-
G.I. Bill
Also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the G.I. Bill was passed to provide benefits and aid to veterans after World War II. It established veteran's hospitals, provided for vocational rehabilitation, made low-interest mortgages available, and granted stipends covering tuition and living expenses for veterans attending college. These benefits were then extended to anybody who served in the armed forces and is still in place today. -
Atomic Bomb
During World War II on August 6, 1945, the world's first deployed atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Due to the bomb's mass destruction, 90% of the city and nearly 80,000 people were immediately wiped out. Three days after a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing nearly 40,000 people. The use of atomic bombs and their destruction led Japan to surrender in World War II. -
Period: to
Cold War
Iron Curtain, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Airlift, Korean War, 2nd Red Scare, Space Race, Sputnik, Atomic Bomb, Hiroshima, Nagasaki. -
Truman Doctrine
A policy established by President Harry S. Truman stating that the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat fro external or internal authoritarian forces. This policy arose from a speech given by President Truman on March 12, 1947. The overall purpose of this policy was to aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology. It effectively changed U.S. foreign policy, by interveining with regional conflicts. -
Marshall Plan
A U.S. plan initiated by the Secretary of State, George Marshall, to finance the economic recovery of Europe after World War II from 1948 - 1951. It would benefit the U.S. by increasing foreign trade and preventing communism. This plan was indeed a success in the fact it helped Europe recover and the United States gained 13 billion. -
Berlin Airlift
A 327-day operation from June 24, 1948 - May 12, 1949, in which the U.S. and Britain flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviets blockaded the city in 1948. It was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. This was a difficult task considering the size of the city's population. -
Fair Deal
A plan by President Harry Truman announced in a speech on January 5, 1949.His plan's propositions included aid for education, national health care, the repeal of the Taft-Harley Act, and the Fair Employment Practices Commission. However, Congress rejected most of his propositions and only minimum wage was raised, the Housing Act was established, and the Social Security Act of 1950 was passed. -
Period: to
1950's
Rock 'n' Roll, Bill Haley and the Comets, Politics (Nixon, Kennedy), Fair Deal, G.I. Bill, Beat Generation, Polo Vaccine, Dr.Jonas Salk, Albert Salin. -
2nd Red Scare
A period from 1950 - 1956 in the United States when various government agencies sought out and prosecuted people suspected of being pro-communists. It occurred right after World War II due to the rapid growth of communism fear among people. -
Korean War (The Forgotten War
A war that began when North Korea invaded South Korea and went on from June 25, 1950 - July 27, 1953. The United States came to aid South Korea and China came to aid North Korea. The war concluded in an armistice in which North and South Korea would remain separate and occupy almost the same territry they had before the war. -
Rock 'n' Roll
A defined musical style that emerged in the United States in the mid-1950's. This genre derived most directly from African American musical styles such as jazz, rythnm, and blues. It became popular in 1951 when Cleveland-based disc jockey, Alan Freed began playing this music style while using the term "rock and roll" to describe it. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
Brown v. Board, Emmett Till Tragedy, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks, Little Rock 9, Sit-Ins, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Selma March, Watts Riots, Death of MLK. -
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down its ruling in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The court's decision declared that "separate but equal" public facilities including public schools were unequal. This decision helped break the back of state-sponsored segregation and sparked the American civil rights movement. -
Bill Haley and the Comets
An American rock and roll band, founded in 1952 and continued until 1981.It was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of America and the rest of the world. Bill Haley's, " Rock Around the Clock" and "Rocket 88" have often been named as the first rock and roll record. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr.Jonas Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. His vaccine was first tested on two million American school children. In April 1955 it was announced that the vaccine was effective and safe. The vaccine then became widely used and the cases of Polio dropped drastically in the first year. -
Polio Vaccine
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that can be spread throughout people. In most cases, it weakens the muscle resulting in an inability to move. A former president, Franklin D. Roosevelt was affected by this disease leading him to become paralyzed. Two vaccines, one brought into effect in 1955, and the other in 1962 brought a cure to this disease. These vaccines are still used up t this day to prevent Polio and therefore reducing the amount of people affected by this disease. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African-American who was brutally murdered for supposedly flirting with a white woman four days earlier on August 24, 1955. He was killed by the woman's husband and brother who made Till carry a cotton gin to the Tallahatchie River and then ordered him to take off his clothes. The two men then tortured him to death and threw him into the river tied to the cotton gin fan with barbed wire. The murder was an early impetus of the African American civil rights movement. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was an African-American woman who refused to yield her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus. She was therefore arrested and fined. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott which began on the day of Park's court hearing and lasted 381 days. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A protest of segregated seating in which African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. It took place from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. This boycott led to the U.S. Supreme Court order for Montgomery to integrate its bus system. -
