Recession, war and change: 2000-2009

2000

The decade began with the election of then-Governor George W. Bush over former Vice President Al Gore for President, with the final, controversial votes from Florida deciding the outcome. Also highly publicized was the custody battle for 5-year-old Elián González, who was found floating on an inner-tube off the coast of Florida.

Then-Attorney General Janet Reno ordered the return of Elián to his father, but when his American relatives protested, officials were forced to enter the house and retrieve the boy.

2001

The two commercial airline planes that were hijacked and sent crashing into the Twin Towers in New York City marked Sept. 11th as a day Americans would always remember.

This terrorist attack fueled the United States government to declare the War on Terror on Oct. 7, 2001.

Sophomore Elisa Fanucchi thought it was the most significant news story of the decade.

"Not only did it unite our country in such a short amount of time in support of the families of the victims, but there was a worldwide response," she said.

2002

Former President Bush took an interest in Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction.

"Eleven years ago, as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi regime was required to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, to cease all development of such weapons, and to stop all support for terrorist groups," he said in an address to the nation. "The Iraqi regime has violated all of those obligations."

14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her room in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 5, 2002.

2003

Nine months later, Smart was spotted 20 miles from her house and rescued from her homeless captor.

US troops initially invaded Iraq.

The second most widespread electrical blackout in history occurred on Aug. 14. The blackout affected 45 million Americans in eight East Coast states and 10 million Canadians.

2004

On May 17, Massachusetts officially became the first state and sixth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

The Sudanese government released the African Arabs called the Janjaweed militia to rid the country of all tribal blacks in 2004.

The U.S. referred to it as a mass genocide.

The most powerful earthquake in 40 years struck the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26 the same year. It caused tsunamis that affected 14 different countries and killed 230,000 people.

Scott Peterson was put on trial for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson. Later, after a conviction, the jury recommended Scott Peterson receive the death penalty.

2004 ended with the reelection of President George W. Bush over Senator John Kerry.

2005

Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana on Aug. 29 at 125 mph, causing nearly 2,000 deaths, destroying thousands of homes and businesses, and forcing over 70 percent of New Orleans' citizens to evacuate.

Also that year, the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2 resulted in the Papal election of Pope Benedict XVI.

2006

The war in Iraq continued, even after Saddam Hussein was captured and sentenced to death after being convicted of genocide attacks.

Nancy Pelosi was elected as the first woman to be the Speaker of the House in November of 2006, and took the oath in January of 2007.

"I think this was a big step for women in politics," said junior Claire Wedekin. "People started to realize that women belong in these positions just as much as men."

2007

On April 16, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many others before committing suicide in what came to be known as the Virginia Tech Massacre. 30 students alone were killed in the Norris Hall classrooms. University staff members were among the deceased. It was the deadliest peacetime shooting incident by one man in U.S. history.

2007 also marked the beginning of the major downturn in the American economy with the mortgage crisis, a large rise in mortgage delinquencies and loss in capital of many banks.

2008

In 2008, major companies such as Lehman Brothers and AIG requested a government bailout.

"The economic downturn was definitely the most significant because it has been going on for years and has affected people all over the world and it is going to take years to recover," said sophomore Abram Dawson.

Senator Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president on Nov. 7, defeating Senator John McCain..

"I think the biggest part was that it improved America's image in the eyes of other countries and people around the world," said freshman Kevin Corley. The Democratic party also achieved a 60-40 senate majority.

2009

During 2009, the economy continued to decline. Unemployment reached a high of 10 percent, a new record for the federal deficit was set at $1.4 trillion and there was a large drop in the stock market despite a $787 billion federal stimulus package.

The spread of H1N1 was declared a pandemic in 2009. 50 million people were infected and 10,000 were killed in the United States alone.

On Jan. 15, Chesley Sullenberger saved the lives of 155 people aboard a US Airways plane, which lost use of both of its engines by safely landing on the Hudson river.

Contact Annie Cheung at accheung@scu.edu or (406) 554-4546.