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POST- WWII Timeline of Events
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G.I Bill
Also called the “Servicemen Readjustment Act of 1944”, It offers world war 2 veterans low interest rates on houses and college tuition, money to start businesses, and it’s still in action today. -
Little Boy
The codename for the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II by the Boeing B-29 Super fortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., commander of the 509th Composite Group of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare. Kills 140K -
Hiroshima
The US warned Japan that it had weapons of mass destruction. The Japanese were warned to surrender or suffer the consequences. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. 100,00 people died within seconds. -
Iron Curtain
At Westminster College in Fulton Missouri Winston Churchill introduced the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the division between Western powers and the area controlled by the Soviet Union. As such the speech marks the onset of the Cold War. Soviet Union erects barricades of concrete & barbed wire to seal off East from the West -
Truman Doctrine
President's Truman speech saying that the United States had the duty to give financial assistance to countries under communist threat. Applied to Greece and Turkey, stops the spread of communism. -
2nd Red Scare
The second Red Scare refers to the fear of communism that permeated American politics, culture, and society from the late 1940s through the 1950s, during the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Post-World War II Red Scare focused on the fear of Communists in U.S. government positions; peaked during the Korean War and declined soon thereafter, when the U.S. Senate censured Joseph McCarthy, who had been a major instigator of the hysteria. -
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Cold War
For their part, the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Russians. After the war ended, these grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity. The USSR and U.S began to make nuclear weapons and tension started to rise. -
Marshall Plan
A plan that the US came up with to revive war-torn economies of Europe. This plan offered $13 billion in aid to western and Southern Europe. Devised by George Marshall, offers loans to rebuild Europe, restores Western Europe’s faith in capitalism, stalin Refused Eastern Europe’s participation, and spreads American labor, farming & manufacturing practices to W. Europe -
Fair Deal
Truman's 1949 message to Congress. It was a program that called for improved housing, full employment, higher minimum wage, better farm price supports, new TVA's, and the extension of social security; However, its only successes: raised the minimum wage, better public housing, extended old-age insurance to more people. -
T.V
In the USA, B&W television exploded onto the scene at the beginning of the decade, Perhaps no phenomenon shaped American life in the 1950s more than television. At the end of World War II, the television was a toy for only a few thousand wealthy could afford. 1950s TV was led by sitcoms and game shows. Westerns and musicals were also hugely popular and color TV was finally starting to gain some traction. -
TV Shows
Popular TV shows during this decade included many sitcoms, gaming shows and shows that highlighted American family values such as “I Love Lucy”, “Father Knows Best”, and “Leave it to beaver”. -
Beat Generation "Beatniks"
Was a group of American post-World War II writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired. Artists, novelists and poets, reject American materialism & culture, rejected home ownership, careers, marriage, and individual freedom and pleasure (drugs, sex). -
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1950's
During this time the United States was the world’s strongest military power. Its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity–new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods–were available to more people than ever before. However, the 1950s were also an era of great conflict. For example, the nascent civil rights movement and the crusade against communism at home and abroad exposed the underlying divisions in American society. -
Polio Vaccine
American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In 1952–an epidemic year for polio–there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. -
Dr. Jonas Salk
Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against polio. Salk was an American biologist and physician best known for the research and development of a killed-virus polio vaccine. Eradicated Polio from the US in 1994. -
Rock n Roll
Genre of popular music that fused black rhythm and blues with white bluegrass and country styles, crossing the cultural divide that had separated black and white musical traditions. Included famous singers Bill Haley & the Comets “Rock around the Clock Tonight; First song to make Rock & Roll popular. Appealed to teens and culturally rebelled against their parents. -
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Civil Rights
The Civil Rights movement had an enormous, broad impact on domestic legislation, especially during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency in the 1960s. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Johnson worked hard to push through Congress included provisions to outlaw discrimination based not only on race but also on religion, nationality, or gender. Although the civil rights movement itself lost focus and dissipated in the 1970s,the effects of its concrete achievements have endured, not only for blacks. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The war began in 1954 after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party in North Vietnam. Ended in 1975, Vietnam was unified as Socialist Republic. -
Earl Warren:Supreme Court
