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On Dec. 20, 1989, US military invaded Panama in an attempt to dethrone dictator Manuel Noriega. George H.W. Bush was president at the time. This invasion occured because there was drug trafficking, a threat of democracy, and Amers. were in danger. Noriega joined the CIA and later became dictator of Panama. This invasion lasted one month. 23 US men died and around 500-1000 Panamanians died. Panama was destroyed militarily and Noriega surrendered on 01/03/1990. This occured in Panama. -
After Rodney King was pulled over by police for driving while intoxicated, he was brutally beaten by 4 police officers involved in the chase. George Holliday caught the incident on camera and exposed the beating. They were persecuted for assault with a deadly weapon. This led to an increase in activism against unfair police brutality. It helped lead to the L.A. Riots, where people destroyed buildings and protested in April-May 1992. This led to activism in America, echoed by the protests today. -
Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer and cannibal of Wisconsin who was arrested on July 22 1991. In his apartment were body parts of 17 men he killed. His trial was held in Wisconsin on Jan 30 1992. His defense was that he was mentally ill and his impulses led him to kill. He was considered a necrophile. The court didn't accept this defense and he was sentenced to life imprisonment + multiple years. His acts caused awareness to serial killings, as he killed 17 men in a span of 13 years. -
In 1993 Erik and Lyle Menendez went on trial for the murder of their parents José and Kitty Menendez in LA. At first, they had separate trials with juries, but they later brought them together. They claimed that they killed their parents because their father sexually abused them and said that he would kill them if they told anyone and their mother supported him and used drugs. They were sentenced to life imprisonment w/o parole. Many believe that they killed their parents for the money. -
The North American Free Trade Agreement was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. This was a trade agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada that removed most tariffs and restrictions on trade. It was in action on January 1, 1994, but signed and agreed upon in 1993. One Reform Party candidate said that if it was passed, the US would see many companies going to Mexico. This increased investment opportunities. Pros: lower gas/food prices. Cons: lower US wages, many jobs move to Mexico. -
On this date to March 26 1996, the members of Heaven's Gate committed suicide by drinking mixtures of toxic chemicals in a home in San Diego. This was a religious group that believed in UFOs and aliens, and the leader, Marshall Applewhite, said the only way to "ascend from reality" was to leave their body on Earth. 39 people died (various ages). They all wore Nike "Decades" shoes and advocated for self sacrifice. This group was considered a cult and was a significant piece of American history. -
The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, was an American bomber who delivered and mailed bombs to random people around the US. His bombs killed 3 people and injured 23 more. He started as a math prodigy and went to Harvard, but later pursued a more primitive life in the mountains of Montana. He left fake clues for the police and FBI, but was eventually caught in his cabin in the mountains where there was a bomb ready to be shipped and thousands of writings of bombs. His brother helped lead to his arrest. -
On this date, Eric Rudolph planted a backpack with a bomb inside at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia during the Summer Olympics at a concert. The bomb killed a mother and cameraman later and injured 111 others. Richard Jewell, a security guard, was suspected of being the perpetrator, but he was cleared of all charges. Rudolph continued to bomb places later but was eventually caught in 2003, looking for food as he was living on the lamb. He hid in the mountains after his bombings. -
On this date, the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) begins bombing in Yugoslavia terr. in Kosovo. This was done in response to Serbia's attempt to ethnic cleanse the Albanians in Kosovo. Serbians were accused of expelling out and murdering many Kosovo citizens. Milosevic, former pres. of Serbia, agreed to free the thousands of people, but fighting continued. This caused NATO to bomb Yugoslavia terr. Around 1500 citizens and Yugoslavs died in the bombing. Attacks ended on 06/10/1999. -
On this date, two males, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 13 people and themselves in the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado. They murdered 12 students, 1 teacher, and injured 20 more people. They used multiple guns and created bombs. Before the shooting, they wrote and discussed their liking of murder and shooting. This event spread awareness of gun control laws and sparked controversy in the call for gun control. Some families filed suits against the school and police.
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