of Voyager Program

In 1972, the Apollo program ended, and the Voyager program began.

1973: End of conscription

In 1973, open defiance of the military draft lead to the end of conscription.

1973: Endangered Species Act

In 1973, the Endangered Species Act provided a way to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats.

1975: U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam

In 1975, the U.S. totally withdrew from Vietnam.

1981: Start of Space Shuttle Program

In 1981, the Space Shuttle program started.

1983: U.S. Real Compounded Annual GDP Growth

From 1983 to 2008, U.S. real compounded annual GDP growth was 3.3%.

1985: Majority of American women employed

By 1985, the majority of American women aged 16 and older were employed.

1989: The fall of communism

From 1989, the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union began.

1990: Launch of Hubble Space Telescope

In 1990, the Hubble space telescope was launched.

1990: Human Genome Project launched

In 1990, the Human Genome Project was formally launched in the U.S.

1991: Collapse of the Soviet Union

From 1989 to 1991 the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War and left the United States as the world's sole superpower.

1991: Gulf War

In 1991, an American-led international coalition expelled an Iraqi invasion force from Kuwait in the Gulf War.

1991: End of the Cold War

In 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War, leaving the U.S. as the world's sole superpower.

1994: United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup

In 1994, the United States hosted the FIFA World Cup.

1998: Nasdaq trades online

In 1998, Nasdaq became the first stock market in the United States to trade online.

1998: Life expectancy comparison in 1998

Starting in 1998, life expectancy in the U.S. fell behind that of other wealthy industrialized countries.

1999: United States hosted the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 1999, the United States hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup. The final match had 90,185 attendees, setting a world record for a women's sporting event at the time.

2001: Destiny Module on the ISS

In 2001, the Destiny module was added to the International Space Station (ISS).

2001: September 11 attacks

In 2001, the September 11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda led to the war on terror.

2001: Transportation Security Administration

Since 2001, the Transportation Security Administration has provided security at most major airports.

2007: Harmony Module on the ISS

In 2007, the Harmony module was added to the International Space Station (ISS).

2007: Great Recession

In 2007, the U.S. housing bubble culminated in the Great Recession, the largest economic contraction since the Great Depression.

2008: U.S. Real Compounded Annual GDP Growth

From 1983 to 2008, U.S. real compounded annual GDP growth was 3.3%.

2010: Student loan debt increase from 2010 to 2020

Between 2010 and 2020, student loan debt increased by 102%.

2010: German Language Speakers in the U.S.

In 2010, German was spoken by 1 million people at home in the U.S., but the number fell to 857,000 total speakers in 2020.

2010: U.S. Homicide Rates

In 2010, an analysis of the World Health Organization Mortality Database showed that U.S. homicide rates were seven times higher than in other high-income countries, driven by a gun homicide rate that was 25 times higher.

2010: Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010

In 2010, former President Obama passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

2010: Tranquility Module on the ISS

In 2010, the Tranquility module was added to the International Space Station (ISS).

2011: End of Space Shuttle Program

In 2011, the Space Shuttle program ended.

2011: Wealth Distribution in the U.S.

In 2011, the richest 10% of the adult population in the United States owned 72% of the country's household wealth, while the bottom 50% owned just 2%.

July 2013: Professional sports market in July 2013

In July 2013, the market for professional sports in the United States was approximately $69 billion.

2013: American Airlines Merger with US Airways

In 2013, American Airlines became the global leader in passenger carriage after its merger with US Airways.

2013: U.S. Median Household Income

In 2013, the U.S. had the sixth-highest median household income, which increased to fourth-highest by 2023.

2014: Key ally of Ukraine

Since 2014, the U.S. has become a key ally of Ukraine.

2016: Pew Research Center poll on free expression in 2016

A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that Americans were the most supportive of free expression of any polity measured.

2016: Charitable donations in 2016

According to a 2016 study by the Charities Aid Foundation, Americans donated 1.44% of total GDP to charity—the highest rate in the world by a large margin.

2016: Aerospace Production

In 2016, the United States accounted for just over half of the world's aerospace production.

2016: Income Distribution in the U.S.

In 2016, the top fifth of earners in the U.S. took home more than half of all income, giving the U.S. one of the widest income distributions among OECD countries.

2017: U.S. foreign-born population in 2017

In 2017, out of the U.S. foreign-born population, some 45% were naturalized citizens, 27% were lawful permanent residents, 6% were temporary lawful residents, and 23% were unauthorized immigrants.

2019: Children Living in Single-Parent Households

In 2019, 23% of children lived in single-parent households in the U.S., which was the world's highest rate.

2019: Income Inequality in the U.S.

In 2019, income inequality in the U.S. reached a record high.

2019: Global Competitiveness Report

In 2019, the U.S. ranked second in the Global Competitiveness Report, after Singapore.

2019: Top countries of origin for immigrants in 2019

In 2019, the top countries of origin for immigrants were Mexico (24% of immigrants), India (6%), China (5%), the Philippines (4.5%), and El Salvador (3%).

2019: Military Interventions

The United States has engaged in over 400 military interventions since its founding in 1776, with over half of these occurring between 1950 and 2019.

April 1, 2020: U.S. Census

On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 331,449,281 residents in the United States.

2020: Languages Spoken at Home in the U.S.

According to the American Community Survey (2020), some 245.4 million people in the U.S. age five and older spoke only English at home. About 41.2 million spoke Spanish at home, making it the second most commonly used language.

2020: Student loan debt increase from 2010 to 2020

Between 2010 and 2020, student loan debt increased by 102%.

2020: U.S. suicide rate reported in 2020

In 2020, The Commonwealth Fund reported that the U.S. had the highest suicide rate among high-income countries.

