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Ronald Reagan was elected as the 40th American President.
The inauguration of Ronald Reagan (R) as the 40th president of the United States occurs in Washington, D.C. He brought national pride back to the country after the hard times of the '60s and '70s. He also survived an assassin's bullet. -
Assassination Attempt on U.S. President Reagan
The attempted assassination of United States President Ronald Reagan occurred on March 30, 1981, 69 days into his presidency. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr -
U.S.S.R. Launches Mir Space Station
The Soviets have opened a new phase in space exploration with the launch of the world's biggest space station, Mir. The successful launch of Mir comes just over three weeks after the American space shuttle Challenger disaster, in which seven astronauts died. -
Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing.
Also known as the Lockerbie bombing. All 270 people on board the aircraft were killed. -
George H. W. Bush is inaugurated as the 41st president.
George H. W. Bush (R) became the 40th president. President Bush ended the Cold War and led the first war with Iraq. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the last time over the Kremlin, thereafter replaced by the Russian tricolor. -
27th Amendment is Ratified.
The 27th Amendment to the Constitution is passed two hundred and two years after its initial proposal. It bars the United States Congress from giving itself a midterm or retroactive pay raise. This amendment had been originally proposed by James Madison in 1789, as part of twelve amendments, of which ten would become the original Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. -
U.S. President Clinton Impeached
Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice, on December 19, 1998. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge, and a charge of abuse of power failed in the House. -
Columbine Massacre
Fourth deadliest school shooting in US history. Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, leaves 14 students and 1 teacher dead including 2 shooters and 23 others wounded. -
George W. Bush (R) is inaugurated as the 43rd president of U.S.
Certification of the Electoral College victory of the 2000 United States Presidential election in the U.S. Senate confirms George W. Bush's victory, with Dick Cheney as his Vice-President. He was in the office on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked America. -
9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Islamic fundamentalist terrorists hijack four U.S. airliners and crash them into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York City. The attack of two planes levels the World Trade Center and the crash of one plane inflicts serious damage to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, causing more than 3,000 deaths. The plot is attributed to the Al-Qaeda organization led by Osama Bin Laden.