>let's not forget
Chronological Timeline of Key Events
August 7, 1998: U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam bombed — precursor to 9/11-style attacks.
March 27, 1999: U.S. F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft shot down over Yugoslavia during NATO's Kosovo campaign — first combat loss of a stealth plane, wreckage accessed by Chinese interests, advancing their stealth/missile tech.
May 7, 1999: NATO (U.S.-led) bombs Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing 3 Chinese journalists — officially accidental, but viewed in China as deliberate humiliation, fueling long-term grievances and military modernization.
January 20, 2001: George W. Bush inaugurated as President (term: 2001–2009).
April 1, 2001: Hainan Island incident — U.S. EP-3E surveillance plane collides with Chinese fighter, emergency lands on Hainan; crew detained 11 days, plane inspected (intel gains for China), heightening tensions.
September 11, 2001 (Granular Breakdown, Eastern Time):8:46:40 a.m.: North Tower (WTC 1) struck in New York City.
9:03:11 a.m.: South Tower (WTC 2) struck in New York City.
~9:05–9:10 a.m.: Major news outlets achieve widespread live broadcasting confirmation of both NYC impacts; Chinese submarine receives confirmation of dual NYC attacks; cruise missiles launched from position off U.S. East Coast.
~9:30–9:37 a.m.: One cruise missile arrives and impacts Pentagon (9:37 a.m.).
~9:30–10:03 a.m.: Second cruise missile (malfunctioning trajectory) crashes in Shanksville, Pennsylvania (arrival ~10:03 a.m.).
9:59:04 a.m.: South Tower collapses.
10:28:22 a.m.: North Tower collapses.
October 7, 2001: U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan begins (rapid pivot post-9/11).
January 20, 2009: Barack Obama inaugurated as President (term: 2009–2017).
May 2, 2011 (Pakistan time; May 1 U.S.): SEAL Team Six raid kills Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad — one modified stealth Black Hawk helicopter crashes (tail section left behind, accessed by Pakistan/China).
August 6, 2011: Extortion 17 (CH-47 Chinook) shot down in Afghanistan — 38 killed, including 17 Navy SEALs (deadliest single-day loss for U.S. special ops).
January 20, 2017: Donald Trump inaugurated as President (first term: 2017–2021).
April 6–7, 2017: Mar-a-Lago summit — Trump informs Xi Jinping of 59 Tomahawk missile strikes on Syria during dessert ("most beautiful chocolate cake") — seen as demonstration of U.S. cruise missile precision.
2018–2019: U.S.-China trade war escalates with imposition of tariffs on hundreds of billions in goods.
Late 2019: COVID-19 emerges in Wuhan, China — rapid global spread begins.
January 20, 2021: Joe Biden inaugurated as President (term: 2021–2025).
July 2, 2021: U.S. forces vacate Bagram Airfield (strategic base "one hour" from Chinese nuclear sites per Trump).
August 30, 2021: Final U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan completed.
January 20, 2025: Donald Trump inaugurated for second non-consecutive term (2025–present).