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The trial of OJ Simpson
The trial of OJ Simpson was the first time where a famous figure like OJ would be put on trial for a high profile crime like murder. The public was spilt on the case due to the circumstances surrounding the case with many in the black community saying OJ was a victim of racial prejudice in the justice system. The verdict of not gulity of OJ Simpson shocked and polarized the public as many thought he did commit the murder and this case is still talked about today, even after OJ's death in 2024. -
The Chicago Bulls complete the Last Dance
The Chicago Bulls left a legacy of greatness and impact not just basketball, but sports as whole winning their 3rd title and final title to this day with Micheal Jordan as his final title with the Bulls. Micheal and the Bulls built a dynasty of dominance and greatness in the 1990s that few ever came close to contesting. This run of dominance is still wildy discussed along with Micheal Jordan's dominance to this day and the title in 1998 helped in Jordan's claim of being the best in NBA history. -
The Columbine School Shooting
The Columbine school shooting in 1999 was carried out by two angry students named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who planned the attack months in advanced in graphic detail. The tragedy left 12 students and 1 teacher dead as a result of the two's heinous actions. The shooting led to the desire for greater gun control in the U.S. and has unfortunately led many the copycat killings such as Sandy Hook in 2011 as many parents of both events fight for safer schools and gun control in the U.S. -
The Presidental Election of 2000
The presidental race of 2000 between George W. Bush and Al Gore was one of the closet in U.S. history due to that on election neither Bush nor Gore had enough elector votes for a victory. (Zelizer 21) This was due to electoral votes in Florida being disputed and this dispution lasted for a month, and eventually George W. Bush would win. This election is still disputed and debated today since Gore won the popular vote and many see Bush winning after losing the popular vote seemed odd to some. -
The attacks of September 11th 2001
The morning of September 11th, 2001 saw two planes hitting the Twin Towers in a coordinated attack on the U.S. from a Middle Eastern group known as Al-Qaeda. The attacks left nearly 3,000 people dead in their wake and shook the U.S. and the whole world to it's core so much, the day is simply known as 9/11 globally. (Zelizer 22)
The attacks to led to exterme changes in secruity measures in the U.S. and ultimately the War on Terror which resulted in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. -
The Iraq War
Following the September 11th attacks, President George Bush would declare war on Iraq due to claims of development of weapons of mass destruction in the country and to preven the dictator of the country Saddam Hussein from using the weapons in other attacks. It was also claimed that Hussein was harboring the terroist group, aL-Qaeda, who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. These claims were found to be unsupported which resulted in the war being unpopular and resulting in instabilty in Iraq. -
Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisana, with the worst coming in New Orleans which led to almost 1,400 deaths, thousands of people being displaced from their homes and a resulting 160 million dollars worth of damage done. The flooding lasted for 43 days and President Bush would be criticized for his lack of action in sending emergency services to the area. To this day, the wreck of Hurricane Catrina can be seen as hospitals, homes, and schools remain abandoned and in ruins to this day. -
The Great Recession
In late 2007, financial instutions, collasping, relaxed lending on purchases such as homes and the stock market crashing which would result in the worst recession the U.S. since the Great Depression in 1929. Many would lose their jobs and unemployment would reach an all time high of 10% in 2009. While the government enforced policy to help during the recession, the housing market and economic stability haven't recovered fully to this very day marking the impact the recession still has today. -
The election of the first black U.S. President, Barack Obama
In the 2008 presidental race, Barack Obama would defeat John McCain to become the first black president of the United States. Obama would enact climate change policy to help the U.S. reduce carbon emissions and enacting Obamacare to make healthcare more accessable and was met with mixed reception. Overall, Obama's time as president is fairly well regarded for his policies and leadership to this very day and is considered the most liked among the current living presdients of the United States. -
Gay Marriage is Legalized Nationwide in the U.S.
In June of 2015 the Supreme Court would rule in favor of same sex marriage much to the joy of the LGBTQ+ community. For decades, the LGBTQ+ community had been fighting for equal rights as heterosexual couples with protests during the 1960s at Stonewall being highly prominent. Being homosexual would be finally decriminalized in 2003 in another Supreme Court case and having same sex marriage legalized was a huge step. But, many in the LGBTQ+ community still fight for fair treatment to this day.