Controversial Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1953-1969); he led the Court in far-reaching racial, social, and political rulings, including school desegregation and protecting rights of persons accused of crimes; presided over the Brown v. the Board of Education case. On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
U.S Supreme court hands down a unanimous delicious ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional. This decision brought an end to federal tolerance of racial segregation, dealt with Linda brown who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansa. -
Emmett Till Tragedy
Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American boy who was murdered for “flirting” with a white girl. Roy Bryant the white girls husband came to Tills house and abducted him at night, drove to a nearby plantation, beat Emmett, took him to a river, hit him in the head, and dumped him in the river and tied him with barbed wire. Emmett’s death, mutilation helped transform the Civil Rights movement. -
Rosa Parks
African American woman who boarded the back of the bus and was arrested when she refused to give up her seat when a white man asked for her seat. Rosa Parks helped initiate the civil rights movement in the US. Which lead to the bus boycott led by young Martin Luther King Jr. -
Elvis Presley
Singer whose music helped to transform and revolutionize popular music in the 1950s; fused rhythm and blues with bluegrass and country to form a new genre of music known as rock n' roll. Made Rock & Roll a phenomenon, known as "Elvis the Pelvis", his moves offended some people. -
Civil RIghts Act of 1957
First civil rights legislation enacted by president Eisenhower, meant to project African American voting rights across the country; set up a permanent civil rights commission. Important for the rights of African Americans during this time. -
LSD
A powerful hallucinogenic drug manufactured from lysergic acid
LSD was popularized in the 1960s by individuals such as psychologist Timothy Leary, who encouraged American students to “turn on, tune in, and drop out.” This created an entire counterculture of drug abuse and spread the drug from America to the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. -
Feminism
Helen Gurley “Sex and the Single Girl”, (empowerment through sexuality) , Encouraged women to explore their sexuality, Wait to get married when looks started going away, Betty Friedman “The Feminine Mystique, believed women could do everything men could, Movement focused on equal treatment, opportunity & pay, Movement tries changing the mentality instead of legislating female equality, Will introduce a new formal title: “Ms.” instead of Mrs. or Miss indicating marital status -
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1960's
This decade was about reform and revolution. Politicians launched a multifaceted campaign to eliminate poverty, expand government services to the elderly, and increase educational opportunities for people of all ages. Over the course of the decade, Congress passed historic legislation transforming the role of government in American society such as ,Civil Rights Act. Student activists rallied to fight racial segregation and end the Vietnam War. -
New Frontier
The campaign program advocated by JFK in the 1960 election. He promised to revitalize the stagnant economy such as raise the minimum wage and enact reform legislation in education such as relieve overcrowded schools, health care, and civil rights. And land a man on the moon. -
Peace Corps
A federal agency created by President Kennedy to promote voluntary service by Americans in foreign countries, it provides labor power to help developing countries improve their infrastructure, health care, educational systems, and other aspects of their societies. Part of Kennedy's New Frontier vision, the organization represented an effort by postwar liberals to promote American values and influence through productive exchanges across the world. -
Albert Sabin
An oral vaccine developed by Polish-American researcher Albert Sabin became available, greatly facilitating distribution of the polio vaccine. Sabin's vaccine was free of dangerous viruses, easily administered orally, and effective over a long period of time. Ultimately it was a live virus vaccine that was used in the United States and the rest of the world to eliminate polio -
Cesar Chavez
Leader and labor organizer Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. His union joined with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee in its first strike against grape growers in California, and the two organizations later merged to become the United Farm Workers. Stressing nonviolent methods, Chavez drew attention for his causes via boycotts, marches and hunger strikes. Was able to successfully raise and improve conditions for farm workers. -
Cuban Missiles Crisis
An international crisis in October 1962, the closest approach to nuclear war at any time between the U.S. and the USSR. When the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, President John F. Kennedy demanded their removal and announced a naval blockade of the island; disaster was avoided when the U.S. agreed to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s (1894-1971) offer to remove the Cuban missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba. -
Assassination of JFK
Kennedy flew to Love Airfield in Dallas, planned on travelling through downtown Dallas, Dallas Trade Mart for a luncheon, wanted maximum exposure to crowds to generate excitement, Open air motorcade, Route took him by the Texas School Book Deposit in Dealey Plaza, Route publicized for several days ahead of schedule, people could line up to see the President, several turns were made by the motorcade coming into downtown. -
Lee Harvey Oswald
Ex-marine with communist sympathies.Motorcade makes left turn on Elm Street. Oswald waiting on 6th floor of book depository he fired five shots at JFK, two strike the President (neck and head) fatal shot came to Kennedy’s head. -
