The Berlin Airlift 1948, Soviets cut off allies supply line into Berlin causing the United States to launch massive supply drops from planes into the city. Test of wills ended in May 1945 when the Soviets stopped their blockade.
Korean War 1950-1953, Communist North Korea invaded the Democratic South Korea causing the UN to intervene led by the USA and Douglas MacArthur. First proxy war of the Cold War as Soviet and American allies fought a bloody stalemate.
Sputnik II, November 1957 soviets sent satellite into space carrying a dog, caused USA to ramp up its space program.
In may 1960 American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Russia causing conference about Berlin Issue in Paris to break down as well as embarrassing Eisenhower.
USA experienced "Red Scare" of Soviets and communism during the 1950's and 60's. Led by Joseph McCarthy, the senator from Wisconsin, who made many accusations of communism in the United States.
Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962), American spy planes found nuclear weapons being installed in Cuba by Soviets which led to a quarantine of the island by President Kennedy. Tensions rose as nuclear war came close as Soviets and Americans played a game of chicken, finally lost by the Soviets as Krushchev took missiles out of Cuba on October 28.
Bay of Pigs April 17, 1961. CIA operation to overthrow Fidel Castro by sending in exiles to start a coup, mission was massive failure as 1200 exiles were captured quickly and Kennedy was forced to take responsibility.
Vietnam War 1965-1975, Proxy war in Vietnam that was fought because of fear communism would spread in South East Pacific. Very controversial war because of lack of public support and unclear reasons for being there.
Détente, led by President Nixon who visited communist China and USSR in 1972 to relax tensions and have them influence North Vietnam into surrendering.
Russian war with Afghanistan, December 27, 1979. USSR invaded Afghanistan causing fear that they would get a hold on oil in the middle east, but were bogged down in a bloody stalemate in war similar to the Americans' in Vietnam.
Mikhail Gorbachev's ideals of Glastnost and Perestroika, which mean openness and restructuring and signaled a shift in USSR's strict communist economy in the 80's.
Reagan's plan of SDI, which stands for Strategic Defense Initiative. Was a move to create a system that would prevent a nuclear strike on country and was nicknamed star wars.
Berlin Wall comes down in December 1989 as Germany was united for the first time since 1945. East Germany dissolved as a communist state.
Revolutions of 1989, Communist societies began calling for more rights and as the USSR's reign started coming to a close many countries experienced revolutions both peacefully and violently. Communist regimes collapsed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania.
Gorbachev resigns as President and USSR collapses breaking into 15 sovereign republics, with Russia as the most powerful of them. December 1991