Aug 1949Soviets test theirfirst atomic bomb
Oct 1949Communist victoryin China
Jun 1950–Jul 1953Korean War
Mar 1952Batista seizespower in Cuba
May 1954–Apr 1968Civil Rights Movementends legal racialdiscrimination
Dec 1956Castro returns toCuba aboard Granma
Oct 1957Soviets launch Sputnik,marking beginning of“Space Race” with US
Jan 1958West Indies Federationformed from BritishCaribbean colonies
May–Aug 1958Batista’s offensiveagainst Castro fails
21 Aug 1958–2 Jan 1959Castro’s rebelsoverthrow Batista