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Howard Sterns Radio Talk Show Launces
Howard Stern's talk show rose in popularity because of its unfiltered and real content. It generated more than 15 million daily listeners and made about $20 million per year. This talk show reflected trends of violence and sex in American culture. It helped fuel more conversation on controversial topics like sexuality, brought awareness to crises such as AIDS. Stern's bold approach pushed the boundaries as to what was acceptable for Americans. (Kruse and Zelizer, 228-230) -
Bombing of Alfred Murrah feberal Building
Two men, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, bombed the Alfred Murrah Federal Building. This was an extremely deadly attack, killing 168 people and injuring 600. These two men were a part of the white nationalist group and had strong anti-government beliefs. This event is significant because its impact fueled the government to create stronger anti-terrorism legislation. As a result, President Clinton created the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. (Kruse and Zelizer, 220) -
Fox News Debut
Billionaire Rupert Murdoch created Fox News. Chairman Roger Ailes stated that Fox News would be "fair and balanced" to combat CNN's more liberal front. However, the channel ultimately had a more conservative view. Fox News is significant because it played a large role in political discourse. During the 1996 election, Fox News severely critiqued Bill Clinton, a democratic candidate, swaying viewers. This channel also provided viewers with live coverage. (Kruse and Zelizer, 224-227) -
The Netherlands Becomes the First Country to Legalize Gay Marriage
The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage. This was a major event in history, especially for the LGBTQ community. Their decision showed other countries how big of a change this was for human rights and equality, and eventually, other places gained the confidence to also pass same-sex marriage. Over time, this movement helped to make even more significant changes in society, such as acceptance and love for all. (Gladstone Institutes) -
9/11
On 9/11, terrorists hijacked four planes, two of which hit the World Trade Center Towers in NYC, one hit the Pentagon, and the last one crashed in Pennsylvania. This event was a turning point in America because we had to reevaluate our security systems. It kickstarted the Department of Homeland Security as well as the War on Terror. The impacts of 9/11 are still felt decades later, and the policies that came from it, especially regarding air travel, have saved many. (Kruse and Zelizer, 249-250) -
Partial-birth Abortion Ban Passed
Abortion activists helped President Bush pass the "Partial-birth abortion plan". The republicans' driving motivation behind this law was to take a step back from abortion rights. Although it only addressed a small part of abortion, this law eventually helped to fuel others. This includes the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, just a year later. This law shows the never-ending fight regarding abortion for Americans and defines just how controversial the topic is. (Kruse and Zelizer, 272) -
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The War in Iraq
The war on Iraq finally began after months of protests. The U.S invaded Iraq to remove the president, Saddam Hussein, from power. This war was publicised in the media as much as possible. Despite early confidence in the media, it was clear that this war was going to be brutal. Photographs showed how harshly Iraqi prisoners were treated by soldiers. By 2013, the war had ended, U.S and Iraq came to an agreement, and U.S troops withdrew. However, Iraq still struggled. (Kruse and Zelizer, 266-269) -
"The Facebook" was Created
The internet was publicly launched around the 1990s/200s. Along with this came "the Facebook" or "Facebook" as we know it today. It was created by Mark Zuckerberg with the help of his college roommates. Originally, it was only available to Harvard students, but eventually, in 2006, it opened to the general public. The site consisted of personal profiles where you could look up names and see profiles. This site sparked social media and allowed people another form of communication. (History.com) -
Barack Obama Elected as President
During the 2008 presidential election, Democratic candidate Barack Obama ran against republican candidate John McCain. It was not a close race and Obama won. His election into office was significant in history as he was the first African American to be president. During his presidency, he expanded healthcare with the Affordable Care Act in 2010. He also helped the U.S recover from the financial crisis in 2008 by passing the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Miller center) -
Haiti Earthquake
The Haiti Earthquake was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. Although lasting only a minute, its effects were catastrophic. Around 222,570 people died, and 300,000 were injured. Recovery was slow, even though many rescue teams had fled to the scene. This event ultimately caused a lot of poverty and destruction. It exposed how unprepared we were for such large natural disasters and helped us to build stronger and prepare better for the future. (NOAA) -
Rise of Nyan Cat
This was a pop culture character, a pixilated flying cat made from a poptart body that left a rainbow trail. It hit YouTube in 2011, and the original video was 3 minutes long to a Japanese pop song. It was a popular meme and was featured on t-shirts, lunch boxes, and even made into Halloween costumes. This era was a large time for internet memes and online fun. People were less serious on the internet and this event shaped a lot of internet trends we see today and helped kickstart meme culture.