Period 9

California v. Bakke

1978

This Supreme Court case ruled that race is allowed to be a factor in college admission policy, but specific racial quotas are not allowed.

Religious Fundamentalism

1980

This Christian movement was largely aimed at eliminating beliefs of Darwinism and biblical criticism.

NRA

1980

For the first time ever, the National Rifle Association endorsed a presidential candidate (Ronald Reagan).

Ronald Reagan

1981

Republican nominee Ronald Wilson Reagan was elected President of the United States.

PATCO Strike

1981

This strike (organized for the purpose of gaining better working conditions, pay, and a 32-hour workweek) was declared illegal by President Reagan.

AIDS

1981

Doctors in the US discover AIDS after 20 years of its proliferation.

Supply-Side Economics

1981

This economic theory, based primarily around tax cuts and deregulation of business, was put into action via the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.

Trickle-Down Economics

1981

This economic theory is based around tax cuts for the upper class and deregulation of business, and was championed by President Reagan in the early 1980's.

Economic Recovery Tax Act

1981

This act of Congress made massive tax cuts with the purpose of boosting the economy.

Sandra Day O'Connor

1981

Sandra Day O'Connor is made the first woman justice in the Supreme Court.

Sandinistas

1981

This party of radical Nicaraguans took overthrew their country's government, and were intensely against US occupation of their country.

Boland Amendment

1982

This group of amendments was designed to limit US occupation and governmental assistance in Nicaragua.

SDI

1983

The Strategic Defense Initiative was a proposed concept to end mutually assured destruction by using a system of missiles, lasers, and/or particle beam weapons to defend against Soviet attacks.

Beirut Bombings

1983

These terrorist attacks happened in Lebanon, which was organized by the "Islamic Jihad" as an attack against US and French military members.

Yasser Arafat

1983

This Palestinian leader chose to change his policy with Israel from conflict to negotiation.

Geraldine Ferraro

1984

Ferraro was the Democratic nominee for Vice President, the first female nominee for the position in American history.

Walter Mondale

1984

Mondale ran for President as the Democratic nominee, but lost to the Republican nominee Ronald Reagan in a landslide.

Iran-Contra Affair

1985

This political scandal was the result of the Reagan Administration selling arms to Iran, which was illegal according to an arms embargo at the time.

Glasnost & Perestroika

1985

This reformative movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to be more open and economically successful, which may have lead to the end of the Soviet Union.

Bob Dole

1985

This man became the Republican Leader of the US Senate, which

Enron

1985

This energy corporation was formed when two smaller companies, Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, merged.

Mikhail Gorbachev

1985

Gorbachev becomes the final leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

William Rehnquist

1986

Nominated by President Reagan, Rehnquist became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Immigration Act of 1986

1986

This federal act made it illegal to knowingly hire/recruit illegal immigrants, as well as legalizing certain groups of immigrants.

"Tear down this wall!"

1987

This speech by President Reagan was aimed at Soviet leader Gorbachev, with the goal of having the Berlin wall removed.

PLO

1987

The Palestine Liberation Organization was recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization.

INF Agreement

1987

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was an agreement between the USA and USSR, which was aimed at removing all nuclear and non-nuclear missiles in both nations.

"Read my lips, no new taxes."

1988

After accepting the Republican nomination for US President, George H. W. Bush made this bold promise in a speech.

Al-Qaeda

1988

This organization was initially formed to counter the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but later became a terrorist organization.

Osama bin Laden

1988

This man was the founder and first General Emir of al-Qaeda.

Citizens United

1988

This political organization that pushes a primarily conservative agenda.

Moral Majority

1989

This conservative Christian political party disbanded in 1989.

George H. W. Bush

1989

Republican nominee George H. W. Bush was elected President of the United States.

Tienanmen Square

1989

In this part of Beijing, students lead various protests against their government and were massacred by the Chinese military with automatic rifles and tanks.

Panama Invasion

1989

This invasion, under the Bush Administration, was aimed at removing the Panamanian dictatorship.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

1989

In November, the Berlin Wall began its demolishment process.

Lech Walesa

1990

This man was elected the President of Poland.

Persian Gulf War

1990

This short war was lead by the US and some US allies against Iraq due to Iraq's annexation of Kuwait.

Americans with Disabilities Act

1990

This civil rights law prohibits employers from discriminating against Americans with disabilities during the hiring process.

Internet

1990

Computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web, making the Internet accessible to many.

Boris Yeltsin

1991

This man became the first president of Russia after the dissolution of the USSR.

Clarence Thomas

1991

This man, nominated by President Bush, became Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Nuclear Proliferation

1991

After many difficult years of mutually assured destruction, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was negotiated between the USA and USSR to lower nuclear proliferation.

WMD's

1991

Thanks to the invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War, Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction programs became a great concern for the Bush Administration.

Breakup of the Soviet Union

1991

The USSR finally dissolved, granting self-governing powers to the many bodies under its umbrella.

Ross Perot

1992

This man ran an independent presidential campaign, and although he did not become President, his independent campaign was one of the strongest in US history.

"Ethnic Cleansing"

1992

This phrase became the popular term to describe the persecution of an ethnic group after an ethnic cleansing of Croatians and Bosnian Muslims occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Start I and II

1993

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was ratified between the USA and USSR to limit and reduce the number of offensive arms and ban MIRVs on ICMBs for both nations.

