Final EditionA Life Worth Reporting (Old AF)Price: Beaucoup Bucks
The Holcomb Journal
Septuaginta Anni • Seventy Years in Headlines
Seventy Years • 1956 – 2026
Vol. — No. 1956★ ★ ★ ★1956 – 2026
1956
The Year Bruce Turned 0
What’s News —
Ithaca CollegeA new college. Ithaca College transformed its General College into the College of Arts and Sciences and held its first Religious Emphasis Day. 1
Washington FootballEven at midseason. Under coach Joe Kuharich the Redskins finished 6-6, third in the NFL Eastern Conference, with Eddie LeBaron and Al Dorow splitting time at quarterback. 1
World
Soviet Tanks Crush Hungarian Revolt
A two-week uprising for freedom in Budapest is extinguished by Moscow's armor.
A student-led revolution that began on October 23 briefly toppled Hungary's Soviet-backed government before Red Army tanks rolled into Budapest on November 4, crushing the rebellion and sending some 200,000 refugees fleeing west.
Imre Nagy, the reform premier who had declared neutrality, was seized and later executed.
The popular general turns back Adlai Stevenson a second time.
On November 6, President Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson in a landslide rematch, carrying 41 states and winning a decisive popular and electoral majority.
On January 24 the Justice Department closed its long-running Sherman Act case against AT&T with a consent decree confining Western Electric to telephone equipment and forcing the Bell System to license its patents — including the transistor — royalty-free.
Ithaca CollegeA fourth president. Howard I. Dillingham became Ithaca College's fourth president, and after Sputnik the school added science and mathematics courses to its curriculum. 1
Washington FootballA late surge. The Redskins closed the 1957 season with three straight wins to finish 5-6-1, fourth in the Eastern Conference. 1
Politics
Troops Escort Nine Into Central High
Eisenhower federalizes the Guard to enforce school desegregation in Little Rock.
After Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus used the National Guard to block nine Black students from Little Rock Central High School, President Eisenhower on September 24 sent the 101st Airborne to escort them inside — the first federal use of troops for civil rights since Reconstruction.
Congress that month also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first such law in 82 years.
A Soviet beeping sphere becomes the first object in orbit.
On October 4 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, jolting the United States and igniting the space race; a month later Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika into orbit.
In United States v. E.I. du Pont, decided June 3, the Supreme Court held that du Pont's 23 percent stake in General Motors violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act, setting up one of the largest divestitures in antitrust history.
Ithaca CollegeOn the air. WICB-TV, the forerunner to ICTV, began broadcasting and the Friends of Ithaca College organization was established. 1
Washington FootballA losing year. Joe Kuharich's Redskins finished 4-7-1 and debuted the feather logo on the back of their helmets. 1
World
Eisenhower Sends Marines to Lebanon
Amid Mideast upheaval, U.S. forces land at Beirut to steady a friendly government.
On July 15, days after a coup toppled the monarchy in Iraq, President Eisenhower ordered some 14,000 Marines and soldiers ashore near Beirut to support Lebanon's pro-Western president — the first application of the Eisenhower Doctrine.
The troops withdrew that autumn without major combat.
Congress answers Sputnik by creating a civilian space agency.
President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, and on October 1 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration opened for business, absorbing the older NACA.
In Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. United States, decided March 10, the Supreme Court struck down the railroad's land-sale clauses requiring buyers to ship over its lines, holding that tying arrangements are unlawful per se under the Sherman Act.
Ithaca CollegeA rivalry begins. The first Cortaca Jug game was played against Cortland State, launching one of college football's storied small-college rivalries. 1
Washington FootballAnother lean season. The Redskins finished 3-9 in 1959, near the bottom of the NFL Eastern Conference. 1
Politics
Stars and Stripes Reach Fifty
Alaska and Hawaii join the Union, completing the modern map.
President Eisenhower signed Alaska into the Union as the 49th state on January 3, and Hawaii followed as the 50th on August 21 — the first new states admitted since 1912 and the first ever outside the contiguous mainland.
Guerrillas topple Batista to begin a new era in Cuba.
On January 1 Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country, and within days Fidel Castro's rebel army entered Havana, installing a revolutionary government 90 miles off the Florida coast.
The government argued United States v. Parke, Davis & Co. before the Supreme Court in November, contending that the pharmaceutical house illegally coerced druggists in Washington and Richmond to hold its retail prices in violation of the Sherman Act.
Ithaca CollegeBuilding South Hill. The cornerstone of the Student Union was laid at the new South Hill campus, and the IC Committee Against Segregation was formed. 1
Washington FootballFarewell to Griffith. The Redskins endured a dismal 1-9-2 season in their final year at Griffith Stadium, their lone win coming against the expansion Cowboys. 1
Politics
Kennedy Edges Nixon for White House
A razor-thin vote sends the youngest elected president to Washington.
On November 8, Senator John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections in American history, aided by the first-ever televised presidential debates that September.
At 43 he became the youngest man ever elected president and the first Roman Catholic.
The capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers wrecks a superpower summit.
On May 1 Soviet forces shot down a high-flying American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured pilot Francis Gary Powers, exposing Washington's cover story and collapsing the Paris summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev weeks later.
In United States v. Parke, Davis & Co., decided February 29, the Supreme Court ruled that a manufacturer crosses into illegal price-fixing when it goes beyond simply refusing to deal and takes affirmative steps to force retailers to hold its prices.
Ithaca CollegeCampus dedicated. The South Hill campus was officially dedicated, complete with ski slopes, trails and a skating pond. 1
Washington FootballWorst on record. The Redskins opened their new D.C. Stadium with a franchise-worst 1-12-1 season. 1
World
Man Reaches Space — and Cuba Burns
Gagarin orbits the Earth as the Bay of Pigs ends in humiliation.
On April 12 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, circling the Earth in 108 minutes. Five days later, on April 17, a CIA-backed force of Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs and was crushed within days.
On May 5 Alan Shepard became the first American in space, and on May 25 Kennedy pledged to land a man on the moon.
East Germany seals the divided city behind concrete and wire.
Beginning August 13, East German authorities sealed the border between East and West Berlin, erecting barbed wire and then concrete that would divide the city for 28 years and become the Cold War's defining symbol.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Executives Jailed in Price-Fix Scandal
In February, sentencing in the Great Electrical Equipment Conspiracy sent seven executives of General Electric, Westinghouse and other firms to jail and levied record fines for rigging bids on nearly $1.7 billion a year of equipment — the most celebrated price-fixing case of its era.
Washington FootballColor barrier falls. As the last NFL team to integrate, Washington saw Bobby Mitchell become its first Black player; he led the league with 1,384 receiving yards as the Redskins improved to 5-7-2. 1
Ithaca CollegeFederal dollars. The college received $3 million in government aid to build five dormitories and an infirmary, and its baseball team reached the second round of the College World Series. 1
World
Thirteen Days at the Brink
Soviet missiles in Cuba bring the superpowers within reach of nuclear war.
On October 22 President Kennedy told the nation that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba and announced a naval quarantine of the island. For 13 days the world held its breath before Khrushchev agreed on October 28 to remove the weapons.
It was the closest the Cold War ever came to nuclear conflict.
A Marine colonel restores American pride in the space race.
On February 20 astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling the globe three times aboard Friendship 7 and splashing down safely after a tense reentry.
In Brown Shoe Co. v. United States, decided June 25, the Supreme Court barred the merger of Brown Shoe and the Kinney chain — an early and influential application of the toughened Section 7 of the Clayton Act to both vertical and horizontal mergers.
Ithaca CollegeThe Lower Quad. Construction of the Lower Quad was completed, providing housing for roughly 1,260 students on the South Hill campus. 1
Washington FootballA rough rebuild. The Redskins slid to 3-11 under coach Bill McPeak, sixth in the Eastern Conference. 1
Politics
President Kennedy Slain in Dallas
A rifle from a sixth-floor window ends Camelot at midday.
On November 22, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One within hours.
Accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was himself shot dead two days later by Jack Ruby in the Dallas police basement.
On August 28 more than 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic 'I Have a Dream' speech.
In United States v. Philadelphia National Bank, decided June 17, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that bank mergers fall under Section 7 of the Clayton Act and held that a combination controlling over 30 percent of a market is presumptively unlawful.
Washington FootballEnter Sonny. The Redskins acquired quarterback Sonny Jurgensen in a trade with Philadelphia and improved to 6-8 in the final year of the feather helmet logo. 1
Ithaca CollegeA new gym. Ithaca College's new gymnasium hosted its first intercollegiate basketball game. 1
Politics
Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act
The landmark law outlaws segregation in public life.
On July 2, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin and ending segregation in schools, workplaces and public accommodations.
That November Johnson won a full term in a landslide over Barry Goldwater.
73 million Americans tune in to four young men from Liverpool.
On February 9 the Beatles made their American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show before a record audience of some 73 million viewers, launching Beatlemania and reshaping popular culture in the United States.
In United States v. El Paso Natural Gas Co., decided April 6, the Supreme Court found that El Paso's acquisition of Pacific Northwest Pipeline violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act and directed divestiture to preserve competition in the California gas market.
Washington FootballThe arrow arrives. The Redskins, now featuring Sonny Jurgensen and Charley Taylor, debuted the spear/arrow helmet logo and finished 6-8. 1
Ithaca CollegeThe Towers rise. Students moved into the newly completed Towers dormitories and Ford Hall, the music building, was dedicated. 1
Politics
Voting Rights Act Becomes Law
After Selma's 'Bloody Sunday,' the ballot is secured for millions.
After state troopers attacked marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on March 7, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6, banning the literacy tests and devices that had disenfranchised Black voters across the South.
It stands among the most consequential laws of the civil rights era.
Ed White floats free above the Earth on a Gemini tether.
On June 3, astronaut Ed White stepped outside Gemini 4 for some 20 minutes, becoming the first American to walk in space and narrowing the gap with the Soviet program.
In FTC v. Consolidated Foods Corp., decided April 28, the Supreme Court upheld an order unwinding a food conglomerate's acquisition of a garlic and onion maker, ruling that reciprocal buying arrangements can violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
Ithaca CollegeAntiwar stirrings. An anti-Vietnam War demonstration was held in DeWitt Park and the African-American Student Society was founded. 1
Washington FootballGraham takes over. Otto Graham coached the Redskins to a 7-7 finish after Vince Lombardi declined the job. 1
World
America Deepens Its War in Vietnam
U.S. troop strength climbs past 385,000 as bombing intensifies.
By the end of 1966 American forces in Vietnam had swelled to more than 385,000 as President Johnson escalated the ground war and expanded bombing of the North, while protests against the war grew louder at home.
Major operations such as Cedar Falls were being planned as the conflict widened.
On November 27, the Washington Redskins routed the New York Giants 72-41, setting a modern NFL record for points in a regular-season game that would stand for 57 years.
In United States v. Von's Grocery Co., decided May 31, the Supreme Court ordered two large Los Angeles grocery chains to unwind their merger, an aggressive reading of Section 7 of the Clayton Act aimed at preserving small competitors in a consolidating market.
Washington FootballJurgensen's record year. Sonny Jurgensen set NFL single-season records with 3,747 passing yards, 288 completions and 508 attempts, though the Redskins finished just 5-6-3. 1
Ithaca CollegeSerling on the faculty. Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling began teaching at Ithaca College as a visiting professor, and the IC Choir performed at Carnegie Hall. 1
Politics
Marshall Confirmed to High Court
The man who argued Brown becomes the first Black justice.