Elvis
Elvis Aron Presley also referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" was born on January 8, 1935, and died on August 16, 1977. His first RA single, "Heartbreak Hotel" which was released on January 27, 1956, became a number-one hit which in the United States gained him recognition. He was regarded as the leading figure of rock and roll after a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records. -
Little Rock 9
This was a key event of the American Civil Rights Movement regarding nine African-American students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. After the court had mandated that all public schools in the country be integrated, Governor Orval Faubus of Arkansas called in the state National Guard to stop the black students from entering. Later on, President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the 9 black students into the school. -
Space Race
A competition from 1957 to 1975 between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. on supremacy in spaceflight capability. This competition was sparked by the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial man-made satellite to be placed in Earth's orbit. Major acknowledgement was given to the U.S. in the Space Race when it landed its first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, in July 24, 1969. -
Beat Generation
A literary movement started by a group of authors whose work influenced and explored African American culture the era after World War II. Their work was published and popularized throughout the 1950's. Some of the most popular pieces of work include Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", William S. Burrough's "Naked Lunch", and Jack Kerouac's "On the Road". -
Period: to
1960's
Peace Corps, New Frontier, Assassination of JFK, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, Ascendency of Lyndon Johnson, Daisy Girl Ad, Great Society, Counter Culture, Anti-War Movement. -
Sit-Ins
On February 1, 1960, a new tactic was added to the non-violent protests employed by Martin Lther King Jr. Four African American students walked up to a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina and asked for coffee. When service was refused, the students sat patiently waiting to be served despite the threats and intimidation. Since then, sit-ins were done as a protest against segregated public places. -
New Frontier
A term used by John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election as the Democratic slogan to inspire America to support him. This term refers to the economic and social programs of his presidency and his commitment to renewal and change. He proposed to bring in a "new generation of leadership - new men to cope with new problems and new opportunities." -
Politics (Nixon, Kennedy)
The Nixon and Kennedy presidential debates were the first ever to be televised. The debates being televised had a major impact on the election and changed the essential ingredients of future successful campaigns. Because Kennedy created a good public image and took advantage of media exposure, he was able to win the election. If the debates were not televised, Nixon would have most likely won. Up to this day, television plays a major role in presidential campaigning. -
Peace Corps
On March 1, 1961 Kennedy issued an executive order establishing the Peace Corps, a volunteer program run that is still in place today.The purpose of this program is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people served. and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. -
Albert Sabin
Albert Bruce Sabin was a medical researcher who developed the oral polio vaccine. The vaccine was tested in million of people in the former Soviet Union. It was approved for use in late 1960 and licensed in the U.S. in 1962. The oral vaccine replaced the vaccine developed by Salk due to it being cheaper, easier to deliver, and more effective. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from October 16, 1962 to October 28, 1962. The Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba in an attempt to scare the U.S. The U.S. was in jeopardy due to the fact that missiles from such close proximity could destroy mist cities in the U.S. within 20 minutes. In response to this, Kennedy set up a naval blockade 800km within Cuba's vicinity. This crisis was concluded by an agreement of ending the immediate threat of nuclear war. -
Assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the U.S. was assassinated at age 46 while traveling in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. At 12:30 p.m., Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots fatally wounding Kennedy and seriously injuring Governor Connally. However, many details and theories about the assassination that have not been released are planeed to be on October 26, 2017. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
An American former U.S. Marine who assassinated United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Oswald shot and killed Kennedy as the President traveled in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. He was fatally shot on November 24, 1963. -
Ascendancy of Lyndon Johnson
