-
“Carter Doctrine”
Carter announces the “Carter Doctrine” in his State of the Union address, asserting that threats to the Persian Gulf region will be viewed as “an assault of the vital interests of the United States.” -
Anti-inflation program
Carter announces his anti-inflation program which includes a proposal for a balanced budget for fiscal year 1981. -
Economy in recession
Carter announces that the economy is in recession, with the inflation rates hitting ten percent and interest rates climbing to eighteen percent. -
Summer Olympic Boycott
The U.S. Olympic Committee votes to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics, supporting Carter in protesting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. -
“Desert One” failure
Carter announces the failure of “Desert One,” the mission to rescue the Iranian-held hostages, and that several American military personnel had been killed. -
Limiting nuclear war
Carter signs Presidential Directive 59 advocating a strategy for fighting a “limited” nuclear war. -
Ronald Reagan wins election
Carter loses the election to Ronald Reagan, winning only 49 electoral votes to Reagan's 489. -
Ronald Reagan is inaugurated
Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President. -
American hostages are released
Fifty-two American hostages held in Iran since November 1979 are released, ending a 444-day hostage situation which began in Carter’s presidency. -
Spending Speech
Reagan proposes increased defense spending, and decreased taxes and domestic spending in speech to Congress. -
Reagan sends budget to Congress
Reagan sends budget proposal for fiscal year 1982 to Congress. The budget calls for spending $695.3 billion with a projected deficit of $45 billion. It includes funding cuts for 200 programs in addition to those cuts already proposed by President Carter. -
President Reagan Shot
President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by John W. Hinkley, Jr., while leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel after giving a speech. The President was hit under his left arm by a bullet that ricocheted off his limousine. Once the sound of shots rang in the air, Secret Service agent Jerry Parr shoved Reagan into his limousine, and then, after noticing the President had been shot, directed the car to the George Washington University Hospital. -
Soviet grain embargo lifted
Reagan lifts a grain embargo imposed on the Soviet Union by President Carter. -
Sandra Day O’Connor
Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart, making O'Connor the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court. -
Reagan dismisses strikers
Reagan orders the dismissal of 13,000 PATCO air traffic controllers out on strike, citing their violation of federal law against industry strikes. -
Cutting taxes
Reagan signs a tax cut into law. -
Military buildup
Reagan declares that the United States will produce the B-1 bomber and MX missiles as part of military buildup. -
Negotiating with Soviet Union
Reagan states that he will not deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe if the Soviet Union agrees to dismantle similar weapons already in place. -
Sanctions on Poland
Reagan imposes economic sanctions on Poland following that government's imposition of martial law. -
Reagan delivers State of the Union
Reagan calls for “New Federalism” in his State of the Union address, advocating less federal spending and more state initiative to solve social and economic problems. -
Reagan addresses Parliament
Reagan becomes the first U.S. President to address the combined Houses of Parliament, taking Britain's side in the Falkland Islands conflict with Argentina. -
Private Sector Survey
Reagan establishes the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control through Executive Order 12369. -
Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA)
Reagan signs the Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) -
Gas tax increase
Reagan signs into law a five cents per gallon gasoline tax increase. -
Reagan’s second State of the Union
In his State of the Union address, Reagan calls for a freeze on domestic spending and increases in military outlays. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
Reagan urges the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), an attempt to create a high-technology anti-ballistic missile shield to protect the United States from nuclear attack. -
Recession ends
The U.S. GNP shows dramatic growth for the first quarter of 1983, signaling the end of the recession. -
Social Security reform becomes law
President Reagan signs the Social Security Reform Bill into law. -
Exchange with China
Reagan signs scientific and cultural exchange accords with the Beijing leadership while on a six-day visit to China. -
Final tax cut
The final phase of the tax cut goes into effect. -
Bombing of Lebanon Barracks
Suicide bombers crashed a truck bearing more than 2,000 pounds of explosives through protective barricades at U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Since the attack took place early on a Sunday morning, it found most of the troops asleep in their beds. The explosion devastated the compound, collapsing the floors of the building on top of each other, killing 241 U.S. servicemen. -
Invasion of Grenada
