Just over a year into the new century, and only a couple months into the Bush Presidency on September 11, 2001 America was shaken to the core and has change our nation and the world forever. On this day America saw the deadliest attack on the homeland, 19 terrorist who were associated with al-Qaeda the Islamic extremist group planned by their leader Osama bin Laden, they hijacked four airplanes with these they carried out suicide attacks against multiple targets in the U.S. Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center twin tower in New York City, another crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, and the fourth plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C. In the combined attacks on 9/11 almost 3,000 people were killed, this event shook, and tariffed the nation but was at the same time united as a people to stand up from this tragedy. After U.S. took major moves to fight terrorism and this would define the presidency of George W. Bush.

The attack started at 8:45 a.m. on what many survivors described as a clear beautiful September day. This is when the first Boeing 767 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, there was a huge explosion with over 20,000 gallons of fuel on the plane and left a gaping and burning hole around the 80^thfloor. This alone killed hundreds ad trapped 100s more on the floors above. Evacuations for both towers began and 18 minutes after the first plane hit the second plane hit the south tower around the 60^thfloor. When broadcasting for the first plane hitting the north tower many thought it was a freak accident but with the explosion of second plane it was clear with the smoke and ash descending on the city that America was under attack. As Americas attention was drawn to the attack in New York, at 9:45 a.m. another plane flight 77 was going around D.C. before it crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of Americas military. The fuel from the plane caused an inferno and caused a collapse of a portion of the ginormous office building. In total 125 people were killed in the Pentagon attack, 64 of which were on the plane. Then a fourth plane which was bound for California was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark Airport. The passengers on board learned about the attacks happening from cell phones and the airphone. The passengers knew the plane was not returning to an airport as the hijackers claimed. The passengers using hot water and whatever they could find and charged the cockpit. The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour. It then crashing in a rural field near Shanksville in western Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. In the end all 44 people aboard were killed, it is not known where the hijacker’s destination was some believe it might have been head to the White House, the Capitol building, or a nuclear power plant.All in all, 2.996 people were killed during the 9/11 attacks, including the 19 hijackers.At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” George Bush declared America’s war on terror which have led to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Americas longest running conflicts which today have expanded into Syria. The events of 9/11 will always be remembers in the hearts of Americans, the strive to never forget and the determination of never again.

After the ball dropped America was already on its way with the upcoming Presidential election, no body knew how life changing this election truly was and what was coming for America and her people. The 2000 Presidential Election was between Al Gore at the time the current Vice President under the outgoing Bill Clinton and the Governor of Texas George W. Bush son the former President George H.W. Bush. This election was truly special in American history because it is considered one of the closet elections in U.S. history and the fourth of five presidential elections in which the winning candidate lost the popular vote. Al Gore got the nomination of his party fairly easily with only one challenger former Senator Bill Bradley. While Bush was seen as a favorite at the beginning of the Republican primary but had a larger field of challengers and had a contentious battle for the nomination with Senator John McCain but Bush would prevail. Gore chose fellow Democrat Senator Joe Lieberman has his VP running mate and Bush chose Dick Cheney former Defense Secretary as his pick. During the election both Bush and Gore focused mainly on domestic issues including tax relief, the budget, social insurance programs and others. Gore mainly criticized Bush for his lack of experience, and Republicans mainly attacked Gore for being Clinton’s VP with much resentment for Clinton. This is due to the Clinton sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and others which brought about his subsequent impeachment, Gore avoided campaigning with the President for the most part during the election. For the most part during the election all the polls had it very close but nobody knew just how close it was going to be.

Election day November 7, 2000 over 100 million Americans headed to their polling stations to elect the next president of the United States unaware of the circus that was about to occur. At the end of the night it was unclear who won the election, with the state of Florida electoral votes undecided on a winner. This recount started a month-long series of legal battles, which went all the way to the Supreme court and made their contentious ruling of 5–4 of Bush v. Gore, ruling in Bush’s favor this then ended the recount. With it ended Bush won Florida by a margin of 537 votes or 0.009%. Bush won 271 electoral votes which is just above the magic number of 270 to win the presidency this despite Gore having 543,895 more votes which was 0.51% of all votes casted. It is truly amazing how close this election was and how much it truly did change American history the number of what ifs that come with the 2000 election are endless but we can’t change history only learn from it. This scenario of the loser of the popular vote but winning the elector college and the Presidency has only happened five times in American history and wouldn’t happen again until 2016 with the election of Donald Trump. Like the famous Mark Twain quotes goes “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes”.

I was born on March 9, 2000 being born after the turn of the century I was never exposed to the 90’s and beyond. A world before the war on Terror and so many other things. It is truly crazy to think how much the world has changed just in my life time in almost 19 years the world and America in particular has had many highs and our fair share of lows. There was a lot of excitement and some fear about entering the new century, many people wondered what this new time would bring. Some feared disaster with the Y2K bug on many people’s minds, that computer and machines would just shut down and the world would come to a stop. Others dreamed of a future of flying cars and much more shown in movies and on TV of the days to come. I don’t think anyone saw the new world that was coming around the corner one of fear, hope, and an excelsior spirit. That’s what this new passion blog will focus on the new world of the 21th century that has been my entire lifetime and the major events that have changed and defined the century thus far. This will range from attacks the shock the nation to its core and the triumphs of hope and change with an ever more excepting America and world.

Being born in the year 2000 I have never known a time without the internet and the modern technological advances which have truly changed and defined not just me but my entire generation. Another thing that has truly defined our generation that facts that we have never know peace, America has been in a constant state of war since we were born. This is very crazy to think about because I can’t speak for everyone but me personally I didn’t really know about or comprehend we were at war till I was probably around 10 or 12. I still to this day am still learning about everything that happened our successes and mistakes that we made so many what ifs that can never be answered. For the longest time when I was little all I really knew about the world outside of my life in West Chester, was that the President was Bush then Obama and that I was lucky to be an American which I distinctly remember the parents telling me often when I was young. So I hope the blog will not just inform but help you reflect on your life and how many huge events and changes have occurred and just to think told the future as the stating goes “Excelsior” ever upward.