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Truth in Texas Textbooks ReviewPublisher/Publication/Year: Worldview/American History II: Post Civil War America to the Present/2015Editor: Dr. Amy Jo Baker; Editor/Consultant: Dr. Sandra AlfonsiProblem: Bias (B), Omission of Fact (OF), Half-Truth (HT), Factual Error (FE)The publisher did not provide a response to this review.Page #/Line #QuoteProblemFact & Source COUNT() \# "0" Table of ContentsObjectives #77. Include objective presentations of contemporary social science issues with a global perspective that are balanced, pertinent, accurate, and current.We select information that is pertinent to the subject matter and always attempt to present a balanced and accurate narrative. Because our courses are delivered over the Internet, they may be updated regularly to include currently available data and breaking events. Although WorldView Software: American History II: Post-Civil War America to the Present 4 of 103History is focused on U.S. History, we often include material that places our nation’s history within a broader, global perspective.OFUpdated by whom?Global sources identified?CHAPTER 4OverviewExtended overviewAssimilationFirst paragraph, last sentence“Even when immigrants wanted to preserve their customs, they were often forced to adapt their diets, wardrobes, and entertainment choices to what was available in the American market.HTBecause the editor chose to use the term “often” this passage is not incorrect, although it seems to contradict the passage in the Narrative Overview of this same chapter: “Immigrants frequently transplanted their languages, food, religious practices, social institutions, and leisure activities. This completely transformed America's cities.”Urbanization following the great wave of immigration from 1922 onward had a great influence on diet, attire and entertainment. See “The Urbanization of America,” Frederick County Public Schools the other hand: “Most of the immigrants settled in the cities where they could find work in the factories. There was hardly a city of any size in America that did not have a section designated as Little Italy. Italians would look to settle in these areas, for it was here that they felt most comfortable. They could speak their own language and be understood, and they could eat food familiar to them. This resulted in the formation of very definite ethnic communities. The ideals, language, and customs of the Italians were preserved because of these neighborhoods. Little Italies could be found in major cities like Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, New Britain, Torrington etc., where they were sealed off from the wider American society. This isolation served to nurture and maintain the Italian ways of life (food, language, close-knit family organization and religious practices) Students should be allowed to visit Little Italy in New York city which offers the best and most varied selection of Italian cuisine on the East coast.”The Italian Immigrant Experience in America (1870-1920) by Joan Rapczynski, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2014 HYPERLINK "" 4OverviewExtended OverviewNativismParagraph 3Since most Americans were Protestants and many of the new immigrants were not, some Americans expressed religious intolerance. They believed that Catholics, Jews, and Buddhists were heretical or heathens. Still others, especially business owners and members of the middle class, were politically conservative and believed that immigrants were radical in their political beliefs (either socialist or communist). Thus these people felt that immigrants posed a threat to both democracy and capitalism.FEThe use of “heretical or heathens” is questionable. The immigrants who came first were Irish and they were Catholics. Then came Italians, also Catholics and Jews from Eastern Europe. No Protestant would judge Catholics and Jews as heretics or heathens.” Buddhists came in the late 1870s.CHAPTER 4OverviewExtended OverviewCity Life“Other Urban Problems”Third Paragraph“Crime was widespread in cities because there were high rates of unemployment and intense poverty. While murder rates declined in industrialized nations such as Germany and England, the homicide rate in the U.S. increased dramatically from 25 murders per million in 1881 to 107 per million in 1898. Other crimes, from pick-pocketing to bank robbery, also increased alarmingly.”BThis is anti-foreigners propaganda.CHAPTER 4Documents:Ozawa v. United StatesQ 4 of 4What were the political consequences for the Japanese community as a result of "Ozawa v. United States"? How does the inability to become a citizen limit one's political power?I would take the opportunity to commend the publisher for the inclusion and presentation of the material.?The questions are suitable to develop a student’s ability to reason and there is adequate information to enable the processThemesAfrican-AmericansDocumentsObama’s Speech on RaceRather than disassociate himself completely from Rev. Wright, Senator Obama used the opportunity to explore the theme of race relations in the United States, in the context of the campaign, in his family, and in the wider arena of American politics and culture. His theme was one of progress toward the constitutional goal of "a more perfect union."BWhile this statement is in itself not untrue, the selection of Sen. Obama’s speech is slanted toward presenting the US as racist by nature. A better choice for this exercise might have been Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1962 “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Senator Obama’s speech, a campaign speech mainly given for political reasons, may have been more appropriate in a course contrasting various ideological perspectives related to political and social movements in American public address. “Obama said Friday, in fact, that he doesn't much care for the proverbial national "discussion on race" or calls to create one.” “The dog that didn't bark is Obama's renowned speech on race, the one devoted to starting a national conversation on the subject and to putting the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's notorious comments in their proper context. The words "all men are created equal" do not appear in it. And so it is a very different appeal, with a very different view of America, than one would find in, say, Martin Luther King's great speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Obama mentions the Constitution briefly, noting its "ideal of equal citizenship" and that it "promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time." But he does not mention the conclusion that he arrives at in his book, namely, that the Constitution's "people" did not refer to or include blacks, and especially not black slaves. Although he regards both the Declaration and the Constitution as racist documents originally, he does not emphasize the point in his speech because it would confirm Rev. Wright's fundamental charge, that the U.S. is a racist country. And the point of Obama's speech in Philadelphia, at the National Constitution Center, was not merely to repeat his condemnation of Wright's remarks "in unequivocal terms" but to put the whole controversy behind him.”Charles R. Kesler, senior fellow of The Claremont Institute and editor of the Claremont Review of Books. ThemesAfrican AmericansArtBlack PanthersIn 1966, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, two young black residents of Oakland, California, founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Their purpose was to patrol the streets of Oakland, fully armed -- as California law permitted -- intervening in instances of what they regarded as police brutality against the black community. The Black Panthers expressed strong views about what they regarded as white oppression of black people, and did not shy from advocating violence when necessary to achieve black liberation.OF, HTViolent revolutionary organization of the 1960s and 1970sIts members engaged in drug dealing, pimping, rape, extortion, assault, and murder.Aimed to harass the police, to protest against “police brutality” and America’s allegedly racist power structure, and ultimately to ignite a violent race war in the United StatesIt is estimated that during their radical heyday, the Panthers killed more than a dozen people.[7] As Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver acknowledged in a June 15, 1997 Sixty Minutes interview: “If people had listened to Huey Newton and me in the 1960s, there would have been a holocaust in this country.”Excerpted and adapted from “Baddest: The Life and Times of Huey P. Newton” (Chapter 5 of Destructive Generation, by Peter Collier and David Horowitz, 1989.) AmericansGlossaryTermsBlack Panther PartyBlack Panther Partyfounded in Oakland in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, the Black Panthers sent armed patrols into their city's streets to monitor incidents of police brutality against African-Americans. Not flinching from the advocacy of violence where that was necessary to achieve black liberation, the Black Panthers were involved on several occasions in violent confrontations with the police. A number of members were ultimately imprisoned or killed.OF, HTSame as aboveThemesAfrican AmericansGlossaryTermsBlack powerStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committeeblack powerthe ideology embraced by some black groups in the late 1960s. In 1966, Stokely Carmichael, the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), used the phrase "black power" in indicating a departure from the group's previous support of nonviolent tactics in pursuit of black civil rights. In other words, blacks were to establish a separate identity as African-Americans, and a sense of pride in this separate identity. They were encouraged to obtain political and economic power so that they could determine their own destinies. Carmichael also advocated self-defense, which represented a break from the nonviolent tactics of the SNCC, the NAACP, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)a group that advocated black civil rights. The SNCC was originally organized in 1960 by college students. The organization was largely responsible for the nonviolent sit-in movement. In the first major sit-in in Greensboro (North Carolina) in 1960, black students sat down at a lunch counter (where normally blacks would not be served unless they were standing) and insisted on being served. The movement spread and many previously segregated social and business locations were desegregated in this manner. In 1966, Stokely Carmichael became the chairman of the SNCC. He had become increasingly frustrated with the violence that occurred and began advocating "black power." (also see "black power")OF“[Stokely Carmichael] was a paranoid, racist, who was rejected by the civil rights movement he claimed to serve. He was widely hated across America — and distrusted by actual civil rights leaders — for his virulently anti-American pronouncements and his calls for revolutionary violence to be used to destroy both the United States and all of Western civilization. His hatred of America was profound. The United States, he said, was “the most disgusting country in the world.” The Trinidadian-born agitator urged that black power be used not only to cripple America, his adopted homeland, but also to bring down the civilized world. …Carmichael, who popularized the phrase black power, was a demagogue who believed that the ends justify the means. He was a leader who had no qualms about hurting other people on the long, blood-drenched road to utopia. “When you talk of black power,” Carmichael said, “you talk of building a movement that will smash everything Western civilization has created.” More moderate civil rights leaders at the time thought Carmichael was dangerous and possibly deranged. They urged that he be ostracized, treated as a “black Trotskyite.” Roy Wilkins of the NAACP said black power was a form of racism that could lead to “black death.” “It is a reverse Mississippi, a reverse Hitler, a reverse Ku Klux Klan.”“Lionizing the Enemy” by Matthew Vadum, Frontpage Magazine, June 17, 2014, AmericansGlossaryTermsPort Huron StatementPort Huron Statementa document written by Robert Alan Haber, the president of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and Tom Hayden in 1962 that was intended to state the goals of SDS. It called for moving beyond anti-communism in the conduct of foreign policy and urged more governmental action against racial discrimination and poverty.OFThe Port Huron Statement adopted the position of "anti-anti-Communism," refusing to support the West in the Cold War. The statement identified and denounced America's many sins: racism, abundance, materialism, industrialization, and militarism. Its prescribed solution to Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was to entirely dismantle America's “permanent war economy”: “Universal controlled disarmament must replace deterrence and arms control as the [American] national defense goal.” AmericansGlossaryTermsRainbow CoalitionRainbow Coalitionan organization founded by Jesse Jackson, a former aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Formally known as the National Rainbow Coalition, it served as an umbrella organization for organizing people of all races, religions, and backgrounds to support Jackson's presidential candidacies in 1984 and 1988. Although Jackson did not win the Democratic nomination in either year, he did make unusually impressive showings in several states and is generally considered the first African-American to make a serious run for the U.S. presidency.OF“…the Rainbow Coalition, formed in 1985 to counter policies enacted during President [Ronald] Reagan's second term which [Jesse] Jackson deemed discriminatory against African Americans. … A principal tactic by which Rainbow/PUSH drives its agenda is the often frivolous charge of racism, followed by public protests and threats of widespread boycotts. Throughout its history, the organization has employed this technique with considerable success. … In 2001, Jesse Jackson named former (1993-1995) Chicago Democrat Congressman Mel Reynolds to the Rainbow/PUSH payroll as a consultant for prison reform efforts aimed at decreasing the number of young African Americans behind bars. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in Bill Clinton's last-minute pardons as he ended his second term as U.S. President. Clinton's pardon gave Reynolds a commutation of his six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud, and lies to the Federal Election Commission. Reynolds had also served prison time for his 1995 convictions on 12 counts of sexual assault (he had sexual relations with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer), obstruction of justice, and solicitation of child pornography. … Rainbow/PUSH is a member organization of the After Downing Street, United for Peace and Justice, and Win Without War anti-war coalitions.” AmericansGlossaryTermsSouthern Christian Leadership ConferenceSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)an organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1957, in the wake of the success of the Montgomery bus boycott. Its purpose was to coordinate and organize further civil rights activity throughout the South.OF“Founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was instrumental to the success of the 1960s civil rights movement. Activist campaigns engineered by SCLC laid the groundwork for such legislation as the1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In more recent times, however, the organization has turned away from King’s vision and embraced racial preferences. In the years since King’s death, SCLC has evolved into an organ of the political Left -- joining other radical groups engaged in anti-war activism and leveraging its remaining influence to rally support for leftist Democratic candidates.” Ku Klux Klan was reborn. Many people in northern and midwestern states, as well as the South, joined the new KKK. Claiming to be the "protector of pure America," the new KKK was anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic, anti-communist, anti-foreign, as well as anti-black.OF“Held in contempt by most white Americans, the Klan today is virtually defunct. Close to bankruptcy, this group which once boasted millions of members and wielded significant political power, now has no established alliances with mainstream white leaders or organizations, and has no more than 4,000 members nationwide. No Klansmen can be found among newspaper editors, legislators, district judges, or the directors of major corporations. And contemporary Klan leaders are capable of attracting only a handful of white racists to their meetings.” 5 ArtEugene V. DebsQuestion 1Question: What is socialism? What is capitalism?OFThe reading material does not define capitalism.Chapter 5 ArtEugene V. DebsQuestion 4Name political parties other than Democratic or Republican Parties (called ‘third parties”) that are presently the most popular in the United States. What effect do they have on the political system?OFThe reading material does not give any information about these parties.Chapter 5Internet ProjectActivities # The Temperance Movement in LincolnLines 6-11They were in the middle and upper socioeconomic classes and tended to be strong church members of Protestant denominations like the Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Christians.FEChristian is not a religion. It is also not a denomination. It is a noun used to designate any believer in Jesus Christ.Chapter 5 GlossaryOFThe glossary does not contain the words “capitalist” or “capitalism”Chapter 5Notable PeopleClinton, William Lines 21-22…despite scandals involving possible sexual improprieties on the president’s part…FEBill Clinton had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. 5Notable PeopleReagan, RonaldOFThe facts did not mention his second term.Chapter 5Notable PeopleRomney, MittOFThe facts did not mention him running for president.Chapter 8DocumentsSenger’s “Woman and the New Race”OFThe text fails to mention that, today, Planned Parenthood performs abortions, and that the federal government gives money to Planned Parenthood.