U.S. forces invade the island nation of Grenada to overthrow the military government that had carried out a government coup days before. Grenada, a small country, was no match for U.S. military force, and the U.S. forces subdued the opposing forces within a few days. -
Congressional compromise
Congress and Reagan work out a compromise on the MX missile. -
Reagan is re-elected
Reagan is reelected President, defeating Democratic candidate Walter Mondale. -
Ronald Reagan is inaugurated
Reagan is inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States. -
Farm credit crises
Farm credit crises pose a serious a threat to U.S. agriculture. The Reagan administration eases rules on a loan-guarantee program but rejects provisions for additional funding. -
Embargo on Nicaragua
The Reagan administration announces trade embargo against Nicaragua in an attempt to undermine the Sandinista government. This embargo was later found to be in violation of international law. -
President Reagan attends cemetery ceremony
Reagan attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Bitburg military cemetery in West Germany, the gravesite of 200 German soldiers including 49 members of Adolf Hitler's SS. Responding to criticism of the visit, Reagan visits and lays a wreath at a nearby concentration camp earlier in the day. -
Bush is acting president
Reagan has a malignant polyp removed from his colon; Vice President Bush serves as acting President for eight hours. -
South African sanctions
The Reagan administration announces limited economic sanctions against South Africa after the South African government declares martial law. -
Reagan and Gorbachev hold a summit meeting
Reagan and Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev hold a summit meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the first such meeting between U.S and Soviet heads of state since 1979. -
Gramm-Rudman Bill
Reagan signs the Gramm-Rudman deficit reduction bill. -
Tax code revised
Reagan signs a revision of the tax code into law. -
U.S. illegally sells arms to Iran
Reagan informs Congress that the United States secretly sold arms to Iran in violation of federal laws prohibiting arms deals with Iran. The administration denies that the sales were part of an attempt to secure the release of American hostages held by Iranian-backed forces. -
Funds from illegal arms deal diverted
Regan admits that between $10 and $30 million had been diverted from Iranian arms sales and funneled to the Nicaraguan contras. This becomes known as the Iran-Contra affair. -
Commission appointed to investigate Iran-Contra
The Tower Commission is appointed to investigate the Iran-Contra affair. Reagan forgoes any claim of executive privilege and orders his administration to cooperate fully with the investigation. Lawrence Walsh is appointed a special prosecutor to investigate criminal wrongdoing. -
Water Quality Control Act
Congress overrides Reagan's veto of the Water Quality Control Act, allowing the EPA to regulate pollutants in U.S. waters. -
Tower Commission concludes report
The Tower Commission releases its report, finding no criminal wrongdoing on the part of the White House but remaining critical of the administration nonetheless. -
Reagan takes responsibility
In a 3televised address, Reagan accepts responsibility for actions in Iran-Contra affair that he claims occurred without his knowledge. -
Congress issues Iran-Contra report
Congress issues its Iran-Contra report, declaring that Regan must assume “ultimate responsibility” for the affair. -
Gorbachev, Reagan sign treaty
Gorbachev and Reagan meet in Washington, D.C., and sign the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. -
Reagan prohibits abortion assistance
Reagan prohibits federally funded family-planning centers from providing assistance to women seeking abortions. -
Reagan visits Soviet Union
Reagan visits the Soviet Union for the first time. -
George H. W. Bush is elected as 41st President
Vice President George H.W. Bush is elected President of the United States, defeating Democratic challenger Michael Dukakis. -
Bush is inaugurated
George H. W. Bush is inaugurated as the 41st President. -
Bank Bail-Out Plan Introduced
President Bush, at a White House press conference, introduces his bail-out plan for troubled savings and loans banks. It provides for the sale of $50 billion in government bonds to finance the bail-out and gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) regulatory oversight over S&Ls. -
Semi-Automatic Rifle Ban
The Bush administration, at the urging of federal drug czar, William Bennett, announces a temporary ban on the importation of semi-automatic rifles, a reversal of President Bush's earlier statements indicating that no restriction on these firearms would be enacted. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
In the worst oil spill on American territory, the Exxon Valdez supertanker runs aground in southeastern Alaska. The tanker dumps 240,000 barrels of oil into the surrounding waters and causes extensive environmental damage. -
Bush Offers Poland Assistance
President Bush offers a program of special assistance for Poland, whose Communist government has agreed to negotiations with the opposition Solidarity party which produce a plan for free elections. Elections are held in August 1989, which lead to the end of single-party rule in Poland. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
