-
President Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to the supreme court.
-
Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to leave Earth
-
73 seconds after launch, Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, killing all seven crew members
-
In Berlin, Germany, President Reagan demands that Mikhail Gorbachev tear down the Berlin wall
-
After separating East and West Germany for 28 years, the Berlin wall is finally torn down
-
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the 45 year long Cold War finally ends
-
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols kill 168 people by detonating a bomb outside the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City
-
U.S. Congress passes the Iraq Liberation Act, stating the intention to remove Saddam Hussein from power
-
The terrorist group Al-Qaeda launches a series of suicide attacks, hijacking four airliners. The World Trade center is hit by two, the Pentagon is hit by one, and the final plane, headed for the Capitol or the White House, crashes near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.