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James Carter's Presidency
Jimmy Carter became the 39th president of the U.S. as a Democrat. He would serve one term.
(James Carter. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-carter/) -
Sandra Day O'Connor Sworn In
Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female Supreme Court Justice when she was nominated by President Ronald Reagan. She was unanimously approved, and served in the Supreme Court from 1981 to 2006.
(Sandra Day O'Connor. https://www.oyez.org/justices/sandra_day_oconnor.) -
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Ronald Reagan's Presidency
Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the U.S. as a Republican. He would serve two terms.
(Ronald Reagan. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/ronald-reagan/) -
Mikhail Gorbachev Comes into Power
After the death of Konstantin Cherenkov, Mikhail Gorbachev was the obvious choice to take over the Soviet Union. He set about to demoralize the country and decentralize the economy. His actions led to the fall of the Soviet Union.
(Mikhail Gorbachev. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Gorbachev) -
Challenger Explodes
The space shuttle 'Challenger' exploded on January 28, 1986, after a technical malfunction, killing all the passengers. Aboard were five astronauts and two others, one of them the first teacher in space, who was supposed to teach a lesson plan in orbit.
(35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew. 2021) -
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George H. W. Bush's Presidency
George H. W. Bush became the 41st president of the U.S. as a Republican. He would serve one term.
(George H. W. Bush. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/george-h-w-bush/) -
Collapse of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall- a symbol for communist oppression in Europe- was finally torn down on November 9, 1989. The Germans of communist East Berlin escaped through the gate when it was briefly opened, then the Germans of West Berlin took sledgehammers and other tools to tear down the wall.
('The Gates in the Wall Stand Open Wide.' What Happened the Day the Berlin Wall Fell. https://time.com/5720386/berlin-wall-fall/. 2019) -
Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War was an international conflict that stemmed from Iraq's invasion of the nation of Kuwait. The United Nations sent in troops after Iraq refused to withdraw; it ended with Iraq being forced to recognized Kuwait's sovereignty.
(Persian Gulf War. https://www.britannica.com/event/Persian-Gulf-War.) -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
While December 25, 1991 is the last time the Soviet flag flew over Moscow, the fall of the Soviet Union had been in the works for a long time. Thanks to Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, many puppet governments were able to break free from SR's control.
(Collapse of the Soviet Union. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/fall-of-soviet-union. 2011) -
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William Clinton's Presidency
Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the U.S. as a Democrat. He would serve two terms.
(William J. Clinton. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/william-j-clinton/) -
September 11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers is the most well-known terrorist attack in the world. It was caused by Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda, and killed 2,996 people. It led the the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the formation of the Department of Homeland Security.
(September 11 Attacks. https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks. 2020)