The People's Liberation Army, the military arm of the Chinese government, uses tanks and armored cars to suppress a burgeoning pro-democracy movement that had encamped in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Estimates on the number of demonstrators killed vary between 700 and 2,700. -
Bush Condemns China’s Actions
In the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacres, President Bush announces a number of condemnatory actions, including the suspension of the sale of American weapons to China. -
Bail-Out Plan Revised
President Bush signs into law the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, a compromise with Congress on the bail-out of savings and loans. This law differs from Bush's February 6 proposal of financing the bail-out from the Treasury Department through the sale of bonds. It offers $166 billion worth of aid to troubled savings and loans institutions and creates a new government body, the Resolution Trust Company, to oversee the merger or liquidation of troubled banks. -
Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin Wall falls, marking the symbolic end of Communist rule in Eastern Europe. The jubilant scene illustrated the great changes taking place with the ending of the Cold War. -
Fair Labor Standards Amendments
President Bush signs the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1989, which by April 1991 would raise the minimum wage to $4.25 an hour. The law was a significant victory for Bush over congressional Democrats, who in the spring of 1989 passed a bill, which President Bush vetoed on June 13, that raised the minimum wage to $4.55. -
New Anti-Drug Law
President Bush signs a new anti-drug law that provides more than $3 billion for expanded anti-drug programs, including treatment facilities, federal prison expansion, education, and law enforcement. -
Bush Meets with Gorbachev
President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev hold their first meeting of Bush's presidency in the harbor of Valetta, Malta, to discuss nuclear disarmament and the strengthening of Soviet-American trade relations. Both leaders announced that the Cold War is effectively over. -
Panama Invasion
American armed forces invade Panama to capture Manuel Antonio Noriega, the country's military dictator. Noriega, who had been indicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, surrendered on January 3, 1990. He was convicted on drug charges on April 9, 1992, and sent to prison. -
Arms Reduction Agreement
At a summit meeting in Washington, D.C., President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign the broadest arms reduction agreement in two decades. The agreement stipulates that the United States and the Soviet Union scrap 25 percent and 40 percent of their respective nuclear stockpiles. -
New Taxes Proposed
President Bush, in a written statement released to the press, reneges on his “no new taxes” pledge from the 1988 presidential campaign by stating that in order to solve the deficit problem, tax increases might be necessary for the 1991 fiscal year. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
President Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, which affects over 43 million Americans and forbids discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and transportation. -
Iraq Invades Kuwait
Iraq invades Kuwait. President Bush strongly condemns Iraq's actions, setting the stage for an American response. -
German States Reunite
Seven months after East Germans overwhelmingly approve reunification, the two German states are formally reunited. -
Civil Rights Act Vetoed
President Bush vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1990, stating that the bill would “introduce the destructive force of quotas into our nation's employment system.” -
Budget Law Signed
President Bush signs a budget law intended to reduce the federal budget by almost $500 billion over the next five years. The law includes $140 billion dollars in new taxes. -
U.S. Troops in Saudi Arabia
President Bush increases the number of American troops in Saudi Arabia to 400,000. -
Clean Air Act
President Bush signs the Clean Air Act of 1990, which tightens air pollution standards and seeks to reduce urban smog, cut acid rain pollution by one-half, and eliminate industrial emissions of toxic chemicals by the end of the 20th century. -
Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE)
The United States, Canada, and twenty other European nations sign the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE). The CFE limits NATO and Warsaw Pact weapons holdings and caps the American troop presence in Central Europe at 195,000. -
Immigration Act of 1990
President Bush signs the Immigration Act of 1990, the most extensive revision to immigration law in more than a half century. The new law allows for the admission of 700,000 aliens each year. -
Persian Gulf War Begins
The Persian Gulf War, code-named Operation Desert Storm, begins with a massive, American-led air attack on Iraq. -
Ground Troops Begin Operations
Ground troops, including a large contingent of American soldiers, begin operations in Operation Desert Storm. -
Ground Offensive Called Off
After liberating Kuwait, coalition troops advance rapidly into Iraqi territory, encountering no resistance. President Bush, deciding that the war's objectives had been met, calls off the ground offensive. -
