A History Of The Gay Rights Movement, One Of The Most Successful Political Enterprises In History

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments for two landmark gay rights cases — California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The cases came amid a huge surge in public support for gay marriage over the past decade.

But this is just the latest fight in a near 40-year battle fought by LGBT Americans to gain recognition and rights. Here's the timeline of how that successful journey progressed.