2020: Education spending in 2020-2021

In 2020–2021, the U.S. spent an average of $18,614 per year per public elementary and secondary school student.

2020: Restaurant industry projection for 2020

The United States restaurant industry was projected at $899 billion in sales for 2020 and employed more than 15 million people.

January 2021: Capitol attack

In January 2021, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a mob of insurrectionists attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

2021: Education spending in 2020-2021

In 2020–2021, the U.S. spent an average of $18,614 per year per public elementary and secondary school student.

2021: Broadcast radio and podcasts in 2021

In 2021, about 83% of Americans over age 12 listened to broadcast radio, while about 40% listened to podcasts.

2021: Launch of James Webb Space Telescope

In 2021, the James Webb space telescope was launched.

2021: U.S. Manufacturing Sector

In 2021, the U.S. manufacturing sector was the world's second-largest after China's.

2021: Patent Applications

In 2021, the U.S. ranked second (also after China) by the number of patent applications, and third by trademark and industrial design applications (after China and Germany), according to World Intellectual Property Indicators.

2021: United States Land Use

In 2021, the United States had 8% of global permanent meadows and pastures and 10% of cropland.

2022: Urban population statistics in 2022

In 2022, 333 incorporated municipalities in America had populations over 100,000, nine cities had more than one million residents, and four cities—New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston—had populations exceeding two million.

2022: Food Insecurity and Poverty in the U.S.

In 2022, 6.4 million children in the U.S. experienced food insecurity. Also in 2022, about 37.9 million people, or 11.5% of the U.S. population, were living in poverty.

2022: American life expectancy in 2022

In 2022, American life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years according to the CDC.

2022: U.S. Airports Ownership

In 2022, most of the 19,969 U.S. airports were owned and operated by local government authorities, and there are also some private airports.

2022: Student loan debt in 2022

In 2022, student loan debt exceeded $1.7 trillion.

2022: Vehicle Ownership and Commuting Habits

In 2022, the U.S. had 850 vehicles per 1,000 people. A 2022 study also found that 76% of U.S. commuters drive alone, 14% ride a bicycle, and about 11% use some form of public transportation.

2022: Music market size in 2022

In 2022, the United States has the world's largest music market, with a total retail value of $15.9 billion.

2022: Scientific Papers Published

In 2022, the United States was (after China) the country with the second-highest number of published scientific papers.

2022: U.S. Energy Consumption

In 2022, the United States, with about 4% of the world's population, consumed around 16% of the world's energy.

2022: Median Age of U.S. Population

In 2022, the median age of the United States population was 38.9 years.

2022: Immigrant population in the United States in 2022

In 2022, there were 87.7 million immigrants and U.S.-born children of immigrants in the United States, accounting for nearly 27% of the overall U.S. population.

January 2023: U.S. Incarceration Rate

In January 2023, the United States had the sixth-highest per capita incarceration rate in the world, with 531 people per 100,000 inhabitants.

2023: Average American life expectancy at birth in 2023

According to the CDC, in 2023, the average American life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years (75.8 years for men and 81.1 years for women), a gain of 0.9 year from 2022.

2023: U.S. Companies Among World's Largest

In 2023, 136 of the world's 500 largest companies by revenue were headquartered in the U.S., the highest number for any country.

2023: Marital Status and Fertility Rate

In 2023, 51% of Americans age 15 and over were married, 6% were widowed, 10% were divorced, and 34% had never been married. In 2023, the total fertility rate for the U.S. stood at 1.6 children per woman.

2023: U.S. Household and Employee Income & Consumer Market

In 2023, Americans had the highest average household and employee income among OECD member states and the fourth-highest median household income. Also in 2023, U.S. personal consumption expenditures were over $18.5 trillion, and the U.S. ranked first in the number of dollar billionaires and millionaires, with 735 billionaires and nearly 22 million millionaires.

2023: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2023, the United States ranked third (after Switzerland and Sweden) in the Global Innovation Index.

2023: U.S. Energy Sources

In 2023, the United States received approximately 84% of its energy from fossil fuel, with petroleum being the largest source at 38%.

2023: U.S. Military Spending

In 2023, the United States spent $916 billion on its military, making up 37% of global military spending.

February 2024: U.S. Federal Government Debt

In February 2024, the total U.S. federal government debt was $34.4 trillion.

July 1, 2024: U.S. Population Estimate

According to the Bureau's U.S. Population Clock, on July 1, 2024, the U.S. population had a net gain of one person every 16 seconds, or about 5400 people per day.

2024: Diplomatic Presence

As of 2024, the United States has the world's second-largest diplomatic corps.

2024: Wealth and Income Inequality & Homelessness in the U.S.

By 2024, the U.S. had some of the highest wealth and income inequality among OECD countries. Also in 2024, there were about 771,480 homeless persons in the U.S.

2024: Plans to Triple Nuclear Power Capacity

From 2024, the U.S. plans to triple its nuclear power capacity by 2050.

2024: U.S. economic output

In 2024, the U.S. accounted for over a quarter of nominal global economic output.

2024: Environmental Performance Index Ranking

In 2024, the U.S. ranked 35th among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, the United States ranked third (after Switzerland and Sweden) in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: Refugees resettled in the United States in fiscal year 2024

In fiscal year 2024, the United States resettled 100,034 refugees.

2025: English as Official Language

In 2025, English was made the official language of the United States by Executive Order 14224.

2025: Incarceration in the United States

In 2025, the American prison system is expected to hold nearly 2 million people in various facilities, including state prisons, federal prisons, local jails, and juvenile correctional facilities.