21st Century
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.
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In the wake of the attacks of 9/11, President George W. Bush launched an ongoing effort to thwart terrorists before they act.
Breaches in the system of levees and floodwalls left 80 percent of the city underwater.
Look back at 14 events, achievements, tragedies and otherwise memorable moments that stood out during the 2010s.
The 2020 outbreak of the infectious respiratory disease known as COVID-19 triggered one of the deadliest pandemics in modern history.
Here’s What Caused the Great Recession
Here's What Caused the Great Recession
Discover the confluence of events that prompted the Great Recession in America and its main culprit: the subprime mortgage housing crisis.
The Great Recession: 3 Key Moments
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Political, religious and practical considerations all played a role.
The attacks of 9/11 shocked the nation—and led to changes that altered U.S. government, travel and culture.
The cockpit voice recorder captured the sound of passengers attempting to break through the door.
Among the missteps: lack of intel-sharing between agencies, tepid responses to earlier attacks and a failure to grasp the magnitude of the terrorists' ambitions.
The harrowing decision was made during the first hour after the attacks—by Vice President Cheney.
Firefighters. First responders. Ordinary citizens. Even canines.
After the jets hit, stairwells became the sole means of escape for thousands of WTC occupants. But design choices hampered full evacuation—and made the descent even more harrowing.
From a bloodied pair of shoes, to IDs to jewelry, here is a look at some of the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s more than 11,000 artifacts—and the heavy stories they carry.
On 9/11 some evacuated the Pentagon—but kept going back inside.'We pledge to never leave a fallen comrade behind,' says a survivor.
On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The global terror network founded by Osama bin Laden has been responsible for thousands of deaths on 9/11 and several other deadly attacks across the globe.
Rudy Giuliani is a former prosecutor who drew attention as New York City mayor for declining crime rates and his leadership following the September 11 attacks.
Challenges of Rebuilding After 9/11 Immediately after 9/11, a number of prominent leaders—including New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and U.S. President George W. Bush—pledged to quickly rebuild the World Trade Center site as an inspiring symbol o...