South African Sanctions Removed
President Bush lifts most American sanctions against the Republic of South Africa, saying that the movement to end apartheid is now “irreversible.” -
START-I Signed
President Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Moscow to sign a nuclear arms reduction treaty (START-I) which calls for both nations to make significant reductions in the number of nuclear warheads in their respective arsenals. -
1991 Civil Rights Act
President Bush signs the Civil Rights Act of 1991, making it easier for employees to sue employers on grounds of discrimination. -
Soviet Union Dissolves
The constituent republics of the Soviet Union dissolve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. -
Unemployment Rises
The Labor Department announces that the unemployment rose to 7.1 percent in December 1991, the highest mark in over five years. -
Bush Meets With Yeltsin
At the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, President Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin meet to discuss U.S.-Russian relations and officially declare the end of the Cold War. -
Soviet Union Aid Proposed
President Bush announces an aid plan of $24 billion to spur democratic and free market reforms in the former Soviet Union. -
Nuclear Arms Reduction Agreements
The United States signs agreements with Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, ensuring the continued participation of these nations in the nuclear arms reduction treaties signed by the U.S.S.R. before its collapse in late 1991. -
Bush Attends Earth Summit
Speaking at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, President Bush announces that the United States will not sign a treaty designed to protect rare and endangered animals and plants, saying that it would retard the development of technology and the protection of ideas. The United States does sign the Framework Convention on Climate Change aimed at preventing further global warming. -
U.S.-Russian Nuclear Agreement
President Bush and President Yeltsin announce an agreement by which the United States and Russia reduce their nuclear warheads to between 3,000 and 3,500 by the year 2003. -
Supplemental Appropriations Act Signed
President Bush signs a supplemental appropriations act that provides aid to inner cities, specifically Los Angeles, which is trying to recover from the Rodney King riots of April 1992. -
Unemployment Compensation Amendments
President Bush signs the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992, extending coverage to the unemployed for 26 weeks, following their initial 26 weeks of benefits. The previous day, the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate had reached 7.8 percent, its highest level since 1984. -
Bill Clinton Wins Election
Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, a Democrat, is elected President after defeating President Bush and Ross Perot, an independent from Texas. Clinton wins 43 percent of the vote and 370 Electoral College votes, to Bush's 38 percent and 168, and Perot's 19 percent and 0. -
“Operation Restore Hope”
American troops land in Somalia as part of the UN-sponsored “Operation Restore Hope.” The humanitarian mission's first goal was to ensure the distribution of food and medical aid and supplies to suffering Somalis. Somalia had been wracked by starvation, drought, and violence. -
Clinton is inaugurated
William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton is inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States. -
Hillary Rodham Clinton to head Health Care Reform
President Clinton announces that First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will head the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. The President hopes to reform the nation's health care system so that all Americans have health insurance, ensuring what is called “universal coverage,” and to control the sky-rocketing costs of health care. -
Family Medical Leave Act
President Clinton signs the Family Medical Leave Act that requires companies to provide workers with up to three months of unpaid leave for family and medical emergencies. -
Explosion at the World Trade Center
Six people are killed and more than a thousand suffer injuries after a bomb planted under the World Trade Center in New York City explodes. The bomb marks the beginning of a string of threats against the United States made during the Clinton administration by both foreign and domestic terrorists. -
51-day standoff in Waco, TX is ended
In Waco, Texas, federal law enforcement officers, under the orders of Attorney General Janet Reno, end a 51-day standoff against a religious cult led by self-styled messiah David Koresh. In the ensuing confrontation, the fires that destroy the cult's compound kill at least seventy-five people and bring Reno widespread criticism for her handling of the situation. -
Navy attacks Baghdad
The U.S. Navy, under President Clinton's orders, attacks Iraqi intelligence operations in downtown Baghdad after learning that Iraqis had plotted to kill former President Bush during his April 1993 visit to Kuwait. The twenty-three tomahawk missiles fired reportedly kill eight people. -
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
