-
American Disabilities Act
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. This act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and is designed to make sure they have equal access to employment opportunities, transportation, government services, and public accommodations. The ADA has impacted many Americans with disabilities helping to ensure they receive equal opportunities. (US Department of Labor) -
Chicago Heatwave of 1995
In July of 1995, Chicago experienced the worst heat waves in Chicago's history. This heat wave took the lives of over 500 Chicago citizens. Temperatures soared above 100 degrees with high humidity levels. Since this heat wave, Chicago's increased technology can predict when heat waves will occur. They also now share preparedness tips to prepare for heatwaves. The way the vulnerable are protected during extreme heat also changed due to the amount of losses. (US Department of Commerce, 2023) -
Columbine
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado with semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and explosives. They opened fire and in 20 minutes they killed 12 students, and a teacher and wounded 21 others. The violence ended when the two boys took their own lives. This was one of the most deadly school shootings in American history. After this massacre, there were many debates about how to end gun violence. (Columbine School Shooting, 2024) -
Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Outbreak
On May 3, 1999, a total of 74 tornadoes hit Oklahoma and Kansas in less than 21 hours. These tornadoes killed 46 people, injured 800, destroyed more than 8,000 homes, and caused nearly $1.5 billion worth of damage. Despite these awful events the growth of weather warnings saved many lives by sending out alerts in a timely manner. The knowledge of tornado safety and the timely alerts saved an estimated 600 lives.(NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory) -
9/11
September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists boarded 4 planes, killed the pilots, and took control of the planes. They then flew 2 of the planes into the Twin Towers and the third into the Pentagon. The fourth plane was meant to hit the White House but passengers were able to stop the hijackers and the plane crashed in a field. During these events, 2,997 people died and many more suffered serious injuries. These attacks were terrorist attacks executed by members of al-Qaeda. “Kruse and Zelizer, 249.” -
Enhanced Interrogation
Between 2002 and 2009 a technique called enhanced interrogation was used to extract information from the detainees. These interrogation techniques included but were not limited to, waterboarding, sleep deprivation, standing in stressful positions, standing on broken feet, and threats. These techniques were deemed cruel and torturous and were put to a stop due to being ineffective. (Human Rights First) -
No Child Left Behind
In 2002 George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. Schools were becoming less competitive and were not being held responsible for the outcomes of their students. This act implemented standardized testing for grades 3-8 to track student progress. States that did not comply or did not show progress risked losing their funding. The goal of this act was to make sure that schools were being held responsible for student performance. (Klein, 2024) -
Station Night Club Fire
The Station Nightclub Fire may not be known nationwide but left a big impact on Rhode Island residents. On the night of February 20, 2003, a band was performing at the The Station nightclub. That night the pyrotechnics that were being used set the insulation lining the walls and ceiling on fire. Patrons stormed the exits in a stampede-like manner, 100 people died and 200 were injured. The club lacked proper safety precautions and this sparked a change in law for fire safety regulations. -
Hurricane Katrina
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane struck the coastline from Texas to central Florida but New Orleans took the hardest hit. Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated $108 billion in property damages and 1,833 people lost their lives. The government was warned about how the storm would impact the United States but little to no action was taken. The government attempted to provide relief but failed. This storm and the government's response to the storm hurt Bush’s presidency. -
2008 Presidential Election
The 2008 United States presidential election was a historic event that ended with the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The two major candidates were Barack Obama, a democratic senator from Illinois and John McCain a republican senator from Arizona. In the election Obama received 365 electoral votes and McCain received 173. Through his victory Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African American president. (The American Presidency Project, 2008)