time to look back at the events that defined the first decade of the new
millennium.
–todd williams
- March 20, 2003: The U.S.
Invasion of Iraq
Led by the U.S., with backing from
Great Britain, and to a lesser extent, Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain, forces
began an attack on the Iraqi capital of Baghdad under the pretense that the
reasons for the invasion were “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass
destruction, end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism and to free the Iraqi
people. The initial phase lasted until
May 1, and proved to be a costly military initiative in terms of
money, resources and America’s
diplomatic reputation across the globe. Several nations were outspoken in their
contempt for the war, and George W. Bush was vilified for what many perceived
as an overzealous reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks. Things were exacerbated by Bush
delivering a televised speech from the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln under a banner
that read “Mission: Accomplished”
on May 1, 2003 (as of late
2009, the war is still raging) and the nation subsequently discovery that Iraq
had no WMDs.
4. Aug. 29, 2005: Hurricane
Katrina Makes Landfall In Louisiana
There had been warnings from
Louisana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for the
citizens of the city to evacuate, but for many of the poverty-stricken
citizens, there was no way for them to get out of harm’s way in time. What
resulted was the worst natural disaster on U.S. soil, as Hurricane Katrina swept
through New Orleans devastating
everything in its path. The city’s levee system catastrophically failed, and the numbers of dead Americans were the highest for a natural disaster in U.S.
history. The confirmed death toll (total of direct and indirect deaths) stood
at 1,836, and over 700 more were still missing as late as 2008. Many families
were never able to return and the cost of the damage was upwards of $81
billion. The poor reaction of the federal government to the tragedy is viewed
as one of the most embarrassing moments of the Bush administration.
- Nov. 7, 2000:
Controversial Presidential Election Results
When the results were announced
for the hotly-contested state of Florida
that evening, it was read that Vice President Al Gore had received the most
votes in the state. But that announcement was just the beginning of a
back-and-forth between Gore and Governor George W. Bush over who actually won
the state, leading to accusations of vote tampering and voter fraud. Bush was awarded
Florida’s 25 electoral votes, there
was a subsequent recount process in the state (a state which, incidentally, was
governed by Bush’s brother, Jeb), and it was controversially determined that though
Bush had fewer popular votes than Gore, Gore didn’t have enough of the
electoral votes to claim victory. As such, George W. Bush was named the 43rd
president of the United States.
- Sept. 11, 2001:
The Attack On the World
Trade Center
At approximately 8:45 a.m. on that Tuesday morning, American
Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the Pentagon’s North
Tower. United Airlines Flight 175
soon followed, crashing into the South
Tower at 9:03 a.m. At 9:37,
American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth flight,
allegedly heading for the White House or Capitol, was downed in Shanksville,
Penn., at 10:03 a.m. Nearly 3,000 Americans and the 19 hijackers died
in the attacks, which led to heightened security at home, military initiatives
abroad, and a never-ending stream of conspiracy theories regarding what really
happened. Nonetheless, the previous feeling of invincibility that Americans
held was forever shattered.
- Nov. 4, 2008:
The Election of Barack Obama
After a harrowing campaign season
that included a heated contest with fellow Sen. Hillary Clinton for the
Democratic presidential nomination, and an even more intense campaign against
Sen. John McCain in the general election, former Illinois Sen. Barack Obama
was sworn in was the 44th president of the United
States, becoming America’s
first African American commander in chief. Obama delivered his acceptance speech before
thousands in an emotional night at Chicago’s
Grant Park. A significant moment in American history that many would’ve deemed
impossible just eight years before.
