-
Period: to
History Timeline 1990-2010
-
Clean Air Act Amendment
These amendments were made in an effort to address a number of environmental problems, such as ozone depletion, acid rain, and urban air pollution. They brought in measures to reduce harmful air pollutants, stronger vehicle emissions regulations, and opportunities for emissions trading (“Clean Air Act: A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements”). This is significant because it is helping promote a healthier and safer environment for the US. -
Cold War officially ends
Mikhail Gorbachev instituted the policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in the middle of the 1980s with the intention of reforming and reviving the Soviet system. Gorbachev's reforms, however, made his own communist party weaker and gave the Soviet bloc's member governments more authority. But these changes unintentionally accelerated the speed of transformation, which ultimately aided in the collapse of the Soviet Union which ended the Cold War. -
The Oklahoma City Bombing
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a federal office building in Oklahoma City's downtown, was the target of the explosion. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols carried out the domestic terrorist attack by setting up a truck bomb that included gasoline oil and fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate. As a result of the bombing, government facilities now have more protection, and the threat of domestic terrorism has been reevaluated. -
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky Scandal
A political scandal in which President Bill Clinton was accused and found guilty of having an affair with White House Intern, Monica Lewinsky. The scandal escelated when he lied under oath about having an affair with her. He was impeached on the grounds of perjury and obstruction of justice, but finished out the rest of his second term -
9/11
A horrific terrorist attack in which two planes were hijacked and crashed into the two World Trade Center buildings. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon which is the USA's Department of Defense headquarters. And finally, a fourth plane crashed into a field in PA. Osama Bin Laden, the leader of of an extremist group called Al Qaeda, took responsibility for the attack. 9/11 had a significant and wide-ranging impact on domestic politics, foreign relations, and global security strategies. -
Passage of the Authorization of the Use of Military Forces (AUMF)
As a result of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush and Congress signed the AUMF law. It stated that the president could use any necessary and appropriate force against any country or organization that aided, planned, or committed the attacks of 9/11. This further led to the War on Terror. This law was important because it showed that the president was taking active action on the attacks and trying to protect the country both domestically and internally. -
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
Seven crew tragically died when NASA's space shuttle Columbia broke apart on its return trip to Earth. According to the findings of an investigative board, a sizable chunk of foam broke off the shuttle's exterior tank and entered the spacecraft's wing. This is important because significant modifications to NASA's safety regulations were brought about after the Columbia accident, including stronger inspection processes and upgrades to the shuttle's thermal protection system (Howell). -
Unborn Victims of Violence Act (UVVA)
According to this federal law, if a fetus is harmed or killed while certain federal offenses are being committed, the fetus is considered a legitimate victim. In honor of Laci Peterson and her unborn son Conner, who were tragically killed in 2002, the UVVA was named. When Laci Peterson was killed, she was eight months pregnant. Her case raised awareness of the problem of violence against pregnant women and the legal status of unborn children as victims across the country. -
Hurricane Katrina
This was a huge natural disaster that was a category 4/ almost category 5 hurricane that destroyed Louisiana. The death count is 2000 and Louisiana loses lots of its population as people move away from the state. President Bush is criticized over his reaction. President Bush is criticized over his reaction as he is on vacation and flies over Louisiana as if nothing is happening. There was no federal response of getting fresh water for 5 days. -
Barock Obama becomes the first African American President
Obama's rise to the presidency as the first African American created history. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was an important turning point in American history, signifying advancements in racial relations and the dismantling of long-standing political obstacles. His administration, which lasted from 2009 to 2017, brought about a lot of initiatives and policy reforms that shaped both global and internal affairs. He signed three pieces of legislation during his first term (McCurdy).