1980-2001

By Molly Rudd

  • Summer Olympics

    President Carter announces that U.S. athletes will not attend Summer Olympics in Moscow unless Soviet Union withdraws from Afghanistan.

  • Ronald Reagan

    Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th president.

  • Reagan's Attempted Assassination

    President Reagan is shot in the chest by John Hinckley, Jr.

  • The Challenger

    Space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. It is the worst accident in the history of the U.S. space program.

  • George H. W. Bush

    George H. W. Bush is inaugurated as the 41st president.

  • The Persian Gulf War

    Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, leading to the Persian Gulf War.

  • START I

    U.S. and Soviet Union sign START I treaty, agreeing to further reduce strategic nuclear arms.

  • Bill Clinton

    Bill Clinton is inaugurated as the 42nd president.

  • September 11 Attacks

    The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States. The terrorists flew plans into both the North and South towers of the World Trade Center.