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My Birth
On October 12, 2000 I was born into this Earth at Abington Memorial Hospital. Fun fact: According to my mother she had a CD planned out that she was going to play but no one would put it on and no one would turn the TV off. Instead they played news coverage on the Cole Disaster that happened the very same day. -
USS Cole Bombing
The USS Cole had stopped at a port in Yemen to fuel up on October 12, 2000 and was attacked by suicide bombers. The attack killed 17 people. Later on, Osama Bin Laden hinted at his involvement. It had a lasting impact when the suspects held at Guantanamo Bay were tortured by waterboarding, when Obama came into office in 2009. (Gale Database) -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, several planes were hijacked by terrorists and headed towards national buildings and monuments. Two planes had successfully collapsed both world trade center buildings, the third one hit the outer edge of the Pentagon, and the fourth plane was taken down in Schwenksville, PA. This event had a major lasting impact on the US. Many events on this timeline were sparked by this attack. The attitude and thought process of American were forever changed. (Gale Database) -
The USA PATRIOT Act is Enacted
The USA PATRIOT Act is an acronym standing for The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. It allowed the president to do what he felt was necessary for the war on terrorism. At first, it was accepted by a lot of the public because they felt it was necessary to prevent another attack like 9/11. Over time, it became controversial as it is seen as a violation to privacy and civil rights. (Gale Database) -
The US Invades Afghanistan
The US invades Afghanistan in hopes to dismantle Al-Qaeda and to remove the Taliban from power. It is the longest war in US history. The war had a lot of influence on the US. It racked up a significant debt and deaths. This caused some people to oppose the war after a few years. (Gale Database) -
The Department of Homeland Security Act
After 9/11, the FBI and CIA were criticized for not prevent the attacks, so this act was made up. This is the biggest remodel of the government agencies since the Depart of Defense.The act unified 22 organizations. (Gale Database) -
The US Invades Iraq
The US declares war on Iraq on the reason that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam's government opposed immediate threat to government and its allies. Many people compared this war to the Vietnam War. The Iraq War cost even more than the War in Afghanistan. It was highly criticized by many people and seen as unnecessary. (Gale Database) -
Paddy
Paddy was my family's first dog. We adopted her from the SPCA in Conshohocken. I remember when we were coming up with names in our backyard and my brother suggested names like poopy (he was 11) while I came up with Paddy (I was 4) and of course, my name stuck. Me and Paddy had many good times together. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina devastated many throughout the south and especial the New Orleans area. Many were not fully prepared for the storm which made the damages even worse. The local, state, and federal government began to debate as to who was responsible for helping the victims. This left New Orleans and surrounding areas in a poor state for a very long time. Even today, some people have not overcome the effects of the hurricane because they never received help. (Gale Database) -
Switched Schools
In first grade, I had switched from Our Lady Help of Christian School to overlook Elementary. It was a very scary experience, especially because of the stereotypes Catholic schools create about the public schools. If I had not changed schools my life would be significantly different, I most likely wouldn't know how to play the viola or had been enrolled in more challenging courses. I would have never become friends with certain people either. Best decision my parents ever made, by far. -
Barack Obama
On November 4, Barack Obama is elected president. He will change and influence many things over the next eight years. He is the first president to break the race barriers. If someone else had won in 2008 or 2012, things would be different. The laws and acts he creates would not exist. (Gale Database) -
Moving
When we moved I didn't understand the concept that we would not be back in that house, so I did not become sad until after a couple weeks or so once I realized. The move was definitely difficult because I loved that house and everything about it. The new one, not so much. I still miss my old house but it is what it is. -
The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act is one of the highlights of Obama's presidency. The act was designed to reform the healthcare system. It also required people to get insurance or face penalties. This affects the lives of many people in the US for years to come. It causes some people to have to pay more for health insurance even if they're healthy. This is a new idea and concept for America. (Washington Times) -
Death of Osama Bin Laden
