Most Historically Significant Events of the Last 30 Years

Today's countdown is prompted by the historic inauguration of the President. I started wondering, "What are the most influential historical moments during my lifetime?"

Here it is - MY opinion on the Top Five Most Historically Significant Events During the Last 30 Years (pertaining to the United States)...

5) The Challenger Shuttle Explosion

• At the time the US space program was flourishing... we were still in a race for space supremacy with the Soviets. In an historic move, NASA decided to allow a civilian to go on the mission. It was set to be an historic event - and it was, but for the wrong reasons. It slowed a thriving space program to a virtual standstill, and despite our technological swagger, we realized we weren't invincible.

4) The Impeachment of President Clinton

• This event makes my list for a variety of reasons. First, the Internet was young and growing, and the news leading up to and surrounding the impeachment spread throughout the world at record pace as a result of the web. Secondly, the details of the Lewinsky scandal made us all question what it is we want our president to be... should he be a normal man with flaws, or should he be a virtual superhero... At one point, I think the answer would have been superhero, but the Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal proved a shift in the moral compass of Americans, as the former President left office seemingly unscathed by the embarrassing events, and with a high approval rating to boot. Finally, this event made us all truly contemplate what the meaning of "is" really is.

3) The Fall of the Berlin Wall

• When I was a small child, the competition between the USSR and the United States, or more importantly Communism and Capitalism, was intense. It wasn't just about the Soviets having better Olympic teams than the US - it was far more menacing. At the time, it was thought to be a legitimate possibility that the nuclear arms race between the two nations would lead us to a nuclear holocaust. Books, movies, TV shows all addressed the issue time and time again. But then in 1989, the most amazing thing happened. We watched Germans from East Berlin dance on the greatest symbol of Communist segregation - Brick by brick, the Berlin Wall was being torn down. The fall of Communism changed the world economy, and positioned the US as the unrivaled leader of the civilized world.

2) The Inauguration of President Obama

• Some events need to withstand the test of time in order for us to appreciate their historical significance... others are immediately impactful. The election of the 44th president of the United States is the latter. I am constantly amazed and disgusted not only by the history of injustice perpetrated against African-Americans in the US, but also by the fact that the prejudice continues. It is nearly unfathomable to me that segregation was legally sanctioned during my parents' lifetimes. It just wasn't that long ago. So it was with great hope for an end to the differences between black and white that I watched today's inauguration.

1) September 11, 2001

• I don't really think any explanation is necessary for why this is number one on my countdown. It was a day that rocked our nation, and the rest of the world. A day that changed how we look at normal everyday occurrences, like flying on a plane, or going to work. A day that made us all feel a little less safe, and made us come to understand that terrorism was something we'd have to live with for the rest of our lives. It was a day that made us realize the rest of the world doesn't necessarily understand our country, but it was also a day that made us contemplate the fundamental principles behind the United States of America. It was a day that made us proud to stand up and fight for the right to be an American.