…Chap 9The Effects and Heritage of the New DealPara 3 Line 4The term “Cooperative Federalism”OFAlthough partially defined, this important concept should be linked to the glossary where a more detailed definition could be tendered, perhaps with a reference to the 10th amendment.Federalism may also be added to the glossary for the same reason.Chap 9Great Depression & New DealExt OverviewThe Three “R”sRecoveryOFThere is no mention of John L. Lewis in this reading and he is not listed in the Notable People section. Lewis was a very important factor during the recovery period.Chap 10OverviewThe Washington Naval Conference and the Kellogg-Briand PactPara 2 Line 6Measured in terms of displacement, the U.S., Great Britain, and Japan agreed to limit their capital ships to a ratio of 10:10:6 respectively.OFThe ratio 10:10:6 should be definedChap 10Germany and Italy: The Quest for Control of Europe.Para 2 Line 2 and Para 4 Line 2In 1922, the Italian Fascist Party led by Benito Mussolini, a former journalist, took control of the government,Adolf Hitler, gained significant power in GermanyOFThe name of Benito Mussolini is linked to the Notable People section.The name of Adolf Hitler is not linked to the Notable People section.Chap 10MAPEurope:1920-1937Narrative Section refers to “Right wing and ”Left Wing” several timesOFThese terms should be identified in the glossary.Chap 12Cold War EconomicsPara1 AllSoviet Influence and the Iron CurtainOFIt would be helpful to provide a comprehensive map of the various countries involved in the Soviet bloc and covered by the term Iron Curtain.”ThemesRichard Nixon Seeks to Reshape U.S.Para 1 Line 1Simultaneously, President Nixon, who had always been considered a leading Cold War advocate staunchly committed to halting the expansion of communism around the world, began to reshape America's broad global strategies.Word ChoiceThe term simultaneously (occurring at the same time) does not belong here. Use either subsequently or consequently.Chapter 18ProjectsAmerican ExceptionalismIntroductionThe concept of American exceptionalism has its roots in the American values identified by Alexis de Tocqueville in "Democracy in America." De Tocqueville believed these values were different and unique from those of other nations, and were crucial to America's success as a constitutional republic. The values he identified were: liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and laissez-faire. While there were regional, religious, racial, gender, class, and other differences then as now, the society de Tocqueville observed was very different from today's society. How universal were and are the values on which he comments? American exceptionalism has been used to explain the weak tradition of labor radicalism and the lack of a socialist movement. It has also been used to explain the strength and lifespan of classic liberal ideology in the United States, with its emphasis on passive government especially in the economy.ProjectFor this project, read "Democracy in America," then complete the following using your own research: A. Define the values de Tocqueville identified, both in terms of 1830s society and in terms of today's society. 1. Evaluate the claim that these values were found only in America; that is, that these values are different and unique from those of other nations. 2. Evaluate the claim that these values are necessary for a successful constitutional republic. 3. If de Tocqueville were observing the United States today, would he still see these values represented? Why or why not? B. Define America's continuing exceptionalism in today's globalized world. 1. Did the values de Tocqueville identified evolve over time? How? 2. What values, if any, are necessary to promote in America today? Present your findings either orally or visually.FE; OFWhere is the source for these statements?Significantly, Alexis de Tocqueville (a French political leader and historian who traversed America in 1831 and then wrote the famous book Democracy in America in 1835) extolled:The position of the Americans is quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one. HYPERLINK "" \l "FN7" 7 That pronouncement resulted in the coining of the phrase “American Exceptionalism” to express the belief that America is extraordinary as a result of the unique and distinctive ideas that were part of the fabric of American government – ideas such as inalienable rights, individualism, limited government, full republicanism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and an educated and virtuous citizenry. Those ideas produced a national unity that encompassed America’s great diversity of race, ethnicity, and religion, thus causing President Calvin Coolidge to exclaim:To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race. HYPERLINK "" \l "FN8" 8 Yet Deconstructionists, rather than appreciating American Exceptionalism and being proud of America and its many successes, instead will point out only what they consider to be its flaws in their concentrated efforts to “lay low” America and American values. Chronology1961JOHN F. KENNEDY TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTThe Peace Corps was founded. Peace Corps volunteers were sent to help people in poor nations of the Third World (undeveloped nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia).The Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba failed. Castro's forces defeated a group of American-trained anti-communist Cubans who tried to drive Castro from power.Jane Jacobs's "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" was published. The book highlighted the growing problems faced by the nation's major cities, and led to a growing awareness of an "urban crisis" in America. The book has been very influential with economists and urban planners.Kennedy sent 2,000 military advisors to train South Vietnamese government troops. Kennedy believed this was necessary because the communist Viet Cong were slowly gaining control of the country.Blacks organized "sit-ins" as a way of protesting against Jim Crow segregation in restaurants.OF1961January 3, 1961 - Disputes over the nationalization of United States businesses in Cuba cause the U.S. Government to sever diplomatic and consular relations with the Cuban government.February 15, 1961 - The entire United States figure skating team is killed in a plane crash near Brussels, Belgium on their journey to the World Championships. Seventy-three people are killed.????????????????? April 17, 1961 - The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba is repulsed by Cuban forces in an attempt by Cuban exiles under the direction of the United States government to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro.????????????????? May 5, 1961 - The first U.S. manned sub-orbital space flight is completed with Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. inside a Mercury capsule launched 116.5 miles above the earth from?Cape Canaveral, Florida. Twenty days later, President Kennedy announces his intention to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade.????????????????? August 13, 1961 - The construction of the Berlin Wall begins by the Soviet bloc, segregating the German city, previously held in four sectors by Allied forces, including the United States. The wall would last for twenty-eight years.????????????????? December 28, 1961 - The?National Park Service extends its lands into the U.S. Virgin Islands when President John F. Kennedy proclaims the Buck Island Reef as a National Monument. The reef includes an underwater nature trail and one of the best marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea. Huerta and Cesar Chavez found the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later became the United Farm Workers of America (UFWA).Cuban Missile Crisis threatened to bring war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. After discovering that the Soviets were putting guided missiles in Cuba, Kennedy told Khrushchev to take the missiles out. Kennedy also ordered a blockade of Cuba. Khrushchev at first refused and claimed the blockade was illegal. But just when war seemed ready to break out, an agreement was made. The Soviets promised to remove its missiles if the U.S. promised never to attack Cuba."Silent Spring" was published. This best-selling book by Rachel Carson described the damage done by pesticides to wildlife and the ecology. It is often credited with re-invigorating the U.S. and international environmental movements.Michael Harrington's "The Other America" was published. It described the extent to which poverty was still a problem in the U.S., but was ignored by policy makers. When President John F. Kennedy read it, he decided to put the issue of ending poverty on his New Frontier agenda.The active (or weakened "live") version of the polio vaccine was approved for use to be given orally. It had been developed by Dr. Albert Sabin, a medical researcher at the University of Cincinnati. It quickly became the routine vaccine for people with normal immune systems.OF1962February 7, 1962 - The first sign of a looming Vietnam conflict emerges when President Kennedy admits that the military advisors already in Vietnam would engage the enemy if fired upon.February 20, 1962 - Lt. Colonel John Glenn becomes the first U.S. astronaut in orbit in the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule. He would circle the earth three times before returning to earth, remaining aloft for four hours and fifty-five minutes. This flight equalized the space race with the Soviet Union, whose Vostok I flight on April 12, 1961 with Yuri Gagarin had become the first manned spaceflight into orbit one year earlier. ?(Photo top right) ?President John Kennedy & astronaut John Glenn inspect the Mercury capsule in 1962.? Photo: Office of the Naval Aide to the President.April 21, 1962 - The Seattle Century 21 Exposition, the first world's fair held in the United States since World War II, opens under the theme of space exploration. Over 9.6 million visitors would attend the exposition over 184 days in central Seattle, whose monorail still travels inside the city.October 1, 1962 - Three thousand troops quell riots, allowing James Meredith to enter the University of Mississippi as the first black student under guard by Federal marshals.October 14, 1962 - The Cuban Missile Crises begins. In response to the Soviet Union building offensive missiles in Cuba, President John F. Kennedy orders a naval and air blockade of military equipment to the island. An agreement is eventually reached with Soviet Premier Khrushchev on the removal of the missiles, ending the potential conflict after thirty-eight days, in what many think was the closest the Cold War came to breaking into armed conflict. 1963In the case of "Gideon v. Wainwright" the Supreme Court ruled that government must provide a defense lawyer for defendants who cannot afford to hire one themselves.Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, D.C. It was the high point of a demonstration by 200,000 people who demanded civil rights for African-Americans.Betty Friedan's provocative best-selling book, "The Feminine Mystique," was published. The book graphically described the frustration and dissatisfaction that many women felt with their traditional roles. The book is often credited with inspiring the modern women's rights movement in America.Peter, Paul, and Mary reached number two on the pop record charts with "Blowin' in the Wind," a civil rights and peace anthem. Over the next several years, "protest music" would become more popular in the U.S. Listeners would hear songs dealing with important political issues that encouraged protest against such societal evils as racial discrimination, poverty, and war.Douglas Engelbart invents the mouse prototype.Congress passed the Equal Pay Act. It said that men and women should be paid equal wages for equal work.John F. Kennedy was assassinated. People in charge of the investigation claimed Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin and that he acted alone. Other people, however, claimed there was a conspiracy (a plan by more than one person) to kill Kennedy.LYNDON B. JOHNSON (Democrat) BECAME PRESIDENT AFTER KENNEDY'S DEATHOF1963March 21, 1963 - The last twenty-seven prisoners of Alcatraz, the island prison in?San Francisco Bay, are ordered removed by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and the federal penitentiary is closed.????? June 11, 1963 - A patent for the first manned space capsule, the Mercury, is issued to Maxime A. Faget, Andre J. Meyer, Jr., Robert G. Chilton, William S. Blanchard, Jr., Alan B. Kehlet, Jerome B. Hammack, and Caldwell C. Johnson, Jr.????? June 17, 1963 - The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the case of Abington School District vs. Schempp that laws requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or Bible verses in public schools is unconstitutional. The vote was 8 to 1.????? July 25, 1963 - The United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain agree to a limited nuclear test-ban treaty, barring all nuclear testing above ground.????? August 28, 1963 - The Civil Rights march on?Washington, D.C. for Jobs and Freedom culminates with Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Over 200,000 people participated in the march for equal rights.???? August 29, 1963 - A peaceful settlement to the land dispute between Mexico and the United States is enacted with the signing of the Chamizal Treaty, establishing the boundary in the El Paso Juarez Valley. The dispute, which had been ongoing for ninety-nine years, is now commemorated by the Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, Texas.????? November 22, 1963 - In Dallas, Texas, during a motorcade through downtown, President John F. Kennedy is mortally wounded by assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn into office later that day. Two days later, Oswald was himself killed on live national television by Jack Ruby while being transported in police custody. 24th Amendment was ratified. It outlawed poll taxes.The IBM System/360 was a mainframe computer system family announced by IBM in 1964 and delivered between 1965 and 1978. Larger computers in this family were the first to have compatible, upgradeable software, rather than being purpose-built.The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. It banned race discrimination in voting, jobs, and in public places. It also banned gender (sex) discrimination by employers.At Johnson's request, Congress created the Head Start program for disadvantaged preschool children. This and other programs to help the poor were part of Johnson's War on Poverty.The food-stamp program begins.The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed by Congress. This gave Johnson power to use U.S. combat troops in Vietnam. This came after the North Vietnamese attacked two U.S. warships off the coast of North Vietnam (in the Gulf of Tonkin). The U.S. warships were escorting South Vietnamese warships.The Wilderness Act of 1964 directed the Secretary of the Interior to review land in the National Wildlife Refuge and make recommendations to the president regarding what should be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Secretary of Agriculture was directed to study areas within the National Forest System.Khrushchev was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev as the leader of the Soviet Union. This happened largely because of Khrushchev's "poor" leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis.The vote count in the presidential election was: L. Johnson (Dem) 43,126,506 p.v./486 e.v. B. Goldwater (Rep) 27,176,799 p.v./ 52 e.v.OF1964January 9, 1964 - The Panama Canal incident occurs when Panamanian mobs engage United States troops, leading to the death of twenty-one Panama citizens and four U.S. troops.????? January 13, 1964 - Beatlemania hits the shores of the United States with the release of I Want to Hold Your Hand, which becomes the Liverpool group's first North American hit. One week later, their first U.S. album Meet the Beatles is released.???? February 25, 1964 - 1960 Olympic champion Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins the World Heavyweight Championship in Boxing from current champ Sonny Liston.????? April 22, 1964 - The New York World's War opens in Queens, New York on the site of the 1939 event. One of the largest world's fairs in United States history, it was not a sanctioned Bureau of International Exhibitions event, due to conflict over the dates of the Seattle fair of 1962. This world's fair would last for two seasons, and included exhibits from eighty nations. Over 50 million visitors would attend. Its theme structure, the Unisphere, is still present, now seen each August outside the U.S. Tennis Open.????? June 29, 1964 - An omnibus legislation in the U.S. Congress on Civil Rights is passed. It banned discrimination in jobs, voting and accommodations.1964 -?This year marked the end of the post-war Baby Boom and the beginning of?record?photo books sales. ?With the Baby Boom in the United States producing nearly 77.3 million births between 1946 and 1964, the need for consumer goods expanded the economy over the next decade, including the baby gift industry and other services for families. ?The abundance of newborn babies and a good economy led to companies forming to fill the demand for photo books and albums, birthday cards and other baby gift items. ?Department stores such as Sears and J.C. Penny's expanded into suburban markets. ?At one time in the 1960s, 1 in nearly every 200 Americans would receive a paycheck from Sears itself.August 7, 1964 - The Tonkin Resolution is passed by the United States Congress, authorizing broad powers to the president to take action in Vietnam after North Vietnamese boats had attacked two United States destroyers five days earlier. ?