-
-
Upon an Iraqi invasion of Kuwaitin early August of 1990 under Sadaam Hussein's leadership, fellow Arab states called on Western nations to intervene. President George H.W. Bush condemned the invasion along with the governments of Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Bush demonized the enemy to gain support to initiate a war. When Hussein refused to withdraw from Kuwait several times, the US launched a massive air offensive known as Operation Dessert Storm, which officially began the war. (Notes) -
Black man named Rodney King was involved in a police automobile chase in Los Angeles. After the 4 defendants were found not guilty in court, rioting broke out, causing $1 billion in damage and 52 fatalities. This incident demonstrated that George H. W. Bush had no influence over the conflicts that affected his candidacy. This topic of police violence reached a turning point at this time, and racial discrimination gained extensive media coverage. (Notes) -
Former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States. During his presidency, he focused mostly on economic reform and even ran on a platform of economic populism. His motto was to alter the system to the advantage of ordinary Americans. Despite appearing to be one of the most significant presidents in history, he is impeached in 1998 for having an affair with Monica Lewinsky, one of his interns. (Page 204 of Kruse and Zelizer). -
Terrorists in the US carried out a bombing in Oklahoma City as planned. In order to blow up the exterior of a federal building, Timothy McVeigh parked his rental truck outside of it and placed a lethal bomb inside. In addition to killing approximately 150 individuals, the bombing also left many surrounding structures in ruins. This was the root of the American terrorist problem. One hundred lives were lost as a result of the horrific murder that McVeigh committed. (Kruse and Zelizer, 221) -
The Defense of Marriage Act was a piece of law that supported monogamous marriages between one man and one woman. Federal benefits for marriage were not granted, and same-sex unions were not recognized. In 2013, this law was repealed because it disregarded gay weddings and did so in violation of the 14th Amendment. This law had a huge impact on LGBTQ+ rights and helped define marriage at the federal level. (Kruse and Zelizer, 218) -
Twenty Americans are among the 224 persons killed when terrorists bomb American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The attacks are thought to have been planned by Saudi expatriate and suspected terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, according to US intelligence. President Clinton directs the U.S. military to conduct retaliatory attacks against "terrorist related facilities" in Sudan and Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden is believed to have resided, on August 20. (www.fbi.gov/history) -
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two teens from Littleton, Colorado, went to Columbine High School with the intention of shooting up the building. 13 individuals were killed, while numerous others were injured. After finishing their shooting rampage, the two adolescents killed themselves. This was one of the worst school shootings in US history up to this moment. As a result of this incident, school safety and gun control are now priorities. (Columbine Massacre, editors of history.com) -
Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore in the race for president. Florida, with a 537 vote margin, brought home the victory in this tight election. Florida's "hanging chad" ballots led to a recount because they raised questions about the legitimacy of the voting ballots.This election was very contentious and the closest in US electoral college history, leading to a Supreme Court judgment without Bush receiving a majority of the vote.(US presidential election of 2000, Levy) (Notes) -
The 9/11 attacks were a defining moment in modern history, resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives and significant changes in American national security and foreign policy, including initiating a global war on terrorism and increased surveillance measures. This brought “Americans’ impulse to unite came easily…” (Kruse and Zelizer, 251). Moreover, the legacy of 9/11 serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. -
No Child Left Behind strengthened and even expanded the federal government's role in education by enforcing stringent national standards in subjects like math and English. According to this new rule, every public school in the nation will now be required to meet or above federally mandated levels of achievement in core subjects or risk losing federal funds. Whole schools might be closed if the problems weren't fixed. (Kruse and Zelizer, 248) -
President Bush addressed the nation and announced that Operation Iraqi Freedom had begun. Bush authorized the mission to rid Iraq of tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein and eliminate his ability to develop weapons of mass destruction. Bush received harsh criticism for the war. Critics claimed his administration primarily sought control of Iraq's vast oil resources or that the war was in retaliation for an attempt on his father's life, ordered by Hussein. (Naval History and Heritage Command) -
Steve Jobs and Apple made the first iPhone in 2007. The iPhone could send messages, search the web, and call. The iPhone was the fastest phone of that time. This is important in history because over 2.24 billion iPhone units have been sold to date. (https://allaboutstevejobs.com/bio/timeline) -
Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive. Mr. Obama’s call for a change in the direction and the tone of the country. (https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2008)