On August 30 the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP lawyer who had won Brown v. Board of Education, to the Supreme Court by a 69-11 vote. He took his oath on October 2 as the first African American justice.
The milestone capped a summer also scarred by deadly racial unrest in Detroit and Newark.
Green Bay routs Kansas City in pro football's new title game.
On January 15, Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game in Los Angeles, the contest later christened Super Bowl I. Bart Starr was named MVP.
In FTC v. Procter & Gamble Co., decided April 11, the Supreme Court upheld an order unwinding Procter & Gamble's acquisition of Clorox, establishing that even conglomerate and product-extension mergers can be challenged under the antitrust laws.
Ithaca CollegeCampus protest. Students and demonstrators marched outside the student union following a three-day Vietnam War teach-in, and the first organized teach-in on racism was held. 1
Washington FootballGraham's last stand. The Redskins finished 5-9 in Otto Graham's final season as head coach. 1
Politics
A Year of Bullets and Grief
Assassins cut down King in April and Robert Kennedy in June.
On April 4 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on a Memphis motel balcony, touching off riots in more than 100 cities. Two months later, on June 6, Senator Robert F. Kennedy died after being shot in Los Angeles while campaigning for president.
The twin killings deepened a year of upheaval over war and race.
On Christmas Eve, three Americans read Genesis from lunar orbit.
On December 24, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon aboard Apollo 8, beaming home the famous 'Earthrise' photograph and a Christmas Eve reading from Genesis.
As conglomerate acquisitions surged, antitrust enforcers pressed a wave of merger challenges; in FTC v. Fred Meyer, decided June 10, the Supreme Court broadened the reach of the Robinson-Patman Act against discriminatory promotional allowances.
Washington FootballLombardi comes to town. Vince Lombardi took over as head coach and led the Redskins to a 7-5-2 record, their first winning season in 14 years. 1
Ithaca CollegeProtest and overflow. With dormitories overcrowded, the college leased a downtown motel, and students won penalty-free cuts to join a nationwide Vietnam War protest. 1
World
Men Walk on the Moon
Apollo 11 fulfills Kennedy's pledge before the decade is out.
On July 20, Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar module Eagle and onto the Moon, declaring it 'one giant leap for mankind,' as an estimated 600 million people watched on television. Buzz Aldrin soon joined him while Michael Collins orbited above.
The triumph fulfilled President Kennedy's 1961 vow to land a man on the Moon by decade's end.
From August 15 to 18, an estimated 400,000 people converged on a dairy farm near Bethel, New York, for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, a peaceful gathering that became the defining symbol of the 1960s counterculture.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Justice Sues IBM for Monopoly
On January 17 the Justice Department filed United States v. IBM, charging the computer giant with monopolizing the general-purpose computer market under Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The mammoth case dragged on until the government withdrew it in 1982.
Ithaca CollegeNew president. In August 1970, Ellis L. Philips, Jr. became Ithaca College's fifth president as Howard I. Dillingham was named president emeritus. 1
WorldBeatles break up. On April 10, 1970, Paul McCartney announced he had quit the Beatles, confirming the split as he released his debut solo album. 1
Business & TechJumbo jet era. Pan Am's Boeing 747 flew its first commercial passenger service from New York to London on January 22, 1970, ushering in the wide-body age. 1
PoliticsEPA opens. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began operations on December 2, 1970, consolidating federal pollution-control programs. 1
Politics
Four Dead in Ohio
National Guard rifles cut down unarmed students at an anti-war rally, igniting a nationwide campus revolt.
On May 4, 1970, twenty-eight Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on students protesting the U.S. incursion into Cambodia, loosing some 67 rounds in 13 seconds. Four were killed and nine wounded.
The killings detonated a national student strike that shuttered hundreds of campuses. A presidential commission later branded the shootings "unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable."
Pelé and a dazzling Seleção rout Italy in Mexico City to claim a record third world title — and the trophy forever.
Before 107,000 at the Estadio Azteca, Brazil beat Italy 4–1 on June 21, 1970. Pelé headed the opener and set up two more; the third title let Brazil keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.
Responding to the Justice Department's January 1969 Sherman Act monopolization suit, IBM's decision to "unbundle" — pricing software and services separately from hardware — took effect in early 1970, reshaping the computer industry while the case dragged on for 13 years.
Washington FootballAllen takes Washington. George Allen was hired as Redskins head coach on January 6, 1971; his roster of traded-for veterans earned the "Over-the-Hill Gang" nickname and reached the playoffs that season. 1
Business & TechChip on a chip. Intel released the 4004 on November 15, 1971, the first commercially available microprocessor, packing a complete CPU onto a single chip. 1
PoliticsVote at eighteen. The 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18, was ratified July 1, 1971 — the fastest ratification in U.S. history. 1
Ithaca CollegeCampus reorganized. In 1971 Ithaca's trustees restructured the college into new schools of Humanities & Sciences, Health Professions, and Music, alongside divisions for communications and business. 1
Business
Nixon Severs Dollar From Gold
In a Sunday-night address, the President suspends gold convertibility and freezes wages and prices, upending the postwar monetary order.
President Nixon announced on August 15, 1971 that the United States would no longer convert dollars to gold at $35 an ounce, ending a cornerstone of the Bretton Woods system.
Citing inflation and a mounting currency crisis, he paired the move with a 90-day freeze on wages and prices and a 10 percent import surcharge. The dollar had effectively become a fiat currency.
Two undefeated heavyweight champions meet at the Garden; Smokin' Joe wins a 15-round unanimous decision.
Before a sell-out 20,455 at Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision on March 8, 1971, in the first meeting of two undefeated heavyweight champions. Frazier dropped Ali with a left hook in the 15th.
The Justice Department settled its antitrust suit over ITT's acquisition of Hartford Fire Insurance in 1971 via a consent decree letting the conglomerate retain Hartford in exchange for divesting other subsidiaries — a deal that would later ignite controversy at Richard Kleindienst's confirmation hearings.
WorldNixon in Peking. Nixon's February 21–28 visit to China ended Cold War isolation and produced the Shanghai Communiqué on Taiwan. 1
PoliticsFive arrested at Watergate. Police caught five burglars inside Democratic National Committee headquarters early on June 17, 1972. 1
Ithaca CollegeLondon Center opens. Ithaca College opened a London Center in a South Kensington townhouse, expanding its international offerings. 1
Politics
Nixon Wins in a Landslide
The President sweeps 49 states as the Watergate break-in lingers in the shadows.
On November 7, 1972, President Richard Nixon was re-elected in one of the largest landslides in U.S. history, taking 60.7% of the popular vote and carrying 49 states against Democrat George McGovern.
The triumph was buoyed by his February visit to China. Yet on June 17, five burglars had been arrested inside Democratic headquarters at the Watergate — a scandal still gathering force.
George Allen's veterans crush Dallas for Washington's first NFC crown.
On December 31, 1972, at RFK Stadium, the Washington Redskins routed the Dallas Cowboys 26–3 to win their first NFC Championship. Billy Kilmer threw two touchdowns to Charley Taylor, sending Allen's "Over-the-Hill Gang" to Super Bowl VII.
On February 29, 1972, columnist Jack Anderson published a memo alleging the Justice Department's 1971 settlement of its antitrust suits against ITT was traded for a $400,000 pledge toward the Republican convention — fueling a perjury inquiry into Attorney General-designate Richard Kleindienst.
WorldVietnam peace signed. The Paris Peace Accords, signed January 27, 1973, ended direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. 1
Business & TechOil embargo bites. Arab OPEC members embargoed the U.S. beginning October 1973, nearly quadrupling crude prices and spawning miles-long gas lines. 1
PoliticsWatergate goes on TV. The Senate Watergate Committee under Sam Ervin opened nationally televised hearings on May 17, 1973. 1
Ithaca CollegeSchool of Communications. Ithaca College founded its School of Communications in 1973, the academic home of what is now the Roy H. Park School. 1
Politics
A Right to Privacy: Court Legalizes Abortion
In Roe v. Wade, seven justices strike down restrictive state abortion laws.
On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7–2 in Roe v. Wade that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional, finding a right to privacy implicit in the Fourteenth Amendment.
The decision capped a momentous year that also brought the January 27 Paris Peace Accords ending U.S. combat in Vietnam and the televised Senate Watergate hearings.
The Dolphins finish 17–0, the only perfect season in modern NFL history.
On January 14, 1973, the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII to complete a 17–0 season — still the only perfect season in modern NFL history. Safety Jake Scott was named MVP.
The Justice Department's landmark monopolization suit against IBM, filed January 17, 1969 under the Sherman Act, remained in pre-trial litigation through 1973; it would not reach trial until May 1975 and was finally dropped as "without merit" in 1982.
Ithaca CollegePower crisis. A failed electrical transformer in late March 1974 nearly forced Ithaca College to close before a replacement was located within days. 1
Business & TechIBM case presses on. The DOJ's continuing U.S. v. IBM monopolization case proceeded through 1974 as the decade's other landmark antitrust fight. 1
Politics
Nixon Resigns the Presidency
Facing certain impeachment over Watergate, Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. president ever to leave office by resignation.
Richard M. Nixon announced his resignation in a televised address on August 8, effective at noon August 9, 1974 — the first U.S. president to resign. Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in.
On September 8, Ford granted Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he may have committed in office, a decision that drew fierce criticism.
Hank Aaron breaks baseball's most hallowed record with career home run No. 715.
On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron homered off the Dodgers' Al Downing in the fourth inning at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, his 715th, passing Babe Ruth atop baseball's all-time list before a record crowd of 53,775.
On November 20, 1974, the Justice Department filed United States v. AT&T, charging AT&T, Western Electric and Bell Labs with monopolizing U.S. telecommunications under the Sherman Act. The suit sought divestiture and ultimately led to the 1984 breakup of the Bell System.
Ithaca CollegeWhalen arrives. James J. Whalen became Ithaca College's sixth president in 1975, beginning a long tenure of campus expansion. 1
Business & TechMicrosoft founded. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque to sell a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800. 1
WorldHandshake in space. On July 17, 1975, U.S. and Soviet crews docked in orbit during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, exchanging the first international handshake in space. 1
World
Saigon Falls; Vietnam War Ends
North Vietnamese forces capture Saigon as the last Americans evacuate by helicopter.
On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops entered Saigon and President Duong Van Minh announced unconditional surrender. The last U.S. Marines departed the embassy at dawn in history's largest helicopter evacuation.
The fall ended the Vietnam War and reunified the country under communist control, closing a conflict that had divided America for more than a decade.
Ali outlasts Frazier in their brutal third bout, called the greatest fight in boxing history.
On October 1, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum near Manila, Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier by corner retirement after the 14th round, when trainer Eddie Futch stopped the fight — capping the most punishing rivalry in heavyweight history.
On June 16, 1975, the Supreme Court ruled 8–0 in Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar that minimum-fee schedules for legal services constitute price-fixing under the Sherman Act, ending the legal profession's "learned profession" exemption from antitrust law.
