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The Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope launched on April 24th, 1990. The Hubble was designed to observe changes in celestial bodies, and to give humanity a better understanding of the universe. One of the Hubble's first scientific results observed the remnants of "Supernova 1987A", which press release issued on August 29th, 1990. The significance of the Hubble is that it was a breakthrough in space technology, and it helped scientists learn and understand more about our solar system.(Brian Dunbar, NASA) -
Bill Clinton elected President
In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president. Clinton officially came into office on January 20th, 1993. Clinton was 46 in 1993, making him the 3rd youngest president. When Clinton became president, he signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated trade restrictions between the US, Canada, and Mexico. The significance of Bill Clinton winning the election of 1992 is that he was widely popular in the US, which would lead to him serving a second term. (Matt Mullen, History) -
The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Protection Act
The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Protection act was an act signed by president Bill Clinton. This act changed the federal crime code in 1994, prohibiting the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semiautomatic weapon. This ban on semiautomatic weapons was active for a decade before expiring in 2004. The significance of this act is that it was an attempt to stop the appearance of gun violence and put a stop to mass shootings that had become out of hand. (Meghan Keneally, ABC News) -
Oklahoma City Bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a planned attack by Timothy McVeigh, who had developed a feeling of hatred for the United states Federal government. McVeigh had rented a truck to which inside there was a bomb. The building of target was the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma. McVeigh had parked the truck in front of the building, and ignited the bomb. This event is significant because it shows that the American people were beginning to not trust the federal government. (FBI, History) -
The debut of Fox News
Fox news made its debut in 1996. Fox News was created by Rupert Murdoch to appeal to a conservative audience. Fox news was to compete with other well-known networks at the time including ABC, NBS, and CBS. Murdoch handpicked the chairman of Fox news to be Roger Ailes, a well-known republican who had made his fame in the Nixon presidency years. The significance of the debut of Fox News is that it was a new network that gave Americans a new political outlook. (Kevin Kruise and Julian Zelizer, 224) -
Columbine School Shooting
The Columbine School shooting took place on April 20th, 1999. Two teens entered Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado and shot and killed 13 people. More than 20 people were wounded. The shooters had planned the attack on the school, bringing guns and a bomb. Both shooters committed suicide at the end of their attack. The Columbine school shooting is significant because today it is known for its terror, and the continuation of the debate over gun laws. (Amanda Onion, History) -
9/11
On September 11th, 2001 the United States became under attack. The day more infamously known as 9/11, was when two hijacked planes flew and crashed into the Twin Towers in NYC. Both the North and South tower were destroyed. This attack was an act of terrorism, led by the terrorist group known as Al- Qaeda. The significance of 9/11 is that after the attack, The United states increased security measures in public, and would later delcare war in the ME. ((Kevin Kruise and Julian Zelizer, pg.249) -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina took place from August 23rd to August 29th in 2005. Hurricane Katrina was a level five hurricane that hit the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. One of the most damaged areas from Hurricane Katrina is was New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina hit states with over winds of 140mph, and flooded the roads. Hurricane Katrina was significant because it was one of the biggest natural disasters of the early 2000s. ( Energy,Gov, Office of legacy management) -
Saddam Hussein Death
Saddam Hussein was the 5th president of Iraq. He had been accused of numerous massacres during his rule. This included the 1982 slaughter of the Shias in the town of Dujail, and the 1988 Halabja massacre, where he used chemical weapons against a Kurdish town that opposed him. Saddam Hussein was hung on December 30th, 2006. The significance of the death of Saddam Hussein is that he was a brutal leader, who had committed multiple crimes against humanity. (Elizabeth Mackintosh, CNN) -
Haiti Earthquake
On January 12th, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, leaving its capital Port-au Prince devasted. This earthquake caused around 300,00 deaths. The damage of the earthquake left around 1.3 million people homeless. The Earthquake destroyed a mass amount of infrastructure, and left Haiti in despair. This event is significant because the earthquake that hit Haiti destroyed much of its terrain, and hurt the country deeply. (USA Geological survey, Reginald DesRoches