American History II 1980-2001

  • Period: to

    Operation Eagle Claw

    An attempt to rescue the American hostages being held captive in Iran fails when a mid-air collision occurs.
  • Reagan elected

    Ronald Reagan was elected 40th president of the United States.
  • Reagan assassination attempt

    President Reagan survives an assassination attempt after being shot in the chest while walking to his limousine in Washington, D.C.
  • IBM introduces the IBM 5150

    IBM introduces the first personal computer which sold for $1,565.
  • Sandra O'Connor elected to the Supreme Court

    Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman ever elected as Supreme Court associate justice in history.
  • Strategic Defense Initiative Program proposal

    President Reagan's initial proposal to develop technology to intercept incoming missiles. Also called Star Wars.
  • Black Monday

    Stock market crash occurs on the New York Stick Exchange with a 22.6% drop in one day.
  • The Exxon Valdez crash

    The Exxon Valdez crashes on the Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound causing the largest oil spill in American history. Eleven million gallons spilled over forty-five miles.
  • Removal of the Berlin Wall

    After thirty-eight years, the Berlin Wall allowed traffic between the east and west sides of Berlin.
  • Boris Yeltsin announcement

    Boris Yeltsin announced that Russia would stop targeting American cities with nuclear weapons.
  • NAFTA

    The North American Free Trade Agreement goes into effect, creating a free trade zone between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
  • World Trade Center Bombing

    Islamic terrorists hijack four airliners and crash them into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York. Two planes crashed into the WTC and one plane crashed into the Pentagon, while the fourth plane crashed in a cornfield in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The plot was attributed to the Al-Qaeda organization led by Osama Bin Laden.
  • War on the Taliban

    The United States and it's ally, the United Kingdom, commence the first attack in the War on Terrorism on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.