PoliticsCarter elected. On November 2, 1976, Jimmy Carter narrowly defeated President Gerald Ford, the first time a sitting president had lost since 1932. 1
WorldTall ships sail. Operation Sail brought a fleet of 225 vessels from 30 nations past the Statue of Liberty on July 4, drawing roughly six million spectators. 1
SportsSeven tens in Montreal. Nadia Comaneci finished the 1976 Games with three gold medals and seven perfect scores. 1
World
America Marks 200 Years
A nation born in 1776 pauses on its bicentennial to celebrate two centuries of independence.
On July 4, 1976, the United States observed the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with parades, fireworks and pageantry coast to coast.
In New York Harbor, Operation Sail drew 225 vessels from 30 nations and an estimated six million spectators past the Statue of Liberty.
A 14-year-old Romanian rewrites the scoreboard — and gymnastics history.
On July 18, 1976, at the Montreal Summer Games, Nadia Comaneci earned the first perfect 10.0 in Olympic gymnastics history on the uneven bars — a score the scoreboard could not display. She collected six more perfect 10s and three golds.
The marathon government monopoly case against IBM, on trial in the Southern District of New York since May 1975, pressed through 1976 amid bitter discovery fights, including a November order compelling IBM to produce machine-inventory records.
WorldThe King is dead. On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley was found unresponsive at Graceland and pronounced dead at age 42, drawing legions of mourners to Memphis. 1
Business & TechApple incorporates. Apple Computer, Inc. was incorporated January 3, 1977; its Apple II debuted that April at the West Coast Computer Faire. 1
World"Roots" grips a nation. ABC's miniseries "Roots," aired over eight nights in late January 1977, drew a record audience of roughly 130 million viewers. 1
Sun ValleyOilman buys the resort. In 1977, Sinclair Oil magnate Robert Earl Holding purchased the historic Sun Valley, Idaho ski resort from the Janss Investment Company — after a proposed sale to Walt Disney fell through — and began restoring the Lodge and Inn to their former preeminence. 12
Politics
Carter Walks to the White House
The 39th president breaks with custom, strolling Pennsylvania Avenue on foot.
Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th president on January 20, 1977, at the Capitol's East Portico.
In a deliberate gesture against "the imperial status of the president," he and Rosalynn became the first to walk the inaugural parade route to the White House — starting a tradition.
Reggie Jackson's three swings, three home runs clinch the Series for New York.
On October 18, 1977, Reggie Jackson homered on three consecutive pitches from three Dodgers pitchers in Game 6, powering the Yankees to an 8–4 win and their 21st title. Only Babe Ruth had hit three in a Series game; none on three swings.
Bruce’s signature fit — in stock year-round, every year
Under Armour HeatGear® Sweat-Wicking Tee$34.99
Performance Training Shorts$29.99
Lightweight Running Sneakers$89.99
As seen on Bruce. And Bruce. And Bruce.
The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Court Cracks Bell's Long-Distance Grip
In the 1977 "Execunet" decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled the FCC must let MCI and others compete with AT&T in ordinary long-distance service — a milestone toward dismantling the Bell monopoly while the government's 1974 antitrust suit ground on.
WorldJonestown horror. On November 18, 1978, 918 people died in Jonestown, Guyana, in a mass murder-suicide by Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, days after the killing of Rep. Leo Ryan. 1
Business & TechFirst test-tube baby. On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown was born in England, the world's first human conceived via in vitro fertilization. 1
PoliticsA non-Italian pope. On October 16, 1978, Polish cardinal Karol Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. 1
Ithaca CollegeDivestment push. Ithaca College students and faculty joined the anti-apartheid movement in 1978, pressing the college to divest from firms active in South Africa. 1
World
Carter Brokers Mideast Peace Framework
Sadat and Begin sign accords after a 13-day summit, charting a path to Egyptian-Israeli peace.
On September 17, 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed two framework agreements at the White House, witnessed by President Jimmy Carter.
Forged over a secret 13-day summit at Camp David, the accords laid the basis for the future Egypt-Israel peace treaty signed the following year.
Theismann's club roars to 6–0, then stumbles down the stretch to miss the playoffs.
Under first-year coach Jack Pardee, Joe Theismann's Washington Redskins burst to a 6–0 start and stood 8–3 before collapsing with five straight losses to finish 8–8. It was also the NFL's first 16-game regular season.
On April 25, 1978, the Supreme Court ruled in National Society of Professional Engineers v. United States that the society's ethics canon barring competitive bidding was an unreasonable restraint of trade under the Sherman Act, holding the Rule of Reason cannot justify suppressing price competition.
WorldSoviet tanks roll in. On December 24, 1979, the USSR invaded Afghanistan, installing Babrak Karmal and igniting a decade-long war. 1
PoliticsThatcher takes No. 10. On May 4, 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister after a Conservative election win. 1
Business & TechSony unveils the Walkman. Sony's TPS-L2, the first low-cost personal cassette stereo, went on sale in Japan on July 1, 1979. 1
Ithaca CollegeBombers win it all. Ithaca College's football team beat Wittenberg 14–10 in 1979 to capture its first NCAA Division III national championship. 1
World
Militants Seize U.S. Embassy in Tehran
Revolutionary students storm the compound after Washington admits the deposed Shah; a 444-day ordeal begins.
On November 4, 1979, Iranian students loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seizing dozens of Americans.
The captors demanded the United States extradite the exiled Shah, admitted weeks earlier for cancer treatment. Fifty-two hostages would be held for 444 days.
Washington carries a 34–21 lead into the final minutes at Texas Stadium — then watches the division slip away.
Jack Pardee's Redskins finished 1979 at 10–6, but on December 16, leading 34–21 with under four minutes left, they surrendered two Roger Staubach touchdown drives and lost 35–34 — handing Dallas the NFC East. It was Staubach's final regular-season win before retirement.
Throughout 1979 the FTC pressed its landmark "shared monopoly" trial against Kellogg, General Mills and General Foods — makers of more than 80% of America's ready-to-eat cereal — alleging the trio jointly throttled competition.
Ithaca CollegeDiversity push. In 1980 Ithaca College formed a committee to implement campus racial-awareness workshops. 1
Washington FootballMonk arrives. Washington drafted Syracuse wide receiver Art Monk 18th overall in 1980, a future Hall of Famer, though the team finished 6-10 in Jack Pardee's final season. 1
WorldA mountain explodes. Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State on May 18, killing 57 people in the first major eruption in the contiguous United States since 1915. 1
Politics
Reagan Sweeps Carter in Landslide
Republican former governor wins 489 electoral votes as voters repudiate an incumbent president.
Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter on November 4, ousting the incumbent with 489 electoral votes to 49 and roughly 50.7 percent of the popular vote to Carter's 41 percent.
The result, a near-total electoral rout, signaled a sharp rightward turn in American politics.
A roster of collegians topples the world's dominant hockey power, then takes gold.
The American Olympic men's hockey team, made up largely of amateurs and college players, upset the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3 on February 22 at Lake Placid, then beat Finland 4-2 on February 24 to clinch the gold medal.
The Justice Department's monopolization suit against IBM, filed in 1969 and at trial since 1975, continued through 1980 as the longest antitrust trial in American history, amassing more than 100,000 pages of transcript before its eventual withdrawal in 1982.
Business & TechIBM enters the PC era. IBM launched its Personal Computer, the model 5150, on August 12 at a base price of $1,565, a machine that would define the industry standard. 1
Washington FootballEnter Joe Gibbs. Washington hired Joe Gibbs as head coach on January 13; after an 0-5 start his team rallied to 8-8, a turn that set up the championship run ahead. 1
Ithaca CollegeCalendar shuffle. Ithaca College dropped its fall break in 1981 in favor of a longer Thanksgiving recess after students increasingly skipped the days beforehand. 1
Politics
Hostages Freed as Reagan Takes Office
Fifty-two Americans walk free after 444 days, minutes into the new presidency.
On January 20, the 52 American hostages held in Tehran since 1979 were released to U.S. custody, just minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president. The Algiers Accords, signed the day before, freed nearly $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
The dual spectacle closed a 444-day ordeal that had consumed the Carter presidency.
A gunman wounds the president and three others; Reagan survives emergency surgery.
On March 30, John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots at President Reagan outside the Washington Hilton, wounding the president, Press Secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent and a D.C. police officer. Reagan underwent emergency surgery and was released April 11.
The government's landmark monopolization case against AT&T opened January 15 before Judge Harold H. Greene, and in September Greene refused to dismiss it, finding the Bell System had violated the antitrust laws and setting the stage for the breakup to come.
WorldA wall of names. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, was dedicated on the National Mall on November 13. 1
Washington FootballBest in the conference. In the strike-shortened nine-game season, Joe Gibbs's Redskins finished 8-1, the NFC's best record and the top playoff seed. 1
Ithaca CollegeGoing online. Ithaca College's Student Computer Center began offering a VAX dial-up service in 1982, letting personal computers connect to campus systems. 1
World
Britain Retakes the Falklands
A 74-day war in the South Atlantic ends in Argentine surrender.
Argentina invaded the British-held Falkland Islands on April 2, prompting Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to dispatch a naval task force of roughly 127 ships. After 74 days of fighting, Argentine forces surrendered on June 14, restoring British control.
The conflict claimed 649 Argentine and 255 British military lives.
A futuristic second park debuts at Walt Disney World.
EPCOT Center opened to the public on October 1 at Walt Disney World near Orlando, dedicated at the Spaceship Earth geosphere before Disney chairman Card Walker and Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Opening-day adult admission was $15.
On January 8, the Justice Department settled United States v. AT&T with a consent decree forcing the Bell System to divest its local operating companies into seven regional 'Baby Bells' — one of the largest antitrust actions in history. On the very same day the government dropped its 13-year monopolization case against IBM as 'without merit.'
WorldSoviets down a jetliner. A Soviet interceptor shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 near Sakhalin on September 1, killing all 269 aboard after the Boeing 747 strayed into Soviet airspace. 1
WorldA milestone in orbit. On June 18, Sally K. Ride launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-7 to become the first American woman in space. 1
Ithaca CollegeCortaca on national TV. Ithaca routed rival Cortland 49-26 in the November 5 Cortaca Jug game, broadcast nationally by ABC. 1
Sun ValleyThe first summer camp for moguls. Investment banker Herbert Allen Jr. gathered roughly 35 media executives in Sun Valley, Idaho, for the inaugural Allen & Company conference — an invitation-only summer gathering that would grow into a fixture for media, finance and technology. 12
Politics
Reagan Unveils 'Star Wars' Missile Shield
The President proposes a space-based defense aiming to render nuclear weapons 'impotent and obsolete.'
In a March 23 address from the Oval Office, President Reagan called on scientists to build a system capable of intercepting Soviet ballistic missiles, launching the Strategic Defense Initiative and reframing the arms race around defense rather than deterrence.
Moscow condemned the plan as destabilizing, fearing it sought a knock-out advantage.
Washington rallies past Miami 27-17 at the Rose Bowl behind a record-setting ground game.
On January 30, the Washington Redskins overcame a 17-13 deficit in Super Bowl XVII, sealed by John Riggins's 43-yard fourth-down touchdown run; Riggins rushed for a then-record 166 yards and was named MVP under second-year coach Joe Gibbs.
On August 5, 1983, Judge Harold H. Greene approved AT&T's reorganization plan under the antitrust consent decree, setting the January 1, 1984 divestiture of the Bell System's local operating companies — the largest corporate breakup in U.S. history.
