-
Ronald Raegan Elected President
One of the most popular presidents in recent years, Ronald Reagan was the republican candidate in the 1980 elections. Reagan was acting president when the Berlin wall fell. -
Challenger falls from the sky
During a period of extreme activity in NASA, challenger was a maned spaceflight attempt that ended in tragedy. Challenger's launch began normal but took a turn when one of the fuel tanks became compromised. This tragic event became morbidly iconic, and still serves to remind the ambitious among us of the fallibility of us and our creations. -
Chernobyl Meltdown
The U.S.S.R isn't exactly well known for its careful consideration of consequences and high regard for human life. Perhaps the best example of this is the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. Due to poor design and under-qualified staff members, one of the reactors had a meltdown. Around 54 people were killed immediately, and thousands of others received a dangerous amount of radiation. -
The Berlin wall is torn down
After the end of WW2 the country of Germany, and the city of Berlin, was separated into 2 countries linked to the U.S. and Soviet Union. Conditions in Soviet controlled east Berlin were poor and defectors often tried to defect to the West. A wall divided the city and stood to stoop any would-be defectors. In 1989, Ronald Reagan famously demanded that the Soviets " Tear down that wall!" and they did. -
The Fall of the U.S.S.R.
After years of competition with the United States, the Soviet Union was finished. The U.S.S.R.'s economic system was clunky and hulking and it had trouble supporting its own weight. Add to this mounting pressure from the United States, and things had to come to an end. Acting President of the U.S.S.R. Mikhail Gorbachev announced his resignation and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This brought the Cold War to an end, with the U.S. as the clear winner. -
Period: to
Gulf war
Conflict in the middle east was brewing like a fine tea. Saddam Hussein led and invasion of Kuwait; a major supplier of oil for the U.S. The U.S. and a collation of about 40 other countries set out to liberate Kuwait. The war only lasted about 1 month before the collation suceeced -
Oklahoma City Bombing
In what is most likely the most deadly act of homegrown terrorism in the history of the US, a bomb decimated a city. Timothy McVeigh created and detonated an IED outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. About 168 people died, with 19 of them being young children. -
9/11
This event was an unprecedented event in U.S. history, as it is such a devastating attack on a civilian population. In a coordinated effort 4 planes were hijacked, but only 3 made their targets. Two hit the World Trade Center, 1 hit the pentagon, and 1 crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Around 2996 people died that day.