Timeline Essay

After the 9/11 attack, the nation slowly grew apart and now there was concerns from

around the United States in what was going to happen next and if the country was a safe place to

live. Many years later, there has been major improvements that have either boosted our nation or

hindered it. Thus, bringing how we live and learn in the United States today. This paper argues

that the events that have shaped our nation into what it is today is the Haiti earthquake, launch of

Atlantis space shuttle, re-election of Barack Obama, Boston marathon bombing, approval for gay

marriage and the election of Donald Trump.

The events that brought tragedy and despair around the world but also was significant to

our nation was the Haiti earthquake and the Boston Marathon Bombing. The Haiti earthquake

caused death of 230,000 people and many others who were injured. Due to this, many people lost

their families and their homes. Because of this event, it “ignited a firestorm of social media use

by organizations” (Hope for Haiti: An analysis of Facebook and Twitter usage during the

earthquake relief efforts) which brought many people around the world together to give a helping

hand. However, the Boston Marathon Bombing “occurred on April 15, 2013, when two bombs

went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three spectators and wounding more

than 260 other people” (Boston Marathon Bombing). Both events brought many people around

the world together to give a helping hand and to stand up and make a difference by fighting for

the safety of others.

The reelection of Barack Obama and the election of Donald Trump also were events that

shaped our nation. Obama was the first African-American president and he made many

accomplishments during his term including the Affordable Care Act, passing of the “Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell Repeal Act”, ending the war in Iraq and many others (Obama's Top 50
Accomplishments). Donald Trump also made an accomplishment so far throughout his

presidency and it was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which “cuts income tax rates, doubles the

standard deduction, and eliminates personal exemptions” (Trump's Tax Plan and How It Affects

You). As it is with every president, there is successes and failures that they make to better the

nation, but these two presidents have made greater opportunities for most people living in the

United States.

The last launch of the Atlantis Space Shuttle and the approval of gay marriage were also

more events that made our nation into what it is today. The last launch was significant because it

assisted the world by “flying 33 missions that included secret missions for the U.S. military,

ferrying astronauts to and from space stations and launching several probes” (Atlantis: Last

Space Shuttle Launch). This shuttle brought satellites into space, in which protected the world

even more from destruction. Also, the approval of gay marriage brought many people in the

world to have the opportunity to be with the one another under the government law, no matter

what the gender is. It also helped many people who were hiding and afraid of their identity, to

come out and preach who they were. Both events kept people safe and brought them more

courage.

Having the tragedy occurrences like the Haiti earthquake and the Boston Marathon

Bombing, as well as the accomplishments of the presidents, Obama and Trump, and the Atlantis

shuttle and the gay marriage consent, are all events that not only changed how citizens live today

but also what we do in daily life.

Citations

Amadeo, Kimberly. “How Trump's Tax Reform Plan Affects You.” The Balance, The Balance,

July 2018, www.thebalance.com/trump-s-tax-plan-how-it-affects-you-4113968.

Glastris, Paul, et al. “Obama's Top 50 Accomplishments.” Washington Monthly, 23 May 2016,

washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/marchapril-2012/obamas-top-50-accomplishments/.

History.com Staff. “Boston Marathon Bombing.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2014,

www.history.com/topics/boston-marathon-bombings.

Howell, Elizabeth. “Atlantis: Last Space Shuttle Launch.” Space.com, Space.com, 11 Dec. 2017,

www.space.com/18162-space-shuttle-atlantis.html.

Muralidharan, Sidharth, et al. “Hope for Haiti: An Analysis of Facebook and Twitter Usage

during the Earthquake Relief Efforts.” Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics,

Elsevier, 26 Feb. 2011,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0363811111000294.