Business & TechApple unveils the Macintosh. On January 24, 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh — the first mass-market personal computer with a graphical interface and mouse, priced at $2,495 and heralded by Ridley Scott's '1984' Super Bowl ad two days earlier. 1
WorldIndira Gandhi assassinated. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot dead by two of her bodyguards in New Delhi on October 31, 1984, months after she ordered Operation Blue Star. 1
SportsL.A. hosts the Games. The 1984 Summer Olympics ran July 28 to August 12 in Los Angeles, drawing a then-record 140 nations despite a Soviet-led boycott. 1
Politics
Reagan Sweeps to Second Term in Historic Landslide
Forty-nine states fall to the incumbent as Walter Mondale holds only Minnesota and the District of Columbia.
President Ronald Reagan won re-election on November 6, 1984, carrying 49 states and 525 electoral votes to Walter Mondale's 13, the most lopsided Electoral College result since Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 victory.
Mondale's running mate, Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, was the first woman on a major-party national ticket.
Marcus Allen's record-breaking night buries the defending champions in Tampa.
The Los Angeles Raiders demolished the Washington Redskins 38-9 at Tampa Stadium on January 22, 1984, then the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. Marcus Allen ran for 191 yards and two scores, including a 74-yard dash, and was named MVP.
On January 1, 1984, the court-ordered divestiture of AT&T took effect, splitting the Bell System into seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies — the 'Baby Bells' — and ending the nation's century-old telephone monopoly. AT&T kept long distance but lost roughly 70 percent of its book value.
Ithaca CollegeLast call. New York State raised the legal drinking age to 21 in 1985, ending an era of on-campus revelry. 1
Washington FootballThe hit no one forgets. On November 18, 1985, on Monday Night Football at RFK, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, breaking his leg and ending his career. 1
World
Gorbachev Takes the Kremlin
A 54-year-old reformer becomes Soviet leader, signaling a generational break in the Cold War.
Mikhail Gorbachev was named General Secretary of the Communist Party on March 11, 1985, a day after Konstantin Chernenko's death, becoming the youngest member of the ruling Politburo to take the post.
His ascent would soon usher in glasnost and perestroika and reshape East-West relations.
Live Aid raised millions for Ethiopian famine relief in a transatlantic rock spectacle.
On July 13, 1985, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure staged Live Aid simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, drawing an estimated 1.5 billion television viewers.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Justice Eases the Leash on Vertical Deals
In January 1985 the Reagan Justice Department issued its Vertical Restraints Guidelines, taking a permissive view of manufacturer-dealer arrangements; Congress and the National Association of Attorneys General quickly denounced them, and the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings that July.
WorldLiberty turns 100. President Reagan relit the Statue of Liberty's torch over the July 3-6 Liberty Weekend, marking the monument's centennial. 1
Washington FootballWild-card run. Joe Gibbs's Redskins went 12-4 and upset the defending-champion Bears in the playoffs before falling to the Giants in the NFC Championship. 1
SportsMets survive Game 6. New York beat Boston 4-3 for the World Series after a ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in the tenth inning on October 25. 1
The Nation
Challenger Lost 73 Seconds After Liftoff; Seven Dead
A teacher and six astronauts perish as the nation watches live.
The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight on January 28, killing all seven aboard, among them New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, chosen for NASA's Teacher in Space Project.
Investigators traced the failure to an O-ring seal in a solid rocket booster, stiffened by record-low launch-day cold.
Reactor Explosion at Chernobyl Spreads Fallout Across Europe
BH
Pripyat evacuated
A Soviet safety test ends in the worst nuclear accident in history.
Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl plant near Pripyat exploded during a safety test on April 26, killing two outright and 28 more from acute radiation within months; Soviet authorities concealed the catastrophe until Swedish monitors detected the fallout days later.
High Court Raises the Bar for Antitrust Plaintiffs
In Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., decided March 26, the Supreme Court held 5-4 that a plaintiff alleging conspiracy under the Sherman Act must offer evidence tending to exclude independent action — making summary judgment a far more powerful defense.
Washington FootballNFC East through the strike. The Redskins finished 11-4 and won the division amid a players' strike that saw replacement teams take the field, with Washington's union members notably refusing to cross. 1
Business
Black Monday: Dow Plunges 22.6% in a Single Session
Wall Street suffers the largest one-day percentage loss in its history.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 508 points on Monday, October 19, a 22.6 percent collapse that remains the steepest one-day percentage drop on record, erasing nearly a quarter of the market's value in hours.
The rout rippled through exchanges worldwide and prompted a sweeping review of program trading.
Reagan and Gorbachev Sign Treaty to Scrap Nuclear Missiles
BH
Signed at the White House
The first accord to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons.
On December 8 at the White House, President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the first agreement to abolish a whole class of nuclear arms — six months after Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and demanded Gorbachev 'tear down this wall.'
In 324 Liquor Corp. v. Duffy, decided January 13, the Supreme Court ruled New York's mandatory resale-price scheme for liquor a per se illegal restraint of trade under the Sherman Act, unprotected by the state-action doctrine or the Twenty-first Amendment.
Ithaca CollegeDouble national champions. The Ithaca Bombers won NCAA Division III national titles in both football, beating Central College 39-24 on December 10, and baseball in the same year. 1
WorldBomb downs Pan Am 103. A terrorist bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground. 1
Politics
Bush Wins the White House in a Landslide
The vice president routs Dukakis to extend Republican rule.
Vice President George H.W. Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis on November 8, carrying 426 electoral votes to 111 and 53.4 percent of the popular vote, securing a third consecutive Republican term in the White House.
Williams Throws Four Touchdowns as Redskins Rout Denver
BH
42-10 over Denver
Washington wins Super Bowl XXII behind a record-setting performance.
On January 31, Doug Williams passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Redskins past the Broncos 42-10, earning MVP honors and becoming the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
Justices Narrow Per Se Liability for Dealer Terminations
In Business Electronics Corp. v. Sharp Electronics Corp., decided May 2, the Supreme Court held that a vertical restraint is not automatically illegal under the Sherman Act unless it includes an agreement on price, leaving most dealer terminations to be judged under the rule of reason.
PoliticsBush sworn in. George H.W. Bush took the oath as the 41st president on January 20 at the West Front of the Capitol, with Dan Quayle as vice president. 1
Washington FootballGibbs hits 100. The Redskins finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs, but coach Joe Gibbs notched his 100th career win late in the season. 1
SportsQuake halts the Series. The magnitude-6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area on October 17 minutes before Game 3 of the World Series, killing 63 and collapsing a span of the Bay Bridge. 1
World
The Berlin Wall Falls
East Germany throws open its borders and the Cold War's divide cracks.
On the night of November 9, East Germany announced its citizens could cross freely to the West, and crowds surged to the Berlin Wall, climbing atop it and chipping it apart in scenes broadcast around the world.
The opening capped a year of revolutions across the Eastern Bloc and set the stage for German reunification.
The worst U.S. oil spill of its era devastates Prince William Sound.
Just after midnight on March 24, the tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, releasing roughly 10.8 million gallons of crude that fouled some 1,300 miles of coastline and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine animals.
As Time Inc. moved to merge with Warner Communications, Paramount launched a hostile $175-per-share bid in June; the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed on July 24 that Time could complete its buyout of Warner — a landmark ruling limiting when directors must maximize shareholder price.
BusinessThe junk-bond king falls. Michael Milken pleads guilty to securities fraud and Drexel Burnham Lambert collapses, closing the books on the 1980s takeover era. 1
Ithaca CollegeChampions on the pitch. The women’s soccer team wins the first of back-to-back national championships. 1
Washington FootballBack to January. The Redskins finish 10–6 and return to the playoffs as a wild card under Joe Gibbs. 1
World & Nation
Iraq Invades Kuwait
Saddam Hussein’s tanks roll south on Aug. 2, seizing the emirate and setting the world on a course for war in the Gulf.
On August 2, Iraqi forces overran Kuwait in hours, triggering a U.N. embargo and the largest U.S. military buildup since Vietnam under Operation Desert Shield.
By year’s end half a million American troops were massing in the desert, and the new decade had found its first great crisis.
A 42-to-1 underdog stuns the undefeated champion in Tokyo.
On February 11 in Tokyo, James “Buster” Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the tenth round, ending Tyson’s undefeated reign in what many call the greatest upset in boxing history.
WorldThe Soviet Union ends. On December 25 the red flag comes down over the Kremlin; fifteen republics go their own way and the Cold War is over. 1
Business & TechA web for everyone. Tim Berners-Lee posts the first public description of the World Wide Web on August 6 — a quiet start to a loud revolution. 1
Ithaca CollegeBombers on top. The football team captures its third national championship. 1
Washington FootballA juggernaut. The Redskins tear through the regular season at 14–2, scoring a league-best 485 points. 1
World & Nation
Desert Storm
A U.S.-led coalition opens fire on Jan. 17; Kuwait is liberated in 100 hours of ground war.
Operation Desert Storm began with a thunderous air campaign on January 17 and ended six weeks later with Kuwait freed and Iraqi forces routed.
It was the first war Americans watched live on cable television, and it reshaped the nation’s sense of its own power.
The Lakers star reveals he is HIV-positive and retires.
On November 7, Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and was retiring from basketball — a moment that changed the national conversation about the disease overnight.
On May 22 the Justice Department sues MIT and eight Ivy League schools — Cornell among them — for fixing financial-aid awards in violation of the Sherman Act. The Ivies settle; MIT fights on.
SportsThe Dream Team. Jordan, Magic and Bird lead the first U.S. Olympic squad of NBA stars to gold in Barcelona. 1
BusinessA continent opens. The U.S., Canada and Mexico sign NAFTA on December 17, knitting together a single market. 1
Ithaca CollegeNew on campus. The college founds its Gerontology Institute and an Office of Minority Affairs. 1
Sun ValleyThe mountain gets faster. In Sun Valley, Earl Holding’s Sun Valley Company opens the new Warm Springs Lodge and installs a high-speed quad on River Run — the first of a decade of upgrades on Bald Mountain. 12
Politics
Clinton Takes the White House
A 46-year-old Arkansas governor ends twelve years of Republican rule on Nov. 3.
Riding a recession and the slogan “It’s the economy, stupid,” Bill Clinton defeated President George H. W. Bush and independent Ross Perot to win the presidency.
A new generation — Bruce’s own — was taking the reins in Washington.
The Redskins rout Buffalo 37–24 in Super Bowl XXVI.
On January 26, Mark Rypien was named MVP as Washington won Super Bowl XXVI — Joe Gibbs’s third title with a third different quarterback, a feat no coach had matched.
For the franchise Bruce had followed all his life, it was the mountaintop.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
New Rules for Every Merger
In April the Justice Department and FTC jointly issue the 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines — the first shared framework for judging when a deal threatens competition.
