Top Ten Events of the 2000-2009 Decade, in My Opinion.#1 – First United States African-American PresidentBarack Hussain Obama was elected the United States' 44th president at 47 years old. Obama became the nation's first African-American president and also the 4th youngest president. President Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. He is married to his wife, Michelle, has two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and a Portuguese water dog named Bo. His election was a huge accomplishment for the African-American community.
#2 – 9/11 WTC AttacksOn September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center towers in New York City were the target of a horrible terrorist attack. The terrorists hijacked two Boeing 767 planes, one with 92 passengers and the other with 65. The first attack, on the North tower at 8:45a.m., was carried out by American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston. The second attack, on the South tower at 9:03a.m., was carried out by United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston. The suicide attack by Al Qaeda terrorists killed 2,726 workers, 2,103 of which were male and 623 of which were female. It had been 6 years since a major terrorist attack had taken place in the United States. Two other attacks on the United States happened on September 11th.
#3 – Dubai's GrowthDubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates) has been growing at an incredible rate. Dubai is considered the trade and tourism center for the Gulf region. The population of Dubai, which was at 1.1 million in 2005, could very well reach 4 million by 2017. The city now is home to the world's tallest building, the 2,650 foot Burj Dubai (also known as Burj Khalifa), and can be seen from as far as 60 miles away. They are also in the process of building the first dynamic skyscraper. Each floor on the 80-story Dynamic Tower can move, and should be completed sometime this year. They're also home to the largest indoor snow skiing resort in the world. Dubai created man-made islands called The World Islands off the coast of the city. Each island ranges from 250-900 thousand square feet and takes the shape of the World. Although Dubai continues to see dramatic growth, it recently joined the ranks of the majority of other economies with having substantial debt problems that threaten its future growth.
#4 – Green EconomyGreen Economy is using resources and producing materials that are Eco-friendly. It helps prevent global warming, which has become a major issue in the past few years. The green economy is based on renewable resources rather than fossil fuels, conservation, and efficient energy use. It is also considered being able to create green jobs.
#5 – London Bus BombingOn Thursday, July 7, 2005, at 9:47 a.m., a bomb went off in a double deck bus in London, England. Three different groups associated with Al Queda were responsible. The bus was the last of four bombings across central London that day. Tavistock Square was the site of this bus bombing. Fifty-six people, including the bombers, were killed. Around 700 were injured. Hasib Hussain, age 18, was responsible for the bombing on the Dennis Trident 2 double-decker bus.
#6 – Hudson River CrashPilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger made a “miracle on the Hudson” on January 15, 2009. The US Airways Airbus A320 had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River soon after takeoff because of an encounter with a flock of birds flying into both engines. Sullenberger kept a cool-head and safely made the landing, saving the lives of the 155 passengers and crew members on board. One passenger described the impact as not much more than a rear-end collision. The crash took place on a 20-degree day, the water temperature at 36-degrees.
#7 – Tsunami in IndonesiaOn December 26, 2004, a deadly tsunami hit Indonesia. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake off the coast of Aceh in western Indonesia. Nearly 230,000 people in 11 countries were killed. This natural disaster prompted a worldwide response similar to what is now occurring in Haiti. Indonesia now has a new tsunami warning system in place.
#8 – Outsourcing of U.S. JobsOutsourcing is the practice of sending jobs to low-wage countries such as India and China. From 2001-2004, the United States had lost 3 million private-sector jobs to outsourcing. Consequences of shipping jobs overseas include devastating workers. Solutions to outsourcing are not simple. Some say outsourcing actually creates U.S. jobs. Outsourcing is very controversial and affects every part of a business.
#9 – Underwear BomberAlso known as the Christmas Day Bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is responsible for attempting to kill nearly 300 people. The 23-year-old Nigerian man boarded a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on December 25, 2009, with a package of explosives concealed in his underwear. Umar was on the UK watch list, but not on the no-fly list. The bomb Abdulmutallab was planning on using was faulty.
#10 – Beginning of Iraq WarPresident George W. Bush (2000-2008) launched an invasion in Iraq on March 19, 2003. Four countries, including the United States, had troops involved in the initial invasion. According to both President Bush and Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the reason for invading Iraq was "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." The Iraq War is also known as Occupation of Iraq, The Second Gulf War, or even Operation Iraqi Freedom. Political officials believe that this invasion was in response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks in NYC.
I think all these events, among many others, play major roles in the history of our world.
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