70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, timeline

  • Jimmy Carter Elected President

    Jimmy Carter Elected President

    Jimmy Carter was the Democrat candidate for the 1977 election and won by a significant amount. In addition to being the only president to live to 100, he served during rough times for the states, like the oil crisis, Three Mile Island nuclear incident, and so much more.
  • Star Wars Movie Premiere

    Star Wars Movie Premiere

    The release of Star Wars was an instant hit that somewhat defined the culture of America around the 70’s.
  • Three Mile Island Meltdown

    Three Mile Island Meltdown

    The partial nuclear meltdown of a reactor plant that spread chaos through the nation. While a near harmless amount of radiation was released, people still evacuated and it changed people’s outlook on nuclear energy.
  • Mount. St. Helens Eruption

    Mount. St. Helens Eruption

    Being the most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history, it erupted in the state of Washington and caused 57 deaths and over $3.5 billion in today’s money.
  • Iran Hostages Released

    Iran Hostages Released

    Only minutes after the inauguration of President Reagan, 52 U.S. POW’s were rescued from 444 days in captivity.
  • Assassination Attempt on President Reagan

    Assassination Attempt on President Reagan

    John Hinckley Jr. was able to shoot Reagan but he survived and recovered. Word spread fast about the assassination attempt, and John was found to be insane after saying that he did it because he thought a famous actress would love him for it.
  • Iran/ Contra Affair

    Iran/ Contra Affair

    A sequence of secret and illegal arms trafficking to Iran performed by the Reagan Administration in order to get back hostages and other assets they valued.
  • Challenger Shuttle Explosion

    Challenger Shuttle Explosion

    A catastrophe that killed all 7 astronauts on board which included a nominated science teacher. The rocket exploded on live television and was seen across the nation.
  • Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

    Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

    A Soviet reactor incident where a nuclear plant in Ukraine had a full meltdown and exploded reactor number 4. The radiation in the area is so intense it won’t be habitable for thousands of years.
  • George H.W. Bush Elected President

    George H.W. Bush Elected President

    The first President Bush enters office as the 41st president. He served as a naval aviator during the Second World War and as a senator of Texas. He was around to witness the collapse of the Cold War and initiated the Gulf War.
  • Fall of the Berlin Wall

    Fall of the Berlin Wall

    Seen as the major final blow to end the Cold War, the iron curtain fell and so did the Berlin Wall. East and West Germany were reunited and Berlin was freed from Soviet control.
  • Start of the Persian Gulf War

    Start of the Persian Gulf War

    Iraq invaded Kuwait because of debts and an oil crisis. When Kuwait was taken over, a 42 country coalition led by the U.S. began a battle to push the Iraqi invaders out. This operation, Desert Shield, led to operation Desert Storm.
  • Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team

    Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team

    Commonly referred to as the best sports team ever assembled, the Dream Team was the first comprised of professional NBA players and they won the Olympics with a gold medal and beat their opponents by an average of 44 points.
  • Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots

    Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots

    Riots and chaos started up in Los Angeles after a jury acquitted 4 officers after they brutally beat Rodney King after fleeing arrest. The public saw a single video of the beatings and noticed the wrongs of the police force, and the riots began, burning much of the city.
  • Bill Clinton Elected President

    Bill Clinton Elected President

    During Clinton’s time in office, he oversaw a great improvement in economy. He also began a series of bombing campaigns in joint operations with Britain that targeted Iraqi weapon sites.
  • Launch of Google

    Launch of Google

    The world’s most famous internet browser had small beginnings but it quickly took off. Google was a major part of internet culture and advancements that started the internet as we know it.
  • Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives

    Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives

    After getting word that Clinton had sexual affairs with Monica Lewinsky, he was accused and was set to be impeached. The vote had just barely shifted so he wouldn’t be impeached, and he served the rest of his term.
  • World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks

    World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks

    A series of coordinated terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda that targeted important locations in the U.S. Multiple planes were taken over and used as weapons that destroyed buildings and innocent civilians.