(Photo above) ?Bombing of the Brinks Hotel by Viet Cong terrorists, December 24, 1964.? Photo: U.S. Department of Defense.????? November 3, 1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson wins his first presidential election with a victory over Barry M. Goldwater from Arizona. Johnson extended the Democratic victory by former running mate John F. Kennedy with a 486 to 52 thrashing of the Republican candidate in the Electoral College and over 15 million surplus in the popular vote. U.S. Supreme Court decision "Griswold v. Connecticut" ended the ban on the use of contraceptives by married couples.The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by Congress. This law banned the use of literacy tests to determine qualification for voting. It also gave the federal government power to register voters in places where blacks were denied voting rights. This law, along with others, were part of Johnson's program of reform called the Great Society.The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This law abolished national quotas and substituted hemispheric caps for immigrants: 170,000 for the Eastern Hemisphere, and 120,000 for the Western, with a limit of 20,000 annually from any nation. However, there were also provisions for immigrants whose entry was authorized outside of numerical limits, such as expanded categories of family members who could enter without numerical limit. The law had huge effects on American culture: there was a huge surge in immigration in the last third of the 20th century; the rate of Latin American and Asian immigrants to the United States grew, and those immigrants were also more likely to be female and more highly skilled than previous immigrants.Ralph Nader, a lawyer, published "Unsafe at Any Speed." In this best-selling book, Nader presented a powerful critique of the U.S. automobile industry and its products. He suggested that they lacked interest in building safe automobiles. Many view this book as revitalizing the consumer rights movement in the U.S. It provided the stimulus for the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which authorized the federal government to legislate automobile safety standards for American-made vehicles.OF1965February 7, 1965 - President Lyndon B. Johnson orders the continuous bombing of North Vietnam below the 20th parallel.????? March 25, 1965 - Martin Luther King speaks at a civil rights rally on the courthouse steps of the Alabama State Capitol, ending the Selma to Montgomery, Alabama march for voting rights.????? August 6, 1965 - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Two significant portions of the act; the outlawing of the requirement of potential voters to take a literacy??? test in order to qualify and the provision of federal registration of voters in areas with less than 50% of all voters registered.????? August 11, 1965 - The Watts race riots in Los Angeles begin a five day siege, culminating in the death of thirty-four people and property destruction in excess of $200 million.????? October 15, 1965 - The first public burning of a draft card occurs in protest to the Vietnam War. It is coordinated by the anti-war group of students, National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam. ????? Kevlar is developed by Dupont scientist Stephanie Louise Kwolek.? She would patent the compound, used extensively in bullet proof vests, in 1966. Medicare and Medicaid programs were established. Medicare is a national health insurance program for the elderly. Medicaid pays for medical services for the poor.1966William H. Masters (physician) and Virginia E. Johnson (psychologist) published their book, "Human Sexual Response." It is considered to be the first comprehensive clinical study of human sexual activity. Although written in technical terms, it became an immediate best-seller. The popularity of this book suggested an increasing openness and acceptance to sexuality on the part of many Americans, and it is credited with changing the attitudes of many people.The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in October. NOW is dedicated to establishing equal rights for all women, particularly in employment. Among the many issues it has addressed are childcare, violence against women (including domestic violence), legalized abortion and birth control, gender-neutral job advertisements, and pension rights. Although it began as a small group, it grew to over 250,000 members (both male and female) by the late 20th century.OF1966June 29, 1966 - United States warplanes begin their bombing raids of Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam. By December of this year, the United States had 385,300 troops stationed in South Vietnam with sixty thousand additional troops offshore and thirty-three thousand in Thailand.??????????? July 1, 1966 - Medicare, the government medical program for citizens over the age of 65, begins.??????????? September 9, 1966 - President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation creating the San Juan Island National Historical Park. The site, in Washington State, includes the location of British and United States army camps in the 1860s when both nations claimed ownership of the island.??????????? October 15, 1966 - The National Historic Preservation Act is made law. It expanded the National Register of Historic Places to include historic sites of regional, state, and local significance.??????????? November 8, 1966 - The first black United States Senator in eighty-five years, Edward Brooke, is elected to Congress. Brooke was the Republican candidate from Massachusetts and former Attorney General of that state. broke out in black neighborhoods in cities like Los Angeles, Newark, and Detroit. Many blamed the riots on the Black Power Movement.1965-1968The Vietnam War escalated (grew larger). Both communist North Vietnam and the U.S. sent more combat troops into South Vietnam. Soon there were over 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam.OF1967January 27, 1967 - The Outer Space Treaty is signed into force by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, to take effect on October 10, 1967.????? June 23, 1967 - A three day summit between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, held at Glassboro State College in New Jersey, culminates in a mutual declaration that no crises between them would lead to war.????? July 1967 - Black riots plague U.S. cities. In Newark, New Jersey, twenty-six are killed, fifteen hundred injured and one thousand arrested from July 12 to 17. One week later, July 23 to 30, forty are killed, two thousand injured, and five thousand left homeless after rioting in Detroit, known as the 12th Street Riots, decimate a black ghetto. The riots are eventually stopped by over 12,500 Federal troopers and National Guardsmen.????? October 2, 1967 - Thurgood Marshall is sworn into office as the first black Supreme Court Justice. 1968Vietnamese communists began a bloody attack called the Tet Offensive. Although the attack was finally pushed back, Americans began to realize that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to totally defeat the communists.The My Lai massacre occurred as U.S. troops under Lt. Calley murdered 300 civilian Vietnamese men, women, and children. This massacre was not reported in newspapers until the following year. In 1971 a military court found Calley guilty of murder.Large anti-war demonstrations took place. Many young men burned their draft cards in protest against the war in Vietnam. Faced with widespread opposition to his war policies, Johnson decided not to seek re-election.Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.Brezhnev sent the Soviet army into Czechoslovakia and crushed the Czech attempt to change its communist system.Robert F. Kennedy (younger brother of former President Kennedy) was assassinated while campaigning for the presidential election.The vote count in the presidential election was: R. Nixon (Rep) 31,785,480 p.v./301 e.v. H. Humphrey (Dem) 31,275,199 p.v./191 e.v. G. Wallace (Am-Ind) 9,906,473 p.v./ 46 e.v. (Note: George Wallace, formerly a Democrat, ran as an independent because he opposed the civil-rights laws which other Democrats like Humphrey supported. Wallace's 46 electoral votes came from southern states.)OF1968January 23, 1968 - The U.S.S. Pueblo incident occurs in the Sea of Japan when North Korea seizes the ship and its crew, accusing it of violating its territorial waters for the purpose of spying. They would release the prisoners on December 22, but North Korea still holds possession of the U.S.S. Pueblo to this day.????? February 13, 1968 - Ford's Theatre, the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 in Washington, D.C., reopens to the public. It had been restored to its original appearance and use as a theatre, now comprising the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site.????? March 31, 1968 - President Johnson announces a slowing to the bombing of North Vietnam, and that he would not seek reelection as president. Peace talks would begin May 10 in Paris; all bombing of North Korea halted October 31.???? April 4, 1968 - Civil Rights?leader Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while standing on a motel balcony by James Earl Ray.????? June 5, 1968 - Presidential candidate, the Democratic Senator from New York, Robert F. Kennedy, is shot at a campaign victory celebration in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan, a Jordanian, after primary victories, and dies one day later.????? November 5, 1968 - Richard M. Nixon recaptures the White House from the Democratic party with his victory of Hubert H. Humphrey and 3rd Party candidate George Wallace. Nixon captures 301 Electoral College Votes to 191 for Humphrey and 46 for Wallace. M. NIXON TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTNixon's policy of Vietnamization began as the U.S. started to gradually pull its forces out of Vietnam. This process would take four years. Meanwhile, South Vietnamese were expected to take more responsibility for fighting the communist Viet Cong and North Vietnam.Two American astronauts became the first people to land on the moon.The National Environmental Policy Act establishes a national policy for the environment, and provides for the establishment of a Council on Environmental Quality. The council assists the president in reporting to Congress the state of the nation's environment, and in setting policy.ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) -- the original Internet is developed as a project for the United States Defense Department.The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, the most famous 1960s rock festival, was held in Bethel, New York, from August 15th to 17th. Close to a half-million young people gathered on a farm to hear performances by some of the most famous rock acts of the day. Although somewhat marred by disorganization, illicit drugs, and rain, the festival became a symbol of love, peace, and brotherhood for "the Woodstock generation."OF1969January 12, 1969 - The New York Jets win Super Bowl III over the Baltimore Colts after a bold prediction by quarterback Joe Namath. This is the first victory in the National Football League for a former American Football League team.January 25, 1969 - Four-party Vietnam war peace talks begin. In April, U.S. troops in the war reached its zenith at 543,400 and would begin their withdrawal on July 8.These American Heroes have names!??? July 20, 1969 - The Apollo program completes its mission.? Neil Armstrong, United States astronaut, becomes the first man to set foot on the moon four days after launch from?Cape Canaveral. His Apollo 11 colleague, Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. accompanies him.????? July 25, 1969 - President Richard M. Nixon announces his new Vietnam policy, declaring the Nixon Doctrine that expected Asian allies to care for their own military defense. This policy, and all Vietnam war policies, would be heavily protested throughout the remainder of the year. On November 15, 1969, more than two hundred and fifty thousand anti-Vietnam war demonstrators marched on Washington, D.C. to peacefully protest the war.????? November 20, 1969 - Alcatraz Island, the former prison in?San Francisco Bay, is occupied by fourteen American Indians in a long standoff over the issues of Indian causes.????? November 21, 1969 - The Internet, called Arpanet during its initial development, is invented by the Advanced Research Projects Agency at the U.S. Department of Defense. The first operational packet switching network in the world was deployed connecting the IMP at UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute. By December 5, it included the entire four node system, with the UCSB and the University of Utah. Clean Air Act was passed by Congress, creating the Environmental Protection Agency, whose initial charge was to set standards for air pollution, as well as oversee state and local plans for its reduction.The Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) releases the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, which influenced the future design of both microprocessors (it was designed to be built by semi-skilled labor) and operating systems such as UNIX and MS-DOS.An important feminist book, "Our Bodies, Ourselves" by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, was first published. The book sought to eliminate the widespread ignorance regarding female health issues, including that of many medical professionals. The first edition sold several million copies and it has been periodically revised and updated.Kate Millett's Columbia University Ph.D. thesis was published with the title "Sexual Politics." In this work, Millett combined literary analysis with sociology and anthropology to explore how power related to gender and sexuality. The book helped to define the goals and many of the strategies of the women's rights movement.Large anti-war protests took place after Nixon sent U.S. soldiers against communists in Cambodia. Four student demonstrators were killed at Kent State University by National Guardsmen.OFThe 1970's - The Nation in Flux1970February 18, 1970 - Five members of the Chicago 7 are convicted of crossing state lines to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic Presidential Convention in Chicago.????????????????? April 1, 1970 - For the first time, the 1970 census counted over 200 million people living in the United States. The 13.4% increase since the last census indicated that a 203,302,031 population now called the U.S.A. home.? It had taken only fifty years to go from the first 100 million census in 1920 to the second. Once again, the geographic center of the United States population was in Illinois, five miles east southeast of Mascoutah.April 22, 1970 - The first Earth Day celebration is held with millions of Americans participating in anti-pollution demonstrations.? These demonstrations included school children walking to school instead of riding the bus.????????????????? May 4, 1970 - Four students from Kent State University in Ohio were killed and nine wounded by National Guardsmen during a protest against the Vietnam War spread into Cambodia.????????????????? August 12, 1970 - The United States Postal Service is made independent in a postal reform measure for the first time in almost two centuries. 26th Amendment was a change to the Constitution ratified July 5, 1971, that lowered the voting age to 18."Ms." magazine first appeared as an insert in the December issue of "New York" magazine. It was founded by feminist leader Gloria Steinem and others. The magazine began publishing regular issues the following year. It was the first national feminist magazine aimed at the general public, not just members of feminist organizations. From the beginning, the editors tried to provide feminist coverage of social, political, and legislative news and events (both national and international), as well as articles on women's history and fiction written by women. Over the years, it has successfully broadened support for women's issues and the women's rights movement.In the case "Roe v. Wade," Roe wanted to end her pregnancy by abortion but was not permitted to do so under Texas law. The Supreme Court upheld a woman's right to abortion as falling within the right to privacy that they had previously ruled was protected by the 14th Amendment.OF1971January 2, 1971 - A ban on the television advertisement of cigarettes goes into affect in the United States.????????????????? February 8, 1971 - A forty-four day raid into Laos by South Vietnamese soldiers is begun with the aid of United States air and artillery.????????????????? March 10, 1971 - The Senate approves a Constitutional Amendment, the 26th, that would lower the voting age from 21 to 18. House approval came on March 23. It was ratified by the states by June 30 and received certification by President Richard M. Nixon on July 5.????????????????? June 30, 1971 - The United States Supreme Court upholds the right of the New York Times and the Washington Post to publish classified Pentagon papers about the Vietnam War, under the articles of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The New York Times had begun the publication of the Pentagon papers on June 13. ????????????????? September 17, 1971 - The advent of the microprocessor age at Texas Instruments includes the introduction of the 4-bit TMS 1000 with a calculator on the chip; on November 15, 1971, Intel released the 4-bit 4004 microprocessor developed by Federico Faggin.? It is unknown whose chip predated the other in the laboratory environment.????????????????? October 1, 1971 - Walt Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida, expanding the Disney empire to the east coast of the United States. visited China and the Soviet Union in an effort to establish friendlier relations between the U.S. and communist nations.The U.S. Supreme Court decision "Eisenstadt v. Baird" allowed unmarried couples to use birth control devices legally.The U.S. and U.S.S.R. signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) agreement. The nations agreed to limit production of certain kinds of guided missiles.On June 17th, the Watergate break-in occurred as five men tried to steal information from the Democratic Party, which had its offices at the Watergate. It was later discovered that the five men were hired by the Committee to Reelect the President (Nixon).The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by both houses of Congress and sent to the states for ratification. The text of the amendment, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex," was designed to guarantee equal rights for women. It was originally written by Alice Paul and first introduced to Congress in 1923. It never became part of the U.S. Constitution.Phyllis Schlafly becomes a prominent opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment with the launch of her "STOP ERA" campaign.The Noise Control Act regulated noise pollution at the national level by coordinating federal research and activities in noise control and authorized noise emissions standards for products.Nixon was re-elected. The vote count was: R. Nixon (Rep) 47,165,234 p.v./520 e.v. G. McGovern (Dem) 29,170 774 p.v./ 17 e.v.OF1972February 21, 1972 - The journey for peace trip of the U.S. President to Peking, China begins. The eight day journey by Richard M. Nixon and meetings with Mao Zedong, unprecedented at the time, began the process for normalization of relations with China.????????????????? March 30, 1972 - The largest attacks by North Vietnam troops across the demilitarized zone in four years prompts bombing raids to begin again by United States forces against Hanoi and Haiphong on April 15, ending a four year cessation of those raids.????????????????? May 22, 1972 - President Richard M. Nixon makes the first trip of the U.S. President to Moscow. The week of summit discussions would lead to a strategic arms pact, SALT I that would be signed by Nixon and Premier Leonid