Washington FootballThe end of an era. Joe Gibbs retires in March after twelve seasons and three Super Bowls. 1
WorldTerror downtown. A truck bomb explodes beneath the World Trade Center on February 26, killing six and foreshadowing a darker decade. 1
Business & TechPentium arrives. Intel ships the Pentium processor, and the Mosaic browser brings the web to ordinary screens. 1
Ithaca CollegeWired and Hollywood-bound. Internet access arrives on campus and a new Los Angeles Program sends students to work in Hollywood. 1
Sun ValleyMore high-speed access. The Sun Valley Company opens the Seattle Ridge Lodge and adds the Lookout Express and Seattle Ridge quads — Holding’s reinvestment of Bald Mountain in full swing. 1
World
A Handshake on the Lawn
Rabin and Arafat seal the Oslo Accords at the White House on Sept. 13.
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands on the South Lawn as President Clinton looked on, a moment of fragile hope for the Middle East.
Three titles in hand, the game’s greatest retires — for now.
On October 6, Michael Jordan announced his first retirement, months after his father’s death and a third straight championship, saying he had nothing left to prove.
After the FTC deadlocks, Attorney General Janet Reno’s Justice Department takes over the Microsoft investigation, escalating the government’s pursuit of the software giant.
SportsNo World Series. A players’ strike wipes out the postseason in August — the first autumn without a World Series since 1904. 1
BusinessA bookstore in a garage. Jeff Bezos founds Amazon.com in July, betting that people will buy books over the internet. 1
Ithaca CollegeA coaching legend retires. Football coach Jim Butterfield steps down after 27 years and 206 victories. 1
Washington FootballA new regime. Norv Turner takes over and the team drafts quarterback Heath Shuler amid a long rebuild. 1
Sun ValleyFrenchman’s opens. The Sun Valley Company cuts a fourth new high-speed quad on Bald Mountain, capping a remarkable run of mountain investment. 1
World
Mandela Elected
South Africa’s first free election makes the former prisoner its president on May 10.
Nelson Mandela, jailed for 27 years, was inaugurated president of South Africa after the nation’s first multiracial democratic election — the formal end of apartheid.
O. J. Simpson’s white Bronco transfixes the country on June 17.
The low-speed pursuit of O. J. Simpson down a Los Angeles freeway drew tens of millions of viewers and opened the “trial of the century” that would consume the next two years.
On July 15 Microsoft signs a consent decree with the Justice Department, agreeing not to tie other products to the sale of Windows — a truce that would not hold.
The Holcomb File. This is the year Novell bought WordPerfect — and the start of the conduct that R. Bruce Holcomb would one day litigate, representing Novell against Microsoft all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Business & TechStart me up. Microsoft launches Windows 95 on August 24 to midnight lines and a Rolling Stones anthem. 1
SportsThe Iron Man. Cal Ripken Jr. plays his 2,131st straight game on September 6, breaking Lou Gehrig’s “unbreakable” record. 1
Ithaca CollegeMarkets and fairness. The college extends benefits to same-sex partners and opens its Center for Trading and Analysis of Financial Instruments. 1
The Nation
Terror in the Heartland
A truck bomb destroys the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, killing 168.
The deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history tore the face off a federal office building and shook the country’s sense of safety at home.
Disney’s ABC takeover is hatched at Allen & Co.’s Sun Valley retreat.
At the annual Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley that July, Michael Eisner, Warren Buffett and Tom Murphy framed Disney’s $19 billion purchase of Capital Cities/ABC — cementing the Idaho gathering’s reputation as the boardroom of American media.
The Justice Department sues to block Microsoft’s $1.5 billion purchase of Intuit, maker of Quicken. Rather than fight, Microsoft abandons the deal in May and pays a $46 million breakup fee.
The Holcomb File. Microsoft’s conduct in this era is exactly what R. Bruce Holcomb — of Dickstein, Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky — would later put before the Fourth Circuit on Novell’s behalf.
Business & TechThe lines come down. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 deregulates phone, cable and broadcast — setting off a merger wave and the antitrust scrutiny that came with it. 1
Ithaca CollegeA witness speaks. Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel delivers the commencement address. 1
Washington FootballLast call at RFK. The Redskins play their final season at storied RFK Stadium before moving to the suburbs. 1
Politics
Four More Years
President Clinton wins re-election over Bob Dole on Nov. 5.
Clinton became the first Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to win a second term, riding a humming economy to a comfortable victory.
A trembling Muhammad Ali ignites the cauldron in Atlanta.
The 1996 Summer Olympics drew the world to Atlanta for the Games’ 100th anniversary — a triumph shadowed by a deadly bombing in Centennial Olympic Park.
In September the FTC clears Time Warner’s purchase of Turner Broadcasting only with strings attached — forcing cable giant TCI to shed its Turner stake and requiring Time Warner to carry a news channel to rival CNN.
The Holcomb File. Novell sold WordPerfect this year, but the grievance lived on: R. Bruce Holcomb later helped argue that Microsoft’s 1994–96 conduct had illegally kneecapped it — Novell, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., decided by the Fourth Circuit in 2007.
Business & TechA rival’s lifeline. Microsoft invests $150 million in a near-bankrupt Apple on August 6, an alliance that still raised eyebrows. 1
Washington FootballA passing and a place. Owner Jack Kent Cooke dies in April; that fall the team opens its new stadium in Maryland. 12
Ithaca CollegeA first. Peggy Ryan Williams becomes the first woman to serve as president of Ithaca College. 1
World
Hong Kong Returns to China
After 156 years, Britain hands the colony back at midnight on July 1.
In a rain-soaked ceremony, the Union Jack came down and Hong Kong passed to Chinese sovereignty under a “one country, two systems” promise — closing a chapter of empire.
In June a federal court sides with the FTC and blocks the merger of Staples and Office Depot — a landmark win for merger enforcement. That fall, Justice moves against Microsoft’s browser bundling, setting up the case to come.
BusinessA financial colossus. Citicorp and Travelers merge into Citigroup in April — a $70 billion deal that all but forced Washington to rethink Depression-era banking law. 1
Business & TechA garage in Menlo Park. Two Stanford students incorporate Google on September 4, betting they can organize the web. 1
Ithaca CollegeEyes on the sky. The Clinton B. Ford Telescope Observatory is built and the first Day of Service sends students into the community. 1
Politics
The President Impeached
On Dec. 19 the House charges Bill Clinton — only the second president ever impeached.
The House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Clinton arising from the Lewinsky affair, sending him to trial in the Senate.
It was only the second presidential impeachment in American history.
Bruce’s signature fit — in stock year-round, every year
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
The Government Sues Microsoft
On May 18 the Justice Department and twenty states accuse Microsoft of illegally defending its Windows monopoly — the antitrust case of the decade, with a historic trial opening that fall.
BusinessGlass-Steagall falls. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act sweeps away Depression-era walls between banks, brokerages and insurers. 1
SportsShot heard ’round the world. July 10, the U.S. women beat China on penalties before 90,000 at the Rose Bowl; Brandi Chastain’s celebration becomes an icon. 1
McLean, VirginiaLangley gets a name. The CIA’s McLean headquarters is dedicated as the George Bush Center for Intelligence — a landmark in Bruce’s hometown. 1
Ithaca CollegeA poet speaks. Maya Angelou delivers the commencement address as the college opens its Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity. 1
Sun ValleySummer camp for moguls. Media chiefs again converge on Allen & Co.’s Sun Valley conference, the July ritual where the year’s biggest deals take shape. 1
Politics
Acquitted
The Senate clears President Clinton on Feb. 12, closing the impeachment saga.
The Senate acquitted President Clinton on both articles of impeachment, falling well short of the two-thirds needed to convict and ending a bitter five-week trial.
A 34-year-old marketing mogul lands the franchise in the priciest deal in sports history.
On May 25, an investment group led by Daniel M. Snyder won a blind auction for the Redskins and their stadium for roughly $800 million — then the largest transaction in the history of sports.
That winter the team won its division and returned to the playoffs, a bright start to a turbulent era.
On November 5, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson’s 207-page Findings of Fact declare that Microsoft “enjoys monopoly power” in PC operating systems — the defining antitrust battle of the era, and the prelude to a proposed breakup.
Washington FootballSnyder fires Turner. On December 4, 2000, owner Daniel Snyder fired head coach Norv Turner with the Redskins at 7-6 despite fielding what was then the NFL's most expensive roster; the team finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. 1
BusinessBiggest merger ever. On January 10, 2000, America Online agreed to merge with Time Warner in an all-stock deal then valued at about $165 billion, the largest corporate merger in history at the time. 1
WorldTerror strikes the Cole. On October 12, 2000, an al-Qaeda suicide boat detonated alongside the destroyer USS Cole as it refueled in Aden, Yemen, killing 17 American sailors. 1
Politics
Court Halts Florida Recount, Hands White House to Bush
A divided Supreme Court ends 36 days of recounts, settling the closest presidential election in modern memory by 537 votes.
On December 12, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ended Florida's recount in Bush v. Gore, effectively awarding the presidency to George W. Bush. By 7-2 the justices found the inconsistent recount violated equal protection; by 5-4 they held no lawful recount could finish in time.
The ruling preserved Bush's certified 537-vote margin and Florida's 25 electoral votes. Al Gore conceded the following day.
The Bronx Bombers down the crosstown Mets four games to one in baseball's first all-New York World Series since 1956.
On October 26, 2000, the Yankees beat the Mets 4-2 in Game 5 at Shea Stadium to take the World Series 4-1, their third straight title and 26th overall. Derek Jeter was named Series MVP.
On April 3, 2000, U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled that Microsoft had illegally maintained its monopoly under the Sherman Act, and on June 7 ordered the company broken into two businesses.
Washington FootballSchottenheimer's rollercoaster. Marty Schottenheimer, hired by Dan Snyder in 2001, lost his first five games and then won five straight before finishing 8-8; Snyder fired him in January 2002. 1
BusinessEnron implodes. On December 2, 2001, Enron filed for Chapter 11 with $63.4 billion in assets, then the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history, after an accounting-fraud scandal collapsed its stock. 1
Business & TechApple unveils the iPod. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a $399 player promising '1,000 songs in your pocket,' which shipped that November. 1
Sun ValleyDealmaking at altitude. At Allen & Company's Sun Valley retreat, Comcast lobbed an unsolicited roughly $58 billion bid for AT&T Broadband on July 9 — proof the Idaho summer camp for moguls still framed history's biggest media deals. 1
World
Hijacked Jets Destroy World Trade Center, Strike Pentagon
Coordinated al-Qaeda suicide attacks kill nearly 3,000 in the deadliest day of terrorism in American history.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen al-Qaeda hijackers seized four airliners, flying one into each of the Twin Towers and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth, United Flight 93, crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back.
The attacks killed 2,977 people and collapsed both 110-story towers, reshaping American security and foreign policy and triggering the U.S. response in Afghanistan within weeks.
Luis Gonzalez's bloop single off Mariano Rivera ends the Yankees' dynasty bid in a seven-game classic.
On November 4, 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the three-time defending-champion Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 to win the World Series 4-3. Trailing Rivera in the ninth, Arizona rallied for the title in only its fourth season.
On June 28, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously overturned the order to break up Microsoft while upholding the core finding that it had illegally maintained its monopoly, and disqualified Judge Jackson for improper press interviews.