Bill Clinton

1993

Democratic candidate Bill Clinton became the President of the United States.

Failure of Health Reform (1990's)

1993

The Clinton administration proposed a universal healthcare plan for all American citizens, but it failed after public backlash.

Deficit Reduction Budget

1993

This federal act raised several taxes, as well as Social Security benefits.

Al Gore

1993

This politician and environmentalist was elected Vice President.

Saddam Hussein

1994

This man became the Prime Minister and President of Iraq, and would go on to cause massive international havoc.

"Don't ask, don't tell"

1994

This military service policy, enacted by the Clinton Administration, prevented service members from both asking and disclosing sexual orientation.

NAFTA

1994

The North American Free Trade Agreement is an agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the US allowing free trade between the nations.

Brady Bill

1994

This federal act required that background checks be performed on those who attempt to buy firearms.

Contract with America

1994

This document, written during a Congressional election, listed the actions Republicans would take if they became the majority in the House.

Taliban

1994

This militia faction rose to prominence during the Afghan Civil War.

Newt Gingrich

1995

This man became Speaker of the House, and remained in this position for 4 years.

Oklahoma City Bombing

1995

This terrorist attack orchestrated by two Americans resulted in 168 deaths, 680 injuries, and a destroyed building.

WTO

1995

The World Trade Organization was formed under the Marrakesh Agreement.

Welfare Reform

1996

This federal act was designed to negate the need for welfare checks by assisting "needy" families, families with dependent children, and by providing job training.

Madeleine Albright

1997

Under the Clinton Administration, Albright became the first woman Secretary of State.

G-8

1997

This inter-governmental political forum was formed with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK, the US, and the EU.

Kyoto Accord

1997

This international treaty sees that the nations that signed it reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Clinton Impeachment

1998

President Bill Clinton, charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, was impeached.

Bush v. Gore

2000

This Supreme Court ruling settled an illegal voting issue in Florida, which resulted in George W. Bush winning 25 electoral votes.

Bush Tax Cuts

2001

This series of tax cuts was executed by the W. Bush Administration, and they extended into the Obama Administration.

George W. Bush

2001

Republican nominee George Walker Bush was elected President.

No Child Left Behind

2001

This federal act created a standards-based education reform.

9/11

2001

This terrorist attack by al-Qaeda resulted in the destruction of several large buildings, 2,996 deaths, and over 6,000 injuries.

EU

2002

The monetary union of the European Union came into full effect 3 years after being established, making the euro the official currency of 19 nations.

Homeland Security

2002

This federal department was formed as a response to 9/11, and is dedicated to anti-terrorism and other forms of public security.

"Axis of Evil"

2002

This term was used by President W. Bush to describe terrorist governments.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

2003

This US invasion of Iraq occurred without any declaration of war.

Abu Ghraib Prison

2003

This prison became infamous for the human rights violations that occurred in it, committed by the US Army and CIA.

West Bank and the Gaza Strip

2005

Israel removed all its forces in the Gaza Strip, removing their settlements as well.

Hurricane Katrina

2005

This incredibly destructive tropical storm raged along the Gulf coast for eight days, killing 1,245 people.

Housing Bubble

2006

This economic "real estate bubble" resulted in housing prices peaking and then declining to record lows,

Sarah Palin

2006

This woman became the Governor of Alaska.

Great Recession

2007

This massive economic recession was the worst recession since the Great Depression, and was particularly devastating the real-estate market.

Bosnia and Kosovo

2008

Kosovo seceded from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the central government of Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to recognize.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

2008

These government-sponsored enterprises were placed into conservatorship.

John McCain

2008

This Republican nominee for President lost to Democrat Barack Obama.

D.C. v. Heller

2008

This Supreme Court case ruled that the federal capital's handgun ban and other firearm restrictions were unconstitutional.

Sonia Sotomayor

2009

This woman became the first Latina to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Hillary Clinton

2009

This woman, who was previously the First Lady, became the Secretary of State.

Barack Obama

2009

This man was the first black President.

Tea Party

2009

This conservative Republican movement calls for lower taxes and reduction of the national debt.

Dodd-Frank Act

2010

This federal act improved financial stability and consumer protection.

Affordable Care Act

2010

This federal act, nicknamed "Obamacare," was an attempt to improve the affordability of healthcare.

Arab Spring

2010

This wave of revolutions occurred in North Africa and the Middle East, resulting in multiple civil wars and governments being overthrown.

Debt Ceiling

2011

Republicans in Congress wanted to raise the debt ceiling via deficit reduction, but this resulted in a fall of the federal government's credit rating.

Syrian Civil War

2011

This civil war erupted in Syria during the Arab Spring, and continues to this day.

Mitt Romney

2012

This man was the Republican nominee for President, which he lost to Barack Obama.

John Kerry

2013

This Democrat served as the Secretary of State.

Boston Marathon Bombing

2013

This attack, executed with two homemade bombs, resulted in three deaths and several hundred injuries.

Shelby County v. Holder

2013

This Supreme Court case ended with the ruling that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional.

Same-Sex Marriage

2015

In the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in all states.