-
Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
-The epicenter of the magnitude 9.3 earthquake, the third largest recorded since the invention of the seismograph, was located off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
-The earthquake and the resulting tsunami killed an estimated 227,898 people, with tsunami related deaths occuring 8,000 miles away in South Africa -
Hurricane Katrina Hits The Gulf Coast
-The storm flooded over 80% of New Orleans due to the failures of dozens of levees surrounding the city
-1,245 people died as a result of the storm and resulting flooding -
United States Economy Enters Great Recession
-The Recession would last until June 2009 in the United States
-It was the worst economic downturn the country had faced since the Great Depression in the 1930's -
United States Economy Enters Great Recession
-The official starting point was not announced until December 2008
-The recession was the worst in the United States since the Great depression of the 1930's -
Barack Obama Becomes First African American US President
-A Democrat, he succeeds Republican George W. Bush as the 44th President of the United States
-An estimated 1.8 million people attend the inauguration at the Ntaional Mall in Washington, D.C. -
US Navy SEALS Kill Osama Bin Laden
-Bin Laden was the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, which was behind the September 11th attacks
-He was killed in a raid on his compound in northern Pakistan -
Last US troops leave Iraq
- Marks end of US intervention in Iraq and the Iraq War -President Obama negotiated the withdrawal of troops
-
Nations Meet in Paris to Draft Climate Change Agreement
-Delegations from 196 nations meet to draft an agreement regarding climate change and how they should adddress it
-However, the United States pulled out of the agreement under President Trump -
United States Elects Donald Trump
-He becomes the 45th President, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton, riding backlash to the Obama era
-His agenda includes a zero-tolerance policy on undocumented immigration, tough on crime policy, roll back on environmental regulations and renegotiations of international agreements including NAFTA and the Iran nuclear deal. -
US and North Korean Leaders Meet at Summit
-Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met behind closed doors in Singapore to discuss improving relations between the nations
-The two countries are officially still at war, as the Korean War was never officially ended