-
Apr 1, 980
Census
The 1980 census shows a population in the United States of 226,542,203, an 11.4% increase since 1970 -
Mar 18, 990
Art Robbery...I guess they had no MONET
The largest art theft in U.S. history occurs in Boston, Massachusetts, when two thieves posing as policemen abscond twelve paintings worth an estimated $100-200 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. -
Columbia
The first launch of the Space Shuttle from Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center occurs as Columbia begins its STS-1 mission. The Space Shuttle is the first reusable spacecraft to be flown into orbit, and it returned to earth for a traditional touch down landing two days later. -
Mt. St. Helens
The Mt. St. Helens volcano, in Washington State, erupts, killing fifty-seven people and economic devastation to the area with losses near $3 billion -
Ronald Reagan wins
Ronald Reagan, the former Republican governor of California, beats President Jimmy Carter and independent candidate John B. Anderson, also a Republican, in a landslide victory -
Sally Ride
Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel into space. -
Reagan wins reelection
President Ronald Reagan wins reelection over Democratic challenger Walter F. Mondale -
The Challenger
The Challenger Space Shuttle explodes after lift off at Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing seven people, including Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teache -
The Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash known as Black Monday occurs on the New York Stock Exchange, recording a record 22.6% drop in one day. Stock markets around the world would mirror the crash with drops of their own -
Reagan rejected
The United States House of Representatives rejects the request of President Reagan for $36.25 million to fund the Nicaraguan Contras -
Bush victory
Vice President under Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, claims victory in the presidential election over Democratic challenger Michael S. Dukaki -
The Hubble Telescope
The Hubble Telescope is placed into orbit by the United States Space Shuttle Discovery. One month later, the telescope becomes operational. -
George W. Bush Wins
Certification of the Electoral College victory of the 2000 United States Presidential election in the U.S. Senate confirms George W. Bush as the victor, with Dick Cheney as his Vice-President. (Fun fact: The man Dick Cheney shot in 2006, Harry Whittington, is a family friend and I was able to meet him over the Easter Weekend) -
Thw 27th Amendment
The 27th Amendment to the Constitution is passed two hundred and two years after its initial proposal. It bars the United States Congress from giving itself a midterm or retroactive pay raise. -
Bill Clinton wins
In a three way race for the presidency of the United States, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton defeats incumbent President George H.W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot of the Reform Party. -
Bombing in New York
The World Trade Center is bombed by Islamic terrorists when a van parked below the North Tower of the structure explodes -
Dolly the sheep
At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, Dolly, the sheep, becomes the first mammal to be cloned. -
Monica Lewinsky
The Monica Lewinsky scandal begins when U.S. President Bill Clinton denies his relationship with the White House intern in a televised interview. This denial, and other denials to a grand jury investigation, would lead to the impeachment of the president. -
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer to hold all four major golf titles simultaneously -
9/11
slamic fundamentalist terrorists hijack four U.S. airliners and crash them into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York City. The attack of two planes levels the World Trade Center and the crash of one plane inflicts serious damage to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, causing nearly 3,000 deaths. -
War on Terrorism
In response to the tragedy of September 11, the United States military, with participation from its ally the United Kingdom, commence the first attack in the War on Terrorism on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.