In the 1960 campaign, Lyndon B. Johnson was elected Vice President as John F. Kennedy's running mate. He was sworn in as the 36th United States President on November 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated. His presidential term was from November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969. -
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby was an American who lived in Dallas, Texas. On November 24, 1963, he fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who supposedly assassinated President John F. Kennedy. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Ruby became ill in prison and died of a pulmonary embolism from lung cancer on January 3, 1967. -
Warren Commission
The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy also known as the Warren Commission was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination of JFK. I t was passed by Congress and authorization to report on the assassination was granted. Its 888-page final report was presented to president Johnson on September 24, 1964 nad made public three days later. -
Great Society
A set of domestic programs concerning the cities, environment, and education in the United States launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 with the purpose of eliminating poverty and racial injustice. He first used this term during a speech at Ohio University and gave further details about the program at an appearance at the University of Michigan. The Great Society is LBJ's vision combined by the then-filibustered Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ambitious federal programs. -
Daisy Girl Ad
A controversial political advertisement aired on television during the 1964 U.S. presidential election by president Lyndon B. Johnson;s campaign. It is considered to be an important factor in Johnson's victory over Barry Goldwater. The ad consisted of a 3-year-old girl counting as she plucked daisy petals. Her words were supplanted by a mission-controlled countdown followed by a massive nuclear blast. The message was that Barry Goldwater was a genocide maniac who threatened the world's future. -
Anti-War Movement
The movement against the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War began in the United States in 196 when North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. President Johnson ordered the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam which sparked the Anti-War Movement. One of the most important protests of this movement took place in Wahington D.C. on October 21, 1967. Nearly 100,000 people gathered to protest against the Vietnam War. -
Selma March
The Selma March was a march led by Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery in efforts of registering black voters in the South. Protestors were met with violent resistance by state and local authorities. This march helped raise awareness of the difficulty faced by black voters in the South and the need for a Voting Rights Act. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on Augst 6, 1965. The aim of this act was to prohibit racial discrimination in voting and to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevent African-Americans from voting. The Selma March played a major role in the passing of this act. -
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots took place in the Watts neighborhood of L.A. from Aug. 11-16, 1965. It began with an African-American motorist who was arrested for the suspicion of drunk driving. The argument escalated into a fight. The community reacted in the outrage to allegations of police brutality that soon spread into a 6-day riot. L.A. police needed the help of nearly 4,000 members of the California Army National Guard to stop the riots which resulted in 34 deaths and over 40 million in property damage. -
Death of MLK
On April 4, 1968, the U.S. civil rights leader, Marin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennesse. He was fatally shot by James Earl Ray. His assassination led to anger among blacks as well as a period of national mourning that helped speed the way for an equal housing bill that would be the last significant legislative achievement of the civil rights era. -
Nixon's presidency
Richard Nixon was elected the 37th president of the United States on January 20, 1969 after previously serving as a U.S. Representative and U.S Senator from California. After successfully ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving international relations with the U.S.S.R. and China, he became the only president to ever resign the office, as a result of the Watergate scandal. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans on the moon. The launch was done on July 16, 1969, and the landing on the moon was on July 20, 1969, the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would become the first ever humans to set foot on the moon. This was a great accomplishment for mankind as well as for the United States because it gave a major lead to the Space Race. -
Period: to
1970'S
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), Nixon's Presidency, Watergate, Nixon Tapes, Nixon's Resignation, Gerald Ford's Presidency, Endangered Species Act, Heritage Foundation, Equal Rights Amendment -
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency was proposed by President Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970, after he signed an executive order. It was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress, -
Nixon Tapes
Between February 1971 and July 1973, President Richard Nixon secretly recorded 3,700 hours of is phone calls and meetings across the executive offices. When the existence of the tape came to light during the Watergate Scandal, Nixon became motivated to resign his presidency. He therefore became the only president to resign his office. -
Equal Rights Amendment
A proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender.The amendment was failed to be ratified and since then a number of organizations have continued to work for its adoption. -
Watergate
