Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/09. Modern Nations/02. Americas • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
History of United States (AI-generated, sourced to Wikipedia).
Chronological Storyline (51 Milestones)
May 14, 1607 CE
Jamestown Colony Established
English settlers founded Jamestown in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America, enduring starvation and conflict with Powhatan tribes. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Sketch of the Jamestown, Virginia fort sent to King Philip III of Spain by his ambassador Don Pedro de Zúñiga. The sketch was found on the back of a map Captain John Smith in 1608. The cross is thought to represent the church and the flag like drawing may be a garden. It may also be a representation of the early 17th century English blue ensign. By Unknown (rediscovered by Alexander Brown) - Virtual Jamestown: Zuniga's Fort, 1608, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=261670
Aug 20, 1619 CE
First enslaved Africans arrive
The White Lion brought roughly twenty enslaved Africans to Point Comfort, Virginia, marking the beginning of slavery in English North America. #early-modern #history #north-america
Nov 11, 1620 CE
Mayflower Compact Signed
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower signed a governing agreement before landing at Plymouth, establishing early principles of self-government in New England. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Mayflower Compact Signed By Jean Leon Gerome Ferris - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3g07155.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11083048
Sep 8, 1636 CE
Harvard College Founded
Harvard College, the first institution of higher education in the American colonies, was established at Cambridge, Massachusetts, to train clergy. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The logo of Harvard University – private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts (official coat of arms of Harvard) By Harvard University - Own work based on: File:Harvard University shield.png by User:Jacobolus per university guidelines, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=140298352
May 28, 1754 CE
French and Indian War Begins
A young George Washington's ambush of a French patrol ignited the French and Indian War, part of the global Seven Years' War, redrawing North American borders. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Map of the French and Indian War. By Hoodinski - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30865550
Jul 4, 1776 CE
Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally severing political ties with Great Britain and asserting the colonies' right to self-rule. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
This is a high-resolution image of the United States Declaration of Independence (article - text). This image is a version of the 1823 William Stone facsimile — Stone may well have used a wet pressing process (that removed ink from the original document onto a contact sheet for the purpose of making the engraving). By original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone - numerous, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=621811Video
Sep 17, 1787 CE
U.S. Constitution Signed
Delegates at the Philadelphia Convention signed the U.S. Constitution, creating a federal republic with checks and balances that remains the nation's supreme law. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
U.S. Constitution Signed By Constitutional Convention. 5/14/1787-9/17/1787 - Catalog record, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15795309
Apr 30, 1789 CE
Washington Inaugurated President
George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States in New York City, setting enduring precedents for the executive office. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
"Inauguration of George Washington", 1898 painting by Ramon Elorriaga By Ramon Elorriaga - https://www.nps.gov/feha/learn/historyculture/images/01_10.png & https://www.nps.gov/feha/learn/historyculture/george-washington-inaugural-bible.htm, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181284520
Apr 30, 1803 CE
Louisiana Purchase Completed
The United States acquired roughly 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million, doubling the nation's size and opening vast territories to exploration. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The Louisiana Purchase Projection = USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic (EPSG:102003) Sources: Natural Earth and Portland State University (https://gist.github.com/wboykinm/05756ac2e625bae9ed81) By William Morris - Not published online. Sent directly to me for uploading on author's behalf., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42826877
Jun 18, 1812 CE
War of 1812 Declared
Congress declared war on Britain over trade restrictions, impressment of sailors, and territorial ambitions, resulting in a stalemate that confirmed American sovereignty. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Montage of images relevant to the War of 1812. Clockwise, from top: Damage to the US Capitol building after the Burning of Washington. The mortally wounded Isaac Brock spurs his troops on at the Battle of Queenston Heights. USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere. The death of Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames. Andrew Jackson leads the defence at the Battle of New Orleans. By Clockwise, from top: George Munger, John David Kelly, Anton Otto Fischer, William Emmons, Edward Percy Moran - See images below., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19406500
