United States History: 21st Century (2000-Present)
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Notable people & events
Notable people & events
This is just a brief, alphabetical list of some of the major events and topics in American history for this time period.
- Y2K
- September 11 Attacks
- Patriot Act
- Advanced computing and the Internet
- Human Genome Project is completed
- School shootings & Mass Shootings
- Global Warming Issues
- Genetically Modified Foods
- AI Technologies
- Gender Equality
- Gender Neutrality & Transgender Issues
- Facebook, Twitter & Social Media Explosion
- Great Recession
- Plastic Pollution
- Smartphones
- Ebola Epidemic
- Zika Virus
- YouTube is created
- Hurricane Katrina
- Boston Marathon Bombing
- Iraq War
- Gun Control Debates
- Opioid Crisis
- Abortion Rights
- Human/Sex Trafficking
- Barack Obama wins presidency
- Privatization in Space travel
- Rise in Netflix & online streaming
- Increase in Podcasting & Rise of social media platforms like TikTok & Instagram
- Immigration issues
- The US-Mexico Border Wall
- Same-sex Marriage/Equality
- The Bitcoin and ecommerce
- Me Too Movement
- President Trump
- Generative AI
- The Covid-19 Pandemic
- The Black Lives Matter Movement
- The January 6th Insurrection
- The Rise of White Christian Nationalism
- The overturning of Roe V. Wade
- The US's role/response to Russia-Ukraine war
- The US's role/response to the Israel-Hamas war
Online sources
Twenty-first Century (2000-present)
Primary Sources
The alphabetical list of links below go to different websites where you can find both secondary and primary sources on a variety of different topics pertaining to people, places, and events important to U.S. History at this time.
*Note: There is another "American Wars" tab in this guide that contains additional resources covering the wars of this century
- AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American HistoryThis database provides links to full-text, primary documents in American history from 1000 AD to the present. United States documents are organized by presidential administration.
- The American Presidency ProjectSearch through media archives, statics, documents to learn more about the United States' Presidents. The website includes images, speeches, and other primary documents.
- American Presidents: Life PortraitsThis collection of video and articles is about the past and present American Presidents, the First Ladies, and more. Includes original television footage.
- E! NewsEntertainment News "E! is the only global, multiplatform brand for all things entertainment, pop culture and lifestyle."
- Foreign-Born Population (1850-2010) - Interactive MapUse this map to compare demographic information of foreign born populations in the US from a historical perspective. From the American Panorama website
- Google TrendsGoogle Trends allows users to see what is trending in Google searches. See graphs and charts of real-time data, and search through various years, locations, and more.
- History of Medicine - U.S. National Library of MedicineSearch through films, prints and photographs, rare books and journals, lectures, featured collections and more
- National Public Radio (NPR)"NPR delivers breaking national and world news. Also top stories from business, politics, health, science, technology, music, arts and culture."
- PopMatters"PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism. Our scope is broadly cast on all things pop culture, and our content is updated daily, Monday through Friday. We provide intelligent reviews, engaging interviews, and in-depth essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, sports, theatre, the visual arts, travel, and the Internet. "
- The September 11 Digital ArchiveSearch through primary and secondary sources and various collections on this online archive of 9/11
- September 11, 2001 Web Archive - Library of CongressFrom the Library of Congress, this collection offers archived "web expressions of individuals, groups, the press and institutions in the United States and from around the world in the aftermath of the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001"
- Smithsonian's History ExplorerThis is a great website that offers information on a variety of history topics, as well as images of primary source materials such as physical artifacts. Enter a simple keyword into the search box at the top right of the website. Search example: Revolutionary War, Vietnam War, or Suffrage.
- Yale University Avalon Project Documents - 21st Century (2000 - Present)Includes primary source documents in law, history, and diplomacy.
- Internet Archive's Moving Image ArchiveSearch this Moving Image Archive collection to find primary source films on a topic. Connecting to the larger Archive.org collection is easy as well, and the larger website has collections of books and other documents that might be useful for history topics.
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