The Periodization of My Life

Throughout my life there have been many important historical events that have taken place. I will be going over the important discoveries and events regarding technology and American politics.

The political periodization of my life begins in 1988 when I was born. In 1988 George H.W. Bush was elected President. In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, signaling the end of the Soviet Union.

In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected President by defeating George Bush. In 1994 the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives during the Republican Revolution. In 1996 President Clinton was reelected President. In  1996 Rupert Murdoch founded Fox News which has continued to be a great ally of the Republican Party. In 1998 the Monica Lewinsky scandal rocked the Clinton White House. The following year Clinton was impeached for his misconduct but eventually acquitted.

In 2000 George W. Bush was elected President in the controversial 2000 presidential election. There were many voter irregularities and problems in Florida that helped skyrocket Bush into office. In 2001 terrorists attacked the World Trade Centers and Pentagon in order to disrupt American society. This event aids in helping the popularity of George W. Bush and the Republicans. A couple of months after the events of 9/11/2001 America invades Afghanistan in order to exact revenge on the Taliban and al Qaeda.

In 2003 the U.S. invaded Iraq on the basis that there were weapons of mass destruction; none were found. In 2004 Bush was able to defeat John Kerry to be reelected President.


In 2008 Barack Obama became the first African-American President. Shortly after Obama's election, the Tea Party movement formed and re energized the Republican Party. In 2010 the Republicans took back the House of Representatives. In 2012 the likely candidates for President will be Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

There have been many technological  and scientific advancements throughout my life. In 1989 the Game Boy was first introduced in Japan by Nintendo, helping to signal an age where handheld electronic devices would become the norm. In 1990 the World Wide Web was founded and the Internet took off. That same year the Hubble Space Telescope was put into orbit, helping scientists gain a better understanding of the universe.

In 1991 the Internet was first made available to the general public. In 1995 the DVD digital media device was created shaping the way data and entertainment is stored. In the 1996 the number of people who have Internet connectivity rose from one million to ten million people since its founding. In 1998 Apple first introduced the iMac line of computers helping to aid their growing popularity. In that same year the search engine Google was founded. In 1999 there was great fear that Y2K would cause massive computer errors and possible destroy the fabric of society, come 2000 nothing happens.

In 2001 Wikipedia was created, helping to aid college students in their research papers. In 2001 the iPod was introduced by Apple, changing the way we listen to music and launching the iTunes music store. By 2006 one billion songs had been downloaded through iTunes. In 2006 the Nintendo Wii was released, millions of people learned the joys of flailing their arms around like idiots.

In 2007 the Apple iPhone was introduced by Apple, signaling the emergence of the age of smart phones. In 2010 the iPad was introduced by Apple, signaling the emergence of the age of tablets. In 2011 the "Hacktivist" movement grows where information is stolen or manipulated for political and social goals by groups such as Anonymous. In 2012 Hollywood executives tried to push through SOPA and PIPA in order to restrict the freedom of the Internet, but eventually fails.

Throughout my life their have been extraordinary political, social, and technological changes as Americans entered into the Age of Internet.