Washington FootballSpurrier lands in Washington. The Redskins named Steve Spurrier head coach on January 15, 2002, signing the former Florida coach to a five-year, $25 million deal that was the richest in NFL coaching history at the time. 1
BusinessWorldCom collapses. Telecom giant WorldCom filed for Chapter 11 on July 21, 2002, with roughly $107 billion in assets — the largest U.S. bankruptcy at the time — after an accounting fraud later pegged at about $11 billion. 1
PoliticsSarbanes-Oxley becomes law. President Bush signed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on July 30, 2002, the broadest overhaul of U.S. corporate accountability since the 1930s, enacted in response to Enron and WorldCom. 1
The Nation
Bush Names an 'Axis of Evil'
Five months after Sept. 11, the President casts Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the next front in a widening war on terror.
In his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President George W. Bush declared that Iraq, Iran and North Korea constituted an 'axis of evil,' vowing the United States would not let the world's most dangerous regimes acquire its most destructive weapons.
The phrase reframed the war on terror around hostile states and weapons of mass destruction, and would echo through the buildup to the invasion of Iraq.
Anaheim caps a furious October by beating San Francisco 4-1 in Game 7 behind rookie John Lackey.
The Anaheim Angels won the first championship in franchise history on October 27, 2002, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in Game 7, one night after their record-setting Game 6 comeback from a 5-0 deficit.
Judge Approves Microsoft Settlement, Rebuffs Holdout States
On November 1, 2002, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly approved the antitrust settlement between Microsoft and the Justice Department, largely rejecting the demands of nine non-settling states and imposing five years of court oversight.
Washington FootballSpurrier walks away. After a 5-11 season, Steve Spurrier resigned as Washington's head coach on December 30, 2003, ending a short and disappointing NFL tenure. 1
PoliticsCalifornia recalls its governor. On October 7, 2003, California voters recalled Gov. Gray Davis and elected Arnold Schwarzenegger, the first successful recall of a California governor. 1
World
U.S. Invades Iraq, Topples Saddam by Year's End
American-led forces storm into Iraq in March, and by December the captured dictator is pulled from a hole near his hometown.
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began March 20, 2003, opening just over a month of major combat. On May 1, aboard the carrier Abraham Lincoln, President Bush declared an end to major combat beneath a 'Mission Accomplished' banner.
On December 13, U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein, hiding in a 'spider hole' near Ad-Dawr.
The space shuttle breaks apart over Texas minutes from home, grounding America's fleet for more than two years.
On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry over Texas, killing all seven astronauts aboard mission STS-107. Investigators traced the cause to foam insulation that struck the left wing at launch.
Oracle opened an unsolicited tender offer for rival PeopleSoft on June 6, 2003, igniting one of the era's fiercest takeover fights and antitrust battles, with the Justice Department later suing to block the merger.
Washington FootballJoe Gibbs returns. Dan Snyder lured Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs out of retirement, introducing him on January 7, 2004, on a five-year deal, though the team went 6-10 in his first year back. 1
Business & TechThefacebook goes live. Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg launched Thefacebook on February 4, 2004, and within a month more than half of Harvard's undergraduates had signed up. 1
PoliticsDOJ loses to Oracle. A federal judge in September 2004 rejected the Justice Department's bid to block Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft, a rare courtroom defeat for the Antitrust Division. 1
Politics
Bush Wins a Second Term
President George W. Bush narrowly defeats Senator John Kerry, with Ohio sealing a 286-251 electoral majority.
Americans returned President George W. Bush to office on November 2, 2004, defeating Democrat John Kerry. Bush carried 286 electoral votes to Kerry's 251, with Ohio the decisive state, and drew more than 62 million popular votes in a race dominated by terrorism and Iraq.
Boston storms back from a 3-0 hole against the Yankees, then sweeps St. Louis for its first title in 86 years.
The Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series, their first championship since 1918. They reached it as the only team in major-league history to erase a 3-0 series deficit, beating the rival Yankees in the ALCS.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Novell Sues Microsoft
In November, Novell filed an antitrust suit accusing Microsoft of crushing its WordPerfect and Quattro Pro office applications in the mid-1990s, seeking treble damages under the Sherman and Clayton Acts. And this fight is Bruce’s own.
The Holcomb File.R. Bruce Holcomb, of Dickstein, Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, joined the team representing Novell against Microsoft — the case that would carry his name into the federal reporters.
Washington FootballGibbs returns to January. Washington went 10-6 in 2005 for its first playoff berth since 1999, beating Tampa Bay in the wild-card round before falling to Seattle. 1
Business & TechA video startup is born. Former PayPal employees registered YouTube.com on February 14, 2005, with the first clip uploaded that April. 1
WorldA pope dies, a pope is chosen. Pope John Paul II died April 2, 2005, and on April 19 the conclave elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI. 1
The Nation
Katrina Drowns New Orleans
Storm surge breaches the levees, flooding eighty percent of the city and killing more than 1,800 across the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, coming ashore in Louisiana as a Category 3 storm. Within hours the levees protecting New Orleans failed in more than 50 places, and roughly 80 percent of the city went underwater.
The death toll topped 1,800 and damage neared $125 billion, among the deadliest and costliest disasters in U.S. history.
Chicago sweeps the Houston Astros in four games for the franchise's first championship since 1917.
The Chicago White Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros on October 26, 2005, capturing their first World Series title in 88 years. Division leaders wire to wire, they lost just one game all postseason.
Oracle completed its roughly $10.3 billion hostile takeover of PeopleSoft in January 2005, capping a two-year fight it won only after a federal judge rejected the Justice Department's antitrust challenge and the government declined to appeal.
Washington FootballA losing skid. Washington slumped to 5-11 in 2006, finishing last in the NFC East a year after its playoff run. 1
WorldNorth Korea goes nuclear. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006, drawing United Nations sanctions and global condemnation. 1
Sun ValleyA deal takes root. At Allen & Company's July 2006 Sun Valley conference, Google chief Eric Schmidt courted YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley — a connection that helped lead to Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of the video site that October. 1
Politics
Democrats Sweep Congress as Iraq War Sours Voters
Midterm voters hand both chambers to the Democrats and make Nancy Pelosi the first woman to lead the House.
In midterm elections on November 7, 2006, Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate, ending more than a decade of Republican dominance, and Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House.
Weeks later, on December 30, Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad after an Iraqi tribunal convicted him of crimes against humanity.
A penalty shootout in Berlin crowns Italy after Zinedine Zidane's stunning headbutt and red card.
On July 9, 2006, Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties in Berlin after a 1-1 draw to win its fourth World Cup. The final was overshadowed by Zinedine Zidane's headbutt of Marco Materazzi and his red card in extra time.
On October 11, 2006, the Justice Department closed its investigation of AT&T's roughly $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth without conditions, and the FCC approved the deal on December 29 — creating the largest telecommunications merger in U.S. history.
Washington FootballA season in mourning. Safety Sean Taylor died on November 27, 2007, after being shot during a home invasion in Florida, and a grieving Washington rallied to a 9-7 finish and a playoff berth. 1
BusinessSubprime turmoil hits. Credit markets seized in 2007 as the housing bubble burst, with France's BNP Paribas freezing subprime-exposed funds in August and Britain's Northern Rock suffering the first run on a U.K. bank in 150 years that September. 1
Sun ValleyA press baron's prize. At Allen & Company's July 2007 Sun Valley conference, Rupert Murdoch pressed his pursuit of Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal; News Corp reached a roughly $5 billion agreement on August 1, ending the Bancroft family's century of control. 1
Business & Tech
Apple Unleashes the iPhone
Steve Jobs's touchscreen device redraws the line between the phone, the music player and the internet.
Apple chief Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone on January 9, 2007, at Macworld in San Francisco, billing it as three products in one. It went on sale June 29 at $499 and $599 on a two-year AT&T contract, with buyers lining up for days and many stores selling out within an hour.
New England becomes the first NFL team since 1972 to finish a regular season unbeaten.
The New England Patriots won all 16 regular-season games in 2007, the first team to do so since the schedule expanded, with Tom Brady throwing a then-record 50 touchdowns. The bid for a perfect season ended with an upset loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl that February.
On October 15 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in Novell, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., the antitrust action over Microsoft’s 1990s conduct toward WordPerfect. On Novell’s brief: R. Bruce Holcomb of Dickstein, Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky — Bruce’s name, in the U.S. Reports.
The Holcomb File. This is the published opinion that records Bruce’s work — counsel of record for Novell in one of the era’s last great Microsoft antitrust fights.
Ithaca CollegeA new president. Thomas R. Rochon became the eighth president of Ithaca College on July 1, 2008, succeeding Peggy R. Williams. 1
Washington FootballZorn takes the reins. After Joe Gibbs retired again, Washington hired Jim Zorn as head coach for 2008, and the team finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. 1
Business
Wall Street Buckles as Lehman Falls
The largest bankruptcy in U.S. history touches off a global panic and a $700 billion federal rescue.
On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, igniting a worldwide financial panic. The government seized AIG and Washington Mutual within days, and Congress passed the $700 billion TARP rescue on October 3.
Amid the turmoil, Barack Obama defeated John McCain on November 4 to become the first Black president-elect.
The American swimmer surpasses Mark Spitz with the most gold medals ever won at a single Olympic Games.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz's 1972 record for a single Games. The opening ceremony on August 8 drew an estimated two billion viewers worldwide.
On November 5, 2008, Google and Yahoo scrapped their search-advertising partnership after the Justice Department warned it would sue to block a deal that, by the government's account, would have controlled 90 percent or more of the relevant markets.
Ithaca CollegeBreaking ground. Ithaca College broke ground on June 16, 2009, on its $65.5 million Athletics and Events Center, and inaugurated President Thomas Rochon that April. 1
WorldMichael Jackson dies. Pop superstar Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, at age 50, dominating global news coverage for weeks. 1
Sun ValleyA network in play. It was at Allen & Company's July 2009 Sun Valley conference that GE chief Jeffrey Immelt first met privately with Comcast leaders about selling NBC Universal — the seed of the deal Comcast announced that December. 1
Politics
Obama Sworn In as First Black President
A record inaugural crowd fills the National Mall as the nation marks a historic transfer of power amid deep recession.
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, the first African American to hold the office, before what officials estimated as a record crowd of some 1.8 million on the National Mall.
He took office as the nation strained under the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a deepening financial crisis.
Yankees Win 27th Title in New Stadium's First Year
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Champions in the Bronx
New York beats the Phillies in six games to capture its first championship since 2000.
The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies four games to two to win the 2009 World Series, their 27th title and first since 2000, in the inaugural season of the new Yankee Stadium. Hideki Matsui was named Series MVP.
On May 11, 2009, new Antitrust Division chief Christine Varney withdrew the Bush administration's 2008 report on monopoly conduct, declaring a shift to more aggressive enforcement against dominant firms under Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
PoliticsHealth-care overhaul. President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010, the largest expansion of U.S. health coverage since Medicare. 1
Washington FootballThe McNabb experiment. Washington acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb ahead of Mike Shanahan's first season, finishing 6-10 after Shanahan benched him late in the year. 1
Ithaca CollegeGreen game day. A student sustainability class led Ithaca College to a co-championship in the EPA's WasteWise Game Day recycling challenge among 79 schools. 1
World
Gulf Disaster Unleashes Largest Marine Oil Spill in History
An explosion aboard BP's Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 and fouled the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months.
An explosion tore through BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off Louisiana on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and sinking the platform two days later as crude began gushing from the ruptured Macondo well a mile below the surface.
Federal estimates put the leak near 4.9 million barrels before a containment cap finally halted the flow on July 15, making it the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.
