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Jimmy Carter Elected President
As a dark-horse candidate not well known outside of Georgia, Carter won the Democratic nomination and narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican Party president Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election. Carter pardoned all Vietnam War draft evaders on his second day in office. -
Mount. St. Helens Eruption
Back in 1980, it had a massive eruption released a huge plume of ash and debris into the air, causing devastation in the surrounding areas. It was one of the most significant volcanic eruptions in U.S. history. The explosion caused the top of the mountains to collapse, resulting in a massive landslide and pyroclastic flows. -
Star Wars Movie Premier
The original "Star Wars" movie premiered on May 25, 1977, at the Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It was a blockbuster event that nobody anticipated, drawing huge crowds and immediately capturing the public's imagination. -
Three Mile Island Meltdown
The Three Mile Island accident was a nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, near Harrisburg, the capital city of Pennsylvania, United States. -
Iran Hostages Released
An agreement having been made, the hostages were released on January 20, 1981, minutes after the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Ronald Reagan -
Assassination Attempt on President Reagan
On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hickley fired 6 shots, wounding Reagan and three others, including Press Secretary James Brady. Reagan was quickly taken to the hospital, where it was discovered a bullet had punctured his lung. Despite the severity, Reagan recovered quickly, showing resilience and humor. -
Challenger Shuttle Explosion
The Challenger shuttle explosion was a tragic event that occurred on January 28, 1986. The space shuttle Challenger broke apart just 73 seconds after take off, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. The cause of the explosion was later determined to be a failure in the O-ring seals of the shuttle's solid rocket boosters. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
On April 26, 1986, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded in Reactor 4 during a safety test. The blast released massive amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere, leading to widespread environmental and health impacts. The disaster prompted evacuations, long-term health issues, and significant environmental cleanup. -
George H.W. Bush Elected President
George Bush was elected as the 41st President of the United States in 1988. He served from 1988 to 1993. Bush was known for his foreign policy experience and his role in the end of the Cold War. He also signed important legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. -
Start of the Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War began in 1990 when Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait. The international community, led by the United States, formed a coalition to liberate -
Original U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Dream Team
The 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team was commonly referred to as the “Dream Team” after winning an Olympic gold medal and logging a perfect 8-0 record at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992. It was also the first U.S. Olympic team to include NBA players, thereby giving audiences a sense of basketball at its best. -
Rodney King Decision & L.A. Riots
The Rodney King decisions and the L.A. riots were significant events in American history. Rodney King's decision refers to the acquittal of four police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, an African American man, in 1991. The incident was captured on video and sparked widespread outrage due to the excessive use of force. The verdict led to protests and civil unrest in Los Angeles, known as the L.A. riots -
Launch of Google
Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by American computer scientists Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in California. -
Bill Clinton Impeached by the House of Representatives
Clinton was the second U.S. president to face a Senate impeachment trial, after Andrew Johnson. An impeachment inquiry was opened into Clinton on October 8, 1998. He was formally impeached by the House on two charges on December 19, 1998. -
World Trade Center/Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Attacks
On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed, 400 were police officers and firefighters, in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in NYC, at the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., and in a plane crash near Shanksville, PA.