Brezhnev on May 26. On July 8, the White House would announce the sale of American wheat to the Soviet Union. ?????????????????? June 17, 1972 - The Watergate crisis begins when four men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office building in?Washington, D.C. on the same day that Okinawa is returned from U.S. control back to Japan.????????????????? November 7, 1972 - In one of the most lopsided races in American Presidential election history, incumbent President Richard M. Nixon beat his Democratic challenger George S. McGovern, winning 520 Electoral College votes to McGovern's 17, and taking over 60% of the popular vote. This election, however, would be the beginning of the end for the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, once the Watergate affair brought question into the tactics within the election process. Vietnam War ended, at least for America. At the Paris Peace Talks (January), North Vietnam and the Viet Cong promised to stop their attacks on South Vietnam and the U.S. agreed to pull its remaining forces out of South Vietnam. However, soon after the U.S. pulled out its troops (March), the communists renewed their attacks on South Vietnam.The Energy Crisis began after Arab countries cut oil shipments to the U.S. Arabs did this because the U.S. sent military supplies to Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.Congress began its investigation of the Watergate break-in.The Endangered Species Act of 1973 establishes how certain species may be considered endangered and what protections are afforded to ensure that they do not disappear including protecting their natural habitats and forbidding possession or sale of them.OF1973January 22, 1973 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Roe vs. Wade that a woman can not be prevented by a state in having an abortion during the first six months of pregnancy.????? January 27, 1973 - Four part Vietnam peace pacts, the Paris Peace Accords, were signed in Paris, France. The announcement of the military draft ending also occurred on that date. The last U.S. military troops would leave the war zone on March 29.????? January 30, 1973 - Two defendants in the Watergate break-in trial are convicted. The remaining five defendants had pleaded guilty to the crime two weeks earlier. On April 30, the Watergate affair widens when four members of the Nixon administration; aides H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst resign under suspicion of obstructing justice. During Senate hearings on June 25, Dean would admit that the administration had conspired to cover up facts about the case, leading to the refusal of the President to release tapes concerning Watergate.????? June 9, 1973 - In one of the most awesome displays of dominance in sports history, Secretariat, wins the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, winning the Triple Crown of United States Thoroughbred Racing for the first time since 1948.????? October 10, 1973 - Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigns amid charges of tax evasion and is replaced by the appointment of Gerald R. Ford on October 12.????? October 19, 1973 - The Arab Oil Embargo: Oil imports from Arab oil-producing nations are banned to the United States after the start of the Arab-Israeli war, creating the 1973 energy crisis.? They would not resume until March 18, 1974. Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act revised the Clean Air Act and provided authority for a limited program to convert oil-burning power plants to coal.The Intel 8080 microprocessor is released. It was the second 8-bit microprocessor made by Intel, and its design changed the way computer systems were designed and built, making it more efficient for computer manufacturers to use Intel chips rather than designing and producing their own.Fearing impeachment on charges of obstructing justice (in the Watergate case), Nixon resigned on August 9th.GERALD FORD (Republican) BECAME PRESIDENT AFTER NIXON'S RESIGNATIONFord pardoned Nixon of any crimes he may have committed while he was president.The Safe Water Drinking Act was passed by Congress to protect the public drinking water supply. It sets standards for levels of both naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that may be present in public drinking water.1974-1975The first consumer computers, the Scelbi, Mark-8, and Altair 8800, are introduced. IBM releases a portable computer. (IBM did not release its PC until 1981.) The Scelbi sold for $565, while the Altair 8800 sold for $439 -- both in kit form (requiring user assembly); assembly cost extra. The IBM 5100 was available in 12 models, fully assembled, ranging from $8,975 to $19,975. The Mark-8 was sold as a set of instructions requiring the consumer to gather their own parts.OF1974March 7, 1974 - Legislation is signed by President Nixon creating the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area along the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee.????? May 4, 1974 - Expo '74, the Bureau of International Exhibitions sanctioned special exposition was held for six months in the Washington State city of Spokane, one of the smaller cities to host a BIE world expo in their history.? Held on the theme "Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh, Clean Environment," the event capitalized on the Earth Day sentiments of the time, and drew over 5 million visitors to eastern Washington State.????? May 7, 1974 - Impeachment hearings are begun by the House Judiciary Committee against President Richard M. Nixon in the Watergate affair. On July 24, the United States Supreme Court rules that President Nixon must turn over the sixty-four tapes of White House conversations concerning the Watergate break-in.????? July 27, 1974 - The first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon is recommended in a 27-11 vote of the House Judiciary Committee, charging that Nixon had been part of a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Watergate affair.????? August 9, 1974 - President Richard M. Nixon resigns the office of the presidency, avoiding the impeachment process and admitting his role in the Watergate affair. He was replaced by Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who, on September 8, 1974, pardoned Nixon for his role. Nixon was the first president to ever resign from office. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act provides for federal control of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. All pesticides used in the United States must be registered (licensed) by the EPA, to assure proper labeling and that proper use will not cause unreasonable harm to the munist forces completed their conquest of South Vietnam. The fall of the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was the nadir for American prestige. Video of people lined up at the American embassy, crawling over the walls for evacuation by helicopter from the roof was especially dramatic, and seen around the world.OF1975January 1, 1975 - The Watergate cover up trials of Mitchell, Haldeman, and Ehrlichman are completed; all are found guilty of the charges.January 6, 1975 - The television show Wheel of Fortune premiers.????? February 4, 1975 - Heiress Patty Hearst is kidnaped in?San Francisco. ?She would be recovered by FBI agents on September 8 and subsequently indicted for bank robbery. Hearst would be convicted of the crime two years later.????? March 30, 1975 - At the railroad depot in Plains, Georgia, his home town, former Democratic Georgia governor Jimmy Carter opens his campaign headquarters for the 1976 presidential race.????? April 29-30, 1975 - Communist forces complete their takeover of South Vietnam, forcing the evacuation from Saigon of civilians from the United States and the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam. first Cray supercomputer was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Cray-1 had a speed of 160 million floating-point operations per second (160 megaflops) and an 8 megabyte (1 million word) main memory, and cost $8.8 million.Toxic Substances Control Act authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require testing, recording, and reporting of information regarding chemical substances. This law did not apply to items such as food or medications, but other applications such as the quantity of lead in paint.The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, regulating both household and hazardous solid wastes from generation, through transportation, treatment, and storage, to disposal.The vote count in the presidential election was: J. Carter (Dem) 40,828,929 p.v./297 e.v. G. Ford (Rep) 39,148,940 p.v./240 e.v.OF1976July 4, 1976 - The Bicentennial of the United States is celebrated throughout the nation. The 200th anniversary included Operation Sail in New York City, as well as a Bicentennial Wagon Train that traversed the nation during the year.??????????? July 20, 1976 - The Viking 1 space probe successfully lands on Mars. It would be followed by a second unmanned Viking II on the Utopia Plains on September 3. The first color photos of the surface of Mars are taken on these flights.??????????? July 21-24, 1976 - Twenty-nine people attending an American Legion convention in Philadelphia are killed by a mysterious ailment, one year later discovered as a bacterium.??????????? November 2, 1976 - Challenger Jimmy Carter, a relatively unknown former Democratic governor from Georgia, bests Gerald Ford in a closely contested election. Carter received a slight majority of the popular vote, as well as an Electoral College victory of 297 to 240.??????????? November 26, 1976 - Microsoft becomes a registered trademark, one year after its name for microcomputer software is first mentioned by Bill Gates to Paul Allen in a letter. CARTER TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTIn his inaugural address Carter announced his Human Rights Policy. He said the U.S. would end or limit aid to any country that violated the human rights of its citizens.Dr. Mary Edwards Walker had her Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously restored by President Jimmy Carter.Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," died at age 42 in Memphis (Tennessee) of a heart attack induced by drug abuse. This shocked the nation and gave many baby boomers their first intimations of mortality.Apple Inc. releases the Apple II, the first truly popular personal computer. Designed by Steve Wozniak, it was very user-friendly and only required the addition of a TV as a display monitor. Its graphics and sound, as well as the ability to add peripherals such as modems and printers, revolutionized the personal computer.OF1977January 21, 1977 - The majority of Vietnam War draft evaders, ten thousand in number, are pardoned by President Jimmy Carter.????? May 25, 1977 - The movie Star Wars opens and becomes the highest grossing film at the time.August 4, 1977 - The cabinet level Energy Department is created by Jimmy Carter.????? July 13, 1977 - The New York City blackout results in massive looting and disorderly conduct during its twenty-five hour duration.????? September 21, 1977 - Fifteen nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, sign a nuclear-proliferation pact, slowing the spread of nuclear weapons around the world. Panama Canal Treaty was ratified by the Senate. It called for the return of the canal to Panama at the end of 1999.1978-1979The Camp David Accords were negotiated. Arranged by Carter, it was a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel -- the first such agreement between an Arab country and Israel.1970sTwo major musical trends emerged in the U.S.: disco music (which hit the national charts beginning in 1976 and was further energized by the movie "Saturday Night Fever" in 1977); and punk rock (loud, aggressive music with hostile, rude lyrics, which reacted angrily against the softer rock of the early 1970s).OF1978March 3, 1978 - In one of the first articles on the subject of human cloning, the New York Post prints an article on the book The Cloning of Man which supposes the cloning of a human being.April 18, 1978 - The United States Senate votes to return the Panama Canal back to Panama on December 31, 1999. A treaty for the return had been signed on September 7 of the previous year, pending approval by the U.S. Congress. August 17, 1978 - The first balloon, Double Eagle II, to cross the Atlantic Ocean comes to rest in Miserey, France, after one hundred and thirty-seven hours of flight from Presque Isle, Maine. September 17, 1978 - The Camp David Peace Agreement between Israel and Egypt is formulated in twelve days of secret negotiations at the Camp David retreat of the President. President Jimmy Carter witnessed the signing of the agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the White House. October 16, 1978 - Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla of Poland, is elected Pope at Vatican City. Three Mile Island nuclear power station was shut down after a nuclear accident. Fears of future accidents caused many Americans to oppose the building of more nuclear power stations.After a decades-long international vaccination campaign effort, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox (one of the world's most dreaded diseases for hundreds of years) was eradicated as a health hazard.Inflation soared to 13%. The rising price of oil was a main cause of this inflation. Meanwhile, unemployment increased as the nation slipped into a recession. Carter's popularity dropped as these problems worsened.The Iranian hostage crisis began when Iranians seized more than 60 Americans at the U.S. embassy. Iranians took this action because Carter refused to return Iran's former ruler (the shah) to Iran to stand trial. (The shah had come to America for medical treatment.) Carter was unable to gain the release of the hostages. This caused his popularity to drop even more."Rapper's Delight," by the Sugarhill Gang, became the first national rap record hit. Rap, a product of the "hip-hop culture" then emerging within New York City's South Bronx black and Hispanic ghetto, would become a major cultural force among young people of all races. In the 1980s, "break dancing," "scratching," and "rapping" would become part of a major cultural trend influencing young people of all races and backgrounds.1979March 28, 1979 - An accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania occurs when a partial core meltdown is recorded. A tense situation ensued for five days until the reactor was deemed under control.? It is the largest accident in U.S. nuclear power history and considered the worst in the world until the Soviet Chernobyl accident seven years later.????? September 1, 1979 - The American Pioneer Eleven passes the planet Saturn, becoming the first spacecraft to visit the ringed planet, albeit at a distance of 21,000 kilometers.October 6, 1979 - The Federal Reserve system changes its monetary policy goals from interest rate based to a money supply target orientation.????? November 1, 1979 - The Chrysler Bailout is approved by the federal government. A $1.5 billion loan-guarantee plan is floated to assist the third largest car maker in the United States.????? November 4, 1979 - The Iran Hostage Crisis begins when sixty-three Americans are among ninety hostages taken at the American embassy in Tehran by three thousand militant student followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, who demand that the former shah return to Iran to stand trial. Jackson and Madonna would emerge as the most popular rock stars of the era. Both put great effort not just into their music, but into the creation of a spectacle for their concert audiences. Jackson's album "Thriller" (1982) sold 40 million copies, the most of any album in history, making Jackson an international superstar and the "King of Pop." By 1991, Madonna had 21 Top Ten hits, and had achieved a level of success unprecedented for a woman in the music business. Videos on MTV also played a great part in helping them achieve public acclaim.1980The vote count in the presidential election was: R. Reagan (Rep) 43,899,248 p.v./489 e.v. J. Carter (Dem) 36,481,435 p.v./ 49 e.v.OF1980January 4, 1980 - President Jimmy Carter announces the embargo on sale of grain and high technology to the Soviet Union due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.????????????????? February 13, 1980 - The opening ceremonies of the 1980 Winter Olympics Games are held in Lake Placid, New York. One of the most thrilling moments include the Miracle on Ice when a team of U.S. amateur ice hockey players defeated the vaunted Soviet Union professional all-star team in the semi-final game, then won the gold medal over Finland. U.S. speed skater Eric Heiden also concluded one of the most amazing feats in sports history when he won all five speed skating medals from the sprint at 500 meters to the marathon 10,000 meter event.April 1, 1980 - The 1980 census shows a population in the United States of 226,542,203, an 11.4% increase since 1970.? For the first time, one state had over 20 million people living within its borders, the state of California with 23.7 million.? Due to a trend of western migration, Missouri now contained the geographic population center of the United States, one quarter mile west of De Soto in Jefferson County.????????????????? April 12, 1980 - The United States Olympic Committee, responding to the request of President Jimmy Carter on March 21, votes to withdraw its athletes from participation in the Moscow Summer Olympic Games due to the continued involvement of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.????????????????? April 24-25, 1980 - The attempt to rescue the American hostages held captive in the U.S. Embassy in Iran fails with eight Americans killed and five wounded in Operation Eagle Claw when a mid-air collision occurs.????????????????? May 18, 1980 - The Mt. St. Helens volcano, in Washington State, erupts, killing fifty-seven people and economic devastation to the area with losses near $3 billion. The blast was estimated to have the power five hundred times greater than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.????????????????? October 10, 1980 - President Carter signs legislation establishing Boston African American National Historic Site, which includes the oldest black church in America and other historic sites of the Black Heritage Trail in Boston, Massachusetts.????????????????? November 4, 1980 - Ronald Reagan, the former Republican governor of California, beats President Jimmy Carter and independent candidate John B. Anderson, also a Republican, in a landslide victory, ousting the incumbent from office. The victory in the Electoral College, 489 to 49, as well as an 8 million vote margin in the popular vote over Carter, ensured a mandate for the new president. REAGAN TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTIran released American hostages only minutes after Reagan was sworn in as president."Mandate for Leadership" is published by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank. It is a detailed proposal for conservative government, with recommended policies on subjects from agriculture to national security. It was enormously influential during the Reagan administration, and updates continue to be published periodically.An assassination attempt is made on President Ronald Reagan as he leaves a Washington, D.C. hotel after a speech. The president and several of his aides and Secret Service agents were wounded by John Hinckley Jr., a mentally ill young man who shot them with a .22-caliber revolver before being subdued.Reagan announced an economic program called "Reaganomics." He called for sharp cuts in taxes, the ending of many government regulations on businesses, and sharp cuts in social programs like welfare.The U.S. sent aid to El Salvador to help it fight against communist rebels.MTV (Music TeleVision), a 24-hour cable music video channel, began broadcasting. The first video ever shown was the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." Music videos became required when marketing a song.OF1981January 20, 1981 - The inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States occurs in?Washington, D.C. ?It was followed by the release of the fifty-two Americans still held hostage in Tehran. The Iranian hostage crisis, which lasted four hundred and forty-four days, was negotiated for the return of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets.????????????????? March 30, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan withstands an assassination attempt, shot in the chest while walking to his limousine in Washington, D.C.????????????????? April 12, 1981 - The first launch of the Space Shuttle from?Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center occurs as Columbia begins its STS-1 mission. The Space Shuttle is the first reusable spacecraft to be flown into orbit, and it returned to earth for a traditional touch down landing two days later.????????????????? July 29, 1981 - Tax cut legislation proposed by President Ronald Reagan, the largest in history, is passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress.? It would reduce taxes by $750 billion over the next five years.????????????????? August 12, 1981 - IBM introduces the IBM-PC personal computer, the IBM 5150. It was designed by twelve?engineers and designers under Don Estridge of the IBM Entry Systems Division. It sold for $1,565 in 1981.????????????????? September 21, 1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor is approved unanimously, 99-0, by the United States Senate to become the first female Supreme Court associate justice in history. Nicaraguans, called contras, rebelled against the pro-communist government of Nicaragua. Reagan called these rebels "freedom fighters" and asked Congress to send them aid.1982America slipped into a deep recession as high interest rates reduced spending. Many factories laid off workers as unemployment rose to 12%. But by 1984 the recession was over and America had an economic boom that lasted until 1989.The Court of Appeals of the Eleventh Circuit gave a general definition of "unwelcome conduct" in its "Henson v. City of Dundee" ruling that an employer is liable for the conduct of an employee's supervisor or coworker that gives rise to a hostile work environment where the employer knew or should have known of that conduct. The Court wrote: "Sexual harassment which creates a hostile or offensive environment for members of one sex is every bit the arbitrary barrier to sexual equality at the workplace that racial harassment is to racial equality. Surely, a requirement that a man or woman run a gauntlet of sexual abuse in return for the privilege of being allowed to work and make a living can be as demeaning and disconcerting as the harshest of racial epithets."OF1982January 8, 1982 - ATT settles its lawsuit with the U.S. Justice Department. The agreement forced the independence of the twenty-two regional Bell System companies in return for expansion into the prohibited areas of data processing and equipment sales.????????????????? March 2, 1982 - The Senate passes a bill that virtually eliminated the practice of busing to achieve racial integration.????????????????? May 1, 1982 - The Knoxville World's Fair opens on the topic of energy by President Reagan. A special category exposition sanctioned by the Bureau of International Exhibitions, the Knoxville event would draw over eleven million people to the Tennessee valley over the next six months.????????????????? November 5, 1982 - The highest unemployment rate since 1940 is recorded at 10.4%.? By the end of November, over eleven million people would be unemployed.????????????????? November 13, 1982 - The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in?Washington, D.C., holding the names of the more than 58,000 killed or missing in action during the conflict.. troops invaded the Caribbean island nation of Grenada and drove its communist government from power.Tokyo Disneyland opened in April in an eastern suburb of Tokyo, Japan. Licensed, but not owned, by the Walt Disney Company, Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park to be opened outside of the United States. Tokyo Disneyland has become the world's most-visited amusement park, with 22 million visitors in 2002.More than 200 U.S. peacekeeping Marines were killed by a terrorist bomb blast in Lebanon. Soon after, all American troops were withdrawn.OF1983March 23, 1983 - The initial proposal to develop technology to intercept incoming missiles, the Strategic Defense Initiative Program, or Star Wars, is made by President Ronald Reagan.????? April 20, 1983 - President Reagan signs legislation meant to rescue the Social Security System from bankruptcy.????? June 18, 1983 - Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel into space.????? October 23, 1983 - A terrorist truck bomb kills two hundred and forty-one United States peacekeeping troops in Lebanon at Beirut International Airport. A second bomb destroyed a French barracks two miles away, killing forty there.????? October 25, 1983 - The United States invasion of Grenada occurs at the request of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to depose the Marxist regime. introduced the PC/AT. Marketed as a personal computer, the PC/AT actually revolutionized business, and led to a thriving industry of business application software, and of "clones."Apple Computers introduced the Macintosh, a more affordable home computer with a graphical user interface.Congress banned further U.S. aid to the anti-communist contras in Nicaragua. Congress did this after learning that the CIA helped the contras put explosive mines in Nicaraguan harbors.Reagan was re-elected. The vote count was: R. Reagan (Rep) 53,428,357 p.v./525 e.v. W. Mondale (Dem) 36,930,923 p.v./ 13 e.v.In his influential book "Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950-1980," Charles Murray, a conservative social science researcher, argued that America's welfare system had failed to meet its goals. The book set off an extensive and heated debate. It is considered to be one of the most important and influential books on social policy because its arguments were taken up by President Ronald Reagan and used as justification for his domestic policy.OF1984February 7, 1984 - Navy Captain Bruce McCandless and Army Lt. Colonel Robert Stewart become the first astronauts to fly free of a spacecraft in orbit during a space shuttle flight that began four days earlier.????? May 12, 1984 - The Louisiana World Exposition of 1984 opens along the Mississippi River waterfront in New Orleans. The event, the last world's fair held in the United States, was plagued with financial trouble, and drew significantly fewer visitors than predicted over the next six months, 7.3 million, although it was regarded as the catalyst in the recovery of the waterfront and warehouse district to public use.????? July 12, 1984 - Democratic candidate for President, Walter Mondale, selects Geraldine Ferraro as his Vice Presidential running mate, the first woman chosen for that position.????? July 28, 1984 - The opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympic Games is held. The games run by Peter Ueberroth, prove a financial and U.S. success, despite a retaliatory boycott by most allies of the Soviet Union due to the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow games.????? November 6, 1984 - President Ronald Reagan wins reelection over Democratic challenger Walter F. Mondale, increasing his Electoral College victory since the 1980 election to a margin of 525 to 13. Geldof, an Irish rock star, organized "Live Aid," an international rock concert televised live worldwide to help raise money for starving people in Africa. "We Are the World," a song recorded by 46 major U.S. recording artists, was released to raise money for this cause and for the hungry in the U.S.Rock Hudson, one of America's most popular actors, became the first-known Hollywood celebrity to die of AIDS-related complications. The publicity surrounding his death brought national attention to the disease. In the same year, Ryan White, a 13-year-old hemophiliac, whose case had won nationwide attention when rock star Elton John visited him, died of AIDS acquired through a blood transfusion.Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union. He announced a program of "glasnost" or "openness" which gave the people greater freedom to express their opinions. He also announced the policy of "perestroika" or "restructuring" which gave people greater economic freedom. These reforms encouraged people to demand even greater freedom.OF1985July 13, 1985 - A famine relief concert organized by British artist Bob Geldof and held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia is seen in one hundred and fifty-two countries.? The seventeen hour concert raised $70 million for relief efforts in Ethiopia and other African nations.????? September 11, 1985 - Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's record for most career hits in Major League Baseball history. He would be banned from baseball in 1989 for gambling, thus making him ineligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame in?Cooperstown, New York.????? November 19, 1985 - The first meeting in six years between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States occurs when Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan engage in a five hour summit conference in Geneva, Switzerland.November 20, 1985 - The first version of the Windows operating system for computers is released.????? December 11, 1985 - General Electric Corporation agrees to buy RCA Corporation for $6.28 billion in the largest corporate merger ever outside the oil industry. the case "Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson," a former employee sued the vice president for sexual harassment that had occurred over the four-year period she had worked at the bank. The Supreme Court held that this type of discrimination had in fact been made illegal by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.U.S. warplanes bombed targets in Libya. Reagan ordered the attacks after reports accused Libya's leader, Muammar Qaddafi, of supporting terrorist attacks against Americans in Europe and the Middle East."The Oprah Winfrey Show" goes into national syndication on 120 channels, reaching an audience of 10 million people.The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was signed by President Ronald Reagan. The law was passed in order to control and deter illegal immigration to the United States. Its major provisions stipulate legalization of undocumented aliens who had been continuously unlawfully present since 1982 (amnesty), legalization of certain agricultural workers, sanctions for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, and increased enforcement at U.S. borders.Colonel Oliver North arranged a deal where U.S. arms were secretly and illegally sold to Iran and the profits of this arms-deal were sent to the contras in Nicaragua.OF1986January 20, 1986 - Martin Luther King Day is officially observed for the first time as a federal holiday in the United States. ?Photo (Below, Right) Crowds of the Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C. surround the Washington Monument.? August 28, 1963.??????????? January 28, 1986 - The Challenger Space Shuttle explodes after lift off at Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing seven people, including Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teacher.May 25, 1986 - Five million people make a human chain across the United States in the Hands Across America campaign to fight hunger and homelessness.??????????? September 18, 1986 - A tentative agreement on a world-wide ban on medium-range missiles is reached between the Soviet Union and the United States. This agreement would not be expanded to include long-range missiles when President Reagan refused capitulation to the demand from Mikhail Gorbachev to limit development of the Star Wars missile defense shield.??????????? November 3, 1986 - The first reporting of the Iran-Contra affair, diverting money from arm sales to Iran to fund Nicaraguan contra rebels, begins the largest crisis in the Reagan tenure. investigated the Iran-Contra arms deal and charged Colonel North and others with crimes. Although Reagan claimed he knew nothing of the illegal arms deal, he accepted full responsibility.University of Chicago professor Allan Bloom published his controversial best-selling book, "The Closing of the American Mind." In this book, Bloom argued that American education had become morally and intellectually bankrupt. He felt that colleges and universities did not teach students how to think critically and how to put ideas in a historical context.OF1987August 12, 1987 - Near the end of hearings into the Iran-contra affair, President Reagan admits to a policy that went astray, but denied knowledge of the diversion of funds to the contras.????? October 19, 1987 - The stock market crash known as Black Monday occurs on the New York Stock Exchange, recording a record 22.6% drop in one day. Stock markets around the world would mirror the crash with drops of their own.????? October 23, 1987 - The President's nominee to the Supreme Court, Robert Bork, is rejected by the U.S. Senate, 58-42, in the largest margin of rejection for the role in history.????? December 8, 1987 - The United States and the Soviet Union sign an agreement, the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, to dismantle all 1,752 U.S. and 859 Soviet missiles in the 300-3,400 mile range.????? December 31, 1987 - El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico is established by legislation. It preserved a natural volcanic area, a seventeen mile lava tube system, and remains from the Pueblo Indian culture. vote count in the presidential election was: G. Bush (Rep) 48,886,097 p.v./426 e.v. M. Dukakis (Dem) 41,809,074 p.v./111 e.v.OF1988February 3, 1988 - The United States House of Representatives rejects the request of President Reagan for $36.25 million to fund the Nicaraguan Contras.April 12, 1988 - The first patent for a genetically engineered animal is issued to Harvard University researchers Philip Leder and Timothy Stewart.????? May 4, 1988 - The deadline for amnesty application by illegal aliens is met by 1.4 million applications.? It is estimated that 71% of those who applied had entered the United States from Mexico.????? October 31, 1988 - Poverty Point National Monument in Louisiana is established by President Ronald Reagan in order to preserve some of the most extensive earthworks from prehistoric times in North America.????? November 8, 1988 - Vice President under Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, claims victory in the presidential election over Democratic challenger Michael S. Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts. The Electoral College vote tallied 426 for Bush and 111 for Dukakis. H.W. BUSH TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTIn China, thousands of people were either killed or arrested by government troops during a pro-democracy demonstration.In Poland, Solidarity (a non-communist party) gained power after winning the first free elections to be held since the communists took control after World War II.Anti-communist demonstrations in Czechoslovakia and East Germany forced the communist rulers to resign. Unlike previous Soviet leaders, Gorbachev did not send in Soviet troops to crush anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe.Anti-communist demonstrators tore down the Berlin Wall. Once again, Gorbachev did not send Soviet troops to crush the demonstration.U.S. troops invaded Panama in order to arrest the Panamanian leader, Manuel Noriega. Bush claimed this action was necessary because of Noriega's dictatorial rule and drug smuggling.OF1989January 6, 1989 - Economic reports on the previous year from the Labor Department indicate a growth rate of 3.8%, the largest in four years and an unemployment rate of 5.3%, a low of fourteen years.????? March 24, 1989 - The Exxon Valdez crashes into Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound, causing the largest oil spill in American history, eleven million gallons, which extended forty-five miles.????? August 9, 1989 - The Savings and Loan Bailout is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George Herbert Walker Bush.? The total cost of the bill would approach $400 billion over thirty years to close and merge insolvent Savings and Loans.????? August 10, 1989 - Army General Colin Powell is elevated to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first African American to be nominated to that post.????? November 9, 1989 - The Berlin Wall, after thirty-eight years of restricting traffic between the East and West German sides of the city, begins to crumble when German citizens are allowed to travel freely between East and West Germany for the first time. One day later, the influx of crowds around and onto the wall begin to dismantle it, thus ending its existence. and West Germany reunited into a single German nation.The Cold War was declared over as Western Allies (the U.S. and other NATO members) discussed future cooperation with the Soviet Union and Eastern European nations.President Bush signed into law a new Clean Air Act, usually cited as the main domestic policy achievement of his four years in office.South Africa freed Nelson Mandela, the leader of the African National Congress. He had been imprisoned for 27 years for leading the fight to overthrow the white government of South Africa and its apartheid policies. When Mandela visited the U.S., President Bush was among those present to greet him.A large bailout of savings and loans institutions became necessary when it was discovered that nearly 2,000 of them were insolvent and facing closure as the result of bad loans and reckless financial speculation following the bank deregulation of the 1980s. Congress created the Resolution Trust Corporation to administer the bailout, which ultimately cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. President Bush suffered some embarrassment when it was revealed that his son, Neil, was involved with one of the failed banks.An exhibit of the works of photographic artist Robert Mapplethorpe generated considerable heated discussion, as some of Mapplethorpe's work is seen as being on the borderline between pornography and art photography. This caused heated political debate because the exhibition was partially publicly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The debate caused Congress to legislate strict restrictions on future NEA grants.The U.S. government banned all smoking on domestic airline flights.Iraq invaded Kuwait. The U.N. asked all nations to stop trade with Iraq. Meanwhile the U.S. sent military forces to Saudi Arabia to protect it from possible Iraqi attack.The U.N. Security Council set January 15, 1991 as a deadline for Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait. After that date, the U.N. authorized its members to use force against Iraq. With Cold War rivalry gone, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were able to cooperate in passing these U.N. resolutions.OFThe 1990's -?Prosperity as the World Turns1990February 7, 1990 - The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party gives up its monopoly of power, continuing the trend, since the beginning of the Berlin Wall coming down, that the Cold War was about to end. The ending of the Cold War was completed, in many ways, by the strong policies of U.S. President Ronald Reagan toward the Soviet block. Six days later, a plan to reunite Germany was announced.????????????????? March 18, 1990 - The largest art theft in U.S. history occurs in?Boston, Massachusetts, when two thieves posing as policemen abscond twelve paintings worth an estimated $100-200 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.April 1, 1990 - The 1990 census is conducted, counting 248,718,301, for an increase of 9.8% over the 1980 census. This is the smallest increase in the population rate since 1940. The geographic center of the United States population is now ten miles southeast of Steelville, Missouri.????????????????? April 24, 1990 - The Hubble Telescope is placed into orbit by the United States Space Shuttle Discovery. One month later, the telescope becomes operational.????????????????? June 1, 1990 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush and his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to eliminate chemical weapon production and begin the destruction of each nation's current inventory.????????????????? August 2, 1990 - Iraq invades its neighbor, Kuwait, setting into motion the beginning of U.S. involvement in the Gulf War. Four days later, the United Nations begins a global trade embargo against Iraq.? On November 29, the United Nations passes a resolution, #678, stating that Iraq must withdraw its forces from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 or face military intervention. ?Photo above right: President George H.W. Bush eating Thanksgiving Dinner with Gulf War troops stationed in Saudi Arabia, November 22, 1990.? Photo: Photographic Office.????????????????? August 6, 1990 - Tumacacori National Monument is enlarged and re-titled a Historical Park by legislation signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. The site, including the historic Spanish mission church of San Jose de Tumacacori, was founded by Padre Eusebio Kino in 1691. Gulf War to liberate Kuwait started on January 16th as U.S. and other U.N. members began air strikes against Iraq.After only a few days of ground fighting, Iraqi troops were forced out of much of Kuwait. On March 3rd, Iraq and the U.N. forces signed a cease-fire ending the Gulf War. Iraq agreed to pull all of its remaining forces out of Kuwait.The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) treaty, on which negotiations had begun in 1982. This treaty was to reduce the two nations' strategic nuclear arsenals to a combined total of approximately 6,000 warheads by 2001.Faced with strikes and public demonstrations, Gorbachev promised to support a new Soviet constitution, which would give the 15 republics of the U.S.S.R. more power (April 24). The U.S.S.R. also moved further away from a strict command economy toward a free-market economy by allowing individuals to own factories (July 1).A group of hard-line communists tried to seize control of the Soviet government. They put Gorbachev under house arrest (August 18). They told the Soviet people that Gorbachev's policies were weakening the Soviet Union. But the Soviet army, and crowds led by Boris Yeltsin (president of the Russian republic), refused to obey the new communist government. Without support, the plot failed and Gorbachev was set free.The Federal Reserve Board cut interest rates in an effort to encourage economic growth and end a recession, which had started in 1989.The leaders of three important Soviet republics (Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia) decided that their republics would secede from the U.S.S.R. (December 7). They decided to join together in a new union called the Commonwealth of Independent States. This new union is a confederation in which the republics are independent. There is no strong central government. The republics, however, have promised to cooperate with each other.The Soviet Union came to an end. Gorbachev resigned. Meanwhile, the remaining republics of the former U.S.S.R. joined the new Commonwealth of Independent States.OF1991January 12, 1991 - U.S. Congress passes a resolution authorizing the use of force to liberate Kuwait.? Operation Desert Storm begins four days later with air strikes against Iraq.? Iraq responds by sending eight Scud missiles into Israel.???????????????? ?February 27, 1991 - The Gulf War ends one day after Iraq withdraws its forces from Kuwait and sets the oil fields on fire. A cease fire is declared and Iraq accepts the condition of disarmament after one hundred hours of ground fighting. On April 3, the United Nations Security Council passes Resolution 687, calling for the destruction and removal of the entire Iraqi chemical and biological weapons stockpile, plus ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometers.? Iraq also agrees to withdraw its support of international terrorism.???????????????? ?October 3, 1991 - The governor of Arkansas, William Jefferson Clinton, announces his intention to seek the 1992 Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States.July 29, 1991 - Bank of Credit and Commerce International is indicted in New York for the largest bank fraud in history.???????????????? ?November 27, 1991 - The United Nations Security Council unanimously votes to adopt Resolution 721, which would lead the way to establishing peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia. Three months later, another resolution would approve a peacekeeping force be sent. Bush's popularity dropped mainly because his policies seemed unable to pull the American economy out of a recession.Euro Disneyland (later renamed Disneyland Resort Paris) opened in April near Paris, France. Initially criticized by Europeans as being a crass American cultural import, Disneyland Resort Paris later became Europe's top commercial tourist destination, with 13.1 million visitors in 2002.A civil war broke out in the former Yugoslavian republic of Bosnia. Bosnian Serbs began a policy of killing and torture (called "ethnic cleansing") to drive Bosnian Muslims out of Bosnia.Democrats nominated Bill Clinton as their presidential candidate. He promised government programs, which would strengthen America's economy. He also promised, if elected, to propose a program that would guarantee health insurance to all Americans.In "Operation Restore Hope," President Bush sent 25,000 U.S. troops into the African nation of Somalia to support U.N. efforts to distribute food to starving Somalis. These efforts were being threatened by clashing armed groups who stole the food before it could get to the Somali people.The vote count in the presidential election was: B. Clinton (Dem) 43,682,624 p.v./370 e.v. G. Bush (Rep) 38,117,331 p.v./168 e.v. R. Perot (Ind) 19,217,213 p.v./ 0 e.v.OF1992January 26, 1992 - The renewed nation of Russia, part of the Soviet Union dissolved on December 26, 1991, and their leader Boris Yeltsin announce that they will stop targeting the cities of the United States with nuclear weapons. ?(Photo bottom of page) ?President Bill Clinton & Russian President Boris Yeltsin at the FDR Library in Hyde Park, New York, 10/23/1995.? Photo:?White House Photographic Office.????????????????? February 24, 1992 - The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is established through legislation signed by President George H.W. Bush. The park in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is the only location under the jurisdiction of the United States where the men of Christopher Columbus are known to have been.????????????????? May 7, 1992 - 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.????????????????? August 21, 1992 - The Siege of Ruby Ridge is begun by United States Marshals, lasting ten days. The incident would end with the acquittal of all but one minor charge against the Weaver family and lead to admonishment of the handling of the incident by Federal authorities.????????????????? November 3, 1992 - In a three way race for the presidency of the United States, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton defeats incumbent President George H.W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot of the Reform Party.? Many trace the loss of President Bush to his reneging a pledge for "no new taxes." Clinton received only 43% of the popular vote, but 370 Electoral votes to Bush with 37.4% and 168 Electoral College votes. Perot garnered 18.9% of the popular vote, but no Electoral College delegates. CLINTON TOOK OFFICE AS PRESIDENTPresident Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act, requiring employers to grant their employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family or medical emergencies.President Clinton signed into law the Motor Voter Registration Law, making it possible for people to register to vote at the same time that they obtained or renewed drivers' licenses and auto registrations.President Clinton appoints Janet Reno as the first female Attorney General.Middle Eastern terrorists exploded a bomb at the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City. Five people were killed and more than 1,000 injured. The perpetrators were tried and convicted, receiving sentences up to life imprisonment.President Clinton signed into law the Handgun Waiting Period Law (also known as the "Brady bill" in honor of Reagan press secretary, James Brady, who had been confined to a wheelchair after being seriously wounded in 1981 during an assassination attempt against President Reagan). The new law required a five-day waiting period for the purchase of a handgun, with provisions for reducing that period at such time as quick computer checks would allow gun dealers to determine that purchasers were not felons or mentally ill.Seventy-two members of the Branch Davidian cult died when their compound near Waco, Texas burst into flames (April 19). The fire broke out while federal officials were forcing entry into the compound in an effort to carry out a court order. The cult leader, David Koresh, was accused of storing illegal firearms and mistreating cult members.Heavy summer rains caused the Mississippi River to flood millions of acres of land along its banks. The flood killed several dozen people and caused billions of dollars of damage.Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) signed an agreement in which the PLO promised to recognize Israel. Israel agreed to grant Palestinians limited self rule of Gaza and large sections of the West Bank.The U.S. Senate ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which called for an end to all trade barriers (tariffs) between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.President Clinton named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the U.S. Supreme Court. She was a U.S. federal appeals judge who in the 1970s had won several key gender discrimination cases. She was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate, becoming the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.The U.S. armed services announced that, for the first time, women would be allowed to participate in military combat.Toni Morrison, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Beloved," became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.OF1993February 26, 1993 - The World Trade Center is bombed by Islamic terrorists when a van parked below the North Tower of the structure explodes. Six people are killed and over one thousand are injured.????? February 28, 1993 - The fifty-one day Waco standoff begins when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempt to arrest the Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on federal arms violations. Four agents and five members of the cult are killed in the raid.? The siege would end on April 19 when a fire, started by the Davidians, killed seventy-five members of the group, including the leader.????? June 27, 1993 - President Bill Clinton orders a cruise missile attack on the Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad, responding to the attempted assassination attempt cultivated by the Iraq Secret Service on former U.S. President George H.W. Bush during his visit to Kuwait two months before.????? November 20, 1993 - The Senate Ethics Committee censures California Senator Alan Cranston for his participation with Charles Keating in the Savings and Loan scandal.? The scandal had begun in the 1980s due to a wave of mismanagement, failed speculation, and fraud within the?industry. ?By the end of this crisis, almost 800 savings and loans institutions responsible for real estate, automotive, personal and business loans in the United States had failed. ?It would eventually cost the U.S. government between $125-$150 billion to bail out the failed institutions.????? November 30, 1993 - The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is signed into law by President Bill Clinton. major earthquake struck just north of Los Angeles killing 51 people and causing $20 billion in damage.Kurt Cobain, founder of grunge rock group Nirvana, committed suicide. This was a highly traumatic event for young people of his generation, comparable to the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison in the 1970s.Nelson Mandela became the first black to be elected president in South Africa's first interracial election. This was the culminating event in a long struggle by South African blacks to end apartheid which whites had imposed on them for many years. The election was also a victory for U.S. foreign policy, which had long demanded an end to racist policies in South Africa.A former federal judge, Kenneth Starr, was selected to become the independent counsel (i.e., special prosecutor) investigating President and Mrs. Clinton's role in the Whitewater Development Corporation, an Arkansas land-development venture in the Ozarks.North Korea barred U.N. inspectors from examining its nuclear reactors. After a tense year of negotiations, President Clinton's emissary, former President Jimmy Carter, persuaded the North Koreans to suspend their program to build a nuclear bomb.For the first time in the history of major league baseball, the World Series was cancelled after a strike by the players resulted in the second half of the baseball season not being played.Congress refused to enact Clinton's proposal for universal health insurance, a plan which would have extended health insurance to all Americans. Hopes for major health-care reform, at least during the first term of the Clinton presidency, were crushed.The Violence against Women Act prescribed stronger protection for women who were victims of violent crime. It called for stronger penalties for rapists and other perpetrators as well as additional protections for their victims such as protection orders and better training for police and other crisis responders. This law has had a number of positive effects; in particular, there has been a sharp decrease in the rate of intimate partner violence against women.After receiving authorization from the U.N., the U.S. prepared to invade Haiti in order to remove the military dictatorship of General Raul Cedras and restore the duly elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to power. Hours before the invasion force was scheduled to land, the dictator agreed to step down.Republicans won a smashing victory in the mid-term congressional elections by capturing a majority in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. The centerpiece of the Republican House victory appeared to be the "Contract with America," a document that was mainly the work of House Whip Newt Gingrich, and consisted of 10 promises to the American people.OF1994January 1, 1994 - The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect, creating a free trade zone between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.????? June 12, 1994 - The bodies of Nicole Brown SImpson and Ronald Goldman are found outside her home in Los Angeles, California. Five days later, her husband, former football star O.J. Simpson is arrested for the crime, but is later acquitted on October 3, 1995.? The Simpson case was one of the highest profile murder cases in the nation's history.????? September 13, 1994 - President Bill Clinton signs the Assault Weapons Ban, which bars the use of these weapons for ten years.? September 14, 1994 - For the first time since 1904, the World Series of Major League?Baseball is cancelled, this time due to a player's strike begun in August by the Major League Baseball Players Association.? ? October 8, 1994 - The President of the United Nations Security Council states that Iraq must withdraw its troops from the Kuwait border and cooperate with weapons inspectors. Iraq had threatened in September to withdraw their cooperation with UNSCOM inspectors, and began a deployment of Iraqi troops near the Kuwaiti border.? A United States reaction to this development during the months of September and October included the deployment of its military force to Kuwait. On October 15, Iraq began to withdraw its troops from the Kuwait region.????? November 8, 1994 - The Republican revolution concludes with the midterm elections when for the first time in forty years, the party gains control of both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. government announced that it would cease all nuclear testing.Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan called for a "Million Man March" of black men to Washington as a statement of assumption of personal responsibility. Declaring support for "the message," if not for "the messenger," many other black leaders joined in support of this action. Though falling short of a million participants, the march did attract large numbers of black men.A bomb destroyed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including several children. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were arrested and charged with the crime. The media reported that McVeigh and Nichols might have committed the act in revenge for what they claimed to be the illegal assault by federal agents on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas, exactly two years earlier. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison, while McVeigh was sentenced to death.Leaders of the Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs met near Dayton, Ohio and signed a U.S. sponsored agreement ending the civil war in Bosnia. The two sides agreed to divide Bosnia into two sections, one part to be ruled by Bosnian Serbs and the other to be governed by Bosnia Muslims and Bosnian Croats. The agreement called for the stationing of 6,000 peacekeeping troops, one-third of which would be provided by the U.S.The so-called "trial of the century" ended when O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her acquaintance, Ron Goldman.OF1995January 1, 1995 - The World Trade Organization (WTO) is created, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) formed from a series of post-war treaties on trade. The World Trade Organization is more highly structured than the previous GATT and counted seventy-six nations among its members in 1995.????? January 31, 1995 - U.S. President Bill Clinton invokes emergency powers to extend a $20 billion loan to Mexico to avert a financial disaster that had begun on December 19, 1994 during a planned exchange rate correction between the Mexican peso and American dollar.????? April 19, 1995 - Anarchists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols explode a bomb outside the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing one hundred and sixty-eight people in a domestic terrorism attack.????? May 11, 1995 - One hundred and seventy nations decide to extend the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty indefinitely.????? June 29, 1995 - For the first time, the Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir.????? July 27, 1995 - The Korean War Memorial in?Washington, D.C. is dedicated in ceremonies presided by President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Yong-sam. Flight 800 exploded and crashed off of Long Island, New York, killing all 230 people on board. Despite early reports that it might have been an act of terrorism, a lengthy investigation indicated that the explosion was most likely caused by a mechanical defect within the plane."Gangsta rap" ("gangster rap"), a type of hip-hop music, became a controversial cultural phenomenon when its lyrics came under attack for their violent tone, celebration of outlaws and killing police officers, and hostility to women.Pharmaceutical companies introduced a treatment for people afflicted with HIV which consisted of three or more drugs used in combination. Because HIV can mutate within the human body, it can become resistant to a single drug, making a combination necessary. The combination treatment has significantly reduced the mortality rate from HIV in industrialized countries where the treatment is affordable.After initial hesitation, Clinton signed the historic Welfare Reform Act of 1996 which ended Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), a program that for 60 years had guaranteed federal money to families which were too poor to provide for their children. Instead, the new welfare law called on the federal government to give a certain amount of money to each state to help them run their own welfare program. To qualify for this federal money, states would have to require able-bodied welfare recipients to find work within 2 years. Welfare benefits are to be limited to a five-year lifetime maximum except in certain cases, such as severe medical disability. The law also limited welfare benefits to non-citizens, including legal aliens.Clinton was reelected. The vote count was: B. Clinton (Dem) 45,628,667 p.v./379 e.v. R. Dole (Rep) 37,869,435 p.v./159 e.v. R. Perot (Reform) 7,874,283 p.v./ 0 e.v.OF1996June 25, 1996 - The Khobar Towers bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia kills nineteen U.S. military personnel, destroying the majority of a six building apartment complex that was home to the 440th Fighter Wing. It was carried out by Islamic terrorists seeking removal of the U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia.??????????? July 5, 1996 - At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, Dolly, the sheep, becomes the first mammal to be cloned. This begins a rampant debate on the ethics of the procedure in animals and the viability and morality of cloning in human beings.??????????? July 19, 1996 - The Summer Olympics Games are opened in Atlanta, Geogia by U.S. President Bill Clinton. The games are positively known for the achievements of American track and field athlete Michael Johnson, who won both the 200 and 400 meter races, setting a new World Record in the 200, and for the victory of the American women's gymnastics team. These games would be marred, however, by the Centennial Park bombing of Olympic tourists on July 27, which killed one person and injured one hundred and eleven.??????????? November 5, 1996 - President William J. Clinton defeats Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole, as well as the second run of businessman Ross Perot. Clinton gained 49.2% of the popular vote, and increased his total in the Electoral College to 379. Dole gained 40.7% of the popular tally and 159 in the Electoral College. Perot's influence on this race was marginal compared to 1992, receiving only 8.4% of the vote in 1996.December 5, 1996 - A speech by the Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan suggests that irrational exuberance may be causing the extraordinary runup of stock prices. Clinton named Madeleine Albright, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., to be secretary of state. She became the first woman to hold this position in the Cabinet.A verdict was reached in the civil law suit brought against O.J. Simpson by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The families sued O.J. Simpson for the wrongful deaths of Nicole and Ron. Based on new evidence which had not been available in the 1995 criminal case, the civil jury found Simpson to be at fault and ordered him to pay millions of dollars in damages.A Senate committee began an investigation of campaign fund-raising in the 1996 election. One allegation was that illegal contributions from China had found their way into the Democratic Party's coffers. Counter-allegations were made by Democrats regarding Republican fundraising practices.The first cloning of a mammal took place when Scottish researchers using cells from an adult sheep produced a cloned sheep named "Dolly."Timothy McVeigh was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building that killed 168 people. He was sentenced to death for his crime.The Senate began an investigation of the Internal Revenue Service, hearing from a number of individuals who charged that agency with abusing its power in the pursuit of tax revenues.OF1997February 9, 1997 - The Simpsons, a ribald cartoon about a family of misfits, becomes the longest running prime-time cartoon television series in history, surpassing the Flintstones.????? March 4, 1997 - Federal funding for any research into human cloning is barred by President Bill Clinton.????? May 25, 1997 - Strom Thurmond becomes the longest serving member of the United States Senate at forty-one years and ten months.????? July 8, 1997 - The NATO alliance expands into eastern Europe when it extends an invitation to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.????? October 29, 1997 - Iraq states that it will begin to shoot down U-2 surveillance planes used by United Nations UNSCOM inspectors attempting to mandate Saddam Hussein meet the provisions of surrender in the 1991 Gulf War. 26, 1998 - The Monica Lewinsky scandal begins when U.S. President Bill Clinton denies his relationship with the White House intern in a televised interview. This denial, and other denials to a grand jury investigation, would lead to the impeachment of the president.????? February 23, 1998 - Osama bin Laden publishes his fatwa that announced a jihad against all Jews and Crusaders. This announcement would push forward the Islamic fundamentalist agenda toward terrorism against western interests.????? May 18, 1998 - The United States Department of Justice and twenty states file the anti-trust case, U.S. versus Microsoft. On November 5, 1999, a preliminary ruling stated that Microsoft had monopoly power.????? August 7, 1998 - Attacks on two United States embassies in Africa, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kills two hundred and twenty-four and injures four thousand five hundred. The attacks are linked to Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda organization.? On August 13, the United States launches cruise missile strikes against Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in the Sudan.????? September 29, 1998 - The United States Congress passes legislation, the Iraq Liberation Act, that states the U.S. wants to remove Saddam Hussein from power and replace it with a democracy. ????? October 29, 1998 - John Glenn, thirty-six years after becoming the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, becomes the oldest astronaut in space at seventy-seven years old. His role on the Space Shuttle Discovery flight tests the effect of?space travel on aging. 1, 1999 - The Euro currency is introduced as a competitive tool to stem the power of the dollar and maximize the economic power of the European Union nations.????? February 12, 1999 - President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the U.S. Senate in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The Senate trial, which began January 7 and needed a 2/3 majority to convict, ended with a 55-45 not guilty vote on the charge of perjury and 50-50 vote on the charge of obstruction of justice.????? March 29, 1999 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 10,000 for the first time.????? May 3, 1999 - A series of tornadoes strikes Oklahoma, including an F5 category storm that slams Oklahoma City, killing thirty-eight.? The fastest wind speed ever recorded on earth is measured by scientists at 509 km (318 mph) during this tornado.????? November 30, 1999 - The first major mobilization of the anti-globalization movement occurs in Seattle, Washington, during the days before the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings. The protests and rioting caused the cancellation of the WTO opening ceremonies. 2000's - The War on Terrorism2000April 1, 2000 - The 2000 census enumerates a population of 281,421,906, increasing 13.2% since 1990. As regions, the South and West continued to pick up the majority of the increase in population, moving the geographic center of U.S. population to Phelps County, Missouri.April 3, 2000 - The ruling in the case of the United States versus Microsoft states that the company did violate anti-trust laws by diminishing the capability of its rivals to compete.????????????????? June 1, 2000 - For the first time since 1851, the United States of America does not participate in a major World's Fair, the Hannover 2000 World Expo, despite a record number, 187, of international participants. President Bill Clinton had withdrawn U.S. participation late in 1999 after agreement to participate in 1997. Congressional apathy toward participation in world events continues a decline in U.S. involvement after the fall of the Soviet Union and victory in the Cold War. A consequence of this policy has led to a rise, among some experts, of anti-American sentiment and a decline of U.S. influence in diplomatic affairs. Less than half, 18.1 million, of the original attendance estimate, 40 million, visit Hannover's event.????????????????? November 7, 2000 - George W. Bush, son of the former President, and Vice President Al Gore hold a virtual dead-heat for the presidency, with a disputed vote in Florida holding off the naming of the winner of the Presidential Election until the Supreme Court of the United States voted in favor of Bush on December 12. This ruling gave Florida to the Bush camp by a 527 vote majority and a victory in the Electoral College, 271-266, despite gaining less popular votes than Gore. ????????????????? November 7, 2000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton wins a seat for the United States Senate from New York. It is the first time a former First Lady wins public office.????????????????? December 28, 2000 - Montgomery Ward, the retail giant since its founding one hundred and twenty-eight years before, announces its intention to cease business. Competition from newer, low-cost retail behemoths such as Wal-Mart lead to its demise. 6, 2001 - Certification of the Electoral College victory of the 2000 United States Presidential election in the U.S. Senate confirms George W. Bush as the victor, with Dick Cheney as his Vice-President.????????????????? April 1, 2001 - China-U.S. incident. An American spy plane collides with a fighter plane of China and makes an emergency landing in Hainan, China. The U.S. crew is detained for ten days.????????????????? April 8, 2001 - Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer to hold all four major golf titles simultaneously by winning the Master's tournament in Augusta, Georgia.? This followed a remarkable run in 2000 when Woods claimed victory at the final three majors of that season; the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship.????????????????? September 11, 2001 - 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 nearly 3,000 deaths.? The fourth plane is heroically crashed by passengers into a Shanksville, Pennsylvania cornfield when they learn of the plot, preventing destruction of another structure in Washington, D.C., supposed to be the White House or the Capitol building. The plot is attributed to the Al-Qaeda organization led by Osama Bin Laden.????????????????? September 18, 2001 - Anthrax attacks by mail from Princeton, New Jersey against news and government targets begin. Federal officials announce the first case on October 4.????????????????? October 7, 2001 - In response to the tragedy of September 11, the United States military, with participation from its ally the United Kingdom, commence the first attack in the War on Terrorism on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. By November 12, the Taliban government leaves the capital, Kabul. 8, 2002 - Amid tight security due to terrorism concerns, the Winter Olympic Games are opened by President George W. Bush in Salt Lake City, Utah.? They would continue without major incident until the closing ceremony on February 24.????????????????? May 21, 2002 - The United States State Department issues its report in the War on Terror. It states that there are seven nations that a State-Sponsors: Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.????????????????? July 5, 2002 - Continuing its pattern of the past several years, Iraq refuses new proposals from the United Nations concerning weapons inspections. The inspections were part of the cease-fire agreement and terms of surrender in the 1991 Gulf War.? On September 12, U.S. President George Bush addresses the United Nations and warns the members that Iraq presents a grave danger to the world that they must confront, or that the United States and others will act unitarily. On October 2, 2002, the United States Congress passes a resolution giving the President of the U.S. the authority to use the military forces of the country as he thinks necessary.????????????????? November 8, 2002 - The United Nations passes Resolution 1441 in a unanimous Security Council vote. It forces Saddam Hussein and Iraq to disarm or face serious consequences.????????????????? November 21, 2002 - NATO invites additional members of the former Soviet bloc to join its membership. Seven nations are included in the invitation; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. 1, 2003 - A tragedy at NASA occurs when the Space Shuttle Columbia explodes upon reentry over Texas.? All seven astronauts inside are killed.????? March 19, 2003 - The War in Iraq begins with the bombing of Baghdad after additional measures and mandates from the United Nations and the United States coalition fail to gain concessions or the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. The U.S. coalition, upon failure to extract authority from the U.N. for action due to the veto power of France, begin land operations one day later with participation from U.S., British, Australian, and Polish troops.????? April 9, 2003 - The U.S. coalition seizes control of Baghdad in the Iraq conflict.????? July 2, 2003 - The International Olympic Committee votes in Prague that the Winter Olympic Games are coming back to North America, selecting Vancouver, Canada as host of the XXI Olympic Games in 2010.????? December 13, 2003 - Saddam Hussein, former leader of Iraq, is captured in a small bunker in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. 