Spain Wins First World Cup on Iniesta's Late Strike
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Iniesta seals it
An extra-time goal in Johannesburg crowned Spain champions of the world for the first time.
Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 at Soccer City in Johannesburg on July 11, 2010, when Andres Iniesta struck in the 116th minute to claim the nation's first World Cup title in the first all-European final held outside Europe.
The Justice Department on October 4, 2010 sued American Express, Visa and MasterCard, alleging their rules barred merchants from steering customers to cheaper forms of payment. Visa and MasterCard settled the same day, while American Express vowed to fight.
Ithaca CollegeNew athletics hub. Ithaca College opened its $65.5 million Athletics and Events Center in 2011, featuring an Olympic-size pool and the 130,000-square-foot Glazer Arena. 1
Washington FootballA long 5-11. Mike Shanahan's Redskins finished the 2011 season at 5-11, last in the NFC East. 1
World
Bin Laden Killed in U.S. Raid in Pakistan
Navy SEALs storm a walled compound in Abbottabad, ending a manhunt that spanned nearly a decade.
Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader behind the September 11 attacks, was killed early on May 2, 2011, when U.S. Navy SEALs raided his fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
President Obama announced the death in a late-night address, declaring that "justice has been done." Bin Laden's body was buried at sea within 24 hours.
The co-founder who reshaped phones, music and computing succumbed to cancer weeks after stepping down as chief executive.
Steve Jobs died at his Palo Alto home on October 5, 2011, of complications from pancreatic cancer, six weeks after resigning as Apple's chief executive and handing the reins to Tim Cook. He was 56.
On August 31, 2011, the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit to block AT&T's $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA, arguing it would substantially lessen competition. AT&T abandoned the bid on December 19.
Washington FootballRGIII arrives. Washington drafted Baylor quarterback and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III second overall in April 2012; he went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. 1
Ithaca CollegeGold and a top town. Alumna Meghan Musnicki won Olympic rowing gold at London 2012, the year Ithaca was named the best college town in the U.S. 1
Politics
Obama Wins Second Term
President turns back Romney challenge, holding the swing states and a 332-206 Electoral College margin.
President Barack Obama won re-election on Nov. 6, 2012, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Obama captured 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206, taking 51.1 percent of the popular vote against the former Massachusetts governor's 47.2 percent.
The social network's $16 billion offering ranks as the largest technology IPO in U.S. history.
Facebook went public on May 18, 2012, raising $16 billion in the largest technology IPO in U.S. history and valuing the company near $104 billion, though shares closed at just $38.23 after a delayed Nasdaq open.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
U.S. Sues Apple Over E-Book Prices
On April 11, 2012, the Justice Department accused Apple and five publishers — Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster — of conspiring to fix e-book prices. The publishers settled; Apple was later found liable.
Washington FootballObama weighs in. In October 2013, President Obama said that if he owned Washington's franchise and its name was 'offending a sizeable group of people,' he would 'think about changing it' — the first sitting president to address the controversy. 1
Ithaca CollegeA new core. Ithaca College rolled out its Integrative Core Curriculum in 2013, organizing first-year study around themes like 'Power and Justice.' 1
PoliticsWashington shuts down. A funding standoff forced the first federal government shutdown in 17 years, beginning October 1 and lasting 16 days. 1
World
A Contractor Lays Bare a Secret Surveillance State
Leaked documents revealed the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records and access to tech giants' servers.
Beginning June 5, The Guardian published a top-secret court order showing the NSA had swept up the phone records of more than 120 million Verizon subscribers — the first of a cascade of disclosures from former contractor Edward Snowden.
A day later came PRISM, a program granting the agency access to data held by Google, Apple, Facebook and others, igniting a global debate over privacy and state power.
Boston capped a worst-to-first season with a Game 6 rout of the Cardinals before its home crowd.
The Boston Red Sox clinched their eighth World Series title on October 30, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 — their first championship clinched at Fenway Park since 1918. David Ortiz, who batted .688 in the series, was named MVP.
On July 10, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple violated the Sherman Act by orchestrating a conspiracy with five major publishers to raise retail e-book prices, calling Apple a 'knowing and active member' of the scheme.
Washington FootballTrademark stripped. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office voted 2-1 on June 18, 2014, to cancel six of the Washington Redskins' trademark registrations, ruling the name disparaging. 1
Ithaca CollegeStartup hub. Ithaca College joined Cornell and TC3 in 2014 to launch Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, a local business incubator. 1
WorldEbola crisis. The largest Ebola outbreak in history spread across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone through 2014, killing thousands. 1
World
Russia Seizes Crimea, Redrawing Europe's Map by Force
Moscow's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula drew sweeping Western sanctions and global condemnation.
Russian special forces without insignia seized strategic sites across Crimea on Feb. 27, and after a hastily arranged referendum, President Vladimir Putin formally annexed the peninsula on March 18, 2014.
The U.N. General Assembly rejected the vote as invalid, the G8 suspended Russia, and the U.S. and European Union imposed escalating sanctions on Moscow.
Mario Gotze's extra-time volley sank Argentina at the Maracana.
Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final at Rio's Maracana on July 13, 2014, with substitute Mario Gotze volleying home in the 113th minute — days after Germany's stunning 7-1 rout of host Brazil in the semifinal.
Comcast announced on Feb. 13, 2014, a roughly $45.2 billion deal to acquire Time Warner Cable — a combination that would have controlled about two-thirds of the broadband cable market. The Justice Department opened a review that would ultimately doom the deal.
Ithaca CollegeCampus in protest. Amid racially charged incidents in fall 2015, hundreds of Ithaca College students walked out demanding the resignation of President Tom Rochon, who announced in January 2016 he would step down. 1
Washington FootballTrademark loss upheld. On July 8, 2015, a federal judge affirmed cancellation of the Washington Redskins' trademark registrations as disparaging to Native Americans. 1
WorldTerror in Paris. Coordinated Islamic State attacks across Paris on November 13, 2015, killed 130 people, including 90 at the Bataclan concert hall. 1
Politics
Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
In a 5-4 decision, the Justices held that the Constitution guarantees a right to marry in every state.
The Supreme Court ruled on June 26, 2015, in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, striking down bans nationwide under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan.
Kansas City rallied past the New York Mets to claim its first title since 1985.
The Kansas City Royals won the 2015 World Series four games to one, sealing it with a 7-2, twelve-inning Game 5 victory over the Mets at Citi Field on November 1 — the franchise's first crown in thirty years.
Comcast abandoned its acquisition of Time Warner Cable on April 24, 2015, after the Justice Department prepared an antitrust suit and the FCC warned the deal would make Comcast a dominant broadband gatekeeper.
Washington FootballTrademark fight to high court. The Supreme Court agreed in September 2016 to hear an Asian-American band's trademark case widely seen as decisive for the Redskins' own battle. 1
Business & TechMicrosoft's biggest bet. Microsoft agreed on June 13, 2016, to buy the professional network LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, its largest acquisition to that point. 1
Politics
Trump Stuns Nation, Wins the White House
Republican businessman captures the Electoral College as Britain votes to quit the European Union.
Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th president on Nov. 8, 2016, defeating Hillary Clinton 304 electoral votes to 227 in one of the great upsets in American political history, despite trailing in the popular vote by nearly three million.
Across the Atlantic, voters had already shaken the order: on June 23 the United Kingdom narrowly chose to leave the European Union, 51.9 to 48.1 percent.
Chicago outlasts Cleveland in a 10-inning Game 7 thriller to break baseball's longest title drought.
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908 on Nov. 2, 2016, edging the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a rain-interrupted Game 7 that went to extra innings, with Ben Zobrist's go-ahead double in the 10th.
The Justice Department sued on July 21, 2016, to block Anthem's $54 billion bid for Cigna and Aetna's $37 billion acquisition of Humana, which would have shrunk the big health insurers from five to three; both were enjoined. Weeks earlier, a court had blocked Staples' $6.3 billion purchase of Office Depot at the FTC's request. The capital's antitrust bar was reshaping itself even as the cases mounted: the venerable Washington firm Dickstein Shapiro — Bruce's firm — wound down in early 2016, with more than 100 of its lawyers folding into Blank Rome.
Ithaca CollegeA historic presidency. Shirley M. Collado took office July 1, 2017, as Ithaca College's ninth president — the first person of color and first Dominican American to lead the institution. 1
Washington FootballTrademark ban struck down. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 19, 2017, in Matal v. Tam that the bar on disparaging trademarks violated the First Amendment, effectively ending the effort to cancel the Redskins' marks. 1
Business & TechAmazon buys groceries. Amazon agreed on June 16, 2017, to acquire Whole Foods Market for about $13.7 billion, a landmark move into brick-and-mortar retail. 1
Politics
Trump Sworn In as 45th President
A turbulent first year brings deadly hurricanes, a record mass shooting and racial violence in Virginia.
Donald J. Trump took the oath of office at the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2017, becoming the first president with no prior government or military service, delivering a brief, somber inaugural address.
The year that followed brought catastrophe: Hurricane Harvey drowned Houston in August, white-nationalist violence in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 left a counter-protester dead, and a gunman killed 58 at a Las Vegas concert on Oct. 1, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
New England rallies from 25 points down to beat Atlanta in the first overtime in Super Bowl history.
The New England Patriots completed the largest comeback in Super Bowl history on Feb. 5, 2017, overcoming a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime, as Tom Brady threw for a record 466 yards.
The Justice Department filed suit on Nov. 20, 2017, to stop AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, arguing the telecom giant would wield Time Warner's programming against rivals — the first courtroom challenge to a vertical merger in nearly half a century.
Washington FootballSmith's leg shattered. Redskins quarterback Alex Smith suffered a compound leg fracture in a Nov. 18, 2018 loss to Houston, ending his season with Washington atop the NFC East at 6-4. 1
Sun ValleyA war room in the mountains. The July 2018 Allen & Company conference doubled as a battleground as Comcast's Brian Roberts and Disney's Bob Iger jockeyed for Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, trading dueling counteroffers mid-conference. 1
World
Trump and Kim Meet in Singapore in Historic Summit
First-ever meeting of sitting U.S. and North Korean leaders yields a vague pledge toward denuclearization.
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met June 12, 2018, on Sentosa Island in Singapore — the first-ever face-to-face encounter between leaders of the two long-hostile nations.
The pair signed a joint statement promising security guarantees and 'complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,' though critics noted it omitted timelines and verification.
Backup quarterback Nick Foles outduels Tom Brady in a shootout for the ages.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis on February 4, 2018, for the franchise's first Super Bowl. Backup Nick Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns and was named MVP.
Judge Clears AT&T-Time Warner; High Court Sides With Amex
On June 12, 2018, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon approved AT&T's $85 billion purchase of Time Warner with no conditions, rejecting the government's challenge in the first major vertical-merger trial since 1977. Days later the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Ohio v. American Express that the company's anti-steering rules did not violate antitrust law.
Washington FootballGruden out after 0-5. The Redskins fired head coach Jay Gruden on October 7, 2019, following a winless start; the team finished 3-13. 1
Business & TechMerger affirmed. The D.C. Circuit on February 26, 2019, unanimously upheld AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, ending the Justice Department's bid to unwind the deal. 1
Politics
House Impeaches President Trump
Third president in U.S. history to be impeached, charged over pressure on Ukraine.
