The+World+1996-2011

**Since you were born, what has happened in the world?**
 * Tell the World Your Story**

U.S.S. Cole Attacked
//by: Cody and Alex M.// Seventeen people died and 39 were injured during the attack on the American USS Cole in Aden Harbour, Yemen, on October 12, 2000. While the Cole stopped to refuel, a small craft with two men on board ran into the ship and exploded. The small boat was said to have been packed with 400-700 pounds of explosives, and the blast blew a 40-foot hole in the side of the USS Cole.

The USS Cole, under the command of Commander Kirk Lippold, set out to Aden Harbor for a fuel stop. It started to refuel at 10:30 a.m. Around 11:18 a.m., a small craft approached the port side of the destroyer and rammed into it, putting a 40-by-40-foot gash in the ship's port side. Intelligence Officer Robert Finke said the blast was caused by the explosives that were put on the hull of the attack boat.

The terrorist group Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack. media type="youtube" key="NT7lBEju_x4" height="251" width="336"

The United States Invasion of Afghanistan
//by: Gabi and Nick// The United States invasion of Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001. As of this writing, the war continues and is the longest war in U.S history.

America’s armed forces invaded Afghanistan in response to the September 11th attacks, when nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in The United States. The United States blamed the attack on the terrorist group Al-Qaida, which was partnered with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The United States determined that they were going to remove the Taliban to stop them from gaining anymore power.

Over 1,000 American troops have been killed in action.

On June 22, 2011 president Obama announced that 10,000 troops were going to be taken out of the war by the end of 2011. media type="youtube" key="Q-St8s9RKEU" height="251" width="336"

Works Cited: "The War in Afghanistan." Win Without War. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sep 2011. .

Operation Iraqi Freedom
//by: Ben and Sam// media type="youtube" key="QWBs3coWcxw?fs=1" height="265" width="320"

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//Additonal Sites: WOMD, Frontline Behind Closed Doors//

Indian Ocean Tsunami
//by: Derick, Halie, Kim and Sawyer// The Indian Ocean tsunami occurred on Sunday, December 26, 2004. The tsunami traveled as much as 3,000 miles with up to 50 foot waves hitting 11 Indian Ocean countries including: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tanzania, Seychelles, Bangladesh, and Kenya.

The tsunami lasted between 8.3 and 10 minutes, which is the longest duration of faulting ever observed. According to scientists, the tsunami was a result of the tectonic plates in that area pushing against each other, building pressure for thousands of years, and creating an underwater earthquake.

The tsunami was one of the deadliest disasters in history, killing 110,229 people in Indonesia, 30,922 people in Sri Lanka, 10,749 in India, 5,303 in Thailand, 150 in Somalia, 81 in Maldives, 68 in Malaysia, 59 in Myanmar, 10 in Tanzania, 3 in Seychelles, 2 in Bangladesh and 1 in Kenya. It measured a 9.0 magnitude epicenter on the seismograph. It was recorded as the third largest Earthquake in history. media type="youtube" key="OGkeMvxotzI" height="251" width="336"

Tsunami Strikes Japan
//by: Elijah and Logan// On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred under the Pacific ocean and caused a tsunami 10 meters high to slam into the mid-eastern part of Japan. It was the fifth largest earthquake recorded since 1900. When it hit, it caused Japans main island to move 2.4 meters and made the world’s days 1.8 microseconds shorter.

The 10 meter high tsunami traveled at 800 kilometers an hour, the same speed as the crushing speed of a jet liner. The people of Japan had eight to ten minutes warning before it struck. Over 20,000 people died and more than 300,000 were displaced. media type="youtube" key="w3AdFjklR50" height="251" width="336"

Works Cited: Francie, Diep. "Fast Facts about the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami." http://www.scientificamerican.com/. N.p., March 14, 2011. Web. 23 Sep 2011. .

Osama Bin Laden
//by: Christian and Kalei// Born March 10, 1957, Osama Bin laden was the founder of Al-Qaeda, the Organization responsible for the September 11 attacks. He was on the list for the top ten most wanted in the FBI. He was the son of a wealthy businessman named Mohammed Bin Awed Bin Laden. Osama was a wanted terroist since August tenth 1998.

On May 2, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was killed by a team of United States Navy Seals. He was 54 years of age. Al-Qaeda confirmed the death on May 6th, vowing to avenge the killing. Osama’s body was buried in the North Arabian Sea.The names of the people that help the death of bin laden are Marc Ambinder, Mike Rodgers, William Mcraven. These men deseve an oscar for what this did for America.

Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the greatest and most devastating attack on American soil. Also, he was the most hunted man in the world. It was a surprise and relief to many when he was killed. media type="youtube" key="ZNYmK19-d0U" height="223" width="358" Works Cited: Wikipedia contributors. "Death of osama bin laden." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 Jun. 2011. Web. 23 Sep. 2011.