Key Events in U.S. History: 1991-2025

Operation Desert Storm

U.S. coalition expels Iraq from Kuwait.

Rodney King Beating

Police brutality incident sparks national outrage.

Clarence Thomas Hearings

Sexual harassment allegations raise gender politics issues.

Civil Rights Act of 1991

Strengthens rights to sue for workplace discrimination.

Los Angeles Riots

Riots following Rodney King officers' acquittal, 63 dead.

Bill Clinton

First Baby Boomer president, defeats Bush and Perot.

Hurricane Andrew

One of the costliest U.S. natural disasters.

Culture Wars

Debates on abortion, LGBTQ rights, and multiculturalism.

Mosaic Web Browser

User-friendly Internet browser launched in 1993.

World Trade Center Bombing

First major Islamic terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Waco Siege

FBI standoff with cult ends in fire, 76 dead.

Brady Bill

Mandates background checks for handgun purchases.

FMLA

Guarantees unpaid leave for family or health reasons.

NAFTA

Free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Republican Revolution

GOP gains control of both houses of Congress.

Newt Gingrich

Promised reforms and tax cuts in 'Contract with America'.

Violent Crime Control Act

Introduces three strikes law and assault weapons ban.

O.J. Simpson Trial

Major live-TV event begins in June 1994.

Major League Baseball Strike

Season canceled due to salary cap disputes.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Domestic terrorist attack kills 168, revenge for Waco.

Dot-Com Boom

Rapid growth of tech companies in late 1990s.

Titanic Release

James Cameron's film earns over $2B, wins 11 Oscars.

Friends

Sitcom that dominated television ratings.

The Sopranos

Drama series reshaping TV storytelling.

Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

Impeachment of Clinton by the House.

Michael Jordan Retires

Second retirement after 6 NBA titles.

Al-Qaeda Attacks

Bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, 200+ killed.

Columbine Shooting

High school massacre, 13 killed, gun debate.

Women's World Cup 1999

U.S. women win championship dramatically.

JFK Jr. Dies

Plane crash that shocked the nation.

Sega Dreamcast

First console to introduce online gaming.

Y2K Fears

Concerns about computer system failures proved unfounded.

Tech Bubble Bursts

Trillions lost due to overspeculation in tech stocks.

Bush v. Gore Election

Disputed results lead to Supreme Court ruling.

9/11 Attacks

Nearly 3,000 killed, altering U.S. policy.

Hainan Island Incident

Strained U.S.-China relations over spy plane.

ETRR Tax Cuts

$1.35 trillion tax cut signed by Bush.

SpaceX Founded

Elon Musk launches private space industry.

D.C. Sniper Attacks

10 killed, causing national panic.

Guantanamo Bay Opens

Detention center raising human rights concerns.

Iraq War Begins

U.S. invasion over Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster

Shuttle breaks apart, 7 astronauts killed.

Northeast Blackout

50 million people lose power in outage.

Spirit and Opportunity Rovers

Mars rovers that explored the planet.

Abu Ghraib Scandal

U.S. troops abuse detainees in Iraq.

Indian Ocean Tsunami

Natural disaster killing over 225,000 people.

Bush Re-elected

Defeated John Kerry in presidential election.

Hurricane Katrina

Devastating storm with criticized government response.

Sago Mine Disaster

Explosion traps 13 miners, leads to safety laws.

Facebook Opens to Public

Social media platform accessible to all over 13.

Midterm Elections 2006

Democrats gain control of Congress.

Saddam Hussein Executed

Former dictator hanged after war conviction.

Iraq War Troop Surge

30,000 additional troops sent to Iraq.

Virginia Tech Shooting

Deadliest school shooting, 32 killed.

First iPhone Released

Revolutionized communication and technology.

Netflix Launches Streaming

Changed media consumption with digital streaming.

Energy Independence and Security Act

Promotes fuel efficiency and renewable energy initiatives.

Beijing Olympics

Michael Phelps wins 8 gold medals, becomes iconic.

Large Hadron Collider Activated

Significant advancement in physics research and universe exploration.

Lehman Brothers Collapse

Event triggering the global financial crisis (Great Recession).

TARP Bailout

$700 billion allocated to rescue failing banks.

Barack Obama Elected

First African American president, symbolizing historic progress.

Obama Inaugurated

Begins presidency during severe economic crisis.

Stem Cell Ban Lifted

Federal funding for stem cell research reinstated.

Tea Party Emerges

Grassroots conservative movement protests on Tax Day.

Michael Jackson Dies

Global mourning for the influential pop music icon.

Fort Hood Shooting

Army psychiatrist kills 13 at Texas military base.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Worst marine oil spill in U.S. history.

Affordable Care Act

Expands health insurance coverage, politically divisive.

Haiti Earthquake Response

U.S. provides extensive aid after devastating earthquake.

Midterm Elections

Republicans regain House, highlighting political divide.

Giffords Shooting

Congresswoman shot, sparking gun violence debate.

Occupy Wall Street

Protests against income inequality and corporate power.

Osama bin Laden Killed

U.S. Navy SEALs eliminate al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan.

Joplin Tornado

EF5 tornado kills 158, one of deadliest in history.

End of Space Shuttle Program

NASA's shuttle era concludes with Atlantis landing.

Obama Re-elected

Wins second term against Mitt Romney in 2012.

Hurricane Sandy

Devastating storm causes billions in damages.

Aurora Shooting

12 killed during a movie screening in Colorado.

Sandy Hook Massacre

School shooting claims 26 lives, igniting gun debates.

Benghazi Attack

U.S. compound attacked in Libya, ambassador killed.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Two bombs kill 3, injure 283 during marathon.

NSA Leaks

Edward Snowden reveals classified surveillance programs.

Supreme Court Strikes DOMA

Ends federal ban on same-sex marriage.

Moore Tornado

Severe tornado kills 24, including children in Oklahoma.

Ferguson Unrest

Police killing of Michael Brown ignites nationwide protests.

Obergefell v. Hodges

Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide.

Charleston Church shooting

White supremacist kills 9 in historic black church.

San Bernardino attack

Terrorist couple kills 14 at regional center.

Paris Agreement

U.S. joins global climate accord for emissions reduction.

Pulse nightclub massacre

Hate-driven attack kills 49 in Orlando.

Trump elected

Outsider candidate wins presidency in 2016.

Oakland fire

Warehouse blaze kills 36 attendees at art event.

Travel ban

Trump issues immigration bans affecting several countries.

Women's March

Largest protest in U.S. history post-inauguration.

Charlottesville riots

White supremacist clashes provoke national introspection.

Midterms 2018

Democrats regain House, shifting congressional power.

Parkland shooting

Florida school shooting sparks youth-led gun reform.

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

11 killed in antisemitic attack on worshippers.

Longest shutdown

35-day federal government closure ends in January.