Nation of Nations 3/e Davidson, Gienapp, Heyrman, Lytle, and Stoff
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KEY EVENTS

1978 Bakke v. Regents of the University of California: Court rules against fixed quotas

1979 Moral Majority established: Rev. Jerry Falwell organizes advocacy group for fundamentalists

Sandinistas overthrow Somoza in Nicaragua: U.S. views the new government as radical and worries about ties to Cuba

1980 Reagan defeats Carter: elected president

1980s Asians pass Hispanics in numbers of legal immigrants

1981 Military buildup: massive increase in defense spending

Reagan ends air traffic controllers' strike: demonstrates pro-business direction of economic policies

Recession sets in

Economic Recovery Tax Act: tax cut legislation passed

United States begins aiding Nicaraguan Contras: puts pressure on the Sandinista government

1982 Attack on U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon: terrorists kill 239 Marines

1983 Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative: space based missile defense system

Invasion of Grenada: U.S. forces topple leftist government

1984 Boland Amendment passed: forbids U.S. aid to Contras

Reagan defeats Mondale: wins reelection to presidency

1985 Gramm-Rudman Act sets in motion a plan to balance the budget: sets mandatory budget cuts

Increase in hostages taken by terrorists: in Middle East

United States begins secret arms-for-hostages negotiations with Iran

1986 Oliver North begins diverting Iran arms sales profits to Contras

Reykjavik summit: Reagan and Gorbachev discuss broad nuclear arms cuts

Iran-Contra scandal breaks: story breaks on illegal arms transfers

1988 Congress passes drug and welfare reform bill

Bush elected president

1989 Eastern European nations break with Soviet Union: Revolutions in Communist-bloc nations:

China crushes revolt in Tiananmen Square: democracy protests ended

Berlin Wall taken down: East and West Europe reunited

1990 Iraq invades Kuwait: Saddam Hussein threatens Middle East oil

Clean Air Act: environmental law passed but undercut by Council on Competitiveness that rewrote regulations to suit businesses

Bush agrees to higher taxes in budget agreement with Congress

1991 Operation Desert Storm launched: Allied forces crush Iraq, liberate Kuwait

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) concluded: U.S. and U.S.S.R. agree to significant cuts in nuclear arsenals

Clarence Thomas hearings: Supreme Court nominee confronts sexual harassment charges in televised hearings

11 former republics of the Soviet Union become the Commonwealth of Independent States: shocking fall of world power

1992 Los Angeles riots: rioting breaks out when police officers videotaped beating Rodney King acquitted of charges

Planned Parenthood v. Casey sets new restrictions on abortion

Clinton defeats Bush and Perot: becomes president

1993 Clinton succeeds in passing budget legislation reducing annual deficits

NAFTA trade agreement approved: U.S., Canada and Mexico agree to free trade zone

1994 U.S. leads U.N.-sponsored invasion of Haiti: bring order to island

Clinton health care reform defeated: administrations major piece of legislation

Congressional election gives Republicans control of both House and Senate

1995 Federal building in Oklahoma City bombed: media introduces Americans to militia movement

OJ Simpson acquitted in murder trial

Dayton Accords signed ending civil war in Bosnia: U.S. troops committed to preserve peace

Republicans shut down federal government in confrontation with Clinton

1996 Welfare reform legislation signed: fundamental change in welfare system

Clinton defeats Dole: reelected president

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