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Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA was enacted by congress in 1990 after it was suggested back in 1986. President George H.W. Bush signed it. The ADA is a civil rights law intended to protect people with disabilities against discrimination. The Act requires covered employers to provide reasonable accomodations to employees with disabilities and imposes accessibility requirements in public places. The Act covers Employment, public entities, accommodations, telecommunication and MISC material. -
Confirmation of Clarence Thomas
President George H. W. Bush nominated him for the Supreme Court to replace Thurgood Marshall. By the end of the confirmation hearing, sexual harassment allegations were leaked to the medial from a confidential FBI report. This was a set beack so there was a further investigation and in the end, it required a whole senate vote. The polls proved people beleived Thomas's testimony. He was then confirmed with a narrow majority of 52 to 48. He was the first African American Justice on the Court. -
US soldiers in Somalia/Blackhawk Down
Blackhawk down refers to the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 in Somalia. It was the US vs the Somali militiamen loyal to Mohamed Farrah Aidid. During the Operation, 2 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and 3 more were damaged. A task force was sent to rescue to soldiers. The 1st crash survivors were rescued but the 2nd crash was a little harder because the enemy had over run it and prisoners had been taken. The battle was to try and get the survivor back. -
Passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
NAFTA was signed by Canada, Mexico and the US on December 17, 1993 by their representatives, President George H.W. Bush, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and Mexican President Carlos Salinas. The Agreement was put into action on January 1, 1994. There were both positive effects such as economic increase for countries but sadly, negative environmental impacts. The Agreement impacted people from farmers to businesses as income came differently with the new agreement. -
OJ Simpson Trial
The Murder case was people of the State of California vs Orenthal James Simpson. The trial was held at LA county superior court. O.J Simpson was tried on 2 counts of murder from the June 12, 1994 death of his ex-wife and a waiter. The Jury swore in on November 9, 1994 to January 24, 1995 and the verdict was Oct. 3, 1995. This was the most publicized criminal trial in all American history. Racial differences were discussed topic during the trial. At the end, Simposon was found not guilty. -
Million Man March
The march was a gathering of African American Men in Washington DC. They were called by Louis Farrakhan to march. The gathering was held around National Mall. The founder of the National African American Leadership Summit, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, jr. served as the director. There were many speakers to explain the reality of black men in American society so they would unite for self-help, and self-defense. The media was there as well to publicize the event. -
Olympic Park Bombing
The bombing was a terrorist attack in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1996 summer Olympics. 1 person was directly killed and 111 people were injured. 4 bombings were committed by Eric Rudolph but a security guard discovered a bomb before it was detonated. Rudolph wanted to force the cancellation of the Olympics. With the use of pipe bombs, with an alarm clock detonator, there was a lot of destruction and fear. The games however continued despite the terrorist's efforts. -
Explosion of the TWA flight 800
The flight was a Boeing 747-100 that exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York. At 8:31 pm, 12 minutes after take off, the place exploded and all 230 people on board were killed. Accident investigators initially thought it was a terrorist attack but 16 months later, there was no evidence for a criminal act. The probable cause of the accident was the explosion of flammable fuel/air vapors in the fuel tank. As a result, new requirements were developed for safety. -
NATO Bombing in Yugoslavia
This bombing took place in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Republic of Serbia and Kosovo. The bombing was from March 14, to June 10, 1999. The operation was called Operation Allied Forces. It was a military operation against Serbian people. The goal was to stop human abuse in Kosovo and it was the first time the organization used military force. The bombing killed between 489 and 528 citizens while destroying bridges, buildings, industrial plants, and military installations. -
Columbine Shooting
This school shooting occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado. The attack was thought out as there were firebombs to distract fire fighters as well as propane bombs in the cafeteria. There were a total of 99 explosive devices used as a distraction. Seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and 1 teacher. 21 people were injured. The two then committed suicide before getting caught. The massacre sparked debate over gun control laws and high school issues such as bullying.