3, 2004 - The Central Intelligence Agency admits that the imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction was not present before the 2003 Iraq war began.????? March 2, 2004 - Mars rover MER-B (Opportunity) confirms to NASA that the area of their landing was once covered in water.????? July 4, 2004 - The groundbreaking ceremony for the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Center complex destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks, occurs in New York City.????? November 2, 2004 - President George W. Bush wins reelection over Democratic Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts.? He wins 50.7% of the popular vote and 286 votes in the Electoral College.????? December 26, 2004 - The southeast Asian tsunami occurs following a 9.3 Richter scale earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Two hundred and ninety thousand people die from Sri Lanka to Indonesia, creating one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in history.? A worldwide relief effort, led by the United States and many other nations, is mobilized to assist. 31, 2005 - After more than thirty years in suspense, the identity of Deep Throat, the contact for reporters Woodward and Bernstein in the uncovering of the Watergate scandal, is revealed when W. Mark Felt, the second in command at the CIA at the time, confirms that he was their contact.?????????????????????? July 26, 2005 - In the first Space Shuttle flight since the tragedy of 2003, Discovery goes into orbit on a mission that returns to earth safely on August 9.??????????? August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast, inundating the city of New Orleans with water from Lake Pontchartrain when the levees that maintain the below sea level city break. Over one thousand three hundred people perish from Alabama to Louisiana in one of the worst natural disasters to strike the United States. ?(Picture Below: Damage across the Gulf Coast of the United States after Hurricane Katrina.)October 24, 2005 - Civil Rights activist, Rosa Parks, dies.??????????? October 26, 2005 - The War of Terror continues. With elections in Iraq to confirm a new constitution vying with internal terrorism amid the U.S. military presence on October 15, eleven days later a statement from the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calls for the destruction of Israel and condemns the peace process. 22, 2006 - In a continuing shift of the retail industry to new platforms, it is announced that the one billionth song is downloaded from the internet music store, Apple iTunes. This shift comes at the expense of many brick and mortar chains, including Tower Records.????? September 25, 2006 - In?New Orleans, the Louisiana Superdome reopens after repairs caused by Hurricane Katrina damage. The repairs included the largest re-roofing project in U.S. history and took thirteen months following the destruction to the Gulf Coast region.????? October 17, 2006 - The population of the United States reaches the milestone of three hundred million, taking only forty-two years to gain one hundred million people since the two hundredth million person was added in 1964. At the same time, a vibrant debate on immigration policy, particularly illegal immigration, ensues across the nation.????? November 7, 2006 - In the mid-term elections, both houses of Congress change back to Democratic hands for the first time since 1994.? This is seen as a referendum by many on the Iraq policy of the Bush administration as well as personal Republican scandals among some House and Senate members.????? December 1, 2006 - United States manufacturing capacity and esteem wanes, signaled by the sale of the last shares of his General Motors stock by U.S. billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. 4, 2007 - The first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Representative Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, California, is sworn into office.????? January 10, 2007 - President George W. Bush announces a troop surge of 21,500 for the war in Iraq to stem the violence at the request of new commander General Petraeus. This controversial policy begins to show positive signs once fully implemented during the summer months, with a reduction in violent attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. Progress on the political front within the Iraqi national government, however, does not keep pace with positive developments on the military front.????? June 2, 2007 - A terror plot to blow up JFK International Airport in New York City is thwarted when four terrorists are arrested and charged with its plan.????? July 4, 2007 - The fifty star flag of the United States of America becomes the longest flying flag in American history after flying over forty-seven years.????? December 13, 2007 - The Mitchell Report on the Steroids Scandal in?baseball is published. It recounted a year long investigation into the use and abuse of performance enhancing drugs over a two decade period, including steroids and human growth hormone.? Nearly ninety players were named, and blame for the scandal was spread among players, the union, and the commissioner's office. Headed by former Senator George Mitchell, the report urged enhanced testing to stem the problem and a look forward attitude to restore the integrity of the game and its statistics. The report comes after a season whenBarry Bonds broke the home run record of Hank Aaron amid suspicion of steroid use. 1, 2008 - A report by the U.S. embassy in Iraq states that 15 of the 18 goals set for the Iraqi government have been met, largely due to the surge implemented over the last year. The increase of 21,500 United States troops, commonly known as the surge, reduced violence and restored order to the nation, allowing the government of Iraq to focus more on solving other problems needed to establish a stable nation.?????????? ?August 17, 2008 - Michael Phelps, the United States swimmer from Baltimore, wins his 8th Gold Medal of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, surpassing the record of seven won by Mark Spitz.?????????? ?August 29, 2008 - John McCain chooses Sarah Palin, 1st term Governor of Alaska, as his running mate, making the contest between Barack Obama and himself, the first time a presidential election included both an African-American candidate and a woman amongst the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees for president among the Democratic and Republican tickets.?????????? ?October 3, 2008 - The United States Congress passes legislation, signed by President Bush, for a $700 billion bailout, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, giving the Treasury Department authority to assist distressed Wall Street and banking businesses of the United States due to the housing, banking, and subprime mortgage crises caused by excessive greed and speculation among Wall Street firms. ?This economic distress, coupled with oil prices above $140 per barrel during the summer, deepened the world economic crises that had been brewing all year. The bailout was supported by current President George W. Bush and both presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain.??????? ??????????? ?November 4, 2008 - Barack Obama, Democratic Senator from Illinois, the land of Abraham Lincoln, wins a landslide margin in the Electoral College, 365 to 173 in the election for the 44th President of the USA over John McCain, making him the first African-American president in the history of the United States of America. 20, 2009 - Barack Obama takes the oath of office for President of the United States, becoming the first African-American president in the history of the nation. The Democratic Senator from Illinois comes into the office on a message of Change. The city of Washington, D.C. hosts more than one million visitors to the inauguration, covering the National Mall in a way reminiscent of the Civil Rights March of Martin Luther King forty-six years earlier.????? April 15, 2009 - After a succession of big government spending projects beginning in the Bush administration and expanded under President Obama, 750 grass roots Tea Party protests spring up across the nation.? More than one half million citizens concerned with increased deficits due to actions such as the bailout of the banking industry, car industry, potential cap and trade legislation, and other administration projects that project a ten trillion dollar deficit over the next decade take part.????? June 11, 2009 - The H1N1 virus, named the Swine Flu, is deemed a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.? This is the first such designation since the Hong Kong flu in 1967-1968.????? October 31, 2009 - The economic recession continues to deepen as jobless claims climb above 10.0%, reaching 10.2% with October's monthly figures. This occurs despite efforts by the Obama administration to ramp up massive government spending pushed by the $780 billion economic stimulus package passed earlier in the year.????? December 1, 2009 - President Obama announces a surge of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to stem increased efforts by the Taliban in the country. The surge, which was suggested by military officers, was not popular with the liberal base of the Democratic party which had put the President in power on a pledge to end both Middle Eastern wars. The war in Afghanistan, which started as a response to the terror attacks on 9/11/2001, and the war on terror in general, comes into focus again on December 25 when an airliner headed for Detroit is attacked by a Muslim extremist, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempts to detonate a bomb, but fails.? OFThe 2010's - Economic Recovery2010January 19, 2010 - Scott Brown, a Republican reformer from Massachusetts, stuns the nation with an upset win for the special election Senate seat. He is the first Republican elected to the Senate from the state since 1972 and only Republican member of the Massachusetts Democratic congressional delegation.? His election puts a halt to the 60 seat Democratic super majority in the Senate and will prevent President Obama and the Democratic leadership from pushing legislation in future votes past a Republican filibuster.????????????????? March 25, 2010 - The U.S. House of Representatives finalizes the Health Care legislation approved by the Senate, extending health benefits and insurance to most Americans. The legislation, the Affordable Care Act, passed on a partisan basis by the Democratic Majority, has caused a significant rift within the public, who disapproved of the bill, and is expected to test the Democratic Party's hold on both houses of Congress during the mid-term elections in November.????????? April 1, 2010 - The U.S. Census of 2010 is conducted, showing a 9.7% increase from the 2000 census for a total of 308,745,538 people.? The geographic center of the population is now 2.7 miles northeast of Plato, Missouri.??????? April 20, 2010 - A British Petroleum deep water oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest oil spill in the history of the United States, killing eleven workers, and devastating the environment.? It also severely damaged the fishing and tourism industries of gulf states.????????????????? November 2, 2010 - With an impetus from the Tea Party movement to restore fiscal sanity to Congress and various state houses, Republican candidates win the majority of elections, taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives with a net gain of 63 seats, reducing the majority of Democrats in the Senate, and taking over many governorships and other legislative bodies. This tide was the biggest turnaround in Congressional seats since 1948, and many attribute the election to disfavor of Obama administration spending practices, including the Health Care legislation passed in March. 14, 2011 - Congress votes to pass the 2010-2011 budget after six months of negotiations, including $38 billion in fiscal year cuts. This vote was one of the first measures that showed the new dynamic of a U.S. House of Representatives in Republican hands that was focused, due to Tea Party member goals, to get the burgeoning federal deficit under control.May 2, 2011 - Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and other locations and leader of the terrorist group, Al-Queda, is killed after ten years of pursuit by United States and coalition forces during a raid by U.S. Navy Seals on his hideout location in Pakistan.July 21, 2011 - The final shuttle flight lands at the Kennedy Space Center, signifying the end of the NASA shuttle space program. The program, which began in 1981 and included 135 missions, was completed when the Shuttle Atlantis flew its final mission to the International Space Station.September 17, 2011 - The first of many Occupy Wall Street protests begin in New York City, protesting the big money interests on Wall Street and their relationship to the recession and world economy.December 15, 2011 - The war in Iraq is declared over when President Obama orders the last combat troops to leave the country. 2, 2012 - At a New York auction house, the highest payment for a work of art, the Scream by Edwin March, is paid, costing $120 million dollars.May 7, 2012 - The first licenses for cars without drivers is granted in the state of Nevada to Google.? Autonomous cars were first introduced in concept during the 1939 World's Fair in New York City in the General Motors exhibit Futurama by Norman Bel Geddes.? By September of 2012, three states had passed laws allowing such vehicles; Nevada, California, and Florida.September 11, 2012 - Terrorist attack on a consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi kills four Americans, including Ambassador John C. Stevens, showing the continued fight against Islamic extremism had not abated after the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and deposing of dictators such as Muammar Gaddafi.October 29, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy, taking an unusual track up the East Coast and coming to landfall on the New Jersey coast near Atlantic City and Long Island coasts of New York creates significant damage to coastal towns as well as the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, to the estimated cost of $65.6 billion.? The hurricane, at its peak a Category 2 storm, was the largest storm in recorded history by diameter at 1,100 miles.November 6, 2012 - President Barack Obama wins a significant victory, 332 electoral votes to 206, for his second term in office against Republican challenger and businessman Mitt Romney.? Congress remained status quo with divided government as the House of Representatives remained in Republican hands and the Senate in Democratic hands. 12, 2013 - Using a 3-D printer and cell cultures, American scientists at Cornell University grow a living ear.April 15, 2013 - Two bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds in a terrorism attack coordinated by two brothers associated with radical Islam.? The attack caused the shutdown of the city as police and federal officials searched and apprehended the suspects within four days of the attack.May 17,?2013 - Congressional hearings begin on the IRS scandal of group targeting that began two years prior. ?The Internal Revenue Service is accused of targeting conservative groups for additional scrutiny in tax status matters, including groups like the Tea Party, whose stances include lower taxes and smaller government, plus other patriotic and religious organizations. ?This breach of protocol from a government agency where all U.S. citizens file taxes has caused concern from both Republican, Democrat, and independent political groups.August 28, 2013 - One hundred thousand visitors throng to the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the 50th anniversary commemoration ceremony of Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream" speech.? Speakers at the anniversary include two former presidents; Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and current President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold the office.? Nearly 250,000 people came to the original speech in 1963.October 1, 2013 - The Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, begins registering people for the expanded federal government health insurance program despite a variety of waivers and problems in implementing the cumbersome rules and regulations of the program.? Various states have decided to allow the federal government to run the exchanges for them, while some states and the District of Columbia set up their own exchanges to sell the policies. of Social Studies Skills and other important issuesNumberQuestionsYesNoIs the appropriate vocabulary relevant to the subject matter presented to students?For example, on comparative government are terms such as monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, socialism, fascism, and communism presented?Appropriate vocabulary is presented but terms are not defined in the text.Are the captions under pictures factual?YesAre the charts and graphs relevant to the topic being presented?Some of the charts are confusing, misleading.Are the maps accurate and relevant to the topic?YesAre questions thought provoking? Is adequate and accurate material provided so that the students can formulate appropriate answers?Some material is left out, so the students have to research on their own.Questions lead to the conclusion at which the author wants the student to arrive. (e.g., In Ch. 14, Art, photo of the black panthers holding rifles: Using the image and your knowledge of American history, answer the following questions:Why did the Black Panthers place so much emphasis on their right to bear arms? What do you think were the varying reactions among black Americans upon seeing a photo such as the above? What do you think were the varying reactions among white Americans upon seeing a photo such as the above? In the long run, do you think such images helped or hurt the cause of black freedom in America?)Are primary and secondary sources presented for students to examine (for bias, propaganda, point of view, and frame of reference)?* No – there are no sources, referencesDoes the text present a lesson on how to evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author? *NoDoes the textbook have a Glossary? Are key terms included and defined?Yes, there is a GlossaryKey terms are not defined in the text, and some terms are missing,Does the textbook have accurate timelines to help the student understand chronological historical developments?The timeline presented is factually mendations:This Techbook has so many factual omissions and errors that it can be considered a work of fiction, not HistoryConcerns:This work must be kept away from American schools.Evaluations based on templateChoicesExplanationsYesNoThis text has minor changes that need to be madeThis text has a moderate number of changesThis text has substantial changes that need to be madeThis book is so flawed that it is not recommended for adoption.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ................
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