President Clinton announces an “honorable compromise” in the debate surrounding the participation of gay service members in the military. It was determined that these individuals would be allowed to serve, but could face military investigations if they acknowledged their orientation, as well as be expelled for it. The policy is labeled “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” -
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
President Clinton signs the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. The legislation, which passes both houses of Congress by slim majorities, lays out a plan to reduce the budget deficit by $496 billion through 1998, using a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. -
Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles
President Clinton presides over a ceremony in Washington, D.C., at which Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat sign the Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles, also known as the Oslo I Accord; this is the first face-to-face agreement between the Israeli government and the PLO, providing for Palestinian self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. -
Clinton unveils healthcare plan
President Clinton unveils a plan for universal health care that would fix what he called a “badly broken” system. Clinton emphasizes that under his plan, all Americans would have high-quality health care and would be able to choose their physicians. -
Battle of Mogadishu
U.S. special forces stormed a compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, in order to capture aides to warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. Commanders intended the attack to be swift and precise, but the operation quickly fell apart. In the end, eighteen U.S. troops died, and eighty-four were wounded. -
American forces ambushed in Somalia
An elite American special forces unit searching for Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid in Somalia's capital city of Mogadishu is ambushed by Aidid's forces, leaving eighteen Americans dead. Three days later, President Clinton announces that all American military personnel in Somalia will be home by March 31, 1994. -
Brady Act
President Clinton signs the Brady Act, which requires a potential handgun purchaser to wait five days while a background check is performed by law enforcement officers. -
NAFTA creates free trade zone
After a hard-fought battle in Congress, President Clinton signs the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), eliminating nearly every trade barrier between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, creating the world's largest free trade zone. -
Clinton attends NATO summit
President Clinton attends the NATO summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium, at which he announces that the United States will maintain at least 100,000 troops in Europe. He also introduces the “Partnership for Peace” program aimed at building closer ties between NATO and former Warsaw Pact states. -
Vietnam trade embargo lifted
President Clinton ends the nineteen-year-old trade embargo against Vietnam, noting that Vietnam is indeed trying to locate 2,238 Americans listed as missing in action since the Vietnam War. -
Last Marines leave Somalia
The last American Marines leave Somalia. -
China trade status renewed
President Clinton renews China's Most Favored Nation trade status, even though China has not made as much progress on human rights issues as he had hoped. -
Welfare Reform
President Clinton unveils his welfare reform initiatives. Clinton had campaigned in 1992 on the issue, promising to “end welfare as we know it.” -
Congress delays heath care reform
The White House and congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME), announce that Clinton's ambitious plan for health care reform will not be acted upon in 1994. Clinton's initiatives fail to find support in Congress. -
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
President Clinton signs into law the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that includes provisions providing for the hiring of 100,000 more policemen, and the expansion of the death penalty to cover more than 50 federal crimes. -
Haiti general cedes power
After a tense stand-off with the Clinton administration, Haiti's military government, led by General Raoul Cedras, agrees to cede power. The administration, along with the United Nations, had tried for over a year to restore the democratically elected president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been overthrown in a coup on September 30, 1991. -
Deterring invasion of Kuwait
The Clinton administration announces plans to send more than 35,000 troops to the Persian Gulf to deter an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Less than three days after the announcement, Iraqi troops pull back from the Iraq-Kuwait border. -
General Agreement on Tariffs approved
The Senate votes to approve the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that 117 nations, including the United States, agree to in December 1993. The agreement cuts tariffs by more than a third on a wide range of products and creates a freer international market for goods. -
START I signed in Budapest
President Clinton, along with the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine, signs the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) in Budapest, Hungary. The treaty eliminates more than 9,000 warheads. -