May 28, 1830 CE
Indian Removal Act Signed
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the forced relocation of Native American tribes east of the Mississippi to western territories. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. By U.S. Government - Extracted from PDF version of Our Flag, available here (direct PDF URL here.), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41373752
Aug 21, 1831 CE
Nat Turner's slave rebellion
Enslaved preacher Nat Turner led a deadly uprising in Southampton County, Virginia, prompting harsher slave codes across the South. #modern #history #north-america
May 13, 1846 CE
Mexican-American War Begins
The United States declared war on Mexico following a border dispute over Texas, ultimately gaining California and much of the Southwest through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
General Scott's entrance into Mexico in the Mexican-American War. Hand-colored lithograph; original size of painted area: 43.2×28.2 cm. By Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot / Carl Nebel - Immediate image source: http://www.dsloan.com/Auctions/A22/item-kendall-nebel.html Originally published in George Wilkins Kendall & Carl Nebel: The War between the United States and Mexico Illustrated, Embracing Pictorial Drawings of all the Principal Conflicts, New York: D. Appleton; Philadelphia: George Appleton [Paris: Plon Brothers], 1851., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159817400
Jan 24, 1848 CE
California Gold Rush Begins
Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in California triggered a massive migration of prospectors, rapidly transforming the region's economy and population. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Three men and one woman panning for gold during the California Gold Rush By Unknown author - http://www.neatorama.com/2013/11/05/Gold-Rush-Girls/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52272060
Jul 19, 1848 CE
Seneca Falls Convention
Activists including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott held the first women's rights convention, demanding equal social and political rights for women. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Liste des signataires de la Déclaration de sentiments de 1848. By https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKXzBSKWwAEzQT8.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65920908
Dec 1, 1854 CE
Chinese testimony banned in court
The California Supreme Court ruled that Chinese people could not testify in court against white citizens, denying them legal protection. #modern #history #north-america
Mar 6, 1857 CE
Dred Scott Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. #modern #history #north-america
Apr 12, 1861 CE
Civil War Erupts at Fort Sumter
Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, launching the American Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Attack against Fort Sumter - 1861 By Currier & Ives. Uploaded by Christophe cagé 12:52, 6 September 2006 (UTC) - https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b49873/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1144459
Jan 1, 1863 CE
Emancipation Proclamation Issued
President Lincoln's proclamation declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate-held territories, reframing the war as a struggle against slavery. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
King & Baird, engraver Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902, artist Bott, S., publisher Umpehent, J. W., copyright claimant By Thomas Nast - Derivative of File:Emancipation- the past and the future (20186657008).jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135348972
Apr 9, 1865 CE
Civil War Ends at Appomattox
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War and preserving the Union. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Appomattox Court House Historical Park By Doug Coldwell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5730226
Apr 14, 1865 CE
Lincoln Assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre and died the next morning, the first U.S. president to be assassinated. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
4"×3" slide depicting John Wilkes Booth leaning forward to shoot President Abraham Lincoln as he watches Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. By Adam Cuerden - Heritage Auctions, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75787398
Jun 25, 1867 CE
Chinese railroad workers strike
Thousands of Chinese laborers building the Transcontinental Railroad went on strike for equal pay and better working conditions. #modern #history #north-america
May 10, 1869 CE
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah, linking the East and West coasts by rail and revolutionizing travel and commerce. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869; completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. At center left, Samuel S. Montague, Central Pacific Railroad, shakes hands with Grenville M. Dodge, Union Pacific Railroad (center right). By Andrew J. Russell / Adam Cuerden - Yale University Libraries, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41243910
Oct 24, 1871 CE
Los Angeles Chinese massacre
A white mob attacked and killed at least eighteen Chinese residents in Los Angeles, one of the largest lynchings in American history. #modern #history #north-america
Jun 25, 1876 CE
Battle of Little Bighorn
Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and his men were wiped out by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors at Little Bighorn, a major Native American victory in the Plains Wars. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Lithograph showing the Battle of Little Bighorn, from the Indian side. By Charles Marion Russell - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3g07160.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11291820
May 6, 1882 CE
Chinese Exclusion Act passed
Congress passed the first significant law restricting immigration into the U.S., specifically targeting Chinese laborers for ten years. #modern #history #north-america
Oct 28, 1886 CE
Statue of Liberty Dedicated
France's gift to the United States, the Statue of Liberty, was dedicated in New York Harbor, becoming a symbol of freedom and hope for immigrants. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The Statue of Liberty (Bartholdi, 1886) against a cloudy sky. Liberty Island, New York City. By Christian David - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=193126617
Apr 25, 1898 CE
Spanish-American War Declared
The U.S. declared war on Spain after the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, resulting in American acquisitions of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Top left: Signal Corps extending telegraph lines from trenches Top right: USS Iowa Middle left: Replacing of the Spanish flag at Fort Malate Middle right: Filipino soldiers wearing Spanish uniforms outside Manila Bottom left: Roosevelt and his Rough Riders at the captured San Juan Hill Bottom right: The defeated side signing the Treaty of Paris By Barbudo Barbudo and TEP - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122736358
Dec 17, 1903 CE
Wright Brothers' First Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered, controlled, sustained airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, lasting 12 seconds. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Orville Wright, age 34, head and shoulders, with mustache. By Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright (credited as photographers) [1], [2] - Library of Congress, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30922972
Apr 6, 1917 CE
U.S. Enters World War I
Congress declared war on Germany, joining the Allied Powers and tipping the balance of the Great War, which ended the following year. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
President Woodrow Wilson asking Congress to declare war on Germany, causing the United States to enter World War I. By Unknown author - Library of Congress Catalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2002716887 Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g10000/3g10200/3g10297v.jpg Original url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002716887/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11224175
Sep 1, 1918 CE
Spanish Flu Pandemic Peaks
The 1918 influenza pandemic killed an estimated 675,000 Americans and 50 million worldwide, overwhelming hospitals and disrupting daily life. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Emergency hospital during influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas. Emergency hospital during influenza epidemic (NCP 1603), National Museum of Health and Medicine. Description: Beds with patients in an emergency hospital in Camp Funston, Kansas, in the midst of the influenza epidemic. The flu struck while America was at war, and was transported across the Atlantic on troop ships. Date: circa 1918 Photo ID: NCP 1603 Source Collection: OHA 250: New Contributed Photographs Collection, Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine. Rights: No known restrictions upon publication, physical copy retained by the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Publication and high resolution requests should be directed to NMHM (www.medicalmuseum.mil). This is our most-requested flu photograph. It may be on another or our Flickr pages. By Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine - Emergency hospital during influenza epidemic (NCP 1603), National Museum of Health and Medicine. https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/20190923/mxfctter-museum-to-mark-historic-influenza-pandemic/1, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25513204
Aug 18, 1920 CE
Women's Suffrage Ratified
The 19th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting denial of voting rights on the basis of sex and enfranchising millions of American women. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The greater coat of arms of the United States of America, as depicted on passports, embassies and the Great Seal. By Ssolbergj - Own work + File:Seal of the House of Representatives.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12832888
May 21, 1927 CE
Lindbergh Crosses Atlantic
Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis, a milestone in aviation history. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Charles Lindbergh. By Harris & Ewing - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID hec.21329.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158112088
Oct 24, 1929 CE
Wall Street Crash of 1929
Stock prices collapsed on Black Thursday and the following Tuesday, triggering the Great Depression and years of severe economic hardship nationwide. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
A solemn crowd gathers outside the Stock Exchange after the crash. 1929. By US-gov - From an SSA poster: http://www.ssa.gov/history/wallst.html (dead link) Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20001214081300/http://www.ssa.gov/history/wallst.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=374410
Dec 7, 1941 CE
Pearl Harbor Attacked
Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,400 Americans and propelling the United States into World War II. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. U.S. Navy planes on the seaplane ramp are on fire. By Imperial Japanese Navy - Official U.S. Navy photograph NH 50930., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=223876Video
Aug 6, 1945 CE
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing tens of thousands instantly and ushering in the nuclear age; a second bomb hit Nagasaki three days later. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Left picture : At the time this photo was made, smoke billowed 20,000 feet above Hiroshima while smoke from the burst of the first atomic bomb had spread over 10,000 feet on the target at the base of the rising column. Six planes of the 509th Composite Group participated in this mission: one to carry the bomb (Enola Gay), one to take scientific measurements of the blast (The Great Artiste), the third to take photographs (Necessary Evil), while the others flew approximately an hour ahead to act as weather scouts (08/06/1945). Bad weather would disqualify a target as the scientists insisted on a visual delivery. The primary target was Hiroshima, the secondary was Kokura, and the tertiary was Nagasaki.Right picture : Atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, taken by Charles Levy. By George R. Caron / Charles Levy - Nagasakibomb.jpg Atomic_cloud_over_Hiroshima.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12204929
Apr 15, 1947 CE
Jackie Robinson Breaks Color Barrier
Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American player in Major League Baseball's modern era and a civil rights icon. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Jackie Robinson, 31 Jan 1919 - 24 Oct 1972. Color carbro print, 25.4 × 20.6 cm (10 × 8 1/8"). By Harry Warnecke / Frank Livia / Robert F. Cranston / William Klein - National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158420535
May 17, 1954 CE
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and galvanizing the Civil Rights Movement. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
The Flag of the United States of America. Taken from the revision of Flag of the United States, created on April 4, 2007, based on the above flag law as amended by Executive Order No. 10834 dated August 21, 1959. Color specifications Official regulation: General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E.[1] This regulation is dated November 27, 1981. The colors are specified by reference to the "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by the Color Association of the United States, Inc. These colors are: Cable No. 70180 Old Glory Red Cable No. 70001 White Cable No. 70075 Old Glory Blue When matched with Pantone specification provided by government agencies[2][3][4][5], these colors are: Old Glory Red: (PMS 193C) White Old Glory Blue: (PMS 281C) When converted to RGB, these colors are: Old Glory Red: #BF0A30 White: #FFFFFF Old Glory Blue: #00205B By Vector file created by Dbenbenn, Zscout370, Jacobolus, Indolences, and Technion. - SVG implementation of U. S. Code: Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 1, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=167150371
Dec 1, 1955 CE
Montgomery bus boycott begins
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, sparking a 381-day mass transit boycott that became a foundational civil rights campaign. #contemporary #history #north-america
Oct 16, 1962 CE
Cuban Missile Crisis
The discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba triggered a thirteen-day standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war before a diplomatic resolution. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
A PGM-19A Jupiter missile on its silo. By USAF - http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-19.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23008807
Aug 28, 1963 CE
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech demanding civil and economic rights. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Photograph showing crowds of people on The Mall, starting at the Lincoln Memorial, going around the Reflecting Pool, and continuing to the Washington Monument. By This photograph was made by Rowland Scherman at the March on Washington. The negatives are in the custody of the National Archives. - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsca.04296.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158608110
Nov 22, 1963 CE
JFK Assassinated in Dallas
President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, shocking the nation and altering the course of American politics. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Picture of President Kennedy in the limousine in Dallas, Texas, on Main Street, minutes before the assassination. Also in the presidential limousine are Jackie Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and his wife, Nellie. By Walt Cisco, Dallas Morning News - https://www.outkick.com/culture/aaron-rodgers-jfk-assassination-conspiracy-theory (Getty: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/president-john-f-kennedy-first-lady-jacqueline-kennedy-news-photo/517330536), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=162046106
Jul 2, 1964 CE
Civil Rights Act signed
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. #contemporary #history #north-america
Aug 6, 1965 CE
Voting Rights Act enacted
This legislation prohibited racial discrimination in voting, outlawing literacy tests and providing federal oversight of elections. #contemporary #history #north-america
Jul 20, 1969 CE
