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O.J. Simpson Trial Verdict
O.J. Simpson was a former NFL player who was charged with 3 murders, one being his ex-wife. While the murders were in 1994, his trial's verdict was decided in 1995. He was found not guilty on both counts of murder. This murder trial was significant to history because it involved a celebrity and was widely popular in the media at the time. Race was also discussed when it came to this trial. This public display of the justice system also highlighted police misconduct. -
Dolly the Sheep Cloning Announced
Dolly the Sheep was the first ever mammal to be successfully cloned. She lived for more than 6 years. She marked history by proving that adult cells can be altered to be cloned. This was significant because her case revolutionized stem cell biology and furthered research far more than ever before. Her case was also widely controversial, given that cloning had never happened prior. There were worries that further research could harm society. Fears centered around human cloning. -
President Bill Clinton's Impeachment
President Bill Clinton was impeached for two charges: perjury and obstruction of justice. He lied under oath about his sexual infidelity with Monica Lewinsky, an intern in the White House at the time. He obstructed justice by getting others to lie with him, attempting to cover up the entire scandal. This is significant because he is the second of three Presidents to be impeached. He was later acquitted of the crimes in 1999 (Kruse and Zelizer 231). -
Columbine High School Shooting
The Columbine High School shooting was a tragic incident in which two students killed 12 students and 1 teacher. They were armed with guns and explosives. There were more than 20 people injured as well. This event was significant because it was the most deadly school shooting in America at the time. Today, school shootings are still a problem. Like many more recent incidents, the Columbine shooting caused people to debate gun laws and overall school safety. Debate is still very prevalent today. -
Y2K
Y2K was the term used for "Year 2000" when there was mass panic over system overload when the clocks struck midnight on the 1st of the year 2000. The worry was that everything would reset to 1900, as systems were not calibrated to set themselves into the next millennium. The thought was that it was going to affect hospitals, banking systems, and other important systems within daily functions. This ended up being okay, as most systems that had a problem were fixed through coding. -
Bush v. Gore Decision
During the 2000 presidential election, candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore went head to head. Florida was the state that held the fate for the candidates. This is significant because the election was a close, so close that the decision was brought to the Supreme Court. The 5-4 decision in the Supreme Court called for Florida to stop the recount of the votes. Bush was declared the election winner by a small margin. The election is still widely up for debate today (Kruse and Zelizer 242). -
Proposal of "No Child Left Behind" Act
The "No Child Left Behind" Act was proposed by Congress and supported by President George W. Bush. It focused on standardized testing in schools in exchange for federal funding. It is significant because it established a stronger relationship between the federal government and education and aimed to raise standards. It led to barge reforms related to schools, like setting a common core in each state. It also aided those who were less privileged when it came to education (Kruse and Zelizer 248). -
9/11 Terrorist Attacks
9/11 was a significant event in US history because of the destruction caused by the terrorist attacks. Two planes hit the towers of the World Trade Center, one hit the Pentagon, and another crash-landed after passengers overtook the plane from the hijackers. The attacks caused the US to make many changes, including the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, and military mobilization, especially in Iraq. The event changed the United States forever (Kruse and Zelizer 253). -
Facebook Launching
Facebook, or at the time, "The Facebook," was created and launched by Mark Zuckerberg. It was initially designed for just Harvard students, but later developed into a well-known global website. This was significant because it paved the way for future social media and other internet developments. Facebook is still popular today, and it has undergone many updates since its initial launch. However, it has opened the conversation to privacy concerns for users. -
Same-Sex Marriage Legalized in Massachusetts
Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. In 2004, the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts decided it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage in the Goodridge v. Department of Public Health case. The Goodridges sued the state for denying their marriage licenses. This was significant because it set a precedent for the rest of the country on marriage equality. This became legal nationwide in 2015, all thanks to the original decision in Massachusetts. -
YouTube Launching
YouTube is a website where users can upload videos to the public. Prior to the launch of YouTube, there was no way to share videos like this. This is significant because not only was it the first of its kind, but it was also differentiated from TV broadcasting. It was the gateway to so many different social media platforms that host video sharing. It was also the first of its kind to allow people to gain a following, enough so that it became their full-time occupation as an online influencer. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast and destroyed New Orleans. The disaster was expensive, as it destroyed everything in its path. It was said to be "one of the deadliest hurricanes in American History". This is significant because Bush did not engage with the disaster for a while, as he believed that the designated organizations (FEMA) would keep it under control. His standings in the following election suffered (Kruse and Zelizer 280). -
Barack Obama Presidency
President Barack Obama was elected in 2008 as the 44th President of the United States. He was the first African American man to take office. He was running against Republican Senator John McCain. This is significant because no African American has ever been elected. He also held office for two terms, leaving in 2017. He was a symbol for racial equality. In his time as President, he was most known for being a turning point for the office as President. -
Boston Marathon Bombing
The Boston Marathon Bombing was a horrific attack in which three people died. Over 260 people were injured as well. Two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were responsible. During the chase of the culprits that lasted over four days, Tamerlan died. His brother was sentenced to death. The event was significant because it severely changed security at events like the Boston Marathon. Being one of the most significant acts of domestic terrorism, the bombing is highly referenced today.