Warren Commission
Set up by President LBJ to investigate the assassination; Kennedys enemies were on the commission; came to the conclusion that Oswald acted alone with no one else; Many disbelieve the findings of the commission; Kennedys final blow looked as if it came from the side and not from behind. -
Counter Culture
Americans started a general revolution against authority and the middle-class respectability. Hippies were popular, and popular music helped define the counterculture. Drugs also intertwined with music in youth culture. Many viewed hippies out of touch, strict new drug laws passed in the 70s, hippies culture became commercialized (rock, and marijuana; turned hippies off their own culture. -
Malcom X
Malcolm traveled to Africa where he was introduced to true Islam. He converted and then returned to America to spread his new ideals, which included peace for all, including the whites. Malcolm dreamed of a nation for the African Americans. He established the Organization for Afro-American Unity. -
Civil Right Act of 1964
LBJ gets though this legislation despite resistance; Banned segregation in businesses and places open to the public; made it illegal not to hire based on race, religion or ethnicity. -
Daisy Girl Ad
A controversial political advertisement aired on television, for president Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. Though only aired once (by the campaign), it is considered to be an important factor in Johnson's landslide victory over Barry Goldwater and an important turning point in political and advertising history. Plays to the fears of the cold war mentality, Response to Goldwater’s NATO comments, Commanders should have authority to use nuclear weapons. -
Voting Rights Act 1965
Prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices. A law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage. Under the law, hundreds of thousands of African Americans were registered and the number of African American elected officials increased dramatically. -
Native American Civil Rights Movement
An organization founded in 1968 that is dedicated to the Native American civil rights movement. Its main focus is to protect the sovereignty of native American lands and peoples, along with preserving their culture and traditions. -
Stonewall Riot
New York city @ a bar called Stonewall Inn - Triggered activist protests among gays and lesbians - police raided gay bar - people fought back - became symbol of oppression of gays, began the gay pride movement. Was the impetus for the formation of the Gay Liberation Front as well as other gay, lesbian, and bisexual civil rights organizations. It is also regarded by many as history’s first major protest on behalf of equal rights for homosexuals. -
Apollo 11
American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins successfully traveled in space capsule, landed on the moon, and became the 1st men to walk on the moon. -
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1970's
Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other marginalized people continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam. In other ways, however, the decade was a repudiation of the 1960s. A “New Right” mobilized in defense of political conservatism and traditional family roles, and the behavior of President Richard Nixon undermined many people’s faith in the good intentions of the federal government. -
Environment Protection Agency
Initiated by Nixon in order to protect the environment and set air and water pollution standards. Has become controversial for some conservative politicians today. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Congress passes in 1972 goes to state for ratification and fails by 3 states in 1979. Is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender; it seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. -
Title IX
Law passed by President Nixon. Part of the 1972 education act; more team and sports for female athlete; prohibited sex discrimination in any educational programs or activities that are funded by the federal government. -
The New Right
Collection of different conservative groups in a business, religious tight, former democrats, neoconservatives. Many people became angry over liberal policies and wanted a smaller government and industrial jobs back, south starts voting for republicans. Outspoken conservative movement of the 1980s that emphasized such "social issues" as opposition to abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment, pornography, homosexuality, and affirmative action. -
Roe vs Wade
Woman by the name of Jane Roe sues Texas for her right to privacy. SCOTUS rules outlawing abortion is unconstitutional. which recognized that the constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman’s right to make her own personal medical decisions — including the decision to have an abortion without interference from politicians. -
OPEC
The Arab-dominated Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announces a decision to cut oil exports to the United States and other nations that provided military aid to Israel in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Controls much of the worlds oil. -
Endangered Species Act
Signed by Nixon, requires fish and wildlife service to list species of plants and animals that are threatened with extinction. Further steps to protect after identification. Wildlife was being killed off by industrialization and poison in the environment. -
Nixon Tapes
President Richard Nixon secretly recorded 3,700 hours of his phone calls and meetings across the executive offices. He released the unedited version of the tapes. Wanted tapes for future presidential book. The tapes started in Feb 1972-Aug 1974, were part of the Watergate Scandal. -
Three Mile Island
