Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

The New Millennium

  • Page ID
    187340
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    10_05_a.jpg
    © 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation

    As the century turned, many Americans feared something called Y2K. In this age of computers, it was thought the advanced computers of the time might not be able to handle the clock changing from 1999 to 2000. Panic and fear spread throughout the nation because banks, airlines, schools, the government, and literally everyone heavily relied upon computers. Time and resources were spent to prevent this from happening and the Y2K problem never was experienced. This was not the only event that shaped the new millennium. There were many other events that took place during the turn of the century.

    Major milestones of the early 2000s:

    • Election of 2000
    • Operation Enduring Freedom
    • September 11, 2001
    • Space Shuttle Columbia

    Election Confusion

    Who won the election of 2000? It was a confusing election and was very close to call. George W. Bush and Al Gore were neck and neck most of the election, and not only did everyone go to bed on November 8th not knowing who won, but it would not be decided until January 6, 2001. Despite losing the popular election, George W. Bush became the 43rd President of the United States.

    September 11th

    On September 11th, 2001, terrorists hijacked four planes. Two were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the final plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Most Americans can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing that infamous Tuesday morning, commonly referred to today as "9/11." Approximately three thousand people died that day, including many police officers and firefighters who were saving lives when the twin towers collapsed. The United States had never experienced terrorism on this grand a scale.

    Who did it?

    Immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people wondered who was behind this tragedy. A group, led by a man named Osama bin Laden, who hated the United States, was behind these terrible attacks. This group of people, called al-Qaeda, in conjunction with the Taliban, happily took credit for these terrible acts and even planned more attacks. A military action in Afghanistan, called Operation Enduring Freedom, started almost immediately following the attacks, as a movement against terrorism.

    Space Shuttle Columbia

    On February 1, 2003, a terrible space tragedy occurred. The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. The vessel and its seven crew members died immediately. After this unfortunate accident, the space program was put on hold for a while, so investigators could ensure the safety of other astronauts venturing into space.

    Find out more about the the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster from NASA.

    What else happened?

    The new millennium contained many other significant events. The following are a few other events of the time:

    • The custody battle over Elian Gonzolez in 2000: In November 1999, Elian's mother took him and fled for America on a small raft. She did not survive the trip, but Elian was rescued by fishermen and brought to America. His uncle in Miami took custody of Elian, despite the fact that his father wanted him returned to Cuba. In April, when the fight was clearly at a standstill, Attorney General Janet Reno ordered the removal of Elian from the house and he was forcibly removed by an armed SWAT team. This brought immigration to the forefront of American's minds.
    • The War in Iraq 2003: A war fought to locate weapons of mass destruction and to remove Saddam Hussien from power.
    • Hurricane Katrina 2005: This category five storm was the costliest hurricane in American history.
    • It was the era that brought about reality TV- American Idol, Survivor, and The Apprentice. Other popular trends include Razor s***s, wheelie shoes, iPods, camera phones, instant messaging, texting, Harry Potter, and hip hop music.

    Now that you have been introduced to the new millennium, it is time to put your new knowledge to work. This assignment requires you to complete a proper outline of the New Millennium. Be sure you have carefully examined all the links provided to you.

    Use this outline format to complete this assignment. Submit your work using the "Click to Launch" link on this page.

     


    The New Millennium is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

    • Was this article helpful?