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On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Regan. This was the first serious assasination attempt on a US President since that of John F. Kennedy, and it tested the organizational structure of the Secret Service and the presidential line of succession. Secret Service practices were greatly revamped after this incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bj6aOgfcJU
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In July of 1981, President Ronald Regan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first ever woman on the United States Supreme Court. She was confirmed with a unanimous vote of the Senate. This was a significant step towards altering the makeup of the highest court in the land. Since then, 3 other women have been confirmed as Supreme Court Justices, leaving a huge mark on one of the most important "organizations" of our country.
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In the midst of a growing concern about a nuclear capable USSR, President Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars". This put massive pressure and responsibility on the Department of Defense, which drastically changed the way the budgeted and conducted their business for the remainder of the Cold War. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/march-23-1983-reagan-proposes-star-wars-missile-defense-system/?_r=0
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On June 14, 1985, TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Hezbollah terrorists and forced to land in Lebanon. Five hostages were taken and held for 17 days. Their release was eventually negotiated. This event changed the scope of commercial flight safety and introduced us to the potential for terror in the skies. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/twa-flight-847-is-hijacked-by-terrorists
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Shortly after the Challenger Space Shuttle took off, it exploded. 7 crew members died in the explosion, including a teacher. This led to many new organzational developments within NASA. While this instance was tragic, the changes made in the structure of NASA potentially saved the lives of many involved in future launches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1980s/p/challenger.htm -
When news broke of CIA involvement with the Contras in Nicaragua, things in the Reagan Bush administration were thrown into a frenzy. Several members of the administration were convicted of various charges and the scandal stayed with George Bush into his presidency. This event getting out to the public led to a new level of accountability from the public towards the government. http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/iran-contra-affair.html
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Changes in the Communist leadership of China and a rise in consumerism among the people led to a disgruntled young chinese population in the late 1980s. People sought change and organized to peacefully protest in Tianmen Square. Over a number of days, events escalated to the point of bloodshed. The government ordered troops to clear the square using whatever means necessary. Both the structure of China's government and of protesting changed because of this tragic event. http://time.com/2822290
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The Berlin Wall had long been a symbol of the divide between Communism and Democracy. When it fell in November of 1989, it signaled a significant crumbling of the organzational structure of communism. There are many lessons to be learned from the rise and fall of communism. The largest of these being that communism just doesn't work... http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall
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When Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf War began. After defending Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the US's focus turned to Iraq, and Operation Desert Storm commenced. In just 40 days, middle east relations changed drastically. It stands to this day as the most swift and decisive military action ever carried out by our country. (FUN FACT: That's my Dad in the picture.) http://history1900s.about.com/od/timelines/tp/1990timeline.htm
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When Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa in 1994, great change followed. He helped enact a new system of democracy in the country which led to a drastic change in the operations of the entire country. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela
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The bombing of an Oklahoma City Federal building led to the most extensive FBI investigation in history. This led to reforms and new policies in the safety of federal buildings, as well as FBI practices. https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing
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India and Pakistan's testing of nuclear weapons led to a heightened concern here at home about our national defense capabilities. Several structural and budgetary changes were made in the Department of Defense to ensure that we took the proper precautionary measures. http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/pakistan/nuke98.html
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The House of Representatives debated and ultimately decided to move forward with articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton. While it did not receieve the necessary votes in the Sentate in order to effectively remove him from office, this occurance tested the organzational balance between the legislative and executive branches of government. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-clinton-impeached
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12 students and 1 teacher were killed by two fellow students at Columbine High School. This led schools around the country to reevaluate their safety measures and procedures. This also affected gun control legislation. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/columbine-high-school-shootings-fast-facts/
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In U.S. v. Microsoft, the courts decided that Microsoft had violated the nation's antitrust laws. They were ordered to split off parts of their company, altering the organizational structure significantly. This also set the tone for what is acceptable in today's corporations in terms of mergers, growth,etc. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/04/business/us-vs-microsoft-overview-us-judge-says-microsoft-violated-antitrust-laws-with.html?pagewanted=all
