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Period: to
Timespan 1995-2015
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Oklahoma City Bombing
White nationalists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols parked a bombed truck outside the Alfred Murrah Federal Building, where the bombs exploded and destroyed many buildings, killed 168 people, and injured 600. The bombing raised awareness for terrorism and antigovernment militias, which led President Clinton to push for antiterrorism laws and preserving the power of the U.S. federal government, eventually passing the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (Kruse and Zelizer 220). -
Creation of Fox News Channel
Fox News was the first right-wing news channel that challenged left-wing news channels (ABC, NBC, CBS). Fox took off as it broadcasted Clinton's affair and scandals. Since Fox was the only channel to broadcast presidential fundraisers live in 1997, Fox gained popularity and eventually launched new programs and hired new talent such as John Gibson, which encouraged House Republicans to pass articles of impeachment against Clinton. This marked the rise of news media. (Kruse and Zelizer 224-227). -
President Clinton: Impeached
President Bill Clinton became the second U.S. president to be impeached after he was reelected for his second term. Clinton was accused of sexually harassing Paula Jones and engaging in an affair with Monica Lewinsky, which he later was found guilty for lying about under oath. The House released two articles of impeachment for perjury, one for obstructing justice, and one for abuse of office. Clinton was acquitted, but was able to finish his second term in office (Library of Congress). -
Battle for Florida: Bush v. Gore election
The election between George Bush and Al Gore was so close that Florida was the dealbreaker. Many disputes took place over the number of voting ballots. The "butterfly ballot" allowed 3,000 Jewish retirees to vote for a third-party candidate. Florida secretary of state prohibited 48,000 ex-felons from voting, which led to issues regarding people with similar names who were also striped of their voting rights. After many recounts, Bush won Florida and the entire election (Kruse and Zelizer 241). -
9/11 Terrorist Attack
9/11 was a terrorist attack by 19 members of al-Qaeda who hijacked US passenger jets and crashed them into New York City's Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington DC. In total, 2,977 people (made up of workers, passengers, and hijackers) were killed. A month later, President Bush led an invasion of Afghanistan and US troops killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the 'mastermind' behind the attacks, and he was sent to the US Navy base in Cuba (BBC). -
Iraq War
President Bush send US troops to bomb and invade Iraq due to the 9/11 attacks and Iraq's support for terrorist groups (al-Qaeda). In the first month of this war, US and Great Britain defeated the Iraqi military. The US then took control of Iraq, which was opposed by Iraqi insurgents. As violence declined, the US reduced their military presence in Iraq, completely withdrawing from the war in December 2011. This war included 4,500 deaths and 3,200 wounded members of the US military (Britannica). -
Hurricane Katrina
Katrina was a category-5 storm that struck the Gulf Coast of the US, killing 1,833 and costing $108 billion in property damages. Katrina destroyed New Orleans where residents were forced to live in the Superdome with no food, water, or power for days. The Bush administration did not not acknowledge or aid the city and FEMA officials lacked the proper training for this disaster. New Orleans remained destroyed and neglected for days as Bush's approval ratings plummeted (Kruse and Zelizer 280-283). -
Virginia Tech School Shooting
Seung-Hui Cho was a Virginia Tech senior who shot his VT classmates and faculty with two handguns, killing 32 and injuring 17. This remains the deadliest school shooting in US history and led to many reforms. Many universities implemented safety reforms and the US began advocating for stricter gun laws. Since Cho was declared mentally ill before purchasing his guns, President Bush signed the NICS Improvement Amendments Act to improve reporting of mental health data for gun purchases (USA Today). -
Obama's Affordable Care Act
Barack Obama, the first African American US president, created the Affordable Care Act in response to a US financial crisis which lead to mass unemployment. This act allowed 21 million Americans to have access to affordable healthcare, even if they are unemployed. It allows young adults to stay on their parents' plans until they are 26. Also, Americans with pre-existing conditions gained coverage and seniors or disabled Americans were able to pay less for prescription drugs (Obama Foundation). -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Jim Obergefell was legally married to John Arthur in Maryland, but when they moved to Ohio, their marriage was not recognized. They took Richard Hodges, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health, to court alongside many other queer couples. The Supreme Court later announced same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide, which influenced pushes for more LGBTQ+ rights such as workplace protections, adoption rights, and stronger support for LGBTQ+ youth and families (History Channel).