Congressional Accountability Act
President Clinton signs the Congressional Accountability Act, requiring Congress to abide by the same anti-discrimination workplace rules that apply throughout the rest of the country. -
Emergency loans to Mexico
President Clinton authorizes the U.S. Treasury Department to make an emergency loan of up to $20 billion to Mexico to forestall a financial crisis threatening the interconnected Mexican and American economies. -
Oklahoma City bombed
In an act of domestic terrorism, a bomb planted in a truck parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, kills 168 people and causes massive structural damage. In the days following the tragedy, Clinton, in widely-praised efforts, speaks with victims and to the country about how to recover physically, emotionally, and spiritually from the attack. -
U.S. recognizes Vietnam
The United States extended full diplomatic recognition of Vietnam, twenty-two years after the United States withdrew military forces from that country. -
NATO begins strikes on Serbia
NATO, with a strong contingent of American forces, begins two weeks of air attacks on Serbian positions. -
Dayton Peace Accords Reached
In Dayton, Ohio, the representatives of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia agree in principle to a peace agreement, brokered by American Richard Holbrooke, to end three years of war in Bosnia. The agreement establishes a unitary Bosnian state and allows refugees to return home. -
Clinton urges peace in Ireland
During a tour of Europe, President Clinton urges the continuation of peace efforts in Northern Ireland where a longstanding conflict between Irish Protestants and Catholics escalated to violence over issues of economic and political autonomy. -
Clinton delivers State of the Union
President Clinton, in the annual State of the Union address, declares that “the era of big government is over.” More important, he positions himself as a centrist, moderate Democrat for the upcoming presidential election, hoping that these types of pronouncements will blunt Republican charges that he is too liberal. -
“Line-Item Veto”
President Clinton signs a bill giving him the power of the “line-item veto,” which had been requested by Presidents Reagan and Bush. With this new power, Clinton can veto specific items in spending and tax bills without vetoing the entire measure. -
“Safe, legal and rare” abortions
President Clinton vetoes a bill that would have outlawed certain types of late-term abortions, namely the partial-birth abortion. Clinton emerges during his presidency as a strong advocate of the “right to choose,” often stating his wish that abortions in the United States become “safe, legal, and rare.” -
Troops to remain in Bosnia
President Clinton announces that American troops will likely remain in Bosnia as the major component of an international peacekeeping force for an additional eighteen months. -
Whitewater fraud trail
In the first trial to result from the Whitewater investigation, Jim and Susan McDougal, and Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker--Clinton's friends and former business partners in the Whitewater affair--are convicted of fraud. -
Expanding health care coverage
President Clinton signs a health care reform bill that he expects to expand coverage for many Americans. The measure specifically allows workers who change or lose their jobs to keep their health insurance coverage. -
Clinton Signs “Welfare to Work” Bill
President Clinton signs a welfare reform bill that radically restructures the American welfare system. The provisions of the new law limit recipients of welfare benefits and enact a “welfare to work” initiative. -
Missile strikes Iraq
President Clinton orders a cruise missile strike against Iraq after Saddam Hussein leads a siege against the Kurdish city of Irbil in northern Iraq. -
UN bans nuclear weapons testing
An overwhelming majority of United Nations members, including the United States, agree to a treaty banning all nuclear weapons testing. -
President Clinton is re-elected
President Clinton, with 49 percent of the vote, defeats Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), with 41 percent of the vote, for the presidency. Clinton becomes the first Democratic President since Franklin Roosevelt to win reelection to a second term. -
Fundraising investigations begin
The Senate votes 99-0 to approve an investigation into the “improper” and “illegal” fund-raising tactics of both the White House and members of Congress. Allegations by Republicans and some Democrats of illegal fundraising by the Clinton White House spur the investigation. -
Further nuclear negotiations begin
President Clinton and President Yeltsin of Russia meet at Helsinki, Finland, and agree to begin negotiations on another nuclear arms reduction treaty (START III) as soon as both nations ratify START II. The United States Senate had ratified START II in January 1996. -
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
The United States Senate ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which bans the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. It is one of the most ambitious arms agreements in history. The international treaty was originally signed at the United Nations in January 1993, and it went into effect on April 29, 1997. -