The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on December 18, 2019, adopting two articles — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — over his efforts to press Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden.
The votes fell almost entirely along party lines, centering on a July 25 call in which Trump asked Ukraine's president to investigate the Bidens.
Nationals Bring Washington Its First Title Since 1924
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Nationals 6, Astros 2
The capital's first World Series crown in 95 years, won entirely on the road.
The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 on October 30, 2019, for the franchise's first World Series. Washington became the first team to win a Series by taking all four games as the visitor — the city's first baseball title since the 1924 Senators.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Washington Turns Its Gaze on Big Tech
On July 24, 2019, the FTC announced a record $5 billion penalty against Facebook over privacy violations tied to Cambridge Analytica. Two days later the Justice Department cleared the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, though a coalition of state attorneys general sued to block it — all weeks after the House Judiciary Committee launched a sweeping probe of competition in digital markets.
Ithaca CollegeSweeping cuts. In October 2020 the provost announced Ithaca College would eliminate roughly 130 faculty positions amid steep enrollment declines, launching the 'Academic Program Prioritization' process. 1
Washington FootballName retired. On July 13, 2020, the NFL's Washington franchise formally retired the 'Redskins' name and logo under sponsor pressure, opting to play as the 'Washington Football Team' pending a permanent rebrand. 1
BusinessFTC takes on Facebook. On December 8, 2020, the FTC and 46 states sued Facebook, seeking to unwind its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions as anticompetitive. 1
Sun ValleySummer camp canceled. Allen & Company called off its annual Sun Valley retreat for media, tech and finance leaders — the marquee 'summer camp for billionaires' — because of the pandemic. 1
World
WHO Declares a Global Pandemic
A novel coronavirus sweeps more than 100 countries, upending daily life worldwide.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. At that point 114 countries had reported roughly 118,000 confirmed cases; by year's end the toll ran into the millions, freezing travel, commerce and public life.
Lockdowns and emergency orders followed across the United States within days.
The IOC and Japan delay the Summer Games a full year as the virus halts the global sports calendar.
On March 24, 2020, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers announced the Tokyo Games would slip to 2021 — the first time the modern Summer Olympics had ever been postponed rather than canceled. They kept the 'Tokyo 2020' branding.
On October 20, 2020, the DOJ and eleven states filed a Sherman Act suit accusing Google of illegally monopolizing search through exclusionary deals with Apple, Android makers and carriers — the biggest federal monopoly case in two decades.
Ithaca CollegeCuts move forward. In February 2021 Ithaca finalized the 'Shape of the College' plan to eliminate about 116 full-time-equivalent positions, three departments and 17 undergraduate programs, despite sustained student and faculty protest. 1
Washington FootballPlayoff exit. In its second and final season under the interim name, the Washington Football Team went 7–10 under coach Ron Rivera and missed the playoffs, with a permanent rebrand coming in 2022. 1
WorldAmerica's longest war ends. The U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, the final flight leaving Kabul two weeks after the Taliban seized the capital and an airport bombing killed 13 U.S. service members. 1
Sun ValleyThe retreat returns. The Sun Valley conference came back in July 2021 after its 2020 cancellation, in a scaled-back, 'masked-and-vaxxed' format that again gathered media, tech and finance leaders in Idaho. 1
Politics
Mob Storms the U.S. Capitol
A pro-Trump crowd breaches Congress in a bid to halt certification of Joe Biden's election win.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Trump breached the U.S. Capitol as Congress met to count Electoral College votes, forcing lawmakers into hiding and delaying the count for hours. The building was secured by evening; Congress certified Biden's victory before dawn on January 7.
The postponed Olympics are staged in summer 2021, the first ever held with no spectators in the stands.
The delayed Tokyo Games ran July 23–August 8, 2021. Held during a Tokyo state of emergency, they barred spectators from venues under strict testing, masking and vaccination protocols — the only Olympics ever staged without official fans.
On September 10, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected nine of ten antitrust claims against Apple but barred its 'anti-steering' rules, letting developers point users to outside payment options.
Washington CommandersA new name. On February 2, 2022, the Washington Football Team unveiled its permanent identity as the Washington Commanders, ending nearly two years under the interim banner. 1
Ithaca CollegeTenth president named. On March 7, 2022, the board named La Jerne Terry Cornish — who had served as interim leader — the 10th president of Ithaca College; she was inaugurated that October. 1
PoliticsRoe overturned. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion after nearly half a century. 1
Sun ValleyMoguls reconvene. The Sun Valley conference gathered the week of July 5, 2022, drawing Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Bob Iger; Elon Musk appeared days before moving to terminate his $44 billion Twitter acquisition. 1
World
Russia Invades Ukraine
Putin orders a multi-front assault on a sovereign neighbor, igniting the largest European war since 1945.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, striking toward Kyiv from the north and pressing east through the Donbas. President Vladimir Putin called it a 'special military operation'; Ukrainian forces repelled the drive on the capital by April, drawing near-universal Western condemnation and sanctions.
A 3–3 thriller in Qatar is settled on penalties, crowning Argentina for the first time since 1986.
On December 18, 2022, Argentina beat France 4–2 on penalties after a 3–3 draw in Lusail, Qatar. Lionel Messi scored twice and was named the tournament's best player; Kylian Mbappé answered with a hat trick in one of the wildest finals ever played.
After Microsoft unveiled a $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard in January, the largest gaming acquisition ever, the FTC under Chair Lina Khan sued on December 8, 2022, to stop it on competition grounds.
Washington CommandersRecord sale. On July 20, 2023, NFL owners unanimously approved the $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris — a record for a North American sports franchise, ending Snyder's ownership since 1999. 1
PoliticsA first for a former president. On June 8, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Donald Trump in the classified-documents case — the first federal indictment of a former U.S. president. 1
Business & TechAI goes mainstream. On March 14, 2023, OpenAI released GPT-4, a multimodal model that helped make generative AI the defining business story of the year. 1
Sun ValleyTalk turns to AI. The conference ran July 11–14, 2023, drawing Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett and Sam Altman, with talk centered on AI's disruption of media and Hollywood's looming labor strikes. 1
World
Hamas Attacks; Israel at War
A coordinated October 7 assault from Gaza kills nearly 1,200 in Israel and reshapes the Middle East.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and allied militants launched a surprise assault from Gaza into southern Israel, killing about 1,195 people and taking roughly 251 hostages — the deadliest day for Israel since its founding. Israel declared war the next day and began a ground invasion of Gaza on October 27.
A late field goal crowns Kansas City in the third-highest-scoring Super Bowl ever.
On February 12, 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left sealed it; an injured Patrick Mahomes was named MVP.
On September 12, 2023, U.S. v. Google opened before Judge Amit Mehta — the largest monopoly trial since Microsoft in the 1990s; weeks later, on September 26, the FTC and 17 states sued Amazon, while a judge had cleared the Microsoft–Activision deal in July.
Washington CommandersDaniels arrives. Drafted second overall in April 2024, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led Washington to a 12–5 record — its best since 1991 — and a playoff berth, en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. 1
Ithaca CollegeNew programs, new budget. In May 2024 Ithaca's trustees approved a $209.5 million operating budget and the college launched a Doctor of Physical Therapy program with its first cohort that summer. 1
WorldAssad regime falls. On December 8, 2024, a rebel alliance seized Damascus, ending the Assad family's roughly 50-year rule; President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. 1
Sun ValleyParamount in play. At the July 2024 Sun Valley conference, attendees including Tim Cook, Sam Altman and Bob Iger watched Paramount chair Shari Redstone, fresh off a deal to sell to Skydance Media, become the marquee storyline. 1
Politics
Trump Reclaims the White House
The former president defeats Vice President Harris, sweeping all seven battleground states.
On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, winning 312 Electoral College votes to 226 and a plurality of the popular vote — the first Republican to carry it since 2004. He became only the second president elected to nonconsecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland.
The campaign had been upended in July, when Trump survived an assassination attempt and President Biden withdrew from the race.
The Summer Games open with an unprecedented river parade; Team USA tops the medal table.
The Paris 2024 Olympics ran July 26–August 11, opening with the first-ever Summer Games ceremony outside a stadium — a boat parade down the Seine. Team USA led all nations with 126 total medals and tied China atop the gold count at 40.
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The Antitrust Desk
The year in antitrust
Court: Google Is a Monopolist
On August 5, 2024, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally monopolized internet search, finding its roughly $26 billion in default-placement payments blocked rivals — the biggest antitrust ruling of the digital age. A separate ad-tech monopoly trial opened that September.
Washington CommandersComing home. On April 28, 2025, the team, the NFL and D.C. announced a roughly $3.7 billion deal for a new 65,000-seat stadium on the old RFK campus; the D.C. Council gave final approval that September, targeting a 2030 opening. 1
Ithaca CollegeTransition ahead. Ithaca confirmed that President La Jerne Terry Cornish, its 10th president, would conclude her term in 2027, with a search committee formed and a charge to reach a balanced budget. 1
WorldHabemus papam. On May 8, 2025, the conclave elected Chicago-born Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope. 1
Sun ValleyBillionaires return. The Allen & Company conference ran July 9–13, 2025, drawing Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Sam Altman, with the freshly cleared Skydance–Paramount merger dominating hallway talk. 1
Politics
Trump Sworn In as 47th President
Donald Trump takes the oath in the Capitol Rotunda, only the second president to win nonconsecutive terms.
On January 20, 2025, Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president, with Chief Justice John Roberts administering the oath indoors because of frigid weather. JD Vance became vice president, and Trump signed a record 26 executive orders on his first day in office.
The new term opened with a sweeping push on trade, immigration and the federal workforce.
Philadelphia routs Kansas City in New Orleans to win Super Bowl LIX.
On February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles routed the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 40–22. Jalen Hurts was named MVP after accounting for three touchdowns and a record 72 rushing yards by a quarterback.
On September 2, 2025, Judge Amit Mehta barred Google's exclusive default-search contracts and ordered it to share data with rivals, but declined to make it divest Chrome or Android. Earlier, on April 17, a separate court found Google had illegally monopolized ad-tech markets.
Washington CommandersRebuilding the defense. In the 2026 NFL Draft, Washington used the No. 7 overall pick on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles to shore up a defense that had finished near the bottom of the league in scoring. 1
Ithaca CollegeClass of 2026. Ithaca held its commencement on May 17, 2026, conferring degrees on roughly 1,000 undergraduates — the first class to spend all four years under President Cornish. 1
SportsSeahawks take Super Bowl LX. On February 8, 2026, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29–13 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for their second championship. 1
World
U.S. Forces Capture Maduro
A pre-dawn American operation seizes Venezuela's president and flies him to New York to face charges.
On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces struck northern Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation involving more than 150 aircraft. Flown to New York, Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug-trafficking charges on January 5 in a dramatic reshaping of hemispheric politics.
And in a milestone closer to home, a longtime Washington antitrust man and Redskins faithful quietly marked his 70th year.
The first tri-nation, 48-team World Cup opens in Mexico City as the tournament comes to North America.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicked off June 11, 2026, at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca — the first stadium ever to host three World Cup openers. Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 to start a tournament running through July 19.
In early 2026 the Google antitrust fights moved to the appellate stage: Google filed its notice of appeal in January challenging the search-monopoly remedies, and the DOJ and dozens of states cross-appealed in February seeking tougher, structural relief.