This document provides an overview of major events from 1945-1960 during the early Cold War era. It discusses the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the creation of the United Nations and NATO, Soviet control over Eastern Europe, the Berlin Airlift, the start of the Korean War, McCarthyism and the Red Scare in the US, the development of nuclear weapons and space programs, and escalating tensions in areas like Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Key events and issues around this volatile time period following World War 2 are summarized.