| 1988 | George H. W. Bush elected president. |
| 1989 | Communism collapses in Eastern Europe. |
| 1990 | Americans with Disabilities Act passes. |
| 1991 | Persian Gulf War fought. |
| 1992 | William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton elected president. |
| 1993 | Israel and PLO sign peace accords. North American Free Trade Agreement signed. |
| 1994 | World Trade Organization established. |
| 1995 | Federal building in Oklahoma City bombed. |
| 1996 | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program established. President Clinton reelected. |
| 199 | United States bombs Iraq. |
| 1999 | Senate trial rejects impeachment of Clinton. |
| 2000 | George W. Bush elected president. |
| 2001 | Terrorists attack World Trade Center and Pentagon. U.S.-led coalition drives Taliban government out of Afghanistan. USA Patriot Act passes. Federal taxes cut by $1.35 trillion. |
| 2002 | No Child Left Behind Act passes. |
| 2003 | United States attacks Iraq. |
| 2004 | President Bush reelected. |
| 2005 | Hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf states. |
| 2008 | Financial crisis leads to Great Recession. Barack Obama elected president. |
| 2009 | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passes. |
| 2010 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passes. Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passes. United States ends combat operations in Iraq, increases troops in Afghanistan. Citizens United v. FEC guts regulations on campaign financing. |
| 2011 | Osama bin Laden killed. Arab Spring uprisings begin. |
| 2012 | President Obama reelected. |
| 2015 | U.S. Supreme Court declares that sam Iran nuclear deal signed. United States restores diplomatic relations with Cuba. |