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Jimmy Carter Elected President
Jimmy Carter won the presidential election against Gerald Ford, becoming the 39th president. -
Star Wars Movie Premier
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope premiered in US theaters and quickly became popular. -
Iran Hostages Released
The 52 American hostages held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran were released after 444 days of captivity. -
Three Mile Island Meltdown
The incident was a partial nuclear meltdown at Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. -
Mount. St. Helens Eruption
The eruption was preceded by months of increasing seismic activity and the formation of a large bulge on the north side of the volcano. -
Assassination Attempt on President Reagan
Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. He ended up surviving his wounds. -
Iran/ Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra affair was a US government operation during the Reagan administration that secretly sold arms to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages. -
Challenger Shuttle Explosion
The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff on January 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts on board, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
It was a nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. -
George H.W. Bush Elected President
He took office following his landslide victory over Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
East German border guards opened the border, allowing East Berliners to cross into West Berlin -
Start of the Persian Gulf War
The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. -
Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots
LAPD officers involved in the Rodney King beating were acquitted by a jury in Simi Valley. This helped spark the L.A. Riots. -
Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team
This team included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. -
Bill Clinton Elected President
Clinton defeated the incumbent Republican president George H. W. Bush. -
Launch of Google
The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. -
Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives
The charges were perjury before a grand jury and obstruction of justice. While impeached, he was acquitted on both charges in a Senate trial and remained in office. -
World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks
3 planes were hijacked successfully to carry out attacks on some of the most important buildings in the U.S. The 4th plane crashed in a field.