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My Birth
I was born on May 5th, 2000 around 2:00 AM during a Flyer's semifinal game, which almost resulted in both my dad and the doctor missing my birth. Also, my parents were not expecting a girl. A boy named Kyle was the plan, but a girl named Megan was the final result. I was my parents second child and made my sister, Lindsey, a "big" sister. -
George W. Bush Becoming President
The road to presidency for the former Governor of Texas, George W. Bush, was controversial. Republican George W. Bush was running against Democrat Al Gore. On the day that the winner was supposed to be announced, there was a great deal of confusion. There was contradictory results for the election. Eventually the U.S. Supreme Court decided the winner of the election, making George W. Bush the president. This decision was made almost a month after Election Day. (http://www.biography.com) -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four U.S. commercial airplanes. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and another plane crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. 9/11, being the worst day the nation has ever faced, forever changed the United States from that day on. The war on terror had begun, the Patriot Act was passed, Homeland Security was formed and authorization of intelligence gathering began. (biography.com) -
Grutter v. Bollinger
Grutter v. Bollinger upheld the University of Michigan Law School's consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions. When Barbara Grutter was denied from law school with seemingly stellar grades, she filed suit deeming that the Fourtenth Amendment was violated and she was not treated equally due to her race. The District Court found the Law School's use of race as an admissions factor unlawful. This case was a milestone case because it changed many schools admission processes. (infoplease.com) -
New House
On November 17th, 2003, my family moved into our current home on Jericho Road. My house is my favorite place to be and I know it will always be there for me. Not only is my house my favorite place, but it has my favorite people always inside it, which are my siblings and my parents. I could not imagine calling any other place "home". -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the most disastourous hurricane that this country has ever seen. 80% of New Orleans was flooded and millions are left homless due to the destruction. This hurricane is relevant to government because: "all levels of government are criticized for the delayed and inadequate response to the disaster." (infoplease.com) -
First Day of Kindergarten
I think I cried more on this single day than in the five previous years of my life. My bestfriend, Colin, and I did not want to leave our moms. We cried together in a corner, wanting to go home. At one point, Colin threw up his GoGurt, which made me throw up my carrot sticks. Although the first day of kindergarden was not the best, the rest of the school year went smoothly due to my mom's necklace always around my neck. -
First Female Speaker of the House
The first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Representative Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, California, was sworn into office on January 4th, 2007. Pelosi served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. She is to date is the highest-ranking female politician in American history. This is significant due to males being dominant in the political world. (biography.com) -
Our First Puppy
Maggie Quigley is our family dog. When we picked her up, she slept in my arms the entire 3 hour car ride home. She is 8 years old and she is a "Teddy Bear" breed. I remember when we first got her, I would not leave her side. I wanted to do everything for her and with her. She is one of my favorite living things in this world and my family is so lucky to have her in our lives. -
Minimum Wage Increases
On October 7th, 2007, The minimum wage in the U.S. increased to $5.85, up from $5.15. The wage increased 70 cents each year through 2009, when it reaches $7.25 an hour. This is important and significant because it is the first increase in ten years. (infoplease.com) -
Baby Brother and Botculism
The fourth Quigley child was born on June 16th, 2008. Nathan Quigley was my first and only brother. On October 20th, 2008 he was diagnosed with botculism. Nathan was admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for two weeks. This was one of the scariest times of my life. As an 8 year old, I did not fully comprehend what was happening, but I knew that my brother was very sick, weak, and helpless. Luckily, Nathan recovered after the two weeks and is very healthy and happy. -
Barack Obama Becomes 44th POTUS
On November 4th, 2008, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. Obama beat out his Republican competition, John McCain. Obama is a man of many first's. He was the first major-party presidential canidate to not accept or use public financing in the general election. Barack Obama is the first African American president of the United States. This is significant because it shows the progress and the level of equality the country has reached thus far. (www.newsmax.com) -
Laser Surgeries... Round Two
I have a port wine stain on my left cheek. A port wine stain is a vascular birthmark, due to dilated blood vessels. My birthmark used to be a deep red and spanned up to my head. From the age of six months to five years old, I got laser surgeries that lightened my birthmark. I took a break from laser treatments, but in 2010, I decided to start up again and go to my new laser surgeon, Dr. Geronomeous in New York City, whom I love. I have gotten around 30 laser surgeries across the span of my life. -
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden was responsible for being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and was the head of al-Qaeda. On May 2nd, Osama Bin Laden was killed by the United States Navy SEALS in Pakistan. Although the members of al-Qaeda vowed vengeance, the killing of bin Laden is more important than those threats. He was an extremely powerful/influential man and was behind the killings of thousands of innocent citizens. (bbc.com) -
The Fifth and Final Quigley
On July 26th, 2014, my baby sister Hailey was born. Including Hailey, there are four girls and one boy in our family. This was one of the most exciting days of my life. While holding her for the first time in the hospital room, she yawned, held onto my finger, and fell asleep. This moment made me feel like I was apart of something bigger, and that I could make an impact on the world by being a positive influence.Being 11 at the time, I could really help out and fufill my duties as a big sister. -
Meeting One Direction
As an 11 year old, I said the day I met One Direction was the best day of my life and nothing will ever top it. As a 15 year old, I can still say I do not know if anything will ever top it. Looking back, I was pretty awkward, but I will never forget the feeling I got standing next to One Direction and making small talk with the guys. It felt so surreal and exciting, especially when Harry Styles refered to me as 'sweatheart'. -
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy was a disatrous hurricane for the United States. This storm resulted in many lives lost and houses lost. Sandy also had an affect in the political world. This hurricane fell directly around the time of the 2012 United States General Election between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for president. The storm affected campaigns, by the election being some people's last priority. Many people say that the Hurricane could have won the election for Obama. (theguardian.com) -
No More Braces
On June 7th, 2013 I finally got my braces off. After four teeth pulled, two rounds of braces, a palette expander, and a tongue crib, I was finally finished with all orthodontic work on June 7th. This was a huge moment for me because I could not remember a time when there was not metal in my mouth. Everyday I am reminded of the long years with metal train tracks on my teeth, when I look in the mirror and see my straight teeth smiling back at me. -
8 Inches of Hair Gone
On January 3rd, 2015, I decided that I needed a change in my life for the new year. My hair was done to my lower back and I did not appreciate it as much as others would. So I decided to get 8 inches of my hair cut off and donate it to be made into a wig for a little boy or girl with hair loss. This event in my life made me look at the world in a different way. I began to appreciate the little things that I take for granted, like having access clean water and a warm bed to sleep in. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
This Supreme Court case is a landmark case due to the magnitude of change it caused. The case was about same sex marriage and equality rights. In the end, the Supreme Court had a ruling of 5-4, meaning that same sex marriage is legal and guaranteed everywhere in the United States. This was so significant because all over the world people were celebrating over the fact that everyone in the United States who wanted to express their love through marriage could do so now. (washingtonpost.com)