Eliminating the budget deficit
The Clinton administration and Republican congressional leaders agree on principle to a five-year budget plan to eliminate the budget deficit. That goal would be accomplished, largely due to the strong economy of recent years. -
Balanced budget
President Clinton signs legislation providing for a balanced budget by 2002, ending years of partisan wrangling between Clinton and Republican leaders. -
Investigation finds no campaign finance violations
Attorney General Janet Reno, in a letter to Congress, announces that the Justice Department's investigation into allegations that the Clinton administration violated campaign finance laws, especially in its efforts to finance the 1996 presidential campaign, has uncovered no major violations. -
President Jiang Zemin makes state visit
President Clinton welcomes President Jiang Zemin of China for a state visit. -
Stabilizing Southeast Asia
President Clinton orders the United States government to contribute $3 billion to an international bail-out of Indonesia totaling over $22 billion. The Clinton administration argues that the bailout will help stabilize the shaky financial situation in Southeast Asia. -
Lewinsky Allegations
News breaks that President Clinton may have had a sexual relationship with a former White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. Clinton, adamantly denying the allegations, states, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” -
Clinton leaves for Ghana
President Clinton leaves on a six-country, 12-day tour of Africa, the first for an American President since 1978 and the longest, with special focus on highlighting the history of American Slavery. -
Good Friday Peace Accords
Catholic and Protestant leaders in Northern Ireland sign the “Good Friday Peace Accords,” a substantial agreement in the Northern Ireland peace process. President Clinton had worked very hard, with several personal appeals to leaders on both sides, to bring about the agreement. -
Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania Bombed
Terrorists bomb American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people, including 20 Americans. United States intelligence believes that Osama bin Laden, a Saudi exile and alleged terrorist leader, is behind the attacks. On August 20, the U.S. military, on orders from President Clinton, launch reprisal strikes on “terrorist-related facilities” in Afghanistan, bin Laden's country of residence, and Sudan. -
Report released on Lewinsky affair
The Office of the Independent Counsel releases its report on the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, commonly known as the Starr Report. Two days earlier, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr tells the House that he has uncovered information that may be grounds for impeachment. -
Wye River Memorandum
After nine days of negotiations in rural Maryland, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat sign the Wye River Memorandum. President Clinton mediates the negotiations, which result in an agreement highlighted by a three-stage withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank. -
Retaliatory attacks on Iraq
President Clinton orders a three-day bombing attack against Iraq after Saddam Hussein refuses to cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. -
House Impeaches Clinton
The House of Representatives votes to impeach President Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. -
Clinton acquitted
The Senate acquits President Clinton on both articles of impeachment, rejecting one article and splitting evenly on the second. -
NATO attack on Serbia
In response to Serbian aggression in Kosovo and Albania, and reports of ethnic cleansing, the United States leads NATO attacks against Serbia. On February 23, Serbian and Kosovar representatives had agreed to a plan that would have granted more autonomy to Kosovo over a three-year period. Serbia reneged on the agreement, prompting U.S. and NATO military action. -
NATO-Serbian campaign ends
The NATO air campaign against Serbia ends after Serb forces agree on June 9 to withdraw from Kosovo. KFOR, an international peacekeeping force of 50,000 troops, enforces the agreement. -
Underground nuclear tests upheld
The United States Senate votes down the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which would have prevented the United States from conducting underground nuclear tests. -
Trade with China
The United States and China agree to a trade treaty reducing tariffs and other trade barriers. The treaty is to come into effect after China joins the World Trade Organization and Congress grants permanent normal trade relations between the two countries. -
Longest economic expansion in history
The Labor Department announces that the nation's business expansion has reached eight years and eleven months, marking the longest economic expansion in American history. -
Permanent trade relations with China
President Clinton sends a bill to Congress asking for permanent normal trade relations with China. After securing House (May 24) and Senate (September 19) approval, Clinton signs the bill on October 10. -
First summit with Putin
