The 50 Most Profound Moments in American History

The United States was shaped by many events, some of which are happening even now, but these are the 50 most profound moments in American History.

1.) Roe Vs Wade. This abortion law has been at the center of controversy for a very long time now, with no end in sight. It has caused fights, murders, and generally become a fiery issue most people seem to be either for or against, with no middle ground. Without this controversial ruling, there may well be a lot more people on the planet today.

2.) Martin Luther King's Assassination. Would there be racial peace right now if this brilliant man hadn't been killed? Might he have continued to bring us together? We'll never know but it's clear that it was a huge turning point for everyone in the Country, black or white.

3.) The Boston Tea Party. The birth of a Nation.

4.) The Civil War. A split of a Nation.

5.) The Declaration of Independence. Our first steps.

6.) The abolishment of Slavery. Imagine the horrors if that law hadn't been passed.

7.) World War I.

8.) World War II.

9.) The Vietnam Conflict...is that what it's called now? No, really?

10.) The Gulf War.

11.0 The War on Drugs. Many would say this isn't profound but consider all the money, time, and energy devoted to chasing down illegal narcotics. Now imagine it put into something else. You pick. It was profound because of all the things to challenge, why something like drugs? While terrible and tragic, why not start a Nation-wide program to find missing kids? No, one that works.

12.) Paul Revere's Famous ride.

13.) 9/11.

14.) Putting a man on the moon.

15.) The first radio and television. Can you see a life with neither?

16.) The invention of electricity.

17.) The invention of flying machines, such as 747s.

18.) Prohibition. It clearly showed that Americans will not be separated from their alcohol.

19.) The invention of the phone.

20.) The Car!

21.)Pearl Harbor.

22.) The Iraq Was and War on Terrorism. Another profound choice that has shaped our current world.

23.) Hurricane Katrina. There have been other disasters on American soil but this one, with the horrid lack of help afterward, will live in the minds of everyone, forever.

24.) The 1906 Earthquake. The 'Big' One.

25.) Mt. St. Helens erupting. While many volcanoes in the past have been larger and done a lot more damage, Mt. St. Helens was on live camera at the height of that craze when it was brand new. The images we saw were stunning, unforgettable. It reminded us we are not the greatest power on the planet. Mother Nature has that title.

26.) Women getting the right to vote.

27.) The Rodney King beating and riot afterwards.

28.) The Lincoln Assassination.

29.) The Kennedy Assignation.

30.) The Reagan shooting.

31.) The Clinton Impeachment.

32.) Obama's election.

This is one of the few moments on this list that are actually good. The riots and assassination attempts that were predicted never came and while not a peaceful presidency, it hasn't been marred by American civil unrest during his term either.

33.) Watergate.

34.) The hanging chad scandal.

35.) JonBenet Ramsey.

36.) The Menendez Brothers.

37.) The Susan Smith Murders.

38.) The Andrea Yates horror.

39.) Loreana Bobbit.

40.) The Manson Murders.

41.) The Lindbergh kidnapping.

So many of these profound moments are hard to remember but they brought about changes in society and the world that remain even today. New rules and laws, more protections for the innocent, and also perfect examples of where justice was too light-handed.

42.) The anthrax mail attacks.

43.) The Heavens gate cult mass suicide.

44.) The 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

45.)The Oklahoma City bombing.

46.)The Columbine High School Massacre.

47.) Waco.

48.)The Gulf Oil Spill.

49.)The Exxon Valdez Spill.

50.)The Space shuttle explosion we watched on TV.

It's unfortunate that so many profound moments involve horrible tragedies but out of the ashes, many good things have risen, such as better monitoring of schools and airports and awareness of possible problems before they kill, as with flight 93. That act of Heroism allowed others to be saved and has been used since then to avert other hijacking attempts. Each one of these events carried enough weight to change or strongly effect the entire population of the United States. These were, in my humble opinion, the most profound moments in US history.