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The Cold War
The Cold War was a global political and ideological struggle between capitalist and communist countries, particularly between the two surviving superpowers of the postwar world: the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) -
Ronald Reagan Wins the Presidential Election
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The US Experiences a Severe Economic Recession with Highest Unemployment Rate Since the Great Depression
The United States experienced a severe economic recession in 1981 and 1982. Unemployment rose to nearly 11 percent, the highest figure since the Great Depression. Reductions in social welfare spending heightened the impact of the recession on ordinary people. Congress had followed Reagan’s lead by reducing funding for food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children and removed a half million people from the Supplemental Social Security program for the physically disabled. -
Ronald Reagan Survives an Attempted Assassination Attempt
Reagan survived an assassination attempt by a mentally unstable young man named John Hinckley. Public support swelled for the hospitalized president. -
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller, Best selling Album of All Time
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Suicide Bomber Kills 241 US Marines in Beirut
A suicide bomber killed 241 Marines stationed in Beirut. Congressional pressure and anger from the American public forced Reagan to recall the Marines from Lebanon in March 1984. Reagan’s decision demonstrated that, for all his talk of restoring American power, he took a pragmatic approach to foreign policy. He was unwilling to risk another Vietnam by committing American troops to Lebanon. -
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Invasion of Grenada, Operation Urgent Fury
When communists with ties to Cuba overthrew the government of the Caribbean nation of Grenada in October 1983, Reagan dispatched the U.S. Marines to the island. Dubbed Operation Urgent Fury, the Grenada invasion overthrew the leftist government after less than a week of fighting. Despite the relatively minor nature of the mission, its success gave victory-hungry Americans something to cheer about after the military debacles of the previous two decades. -
Jesse Jackson Becomes the First Black American to Run for the Presidential Nominee
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson became the first African American man to run for president when he campaigned for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 1984 and 1988. Propelled by chants of “Run, Jesse, run,” Jackson achieved notable success in 1988, winning nine state primaries and finishing second with 29 percent of the vote. -
Ronald Reagan Wins the Presidential Election Again
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Ronald Reagan Stands on the Berlin Wall and Demands that Gorbachev "Tear Down this Wall"
In June 1987, American president Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and demanded that Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev “Tear down this wall!” -
The Black Friday Stock Market Crash
Reckless speculation helped drive the stock market steadily upward until the crash of October 19, 1987. On Black Friday, the market plunged eight hundred points, erasing 13 percent of its value. Investors lost more than $500 billion. -
George H. W. Bush Wins the Presidential Election
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The Hubble Space Telescope is Built
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Portable GPS is Invented
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The Gulf War
When Iraq invaded the nation of Kuwait in 1990, Congress granted President Bush approval to intervene. The United States laid the groundwork for intervention (Operation Desert Shield) in August and commenced combat operations (Operation Desert Storm) in January 1991. With the memories of Vietnam still fresh, many Americans were hesitant to support military action that could expand into a long-term commitment of troops. But the Gulf War was a swift victory for the United States. -
The USSR Dissolves
On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the last time over the Kremlin, thereafter replaced by the Russian tricolor. Earlier in the day, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned his post as president of the Soviet Union, leaving Boris Yeltsin as president of the newly independent Russian state. People all over the world watched in amazement at this relatively peaceful transition from former Communist monolith into multiple separate nations. -
Bill Clinton Wins the Presidential Election
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Dolly the Sheep is First Mammal Successfully Cloned
Dolly the sheep was the world's first mammal cloned from an adult cell in 1996, sparking an international debate on the ethics of cloning. Dolly died in February 2003 after it was discovered she had a progressive lung disease and she was preserved for public display at the Museum of Scotland. -
Bill Clinton Wins the Presidential Election
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Netflix is Established
Netflix has become ubiquitous with online video streaming, the company started out with much more humble beginnings. Netflix originally only offered subscribers a massive library of movies they could access via mail-order, a far cry from the instant satisfaction people get from queuing up their favorite Netflix shows today. -
The First Flat Screen TV Hits the Market
New TVs don't just look better, they're significantly more energy efficient than the clunky old tube TVs of the 90s. Digital imagining technology has also changed the way that we scale images, allowing for sharp, quality visuals regardless of your screen size. -
The International Space Station is Launched
The International Space Station is a joint endeavor between five space agencies representing the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada. The station has been gradually expanding since 1998 and welcomed long-term residents in 2000. More than 200 people from 18 countries have visited the station, which is used for research and educational purposes. -
George W. Bush Wins the Presidential Election
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Four Airliners are Hijacked and are Crashed Into the Twin Towers, The Pentagon and a Field in PA, Most Likely Headed to the White House