A series of mechanical and human errors at the Three Mile Island nuclear generating plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, resulted in an accident that profoundly affected the utility industry. Partial nuclear reactor meltdown in 1979 in eastern Pennsylvania. Nuclear radiation leaked out into a nearby town, no one was sickened. Americans became weary of nuclear power -
Iran Hostage Crisis
52 Americans taken hostage from American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students’ Jimmy Carter decides to allow Iran deposed Shah to come to united states for treatment of cancer. A special forces team rescues the hostages in after they were released 444 days later after the crisis began. Began Nov 4 1979 and ended Jan 20 1981 -
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson is the first African American billionaire, he founded BET in 1979. He sold the program to Viacom in 2001. -
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1980's
During this time Ronald Reagan was president, which led many Americans to embraced a new conservatism in social, economic and political life. This decade saw a rise of the "yuppie" an explosion of blockbuster movies and the emergence of cable networks such as MTV. -
Election of 1980
Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, against re-nominated Jimmy Carter. Reagan won easily and was very popular, Carter won only six states and the District of Columbia, putting the Republicans back in control for the first time in 25 years. Carter was defeated with dignity though, and was well meaning but had a lack of managerial skills. Ayatollah Khomeini, spites Carter and releases American hostages after Reagan was sworn in. -
Space Shuttle Program
The first space shuttle named Columbia launched in April 1981. Sally Rise was the first American women to go to space. The final landing was in July 21, 2011. During this program there were 135 mission flights that inspired generations. Still continue today. -
Satellite Entertainment
Satellite Programs became important for communication, TV entertainment. -
MTV
MTV started airing non-video programming, geared toward teenagers and young adults. Its popular reality series The Real World launched in 1992 Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Laguna Beach, My Super Sweet 16 and The Hills. MTV also debuted animated series including Beavis and Butthead and Celebrity Deathmatch, as well as documentaries, news, game shows and public service campaigns on topics ranging from voting rights to safe sex. MTV also boosted the careers of many singer like Madonna and MJ. -
VHS (Video Home System)
Part of entertainment during the 1982. Designed in Japan and came to the U.S on 1976. The introduction of the VHS had various impacts on society. VHS represented the start of a new era. In 1982 only 60% of U.S. homes had VCRs. However, by 1986 the home ownership of VCRs had swelled to 33 percent in the United States. Hollywood movies were now made not only for theaters but also for ownership in cassette tapes. -
Sandra Day O' Connor
The first female Supreme court Justice nominated by Reagan. At first she sides with the conservatives, but later sides with the liberal members. She retires in 2006 due to her husbands declining health with Alzheimers. -
Rap Music
During the 1980's Rap music became popular Hip Hop artists released mainly singles and only from the mid-80s on When the record labels got behind it. The world started to see regular Hip Hop album releases. From then on, Hip Hop quickly started spreading throughout the world. Cool rappers like LL Cool J. -
Reagan Doctrine
This document served as a foundation for the Reagan Administration for the support of "Freedom Fighters" (U.S supports guerrilla groups fighting communist). No longer contain, but get rid of Communism anywhere in the world. Allowed the U.S to support for anticommunism and resistance in order to stop the spread of communism. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall stood until November 9, 1989, when the head of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens of the GDR could cross the border whenever they pleased. That night, ecstatic crowds swarmed the wall. Some crossed freely into West Berlin, while others brought hammers and picks and began to chip away at the wall itself. To this day, the Berlin Wall remains one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of the Cold War. -
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Contemporary
By this era Baby Bush came into office in 2000 and in 2008 Obama gets elected. There was conflicts regarding Gay Rights, Immigration, Climate change, which are still happening now. In 2008 The Great Recession caused many people to lose their jobs. Lastly major event happened that caused the war in Afghanistan 9/11 !!!! -
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1990's
The 1990s marked the end not only of a century, but also a millennium. There was an end to communism and the Soviet union became separate states. The Persian and First & Second Iraq wars were "fought", after the Cold War the U.S focused more on humanitarian aid. Resulted in the U.S getting involved in the Balkans Crisis. -
Lionel Sosa
Hispanic advertising mogul, created famous ads for big corporations and presidential campaigns. For Sosa, success materialized as he became the biggest name nationally in the Hispanic advertising world, reaching his pinnacle in the 1990s with his company receiving annual billings of about $130 million a year. His influence in San Antonio and the rest of the nation remains strong. -
AIDS Crisis
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) starts affecting thousands of homosexuals and is then spread to heterosexual community through blood transfusions. Though the U.S government first did little to respond to the crisis, it eventually committed thousands in research. By 1986, 12000 Americans had died of AIDS. -
Rodney King Incident