Watergate was a major political scandal in the 1970's. On June 17, 1972, several burglars were arrested inside the office of the Democratic National Committee located in the Watergate building in Washington D.C. The prowlers were connected to Nixon's reelection campaign and they had ben caught while attempting to wiretap phones and steal secret documents. Nixon attempted to cover it up and after the truth came out, he resigned his presedency. -
Heritage Foundation
Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress in 1973. Under this act, the federal government has the responsibility to protect endangeredor threatened species. -
Nixon's Resignation
President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, therefore, becoming the first ever president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate scandal, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from the public and Congress to leave the Whtie House. He announced his intention to resign is an evening televised address. -
Gerald Ford's Presidency
Gerald Ford's presidential term was from August 9, 1974 - January 20, 1977. He was the 38th president and took office after the resignation of President Nixon. Ford became the first unelected president in the nation's history. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a diplomatic standoff between Iran and the United States. 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 44 days from November 4, 1979 - January 20, 1981, after a group of Iranian students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. It stands as the longest hostage crisis in recorded history. -
Period: to
1980's
Election of 1980, A.I.D.S. Crisis, Reagan Presidency, Strategic Defense Initiative, Space Shuttle Program, Sandra Day O' Connor, MTV, Challenger Explosion. -
Election of 1980
The United States presidential election of 980 was held on November 4, 1980. The contest was between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. The presidential election was won by Ronal Reagan. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan became the 40th United States president after defeating Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. He received the highest number of electoral votes ever won by a non-incumbent presidential candidate. Age 69 at the time, he also became the oldest person to ever take the oval office. -
Space Shuttle Program
The Space Shuttle Program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA. The shuttle is the only winged manned spacecraft to have achieved orbit and landing. -
A.I.D.S. Crisis
The A.I.D.S. Crisis officially began on June 5, 1981, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported unusual clusters of PCP caused by a form of Pneumocystis jirovecii in five homosexual men in Los Angeles. Over the next 18 months it was discovered among others in cities throughout the country and it came to relaization it was spreading. -
Music Television (MTV)
On August 1, 1981, MTV went on the air for the first time ever. MTV went on to revolutionize the music industry and become an influential source of pop culture and entertainment in the United States and other parts of the world. MTV popularized music artists such as Michael Jackson. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Appointed by Ronald Reagan, Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She retired in 2006 after serving for 24 years. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) "Star Wars"
This program was first initiated on March 23, 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system on order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. -
Reagan Doctrine
In his AState of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan defines some of the key concepts of his foreign policy, establishing what comes to be known as the "Reagan Doctrine." The doctrine served as the foundation for the Reagan administration's support of "freedom fighters" around the globe. -
Iran Contra Affair
A political scandal in the U.S. that occurred during the second term of the Reagan administration. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. They hoped thereby to fund the Contras in Nicaragua while at the same time negotiating the release of several U.S. hostages. Further funding by the governemnt had been prohibited by Congress. -
Challenger Explosion
On January 28, 1986, the American shuttle orbiter Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing a devastating end to the spacecraft's 10th mission. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard. It was later determined that two rubber O-rings had failed due to cold temperatures on the morning of the launch -
Fall of the Berlin War
The Berlin Wall started being built on August 13, 1960, by the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic with the purpose of separating East and West Berlin. On November 9, 1989, the head of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens were allowed to cross the border. Many people crossed the border freely while others began to destroy the wall. The destruction of the wal remained one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of the Cold War. -
Period: to
1990's
Persian Gulf War, NAFTA, Election of 1992, Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy, Internet, BET, Oprah Winfrey, DOMA, Health Care Reform. -
Persian Gulf War/ 1st Iraq War
Iraqi leader and Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by these actions, Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the U.S. and other Western nations to intervene. Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991, and the Persian Gulf war began with a massive U.S. led air offensive. After 42 days President Bush declared a cease-fire but by that time most forces had fled. -
Rodney King Incident
An African-American, Rodney King was caught by the L.A. police after a high-speed chase on March 3, 1991.The officers pulled him out of the camera and beat him brutally while George Holliday caught it all on videotape. The violent 1992 L.A. riots were sparked when a predominantly white jury acquitted the officers. -
