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Formation of the World Trade Organization
The WTO is significant to US history because it promotes fair, open trade across countries. This organization reduces trade barriers and ensures that each country follows the same rules and guidelines. This protects US exports from unfair practices. The dispute system created gives the US a legal way to challenge any trade violations that occur to keep the safety of exporting goods. Overall, the WTO is important because it supports economic growth and the creation of jobs. -
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
DOMA was a law passed by congress and written into legislation by Clinton. It defines marriage as an act between a man and a woman, meaning that in the eye of the US government, even if same sex marriage is legal in your state, the marriage is not recognized. Bob Barr, the chief of DOMA stated that "same-sex marriage threatened straight marriage and, therefore, all of society" (Kruse and Zelizer, 218). Due to this the federal government did not give same sex couples access to federal benefits. -
Y2K
Y2K was a nationwide fear that once the year turned 2000, computer systems would fail. Most wrote the date using 2 digits so they feared that when "00" was written, it would be misread as 1900. This was because this type of technology was fairly new at the time and many people didn't know enough information about it. The US feared that this confusion could cause malfunctions in banking, utilities and defense systems. In all, this proved the reliance that the US has on technology to this day. -
Columbine Highschool Shooting
Columbine was a mass shooting that changed the way that the government went about dealing with school shooting. The shooting ended with 12 students and 1 teacher being killed, this was because the police tactic was to not enter the building and instead be outside ready to catch the suspects when they exited. After the severity of this event the government made a point to change how they would approach shootings to attempt to make it lessen the damage caused by these horrific acts. -
9/11 Attacks
The 9/11 attacks were a major event in US history, leading to around 3,000 deaths and triggering the War on Terror. They "revealed the nations vulnerabilities and swept aside the easy confidence that America had held," (Kruse and Zelizer, 243). Because of these attacks new laws, airport screenings, and surveillance were added to ensure safety. They also led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, increased antiterror efforts worldwide, and had lasting social, political, and cultural impacts in America. -
US invades Afghanistan
This invasion by the US a a significant starting point of the War on Terror. The goal was to dismantle al-Qaeda and then remove the Taliban for being the cause of the 9/11 Attacks. This became Americas longest war and ended up reshaping the US foreign policy and its military strategy. This also greatly impacted Afghan society and raised debates over nation building, human rights and the long-term costs of war. -
Facebook is Launched
The launch of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg transformed how American society communicated, connected and shared information. It was one of the first social media platforms that aided in shaping culture, politics, business and activism. With this launch concerns were raised about mental health, privacy and misinformation being shared as social media is a popular place for that. Facebook also played a role in how Americans market themselves and how they interact both on and offline. -
First iPhone is released
The launch of the first iPhone by Apple, created by Steve Jobs allowed American society to have a phone, internet browser and iPod in one device. This transformed communication, business, entertainment, and everyday life as people were able to carry this around in their pocket. This popularized mobile internet use as people had never been able to use the internet outside of the comfort of their homes, this also reshaped how people work because they would be able to answer emails on the fly. -
Financial Crisis of 2008
This financial crisis was an economic collapse in the US due to much lending of money, a housing bubble and multiple bank failures. This led to job loss, home foreclosures and a global recession. Specifically in the US it caused government bailouts and reforms such as the Dodd-Frank act. It also caused the government to reevaluate the regulation of finances. In all, it caused the public to lose trust in banks because they were shown to not be able to repay people their money. -
Obama elected first African-American President
The election of Barack Obama as the first African American president was a major historic milestone displaying the progress in the nation's struggle with racial inequality. His vicotry inspired much hope and increased nationwide political engagement, specifically among the young and minority voters. This showed Ameericas attempt at becoming a more inclusive country and demonstrated the leadership could breakdown social barriers. -
Osama bin Ladens Death
The death of Osama bin Laden was a major moment for the US and for some, a victory. His death brought justice for the 9/11 attacks and provide a sense of closure for some Americans. Even though the terrorist threats remained in the US, his death weakened al-Qaedas leadership, marked a key victory in the War on Terror and boosted national morale. -
Same-Sex Marriage is Legalized Nationwide
This was a historic civil rights victory for America, same-sex marriage was something that was fought for for many years and was never able to be passed. This guaranteed that there was marriage equality under the Constitution and that love and commitment are equal regardless of gender. This marked a major step toward greater social acceptance and equality across all of American society, specifically the legal rights of those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.