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Jimmy Carter Elected President
Jimmy Carter won the presidential election in 1976 against the Republican candidate, Gerald Ford. Kimmy Carter was the 48th president. -
Star Wars Movie Premiere
"Star Wars: A New Hope" was the first Star Wars ever premiered. Fans were lined up for hours waiting to see it. Everyone fell in love with the effects. This franchise grew and still captures the hearts of fans today. -
Three Mile Island Meltdown
A partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor in Pennsylvania. It was the most serious accident in US commercial nuclear power plant history but it led to important safety improvements in the future. -
Mount. St. Helens Eruption
The eruption was triggered by a massive landslide which then created a powerful volcanic explosion.The eruption caused the top of the mountain to collapse and sent all the debris and pyroclastic flows down the slopes. The area was then in shambles and loss of life. -
Iran Hostages Released
Iranian college students seized 66 US citizens to Tehrān and held 52 of them hostage for more than a year. This was a fight between Iran and the US. -
Assassination Attempt on President Reagan
President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. He suffered severe injuries but made a full recovery. -
Iran/ Contra Affair
A scandal that involved the Reagan administration secretly selling weapons to Iran and using the proceeds to fund Contras in Nicaragua. It was complex and controversial. The affair led to investigations, hearings, and legal consequences. -
Challenger Shuttle Explosion
The space shuttle challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff. All seven crew members died. They think the reason for failure was the O rings of the rocket boosters. This event was very devastating. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
A nuclear disaster caused by a reactor explosion of the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The explosion released a significant amount of radioactive material into the environment, leading to the evacuation of nearby towns and long-term health and environmental consequences. -
George H.W. Bush Elected President
He was elected as the 41st President in 1988. He served from 1989-1993. He was known for his foreign policy experience and his leadership during the Gulf War. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
This marked the end of the Cold War era. The wall had divided East and West Berlin for almost 30 years. people from both sides of the wall came to celebrate and was a movement for unity and freedom. -
Start of the Persian Gulf War
Conflict between a coalition of countries led by the US and Iraq. Saddam Hussein was the leader at that time. The war was a response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The war lasted about 6 weeks and resulted in the liberation of Kuwait. -
Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots
Rodney King was brutally beaten by four Los Angeles police department officers. Civilians were able to catch it on camera, getting evidence. This created riots of people with difference of opinions, mostly people mad at the police officers. This created a trial and the officers were acquitted. People were furious and there was tons of backlash. This led to an outbreak of riots. The riots lasted several day and many people got killed. -
Bill Clinton Elected President
Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd president and served from 1993 to 2001. He won against the Republican party's George H. W. Bush. His presidency focused on economic growth, welfare reform, and international relations. He left an impact on domestic and foreign policies. -
Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team
In 1992 there was the first USA Olympic basketball dream team. The team consisted of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing. They went undefeated in the Olympics. They were also the first team to ever score over a hundred points each game, averaging 117.3 points per game. -
Launch of Google
Two computer scientists from Stanford, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, launched Google as a search engine project. Google's original name was "Backrub". -
Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives
Bill Clinton was impeached on the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. This was related to the scandal regarding a White House intern. He was acquitted by the Senate despite the impeachment by the House. He carried out his time in office till the end of his term. -
World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks
Islam terrorists hijacked two planes and flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. They also flew the third plane into the Pentagon. The fourth plane's target was Washinton DC. The fourth plane's passengers decided to take back control of the plane, and redirect it to a field to prevent more damage.