>>515073524
In the US the education is controlled by lobby groups. Unions for example insert pro-union learnings into the curriculum. And gun groups do the same. Bill Gates inserted his own special way of teaching math called Common Core.
Because of this, recent American history is not taught. Anything newer than 100 years is seen as way too politicized and shouldn't be in a classroom. There are special classes for that but it's not in the main education.
Americans will often know a lot about the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War, and even a bit about the Progressive Era and WW1. But when it comes to WW2 or anything after that, they rely on movies or news articles.