Events that shaped the 2000s

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children,” former president George Bush said during a post-9/11 press conference.

This past decade began with a thunderous shot heard around the world. The United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, in a way that many people could have never imagined. A group of terrorists hijacked and crashed four planes out of U.S. airports on this day. Two crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and one crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers of the plane attempted to retake the aircraft.

This catastrophic event triggered a major war that is still affecting a large part of the world today.

“War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing,” former president George Bush said during a post-9/11 press conference.

But the world has not seen the end of this war. It has lasted through the passing of the decade, and it is expected to continue for years to come.

On Monday, April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a disgruntled student at Virginia Tech University, broke into classrooms on the campus and opened fire on students and teachers. He shot and killed 32 people and injured 25 more before turning the gun on himself and ending the massacre.

The disasters that our nation has seen have not only come from human actions but also from natural causes. Natural disasters have also shaped the way that people have lived and adapted throughout the last decade.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast, and left New Orleans in ruins. It took years for the city to be revived and get back to the point where it once was.

The last decade was not only a decade of terror and of hardship though. It was also a time of monumental performances and feats from African Americans.

In 2007, Tony Dungy became the first African American football coach to win the Super Bowl, after 40 previous years of the game.

On a worldwide scale, in 2008, Barack Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States, after over 219 years of previous elections. Both of these accomplishments showed the advancements in our civilization in this decade, and how far we have come since the times of slavery and oppression.

The last decade has been full of terror, resilience, and pride. Throughout all of these events, we have maintained our standing in the world, and we have lived…the American way.

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