Rodney King an African American was chased 78 miles in his car by LA police. When they stop him they start to beat him and its caught on type. After this incident riots take place for 4 days. Asian shops are then looted by black and Latino residents for not hiring people of color. -
Balkans Crisis
In 1991 Yugoslavia broke up after the fall of communism, later a Civil War broke out between Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. Serbian forces murdered thousands of Muslim Bosnian, which led to the involvement of NATO bringing in troops to stop genocide. -
Election of 1992
The election was between Democrat nominee William Bill Jefferson Clinton and Republican nominee George H.W. Bush.Bill Clinton was popular or being charismatic and understanding, while H.W Bush was popular for the Persian Gulf War. Clinton wins 43% of the votes, because Perot(3rd party) took votes from H.W Bush. -
World Trade Center Attack
On February 26, 1993, terrorists parked a rental van in a garage underneath the World Trade Center’s twin towers and lit the fuses on a massive homemade bomb stuffed inside. Six people died and more than 1,000 were injured in the subsequent explosion, which carved out a crater several stories deep and propelled smoke into the upper reaches of the quarter-mile-high skyscrapers. -
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
NAFTA encompasses Mexico, U.S, and Canada. Knocks down trade barriers and rules out several industries such as agriculture and technology. Due to NAFTA Americas loose many job. Stops the production of Mexican knock offs. -
Internet
Internet is used in the tens of millions of homes by the late 1990s. People no longer needed to travel long distances for meetings they could do it over the internet on camera. Money could now be transferred or deposited electronically, E-mails take place of traditional letters, paper files became digital, people shopped for things online (Amazon), and online video games became big. People start to make their own businesses online by the late 1990s. -
Oprah Winfrey
Creates well-known talk show about issues and trends of the day
One of the richest women in the world became a billionaire. Launches a book in her daytime show, Winfrey’s ability to turn not just books but almost any product or person she recommended into a phenomenon came to be known as the “Oprah Effect.” -
DOMA (Defense Marriage Act)
DOMA is a federal law that defines marriage between a man and a woman. States don't have to expect gay marriages of other states (you had this on the powerpoint). DOMA is ruled unconstitutional. -
Lewinsky Affair
In 1995 Lewinsky a white house intern and Bill Clinton begin to have an affair. Special prosecutor (Kenneth Star) got a hold of the affair from a Linda Tripp, Tripp told by Monica in confidence, then the media gets a hold of the story. Clinton denies the whole affair and testifies to Starr that he did nothing wrong. House of Rep. impeaches Clinton for lying under oath, obstruction of justice. -
Al Gore
A Democrat who was a candidate for the Election of 2000. He was Clinton's Vice President, environmentalist, and baby boomer retirement. He wanted to save the new government surplus for social security. In the election no one could decide who had won, so Gore takes it to the SCOTUS and the SCOTUS decides he has lost to Bush. -
Bush v. Gore
The election of 2000 had a few problems with the ballots and called the results into question. Gores supporters sued Florida for a recount. The SCOTUS, in a 5-4 decision, state that Florida had violated the U.S Constitution and H.W Bush ended up winning. -
Patriot Act
Expands government’s law enforcement powers by Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. Security concerns lead to new federal legislation, law enforcement and intelligence agencies allowed to conduct wide-sweeping searches and surveillance. Allowed to detain immigrants, monitor bank accounts, and wiretapped suspected callers without warrant. -
No Child Left Behind Education Act
Signed Jan 8, 2002, was meant to fix a broken public education system; linked federal money to state action requiring states to have high standards for all students; evaluation of progress was through standardized testing -
War on Terror
Initiated by President George W. Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the broadly defined "war on terror" aimed to weed out terrorist operatives and their supporters throughout the world. -
Housing Bubble
When the recession hit the economy in 2002-2003, Bush slashed taxes by 15% (most went to the wealthy). Housing prices double between 1997-2005, people made money off of it. People get into sub- prime market with variable interest roles. Rates will be low until 2008. -
Election of 2008
One of the candidates was Barack Obama a first term senator from Illinois. He was a Democrat and 47 years old. He was against the war in Iraq and beat Hilary Clinton. The second candidate was John McCain a former Vietnam War prisoner and Navy pilot. Ran against G.W Bush in 2000 and lost. He tried to get Hilary supporter by selecting Sarah Pain as running mate. Barack ended up becoming the first African American President. -
The Great Recession
Economy went bust in the middle of the 2008 campaign. Led to the falling of home prices, poor lending habits by banks, risky investment lead to massive foreclosure. The government forced to bail out failing banks, brokerage houses and insurance companies. The Great Recession was the worst economic crash since the Great Depression. -
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
The ARRA spent $700 billion to create jobs and promote investment and consumer spending during the recession that followed the financial collapse in 2008. Led to the argument that the government was spending to much money. -
Sonia Sotomayor
On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, became the first Hispanic Supreme Court judge. During her Senate confirmation hearings, two of her previous cases received considerable attention. Sotomayor became the 111th Supreme Court Justice.
