1700s:
1787: The U.S. Constitution is signed, ratified in 1788, and is effective March 4, 1789.
1791: The Bill of Rights is ratified.
1800s:
1868: The Hicklin test (Regina v. Hicklin)...read more here.
1873: The Comstock Act (First anti-obscenity federal law passed in the U.S.A.)...read more here.
1900s:
1917: The Espionage Act.
1919: Schenk v. United States (The clear and present danger test)...read more here.
1920s:
1920: The 14th Amendment (guarantees women's suffrage).
1927: Whitney v. California...read more here.
1930s:
1931: Near v. Minnesota...read more here.
1931: Melvin v. Reid (The Red Kimono/Kimona case).
1934: The Communication Act of 1934.
1940s:
1942: Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire...read more here.
1945: World War Two comes to an end.
1950s:
1951: Feiner v. New York...read more here.
1960s:
1964: New York Times v. Sullivan (The actual malice test)...read more here.
1967: Thurgood Marshall appointed first Black Justice to the SCOTUS.
1968: United States v. O'Brien (The O'Brien test)...read more here.
1970s:
1971: New York Times v. United States (The Pentagon Papers Case)...read more here.
1973: Miller v. California...read more here.
1976: Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart...read more here.
1980s:
1980: Central Hudson v. New York Public Service Commission (Commercial speech)...read more here.
1981: Sandra Day O'Connor appointed first woman justice to the SCOTUS.
1988: Hustler Magazine v. Falwell...read more here.
1988: Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier...read more here.
1989: Texas v. Johnson...read more here.
1900s:
1992: RAV v. City of St. Paul...read more here.
1994: Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music...read more here.
1997: Rice v. Paladin Press...read more here.
2000s:
2001: Lorillard v. Reilly...read more here.
2001: The Patriot Act.
2003: Tim Wu (At the time a University of Virginia Law School Professor) coins the terms net neutrality...read more here.
2009: Sonia Sotomayor appointed first Latinx justice to the SCOTUS.
2010s:
2010: Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission...read more here.
2014: Jan. – Federal appeals strikes down FCC pro-net neutrality rules...read more here.
2014: Nov. – The FCC under the Obama reclassifies the internet as a telecommunications service, thus preserving net neutrality...read more here.
2018: Dec. – The FCC votes to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules...read more here.
2018: Oct. – Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck. SCOTUS agrees to hear this case. The case will decide whether the First Amendment applies to privately operated public access venues such as television stations and social media platforms...read more here.