Question

Which of these events occurred FIRST?


the Brown v. Board of Education ruling


the Montgomery Bus Boycott


the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957


the federal troops guarding the Little Rock Nine

Answer 1

The event that occurred first among the options listed is the **Brown v. Board of Education ruling**, which was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on May 17, 1954. Here is the chronological order of the events:

1. **Brown v. Board of Education ruling** (May 17, 1954)
2. **Montgomery Bus Boycott** (began on December 5, 1955)
3. **The federal troops guarding the Little Rock Nine** (September 1957)
4. **The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957** (signed into law on September 9, 1957)

So the Brown v. Board of Education ruling is the earliest event.