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Jimmy Carter Elected President
Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976, defeating Gerald Ford. He served as the 39th President of the United States. -
Star Wars Movie Premier
The original "Star Wars" film, now known as "Episode IV: A New Hope," premiered in theaters on May 25, 1977. The film quickly became a major cultural phenomenon, launching the Star Wars franchise -
Iran Hostages Released
The Iran hostage crisis ended with the release of 52 American hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The hostages were released shortly after Ronald Reagan's inauguration, ending a 444-day standoff. The release was the result of negotiations mediated by Algeria, with the involvement of President Jimmy Carter, who had been unable to secure their release before leaving office. -
Three Mile Island Meltdown
The Three Mile Island incident, a partial nuclear meltdown at Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, was a major event in U.S. nuclear power history, though it didn't result in widespread health effects or injuries. -
Mount. St. Helens Eruption
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was a catastrophic event that killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes, 47 bridges, and 185 miles of highway. It was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic eruption in the contiguous United States. The eruption was preceded by weeks of increasing volcanic activity, including earthquakes and steam explosions. -
Assassination Attempt on President Reagan
On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. while exiting the Washington Hilton Hotel. Hinckley fired six shots from a .22 caliber revolver, striking White House Press Secretary James Brady, District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and wounding Reagan in the left underarm. Reagan was seriously wounded, requiring surgery and a recovery period. -
Iran/ Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra affair was a US scandal from the 1980s where, while Congress had cut off aid to the Contras in Nicaragua, the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran and diverted the profits to fund the Contras. The scandal revealed a secret, dual operation: arms sales to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, and covert support for the Contras, who were fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. -
Challenger Shuttle Explosion
The Challenger disaster, a tragic event in space history, occurred on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members aboard, one of them being a teacher. The primary cause of the explosion was a failure of an O-ring seal in one of the solid rocket boosters, which led to a breach and subsequent damage to the external fuel tank. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. It was the result of a steam explosion and fire that released radioactive materials into the environment, leading to a major health crisis and lasting environmental contamination. -
George H.W. Bush Elected President
George H.W. Bush was a Republican from Texas and the incumbent vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan. He took office following his landslide victory over Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, marking a pivotal moment in the collapse of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. East German officials announced that border restrictions would be eased, leading to large numbers of East Germans crossing the wall and into West Germany. -
Start of the Persian Gulf War
The Gulf War was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. -
Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots
The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sparked by the verdict in the Rodney King case, were a period of widespread civil unrest in Los Angeles. The acquittal of the four police officers on charges of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King, a Black man caught on video being beaten by LAPD officers in 1991, ignited protests that escalated into violence and looting. The riots resulted in significant property damage, over 60 deaths, thousands of injuries, and over 12,000 arrests. -
Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team
The original USA Olympic basketball "Dream Team" was the 1992 team, which featured a lineup of NBA superstars for the first time in Olympic history. The team, coached by Chuck Daly, included players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and many others, and dominated the competition, winning gold with an undefeated record. -
Bill Clinton Elected President
Bill Clinton was elected president in the 1992 election, defeating the incumbent Republican president George H. W. Bush and the independent businessman Ross Perot. He became the first president to be born in the Baby Boomer generation and the youngest to serve two full terms. -
Launch of Google
Google was officially launched on September 4, 1998, according to About Google. Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the company initially focused on its search engine, which has since become the most used web-based search engine. The company incorporated on September 4, 1998, and its initial office was a rented garage in Menlo Park, California. -
Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives
Bill Clinton's charges were perjury before a grand jury and obstruction of justice. While impeached, he was subsequently acquitted on both charges in a Senate trial and remained in office. The impeachment stemmed from the Monica Lewinsky scandal, where Clinton's testimony in a sexual harassment lawsuit was later found to be inconsistent with his actions. -
World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes and used them to attack targets in the United States. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers fought back. The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, were the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history.