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End of Dictatorship in Panama
The US Invasion of Panama lasted from December 20th, 1989 to January 31st, 1990. The invasion occurred because they wanted to overthrow the Panamanian dictator, Manuel Noriega. Along with being a dictator that the US government disliked, Noriega was wanted by the US for drug trafficking. During the invasion, near 1,000 Panama soldiers and civilians were killed, while about 20 US soldiers were killed. Supports of Noriega were arrested. The invasion was seen as a violation of international law. -
An NBA Legend Retires
Magic Johnson, an NBA legend, announced that he had HIV on November 7th,1991. He said that he would retire immediately. Magic had just averaged 19.4 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 12.5 assists per game, so it was quite the surprise that such a great player would have this and retire. At the time, HIV was seen as a 'gay white man's disease', so Magic Johnson, a black straight man, testing positive for added to the extreme shock. The NBA legend won 5 NBA championships with the Lakers. -
5 Days of Rioting
Rodney King was a man who was involved in a high speed chase with police in March 1991, but when caught, police excessively beat him for 15 minutes. A year later, on April 29th, 1992, four of the police officers were found innocent. This sparked the Los Angeles Riots, which lasted from April 29th to May 4th in 1992. Some see this as a racist act, as all four cops were white, while King was black. Racism was quite clearly still alive during this time, as it is today. -
A Devastating Hurricane
Hurricane Andrew was a deadly category 5 hurricane that made landfall in the Miami area on August 24th, 1992. It traveled through Florida, where it then traveled to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. 250,000 people were left homeless and 82,000 businesses were destroyed following the catastrophe, as it is among the most destructive hurricanes on record. It is estimated that right before landfall, the wind speeds were around 140 miles per hour with gusts that reached nearly 170 miles per hour. -
Easier Trade in North America
The North American Free Trade Agreement was an agreement that eliminated tariffs and trade restrictions between the United States, Mexico, and Canada on January 1st, 1994. The purpose of passing this was to strengthen trade and relations between the countries. In turn, they had hoped that this would the economy of all three countries. It was inspired by the European Economic Community, an economic alliance between Western European countries, which helped their economy. -
A Trial That Leads to Racial Divide
The O.J. Simpson trial started on January 24th, 1995, and it concluded with a verdict reached on October 2nd, 1995. Simpson, a former NFL superstar running back, was on trial for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend. The trial created a large racial divide in America, as black people supported him and white people didn't. When found innocent, despite being clearly guilty, the divide became larger. Though found guilty in this criminal case, he was found guilty in a civil case months later. -
Murderer Brothers On Trial
The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, were on trial for the murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty. There were two trials (the first one went nowhere), but the one where they were found guilty lasted from August 23rd, 1995 to March 20th, 1996. The brothers admitted to the killing, but they pled and claimed self-defense due to the sexual abuse that they endured from their father, as their mother did nothing. The brothers are serving life sentences without parole. -
A Bombing During The Olympics
The Olympic Park Bombing took place on July 27th, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia during the Summer Olympics. Two were killed, while other 100 were injured. The bomber, Eric Rudolph, set off other bombs in Georgia for a few years, and he was not officially caught and detained May 31st, 2003. Originally, Richard Jewell, a security guard, was investigated for the act, but after no clear proof was discovered that he committed the act, he was cleared of anything to do with the bombing. -
A Hopeful End to the Kosovo War
NATO bombed Yugoslavia from March 24th, 1999 to June 10th, 1999. These bombing took place during the Kosovo War. The Yoguoslavians were killing and discriminating against the Albanians, so in order to stop this, NATO saw these bombs as the best solution. There are debates whether these bombings were justified; some say it violates international law and are war crimes. It is estimated that close to 800 civilians died in the air raids that took place over the 78 days. -
Among the Worst School Shootings Ever
The Columbine Massacre took place at Columbine High School in Colorado on April 20th, 1999. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and 1 teacher and wounded over 20 others before they killed themselves. Many theorize over what caused the pair to do this; some point out violent video games, bullying, and targeting minorities, Christians, and athletes. Nothing has been proven. Before their shooting, they planned to bomb the school. When their bombs failed, they turned to gun violence.