U.S. President George W. Bush sits at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House after addressing the nation on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks September 11, 2006 in Washington, DC. It's been five years since terrorists seized four airliners in flight, crashing two in the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and one into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Statue of Saddam Hussein toppled on April 9, 2003

On This Day in History: The US declares an end to the War in Iraq

President Bill Clinton, with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at his side, emphatically denies having affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.  (Photo by Diana Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Iraq War

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America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.

1970s

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Bosnian genocide, the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Columbine High School shooting marked a solemn chapter in gun violence, and the devastatingly deadly Oklahoma City bombing by a domestic terrorist followed lethal standoffs between federal agents and armed civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas.

1990s

2003

1980

2011

The Middle East is a large and diverse region composed of several countries and cultures in north Africa and western Asia. Its complex history includes the Persian Gulf War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Zionism and more.

Iraq War

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George W. Bush

Stories

The Surprising Interrogations That Led to Saddam Hussein’s Capture

The 1990s: When Technology Upended Our World

10 Consequential Political Leaks Through History

This Day in History

U.S. declares an end to the War in Iraq

Baghdad falls to U.S. forces

Saddam Hussein captured

Jessica Lynch gets hero’s welcome

Qusay and Uday Hussein killed

Iran-Iraq War begins