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Inauguration of George H. W. Bush
Bush defeats Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis to become 41st President of the United States in an election rampant with negative advertisements; Bush had promised "no new taxes" -
Operation Just Cause
The US invades Panama and overthrows corrupt dicatator Manuel Noreiga, who threatened American security and trafficked drugs -
First Iraq War
Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait, and the First Iraq War begins. The First Iraq War was a huge military success, achieving the US' military goals quickly and effectively and ending the "Vietnam syndrom", or refusal to employ US troops. -
START
The Strategic Arms Reductino Treaty (START) is signed betwen the United States and the Soviet Union; this treaty drastically limits the amount of warheads each country could contain. Bush is credited with helping resolve US-Soviet tensions -
Inauguration of Bill Clinton
Clinton defeats incumbent George H. W. Bush to become 42nd President of the United States; he won re-election in 1996 -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is the official policy under Clinton for gays and lesbians in the military; the policy prohibits harassment of closested members of the military while barring openly homosexual members -
Oklahoma City bombing
A truck-bomb explosion outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK leaves 168 dead and more than 680 injured; it shocks the nation because it was domestic terrorism -
Government Shutdown of '95-'96
Clinton had planned to use the budget for education, environment, Medicare, and public health; Republican-controlled Congress refuses to pass the budget in favor of House Speaker Newt Gingrich's promise to slow government spending. The result: government shutdowns in late 1995 (6 days) and early 1996 (22 days) -
Dayton Accords
The Dayton Accords are officially signed into place in Paris; these accords put an end to the Bosnian War in a joint foreign effort to promote peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina -
Bush v. Gore
The Supreme Court ends recounts and decides Bush won the Florida election over Al Fore; ths determines George W. Bush as winner of the 2000 presidential election -
September 11 attacks
Extremist Islamic group al-Qaeda coordinates four terrorist attacks on the U.S., killing 2,996 and injuring more than 6,000; Americans share a sense of trauma, and Bush's popularity soars during the aftermath -
War on Terror
Bush declares a war on terrorism following the 9/11 attacks with the purpose of destroying al-Qaeda (then led by Osama bin Laden) and other militant extremist organizations -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires states to develop assessments in basic skills; to receive federal funding, states must administer these assessments to all schoolchildren in select grade levels -
Lehman Brothers declare bankruptcy
Financial service firm Lehman Brothers declares bankruptcy; the Dow drops 504.48 points and the economy spirals into a Great Recessions -
Inauguration of Barack Obama
Obama defeats Republican nominee John McCain to become 44th President of the United States; Obama is the first African-American to hold this position -
Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize
Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people"; he is one of only four Presidents to receive this award -
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as "ObamaCare", is a federal statue enacted to increase the accessibility and quality of health insurance through expanded Medicaid eligibility and the creation of state-based insurance exchanges
