Living through history: A timeline of the events that CCHS students have lived through, from 2002 to now
FeaturesGeneral Features November 13, 2020 Admin
BY KAREN SUROS AND ARIELLE KRAUS
There is no doubt that from the time that CCHS seniors were born in 2002 to now, all CCHS students have been living through history. From the release of social media to mass shootings to social movements, there are many events that have shaped this modern generation of students. Here is a timeline of significant events that CCHS students have lived through:
November, 25 2002
The U.S. government established the Department of Homeland Security as a result of the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Its goal is to protect the nation from any threats.
February 1, 2003
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle Columbia broke apart on its way back to earth, resulting in a disastrous outcome and the tragic loss of seven on-board astronauts.
August 1, 2003
MySpace was founded and was a popular social network where users could post photos, talk with friends and play music.
February 4, 2004
The social media platform Facebook was created at Harvard University by Mark Zuckerberg.
August 2005
Hurricane Katrina, which was a category five storm, drastically damaged New Orleans and the surrounding areas, causing severe flooding and harm to those areas affected.
Maria E. Rodriguez, history teacher
“I vividly remember Hurricane Katrina, mostly because of the aftermath and loss created by the storm. What always stayed with me is the suffering and loss of life caused, not by Mother Nature, but by a series of human mistakes.”
June 29, 2007
The first iPhone was released and was the first smartphone ever made by technology company Apple Inc.
Amy Van, senior
“[…]I remember when I first switched from an android to an iPhone back in 8th grade. Overall, I’ve been able to create a lot more memories since getting an iPhone and since they’re compatible with my other devices, it makes life a lot easier too.”
April 16, 2007
32 individuals were murdered during a school shooting at Virginia Tech.
2008
The Great Recession culminated in 2008 with the crash of the stock market, impacting not only the U.S., but also Western Europe and much of the world.
November 4, 2008: Barack Obama became the 44th President of the U.S., making history as the first African American to be elected president.
June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson, also known as the “King of Pop,” passed away at 50 years old, shocking the music industry and the world.
March 23, 2010
The Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” was signed into law, with the goals of making affordable health insurance more available, expanding the Medicaid program and supporting innovations in medicine to lower the costs of health care.
October 6, 2010
The social media app Instagram was released. It has now become an extremely popular app with around one billion users.
May 1, 2011
President Obama addressed the nation from the White House to announce that Osama Bin Laden, leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, had been killed by U.S. military forces in Pakistan.
July 8, 2011
NASA launched its final space shuttle, Atlantis, marking the end of a 30-year history of space shuttle flights. The Space Shuttle program was too expensive to operate, thus prompting it to end.
July 8, 2011
The app Snapchat was released by three students at Stanford University. It currently has 360 million active monthly users.
February 26, 2012
17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman claimed self-defense, but the African-American high school student was unarmed.
December 14, 2012
26 people were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Of the 26 killed, 20 were students.
April 15, 2013
Bombs were set off near the end of the Boston Marathon finish line, injuring 264 people and killing three.
June 20, 2013: The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in game seven of the finals, winning the championship for the second year in a row.
Taj Thomas, junior
“I was in third grade at the time and I was very excited when they won. It inspired me to work harder because I looked up to that team.”
2014
The 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic saw the most widespread outbreak of the Ebola virus in history.
June 26, 2015
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution guarantees the right to same sex marriage, specifically under the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision led to joyous and prideful celebrations by the LGBTQ+ community and its allies nationwide, but also to the dismay of some anti-LGBTQ+ Americans.
William Barringer, senior
“I remember all my friends and directors celebrating with one another and as I celebrated with them, I never realized the impact it would have on my life as I grew up and came to terms with myself.”
September 1, 2016
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem at National Football League (NFL) games to protest social justice and police brutality, sparking controversy nationwide.
September 2016: A video app known as Douyin launched in China.
Meanwhile, after the closing of the famous video app Vine, many creators turned to Musical.ly, making it more widely used. In 2017, Douyin’s parent company purchased Musical.ly and merged the two apps to create what is now known as TikTok, one of the leading social media apps today.
Sarah Haroon, freshman
“People go on [TikTok] for hours and hours. It has given me new perspectives on things. Whenever I’m bored, I usually scroll on there and just forget about everything that’s happening.”
November 8, 2016
Donald Trump won the presidential election against Hilary Clinton, receiving 304 out of the 538 electoral college votes, despite losing the popular vote.
October 15, 2017
After film producer Harvey Weinstein was exposed for a history of sexual assault and bribery, many women came forward with their own experiences of sexual assault and harassment. This sparked the #MeToo Movement, which spread awareness and caused the world to engage in important conversations.
February 14, 2018
A mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School, resulting in the loss of 17 individuals. This event led to many protests, marches and movements, including March for Our Lives. It also sparked activism in many students at CCHS and throughout the nation.
Dylan Bober, junior
“I’ll always remember finding out about the shooting at the end of debate class in eighth grade. It definitely made me much more active on the issue of gun violence and getting involved in politics. I remember also going to the courthouse rally in Ft. Lauderdale, and hearing Emma Gonzalez speaking so passionately about ‘calling BS.’”
April 26, 2019
Following its long-awaited release, “Avengers: Endgame” became the world’s highest-grossing film, overtaking “Avatar.” The movie made about $2.798 billion in the box office.
January 21, 2020
On January 21, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in the United States was confirmed. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world, resulting in shutdowns, quaratines, social distancing and mask mandates. Over 200,000 individuals in the U.S. have lost their lives to this virus.
Rebekah Zuckerman
“At the beginning it was tough, we didn’t know what was going to happen. Now though, it’s a little bit easier because the world is starting [to] reopen and we are able to participate in activities outside of our own homes. This definitely brought change, but a change for the better.”
May 25, 2020
George Floyd’s death at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers sparked protests across the nation, rejuvenating the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization originated in 2013, but the peaceful protests this year, some of which became violent riots, launched it into the international spotlight again.
Photos and Illustrations by Kamdyn Roher, The Lariat Photography, Kaela Goldstein and Adobe
