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Period: to
Timeline Assignment History 1995 - 2015
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Oklahoma City Bombing
The Oklahoma City Bombing happened in 1995, and it was when a truck exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people, including children. It was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history at the time. The attacker was a U.S. citizen angry at the federal government. This shocked the nation and led to more antiterrorism laws. This revealed the danger of homegrown extremism and changed how the United States handles domestic threats. -
Clinton was Impeached
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for lying under oath about his affair with the White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Though the Senate released him and he stayed in office. This scandal dominated national attention and sparked intense political debates. It was only the second presidential impeachment in the history of the United States. This raised ongoing questions about leadership and accountability in American Politics. “Kruse and Zelizer, 223." -
Y2K Bug
As the calendar turned from 1999 to 2000, many people feared that computers would fail because the older systems used only two digits to represent years. People worried that systems that controlled the banks and planes would shut down. Massive efforts were made worldwide to fix the bug, and this crisis was avoided. This is important to history because it showed how dependent society was on technology now, and it highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity in the modern world. -
2000 Election
This was one of the closest and most controversial elections in the U.S Clinton served two terms and was ineligible to run again. It came down to VP Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. The election results were too close to call on election night, and Florida was the determining factor by just 537 votes. The Supreme Court decided the winner. It is important because it revealed significant flaws in the voting system, raised concerns, and brought debates over electoral reform into place. -
Hilary Clinton Became First Female to Win Public Office
Hillary Clinton made history by becoming the first former First Lady elected to public office when she won a seat in the U.S. Senate in New York. Her election marked a major moment for women in politics, even just women in general. This shows that female leaders could change from traditional roles to powerful positions in politics. She later became the first woman nominated for President by a major party. This is important because it broke the gender barrier and inspired future generations. -
9/11
Four planes were hijacked by al-Qaeda, a terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden. Two of the planes hit the Twin Towers in NY, one hit the Pentagon, and one crashed into PA after passengers took over. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. The attack shocked the whole world and changed everything about the U.S. national security, policy, and everyone's daily life. It merits inclusion because it defined the Bush presidency and began a brand new era in American global history. “Kruse and Zelizer, 241." -
War on Terror
This included a shift toward targeting regimes labeled the Axis of Evil. In Iraq, the U.S. claimed there was a threat of weapons of mass destruction and fully invaded. This followed 9/11, and then the U.S. launched this and created wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Saddam Hussein's government completely fell apart, and controversial topics like enhanced interrogation and detainee abuse raised human rights concerns. It reshaped America's role in the world and how it handles threats to the world. -
Space Shuttle in Columbia Fell Apart
The Columbia disintegrated during re-entry and killed all 7 astronauts, caused by a piece of foam insulation that broke off during launch. This tragedy shocked the nation and led to major changes in NASA and its safety protocols. It merits inclusion bc it highlighted the risk of space exploration and reshaped the future of the U.S. space program. This tragedy also raised public questions about NASA's safety and decision-making, and led to a major shift in how future space missions were planned -
US Invades Iraq
In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq, believing the country had weapons of destruction that were tied to terrorism after 9/11. This invasion led to an expensive war. It overthrew Saddam Hussein, causing years of violence. The war impacted the U.S. foreign policy and strained international alliances. It sparked talks at home about military action, government, and America's role in the world. It is one of the most controversial decisions in modern U.S. history, with lasting effects in American politics. -
Rise of Social Media
The rise of social media began in the early 2000s with Facebook launching in 2003 and Twitter in 2007. These platforms started small but quickly grew. By the end of this decade, social media will have become a huge way people communicate, share information and news and express their opinions. It changed how we interact and access information. It became a huge part of everyone's daily life. This is something we are still trying to fully understand. It reshaped how people connect across the world. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 as a Category 4 storm, causing massive flooding in a city below sea level. Over 2000 people died, and damage topped $100 billion, making it the deadliest modern U.S. hurricane. Most victims were Black, and the slow government response led to a lot of criticism of Bush, with a lot of feeling that he didn't care about black people. It was important to U.S. history because it exposed major failures in disaster response and showed deep economic inequalities. -
Same Sex Marriage Was Legalized
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage was legal in all 50 states. This landmark decision gave same-sex people the same legal rights as other married people. It was a great accomplishment for LGBTQ+ rights and a step toward better equality for all. This ruling changed millions of lives and showed that the country was moving forward with civil rights and acceptance for all people, no matter what gender they love and care for. This marked a historic civil rights victory. -
Paris Agreement on Climate Change
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was signed in 2015, is a global agreement to fight climate change. It reduces carbon emissions and limits global warming. The U.S. joined in on this with almost every country in the world. This showed how serious the world was about saving and protecting the planet, even the U.S. This is important because it was one of the biggest international steps toward saving the environment. It focuses on protecting the planet for future generations.