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Period: to
1980-2001
Technological innovations are made though still don’t always go as planned, Presidents are publicly embarrassed, the Cold War ends, and terrorist attacks become more and more frequent, culminating to one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. -
Reagan's Failed Protection Plan
President Ronald Reagan attempted to negotiate with the Soviet Union a limit on the amount of nuclear bombs each country could have. However after the negotiations fell apart, Reagan presented a counter missile defense plan involving sending a sort of satellite to space that could shoot down incoming bombs called the Strategic Defense Initiative. Many made fun of the idea saying it was something out of “Star Wars”, and with no such technology existing to make it possible, the plan was dropped. -
The Challenger Space Shuttle Explodes
On January 28 1986, NASA launched the Challenger Space Shuttle up into the sky. However, the rocket very unfortunately exploded and landed in the ocean 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven people. The explosion was caused by rubber o-rings getting so cold that they cracked, as it was unusually cold on launch morning. Flames then leaked out of the booster because the o-ring was cracked, and set the fuel tank on fire. -
The Cold War Ends
After spending much of their money on the 40 year Cold War, the Soviet Union began to lose influence and power throughout Europe. Because of this, countries that Russia once had influence in began to want freedom rather than communism, and Russia began to collapse from the inside out. People wanted freedom, and Russia could no longer keep it from them. In 1989 the Berlin Wall in Germany, which divided the free from the oppressed fell. Two years later the Soviet Union itself collapsed. -
The Hubble Space Telescope
Originally designed in 1940, but not brought fruition and launched into space until 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope completely changed the extent of the view of space. After it was launched, it was discovered that something was wrong with the lens, but a space mission in 1993 fixed it, giving scientists an unparalleled view of space. Many discoveries have been made about details of space from the view that the telescope gives, and continues to be the most advanced telescope ever created. -
The Waco Siege
Conflict started when the ATF (Alcohol Tobacco Firearms) suspected the Branch Davidians cult of violating firearm laws. When the ATF attempted an investigation, a shoot out commenced leaving ten dead, four of them being ATF and six being cult members. The FBI soon showed up and after negotiations broke down, they tear gassed the whole building. Fires soon broke out, the cause of which is unknown, killing many people, including the cult leader David Koresh who was found dead with gunshot wounds. -
The Oklahoma City Bombing
As an after effect of the Waco Siege, Timothy McVeigh decided to set off a bomb exactly two years later in Oklahoma City, by loading up the back of a rental truck with explosives. McVeigh set off the bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building because of his dislike of the American government. McVeigh’s bomb killed 168 people including 19 children from a daycare. There were 600 casualties and 300 buildings were damaged. McVeigh was sentenced to death in 2001. -
Clinton’s Impeachment
In 1998, rumors came out that President Bill Clinton had had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton at first denied anything happening while in the presence of a court, but after more evidence came out, Clinton admitted to it. Because he had lied to the court the first time, Clinton was impeached in 1999. However, the Senate voted against the impeachment, and Clinton stayed in office until his term ended. -
9/11
On September 11 (9/11) 2001, a terrorist organization known as the Taliban hi-jacked four American passenger planes. The Taliban crashed two planes into the two World Trade Center Towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field, brought down by the passengers before it could hit anything. 3,000 people died that day. Those behind the attacks were put to justice, but 9/11 is a day that will go down in history for the tragedy that happened that day.