* 1789: George Washington is inaugurated as the first president of the United States.
* 1812: The War of 1812 begins between the United States and Great Britain.
* 1861: The American Civil War begins between the northern and southern states over slavery.
* 1939: World War II begins in Europe.
* 1941: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II.
* 1963: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
* 1964: The Civil Rights Act is passed, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
* 1969: The Apollo 11 mission lands the first humans on the moon.
* 1973: The Watergate scandal leads to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
* 1979: The Iranian Revolution overthrows the Shah of Iran and establishes an Islamic republic.
* 1989: The Berlin Wall falls, marking the end of the Cold War.
* 1991: The Soviet Union collapses.
* 1993: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is signed between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
* 2001: The September 11 attacks occur in New York City and Washington, D.C., leading to the War on Terror.
* 2003: The United States invades Iraq, seeking to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime.
* 2008: Barack Obama is elected as the first African-American president of the United States.
* 2016: Donald Trump is elected as the 45th president of the United States.
* 2020: Joe Biden is elected as the 46th president of the United States, promising to return America's standing on the world stage and unify the country following a divisive presidency by Donald Trump.