1. George Bush 41st President (1989–93)
Former head of the CIA, US Ambassador to the UN, and US Envoy to China
Only the second president in US history to have a son also serve as president
Has an aircraft carrier named after him (served as a Navy pilot in WWII)

2. Perestroika & Glasnost
Gorbachev instituted new programs to try to save the Soviet economy
Perestroika (“restructuring”): allowed some small private businesses to operate outside of government control
Glasnost (“openness”): allowed Soviet citizens new freedoms of religion and speech and to have a voice in Soviet politics

3. The Wall Comes Down
Nov. 9, 1989
East Germans guards opened the gates in the Berlin Wall, removing the barrier between East and West; within days the wall was completely dismantled
The next year, East and West Germany reunited into one country for the first time since 1945

4. Collapse of Communism
The Soviet’s inability to financially support communist states in Eastern Europe led to mostly peaceful overthrows of their unpopular governments
In 1989, the old communist bloc collapsed as communist regimes fell one after another
In late 1991, the Soviet Union itself collapsed after an attempted coup by communist hardliners failed to unseat Gorbachev and the communist party was banned in Russia – the Cold War was over and the US had won

5. Tiananmen Square
June 1989
Inspired by the collapse of communism in Europe, Chinese students began a massive demonstration in Tiananmen Square in China’s capital of Beijing
The Chinese government ordered a military crackdown which led to the deaths and arrests of unknown numbers of dissidents
The US objected strongly and took economic sanctions against the Chinese government

6. Invasion of Panama December 1989 Operation Just Cause
US military invaded Panama to oust dictator Manuel Noriega
US was concerned because Noriega was encouraging drug trafficking and threatening US interests in Panama, especially the Panama Canal
23 Americans died in the operation
Noriega was eventually captured and sent to prison in the US on drug charges

7. Iraq Invades Kuwait August 1990
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein sent his forces to invade Kuwait and secure that nation’s rich oil reserves, thereby eliminating competition
The UN objected to Iraq’s aggression, taking economic sanctions and setting a deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait
Iraq refused

8. Operation Desert Storm
Jan. 16, 1991
US-led forces attacked Iraq, launching six-weeks of air and missile attacks before beginning a ground invasion of Kuwait and southern Iraq

9. Gulf War
Jan. 16 – Feb. 28, 1991
149 Americans were killed in combat, 458 wounded
Iraq suffered between 20,000 and 35,000 military casualties
Bush elected not to fully conquer Iraq because the UN- approved mission had been to simply liberate Kuwait and the political consequences of removing Saddam Hussein from power would have been too steep

10. Economy Falters
The end of the Cold War led to decreased US military spending and a down-sizing of US military forces as the nation tried to pay down some of its debt
As the economy slowed, many “Yuppies” began to focus on paying off their debts as well and reduced their consumerism, deepening the recession
In an attempt to jumpstart the economy, Bush was forced to break his campaign promise and raise taxes

11. Americans With Disabilities Act
1990
Forbids discrimination in workplaces and in public facilities against those with mental or physical disabilities
Forced businesses to become wheelchair accessible, provide signage in Braille, and offer closed captioned television

12. 1992 Election Republicans nominated Bush for re-election
Democrats nominated Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, who promised widespread reforms
Billionaire H. Ross Perot ran as an independent, promising to run America like a business by cutting the federal deficit and balancing the budget
Clinton won