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AIDS '70s
People who used needles or were gay men suddenly started getting sick and dying. Unknown to doctors and scientist at the time, HIV entered the US in the 1970s. This was significant, because it would change millions of lives forever. -
Munich Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany. This was their second time hosting the games since the 1936 Games in Berlin, under the Nazis. However, this event was mostly shadowed by the terrorist attack, known as the Munich Massacre. The Massacre was started by 8 Palestinian terrorists from an organization called the Black Septembers killed 2 members of the Israeli Olympic Team and then took another 9 others hostage. (read continued) -
Munich Olympics 1972 (continued)
After a failed rescue attempt, all of the hostages were killed. This caused the Olympic games to be suspended for several hours. This particular event caused heightened security at future Olympic games and also fro the German government to re-examine its anti-terrorism policies. This also caused Israel to launch their “Operation Wrath of God” campaign, which involved tracking down and killing anyone they suspected to have been involved in the terrorist attack. -
Energy Crisis
The energy crisis of the 1970s was a time frame when the economies of many countries around the world faced oil shortages. Of course, the United States was heavily affected.
It all started in the early '70s when U.S oil consumption continued to increase while U.S oil production declined, eventually the value of the U.S dollar went down, and the demand for oil went up, but there was a shortage in supply. This is significant because it led to a environmentalist movement for a cleaner Earth. -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C was the headquarters for the Democratic Party. As a Republican, Nixon steals inside the hotel and finds documents that eventually aids his winning of the election. However, when the public found out, Nixon denied it it and would eventaully leave office. This is significant because it was the first real time that the idea of our governemnt abusing its power gets seen. -
Richard Nixon
When President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he was not rerunning for office, Richard Nixon stepped up to the plate. His presidency is defined by the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. His signficance arose from his position in office. -
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford was Richard Nixon's Vice President. After Nixon left office, Gerald Ford was to be the 38th President. As President, he signed the Helsinki Accords, but also pardoned Richard Nixon on his Watergate scandal. -
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter's political career started as a senator and eventually governor of Georgia. In 1976, Carter would decide to run for President of the United States and win against Gerald Ford, stating that, "he would never tell a lie." Carter's Presidency is defined by one important event: the Iran Hostage Crisis. After 444 days of hostage, the Americans would be released as soon as Carter left office -
Rise of Computers
Computers were slowly advancing throughout the 70s. In the early '70s, Intel had also announced the 1103, a DRAM memory chip containing more than 1,000 bits of information. This chip would later become known as the random-access memory, or more familiarly RAM. In the '70s the military would start to use computers for arms. The U.S Department of Defense developed ada which was a computer program capable of designing missile guidance systems. -
Rise of Computers (continued)
In 1979 the Motorola 68000 was released and later chosen as the processor for the Apple Macintosh computers. Starting from the 70s to 90s and even present day, its significance is easily seen through the advancement in computers which has enabled the technology we have today. -
Three Mile Island
The Three Mile Island accident was another huge partial nuclear meltdown that happened in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979. Unlike the massive amount of radiation that Chernobyl released, Three Mile Island resulted in the release of small amounts of radioactive gases and iodine in the environment.From both situations, people realized the potential of radiation but also that they needed to perserve the Earth. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
After a decline in Iranian and American relations, on November 4, 1979, Iranian students overran the American Embassay in Tehran. The president at the time was Jimmy Carter. Carter halted trade with Iran, however nothing worked. The hostages were finally released after over 400 days when Carter left office. -
1980 Olympic Hockey Team (continued)
This event was significant because America at the time was coming out of a gloomy despair, and the win had uplifted the spirits of Americans. “The Miracle on Ice,” is commonly referred to with the line, “It gave the country a reason to feel good again.” -
1980 Olympic Hockey Team
During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, history was made. On February 22, the United States men's ice hockey team, coached under Herb Brooks, defeated the Soviet team. A team that had won almost every wold championship and Olympic tournament since 1954. This would later become known as “The Miracle on Ice.” (read continued blurb) -
AIDS '80s
In 1981, AIDS is detected in California and New York. One year later, the name AIDS gets developed, meaning "acquired immune deficiency syndrome." In '83 and '84, scientist found out that women and children were also getting AIDS. From this, they realized that HIV was the cause of AIDS. This was signficant, because with this discovery, doctors can start producing a medicine and treating patients. -
Ronald Reagan
A governor for California, Ronald Reagan would become the President of the United States in 1980. As soon as he takes office, the hostages in Iran are released. One of his programs was called "Reagnomics," which made tax cuts to the upper class to help the lower class. Regan was a very loved and succesful president. -
Iran Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra Affair, more formerly known as the Irangate, Contragate Affair, was a political scandal that came to light when Iranian, Mehdi Hasemi leaked an arrangement. While President Ronald Reagan was still in office, officials secretly sold arms to Iran, who was under an arms embargo. The scandal really began when U.S officials believed by selling arms to Iran, the release of the American hostages would be guaranteed. (read continued) -
Iran Contra Affair (continued)
However, when Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North intervened with the project, a high percentage of the profits of these sells went to the Contras in Nicaragua. Consequently, when the public found out, Reagan's popularity dropped significantly. This was the first time his ratings took a massive blow and showed that the American government could go behind the country and abuse its powers. When light was shined on his scandal (read continued 2) -
Iran Contra Affair (continued 2)
Reagan addressed to the public that these sells did happen, but that the arms were in fact not a trade for the hostages. Heavy investigations also ensued. In the end, there was no evidence that Reagan authorized the diversion of the money or the sells. -
Challenger Explosion
The Challenger was the second U.S space shuttle to reach space. After its first mission in April 1983, the Challenger completed a total of nine missions. Even with all its fame and triumphs, the Challenger is also arguably NASA's biggest tragedy. On January 28, 1986, while preparing for its 10th launch, the shuttle exploded, killing all seven of the crew members. Just 73 seconds after launch, the media caught the dark disaster that would change the space program in many ways. (read continued) -
Challenger Explosion (continued)
For instance, it significantly put off the plan to fly civilians into space, like journalists. It also caused satellite launches to be shifted from shuttle to reusable rockets. -
Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, a disastrous nuclear accident took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The explosion and fire released huge quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere spreading over much of the Western USSR and Europe Even today, cases of cancer and deformities in newborns are occurring. This was really the first time the world saw such a traumatic nuclear disaster. The outcome also gave the world an idea of how bad certain things could be for the environment. -
George H.W Bush
George H.W Bush was the 41st President of the United States. Bush was of the Republican party and had served as Vice President for Ronald Reagan. From Massachusetts, Bush got involved with politics shortly after founding his own oil company. His presidency is defined by foreign policy, especially the military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was taken down in November 1989. The wall that had completely surrounded West Berlin and divided the capital of Germany to East and West also symbolized the difference in communism and democracy between the two parts of Germany. The falling of the wall showed that the Cold War was over, it finally ended the communism in Eastern Europe, specifically to the people of East Berlin. They now had a chance to restore their capital and revive the East's economy. -
U.S Military Acts in Iraq (Operation Desert Storm)
The ruler of Iraq, Sudam Hussain, accused Kuwait of stealing oil from a shared oil field and would later order Iraq to attack Kuwait. The United States would get involved by backing Kuwait. The American Operation called "Operation Desert Storm," would last 6 months. This was significant because it was the first time modern war technology was used.