President Clinton holds his first summit meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. They reaffirm their nations' commitment to strategic arms reductions but disagree over American plans to research and develop a missile-defense system. -
Israeli peace summit
President Clinton hosts Israeli leader Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at Camp David in the hope of reaching a peace agreement. After two weeks of unsuccessful talks, the summit breaks up with no agreement. -
Independent Counsel concludes Whitewater dealings
Independent Counsel Robert Ray announces that his investigation has not discovered enough evidence to indict the Clintons for their Whitewater dealings. -
Disputed Serbian elections
In Serbia, President Slobodan Milosevic declares that Vojislav Kostunica is the rightful president of Serbia. The announcement comes after disputed elections, which Milosevic had tried to rig, produce massive street protests. -
A contested election
On election day, Vice President Gore and Governor Bush run so closely that no winner can be declared. Only after the Supreme Court rules on December 13 that there would be no recount of Florida's contested votes does Gore concede the election to Bush. -
George W. Bush inaugurated
Texas governor George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States. -
Bush bans abortion aid
In one of his first policy decisions, President Bush decides to reinstate the ban on aid to international groups performing or counseling on abortion. The ban was initiated by former President Ronald Reagan but is not enforced during the administration of President Bill Clinton. -
Deregulating religious charities
By executive order, President Bush creates the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The new office will work to ease regulations on religious charities and promote grass-roots efforts to tackle community issues such as aid to the poor and disadvantaged. -
Attacking Iraq
United States airplanes attack Iraqi radar sites to enforce a “no-fly zone.” Bush calls the military action a “routine mission.” -
Kyoto Protocol rejected
The Bush administration affirms its decision to abandon ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty signed by 180 countries to reduce global warming that set limits on industrial emissions. -
Spy plane downed over South China Sea
A U.S. spy plane flying over the South China Sea is clipped by a Chinese fighter jet, forcing the American plane to make an emergency landing on Chinese soil. The incident strains diplomatic ties between the two nations as the United States demands that China return both the plane and its crew to American authorities. -
Bush backs Taiwan over China
President Bush signals a change in relations with China by officially pledging military support for Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. This is the first time a presidential administration has publicly acknowledged a position that had previously been implicitly accepted. -
Trillion dollar tax cut
President Bush signs a $1.35 trillion tax cut into law. Although the amount falls short of the $1.60 trillion the administration has been seeking, the bill does slash income tax rates across the board and provides for the gradual elimination of the estate tax. -
Halting stem cell research
President Bush addresses the nation, outlining his plans for the federal funding of stem cell research. The new policy allows for continued government funding of existing research on already extracted stem cells but prohibits the extraction of additional stem cells from human embryos for further research. -
September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Terrorists hijack four commercial jets and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the Pennsylvania countryside. It is the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, with fatalities numbering about 3,000. Addressing the nation twelve hours after the attacks, President Bush vows to hunt down those responsible. -
Operation “Enduring Freedom”
Speaking from the Treaty Room of the White House, President Bush announces the commencement of military action in Afghanistan, an operation code-named “Enduring Freedom.” -
D.C. Anthrax scare
The Capital shuts down amidst an Anthrax scare. Persons in Florida and New York have already tested positive for the frequently fatal bacteria. Bush calls for $1.5 billion to fight bioterrorism. -
Enron files bankruptcy
Enron Corporation files for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection, the largest bankruptcy case in American history. The beleaguered company, once the world’s premier energy trading and services firm, files for court protection after watching its stock price plummet as a result of accounting issues relating to its operations. Earlier in the year, discoveries reveal that Enron’s chief financial officer engaged in partnerships which allowed the company to hide half a billion dollars worth of debt. -
Withdrawal from Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
After conferring with the National Security Council, President Bush notifies Russia of his intention to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Meetings with Russian president Vladimir Putin fail to establish an agreement between the two nations. In June 2002, the United States officially withdraws from the Treaty, allowing it to conduct anti-missile defense tests.