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Reagan defeats Carter for presidency. Republican conservatives scored a double victory, winning control of both the White House and the Senate, sparking the resurgence of conservatism.
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A deranged gunman shot the president as he was leaving a Washington hotel. A .22-caliber bullet penetrated beneath Reagan's left arm and collapsed his left lung.
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Reaganomics called for widespread tax cuts, decreased social spending, increased military spending, and the deregulation of domestic markets.
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The economy slid into iuts deepest recession since the 1930s. Unemployment reached nearly 11 percent, business folded, and several bank failures jolted the nation's entire financial system.
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Reagan announced his intention to pursue a high-technology missile-defence system called the Strategic Defense Initiative, popularly known as Star Wars
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A suicide bomber crashed an explosive-laden truck into a U.S. Marine barracks killing more than two hundred marines. Reagan soon thereafter withdrew the remaining American troops.
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Reagan dispatched a heavy, fire-power invasion force to the island of Grenada, where a military coup had killed the prime minister and brought Marxists to power. Americans captured the island quickly demonstrating Reagan's determination to assert the dominance of the US in the Carribbean.
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Reagan defeats Walter Mondale in landslide.
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Mikhail Gorbachev, a charismatic new Soviet lead, who was installed as chairman of the Soviet Communist party in 1985.
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President Reagan's first meeting with Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev at Fleur D'Eau during the Geneva Summit in Switzerland.
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A second summit meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, broke down in a stalemate.
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American diplomats secretly arranged arms sales to the embattled Iranians in return for Iranian aid in obtaining the release of American hostages held by Middle Eastern terrorists. Aug 20- Mar 4
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The leading stock-market index plunged 508 points- the largest one-day decline in history
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The third summit, in Washington, D.C., Reagan and Gorbachev at last signed the intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) treaty, banning all INF missiles from Europe.
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Incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush won the presidential election.
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Hundreds of thousands of prodemocracy demonstrators thronged through Beijing's Tiananmen Square in the Spring of 1989. Tanks rolled over the crowds, the machine-gunners killed hundreds of protesters.
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Court upheld a law from Missouri that prohibited public employees from performing abortions, unless the life of the mother was threatened
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The Berlin Wall, a symbol of the divide between the East and West during the Cold War is torn down.
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The Persian Gulf War began when Iraq invaded Kuwait. This invasion put the Iraqi Army closer to Saudi Arabia and its oil reserves, which supplied much of the world with oil.
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After Iraq invaded Kuwait, the US invaded Iraq to liberate Kuwait. Iraq set Kuwait's oil fields on fire so the Americans couldn't gain the oil. This conflict caused the US to set military bases in Saudi Arabia; also called Operation: Desert Storm
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Republics form Commonweath of Independent States
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Twenty-seventh Amendment prohibits congressional pay raises from taking effect until an election seats a new session of Congress
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This act banned discrimination against the disabled in employment and mandated easy access to all public and commerical buildings.
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Bill Clinton (D) def. President George H. W. Bush (R) and Ross Perot (I). Clinton won 43% of the popular vote, but 370 electoral votes.
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President Clinton sent american troops into Somalia on a peacekeeping mission. They were attacked by a terrorist leader whom they did now know was in the country at the time. The event caused national anger.
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This agreement eliminated tariffs on goods exchanged between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This opened up new economic oppurtunities for investors in each country.
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The internet revolutionized the economy and communications infrastructure.
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A some crazy people bombed a federal office building in Oklahoma City. This act of violence (amoung others) helped to spark a movement to limit access of guns and other weaponry to normal citizens.
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Congress passed in 1998 a balanced federal budget for FY99 for the first time in decades. This event shows the economic prosperity of the nineties.
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Clinton was impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Congress voted along party lines, and Clinton was not removed from office.
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Using assault weapons, two high school students killed thirteen people at Columbine High School. This event contributed to the growing gun control debate in the U.S.
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This bill normalized economic relations between the United States and China, and allowed China to be the U.S.;s main trade partner.
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Good ol' W. won in a landslide.
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Never forget.
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In response to 9/11, Congress passed a law allowing law enforcement to use invasive surveillance techniques to stop terrorism. This became a divisive issue in the country. The following year, congress approaved the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
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A "U.S.-led coalition" invaded Iraq and overthrew the Iraqi government. U.S. forces stayed until 2011 (thanks Obama) to help the country rebuild and to train a new Iraqi military.