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, a triumph of American science and the Space Race against the Soviet Union. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Apollo 11 Hasselblad image from film magazine 40/S - EVA. The image of astronaut Neil Armstrong photographing astronaut Aldrin is clearly seen in the reflections on the helmet visor of astronaut Aldrin. Astronaut Armstrong, the Lunar Module Eagle, and the shadow cast by Aldrin are mirrored in the reflection. Astronaut Aldrin showing boots and suit discoloration caused by adhering lunar soil. By Neil A. Armstrong - https://tothemoon.im-ldi.com/gallery/Apollo/11/7#AS11-40-5903, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=170640780Video
Aug 15, 1969 CE
Woodstock Festival Held
Nearly half a million people attended the Woodstock music festival in upstate New York, a defining cultural moment of the 1960s counterculture era. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
An advertisement poster for the Woodstock Festival, 1969 By Arnold Skolnick - http://fromwoodstocktoeternity.com/some-left-woodstock-some-are-still-there, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128672481
Jan 28, 1986 CE
Challenger Disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members and grounding the shuttle program for nearly three years. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Short Description: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after take-off. Full Description: On January 28, 1986, the Challenger space shuttle and her seven-member crew were lost when a ruptured O-ring in the right solid rocket booster caused an explosion soon after launch. This photograph, taken a few seconds after the accident, shows the main engines and solid rocket booster exhaust plumes entwined around a ball of gas from the external tank. Because shuttle launches had become almost routine after 24 successful missions, those watching the shuttle launch in person and on television found the sight of the explosion especially shocking and difficult to believe until NASA confirmed the accident. Image # : 86-HC-220 Title: Exhaust Trail of STS-51-L By Kennedy Space Center - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/10697912315/in/album-72157630719371642/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=530754
Jan 17, 1991 CE
Gulf War Begins
A U.S.-led coalition launched Operation Desert Storm to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait, achieving a swift victory in a six-week air and ground campaign. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
USAF aircraft of the 4th Fighter Wing (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Almost the same as Image:USAF F-16A F-15C F-15E Desert Storm pic.jpg save for the size and tint By US Air Force - Source, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2782935
Sep 11, 2001 CE
September 11 Attacks
Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airliners, killing nearly 3,000 people and leading to the Global War on Terror and sweeping changes in domestic security. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Plumes of smoke billow from the World Trade Center towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, after a Boeing 767 hits each tower during the September 11 attacks. By Flickr user Michael Foran - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11785530
Nov 4, 2008 CE
Obama Elected President
Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the office amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Electoral college map for the 2008 United States presidential election (note: Nebraska and Maine split their EVs by congressional district). Please only update the map when a state is projected SAFE after the final polling place is closed. Do not crystal ball the results. Wait until at least three news organizations call a state before changing the colour: see Pollster.com to see who has called what. Sources used: Pollster.com, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, AP.org, FOXNews.com, and the Omaha World Herald By Gage - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5157927
Mar 13, 2020 CE
COVID-19 National Emergency
A national emergency was declared as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country, causing over a million American deaths and triggering massive economic and social disruption. Source — Wikipedia, "United States":
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in the USA by state or territory https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c0b356e20b30490c8b8b4c7bb9554e7c#overview By Ythlev - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88253713
![The Flag of the United States of America. Taken from the revision of Flag of the United States, created on April 4, 2007, based on the above flag law as amended by Executive Order No. 10834 dated August 21, 1959. Color specifications Official regulation: General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E.[1] This regulation is dated November 27, 1981. The colors are specified by reference to the "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by the Color Association of the United States, Inc. These colors are: Cable No. 70180 Old Glory Red Cable No. 70001 White Cable No. 70075 Old Glory Blue When matched with Pantone specification provided by government agencies[2][3][4][5], these colors are: Old Glory Red: (PMS 193C) White Old Glory Blue: (PMS 281C) When converted to RGB, these colors are: Old Glory Red: #BF0A30 White: #FFFFFF Old Glory Blue: #00205B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Flag_of_the_United_States_%28DDD-F-416E_specifications%29.svg/500px-Flag_of_the_United_States_%28DDD-F-416E_specifications%29.svg.png)