On May 2 in Pakistan, Navy Seals successfully eliminated Osama Bin Laden. This was a major victory for America as Bin Laden was behind terrorist attacks against the US, including 9/11. There is a chance that this also prevented future attacks. However, Al-Qaeda does exist, but at least their leader was taken down. This was another highlight of Obama's career. (Gale Database) -
End of Don't Ask Don't Tell
For many years it had debated if the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy established by Bill Clinton should be repealed. The policy prevented openly gay citizens from serving in the military forces. It was argued that the repeal of the policy would weaken the military. In September of 2011, Obama repealed the act. Now gays could proudly and openly serve in the army. (hrc.org) -
Sandy Hook School Shooting
On December 14, 2012 a man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and murder 26 people in total. This was a sad tragedy for Americans. This sparked rage and sorrow across America. The debate about guns flared up again. This supported people's argument that there should be background checks and a ban on assault weapons. (cnn.com) -
Penny
After the lack of a dog in the house for several years we decided it was finally time to adopt a new one. We had stumbled upon a Chihuahua mix named Penny at an adoption event in Petco and the rest is history. She has been my best friend for the past several years and will not leave my side. -
Government Shutdown
In 2013 the government shutdown because the legislative houses could not agree on a compromise by the end of September due to the lack of appropriated funds at the start of the fiscal year. It showed that the parties and houses could not agree on anything which has been proved to be quite the issue in recent years. The shutdown lasted 16 days before reopening. The shutdown was most certainly an important highlight that year. (abcnews.com) -
USDA Bans Junk Food in Schools
Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign influenced the USDA to ban the selling of junk food on school campuses. Snacks must be under 200 calories and meals must be under 350. Everything must be lean and whole grain. From here on, children are no longer able to buy their favorite cookie at lunch as the cookie must be whole grain products only. This upset and affected many teens and children across America. (Washington Times) -
Gay Marriage is Legal Nationwide
On June 2, 2014 gay marriage is made legal nationwide. The Supreme Court ruled that it is unlawful to withhold marriage from gay couples. It was seen as a violation under the fourteenth amendment. This impacted many people and will do so for a long time. If the Supreme Court had ruled the opposite, it would be a long time before we would've seen gay marriage legal nationwide. (Gale Database) -
Disney
In May of 2015, I got to fulfill my childhood dream of going to Disney World, travel on a plane for the first time, and I got to do it with friends! It was very cool to see all the Disney attractions in person. It was definitely a memorable trip, but mostly because at the very end on the way back to the airport I had picked up a bug and got sick all over the place. I still had fun though. -
Key West
I was offered by friend and her family with about three days notice to take a last minute excursion to my dream vacation because they had incredibly cheap airfare. For four days, we flew down to Ft. Lauderdale and drove down to the Keys. It had always been my dream to go to a tropical or Caribbean type beach. No place I have ever been to has been more relaxing. The whole trip went by quickly, but was extremely worth it. -
IEA Nationals
IEA is an organization where you draw a random horse you've never met before and compete with it. The goal is to collect enough ribbons as an individual or team to make it to post season. My team made it to post season and picked me to be the point rider for my division. We came out on top at regionals, placed second at zones, and made it to finals in Lexington, Kentucky. We competed amongst the top 40 teams out of 1,300 across the nation. By far, coolest experience I've ever had. -
West Virginia White Water Rafting
A couple of friends, my friends parents, a raft guide, and I made the trek down the New River. We were no strangers to the water having gone on numerous canoe and raft trips. We hit a class 5 rapid and stalled. My side shot up into the air. I hit the floor. My friend and her dad popped out, thankfully we did not tip all the way over. Everyone in the boat had to paddle hard enough so we did not hit a pile of rocks called the "Meat Grinder" while the tour guide pulled our overboard men back in. -
Niagara Falls
This was the first time I had ever been in another country. Now it was not too much of a difference because we only ventured into the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, but it was definitely an experience. However, the Canadian side was significantly nicer than the American side. We experienced Canadian delicacies like Kinder Eggs and Maple Syrup. My favorite part about the Canadian side was The Ripley's Believe or Not Museum.