Election of 1992
The Untied States presidential election of 1992 was held on November 3, 1992. The three major candidates were George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot. The victory was given to Bill Clinton. -
World Trade Center Attack - 1993
The 1993 World Trade Center bombing was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center carried out on February 26, 1993. A truck bomb detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in NYC. The intention was to send the North Tower crashing into the South Tower bringing both towers down and killing a large amount of people. Although it failed to do so, six people were killed and over a thousand were injured. -
Health Care Reform
The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of President Bill Clinton and closely associated with Hilary Clinton. Its goal was to come up with a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care for all Americans. However, the plan became dead and was not established. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The NAFTA was signed into law by President Bil Clinton on December 8, 1993, with the purpose of the agreement encouraging other nations to work toward a broader world-trade pact. It was a trade pact between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico which eliminated virtually all tarrifs and trade restrictions between the three nations. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy
The official United States policy on military service by gays, lesbians, and bisexuals instituted by the Clinton Administration. The policy prohibited personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. -
Welfare Reform
The Welfare Reform was signed into law on August 22, 1996, by President Bill Clinton fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to "end welfare as we have come to know it." It instituted the Temporary Assistance of Needy Families (TANF) which became effectie July 1, 1997. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
A United States federal law that defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. It barred same-sex married couples from being recognized as "Spouses" for purposes of federal laws, effectively barring them from receiving federal marriage benefits. -
Contract with America
A document released by the U.S. Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign and written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey. The contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority power in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. Many of its' policy ideas originated at The Heritage Foundation. -
Period: to
Contemporary
Election of 2000, Patriot Act, Hurricane Katrina Disaster, 2nd Iraq War, No Child Left Behind Act, 9/11 Attacks, Barack Obama, The Great Recession. -
Election of 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was held on November 7, 2000. The primary candidates were George W. Bush and Al Gore. Both major party candidates focused primarily on domestic issues. This was the closest presidential election in the nation's history but the victory was claimed by George W. Bush. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
A U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The act was passed by the United States House of Representatives on May 23, 2001, and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. This act sets high standards and accountability for student achievement to make sure that all children are caught up to 21st century learning. -
9/11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000, and caused at least $10 billion in property and infrastructure damage, and $3 trillion in total costs. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon were the places attacked -
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a metaphor of war referring to the international military campaign that started after the September 11 attacks on the United States. President Bush first used the term on September 20, 2001 and since then it has been used to argue a global, military, political, legal, and conceptual struggle against terrorist organizations. -
Patriot Act
An act of Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. It was passed as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The purpose of this act is to prevent future terrorist attacks. -
Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States Overall, at least 1,245 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods and the total property damage was estimated at $108 billion. -
The Great Recession
A term that represents the sharp decline in economic activity during the late 2000's which is generally considered the largest downturn since the Great Depression. The economic slump began when the U.S. housing market went from boom to bust and large amounts of mortgage-backed securities and derivatives lost significant value. The U.S. recession went on from December 2007 - June 2009. -
Election of 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was held on November 4, 2008. The candidates running against each other were Barak Obama and John McCain. Barak Obama claimed the victory and became the 44th president of the United States. -
Barack Obama
Barack Obama won the presidential election of 2008 and became the 44th president as well as the first ever African-American to be elected president of the United States.His running mate, Joe Biden became the first Roman Catholic ever elected vice president. Obama won both the popular vote and the electoral college. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
A stimulus package enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. It was developed in response to the Great Recession and the primary objective was to save existing jobs and create new ones as soon as possible.
