Two U.S. soldiers in Vietnam exchanging vials of heroin. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

A poster for Stanley Donen's 1952 comedy 'Singin' in the Rain' starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. (Credit: Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images)

Gottlieb Testifies On CIA Drug Program American scientist Sidney Gottlieb (1918 - 1999, left), retired head of the Central Intelligence Agency's secret drug testing program, Project MKUltra, during his testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research in Washington DC, 21st September 1977. The Senate Subcommittee, headed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, is investigating the C.I.A.'s testing of drugs on human subjects without their knowledge. Gottlieb is testifying in closed session under a grant of immunity from prosecution. With him is his attorney, Terry Lenzner. (Photo by Bride Lane Library/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

A woman dances in the glow of psychedelic light at Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco.

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The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The years following the American Revolution were challenging for the new nation, which struggled with the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, Federalism, the Alien and Sedition Acts and more.

Early U.S.

The 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature and Film History

1943

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

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Stories

America’s First Multimillionaire Got Rich Smuggling Opium

The Complicated History of Cannabis in the US

G.I.s’ Drug Use in Vietnam Soared—With Their Commanders’ Help

Golden Age Hollywood Had a Dirty Little Secret: Drugs

This Day in History

‘El Chapo,’ the world’s most-wanted drug kingpin, is captured in Mexico

Hallucinogenic effects of LSD discovered

Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City

Anthrax poisoning kills 62 in Russia

Evidence found against French serial killer known as “The Queen of Poisoners”

Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry arrested on drug charges