6 Groundbreaking Innovations by Arab Americans, Heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey

Interior view of a Syrian shop showing customers buying marcouck, circa 1919.

Islamic Center of Washington in Washington, D.C.

Christa McAuliffe during a microgravity flight aboard NASA's KC-135 zero-gravity aircraft, January 8, 1986.

A boy holds the front legs of a goat at a livestock market in Yemen's capital Sanaa on July 14, 2021, as people buy provisions in preparation for the Eid al-Adha holiday celebrations. - Known as the "big" festival, Eid Al-Adha is celebrated each year by Muslims sacrificing various animals according to religious traditions, including cows, camels, goats and sheep.

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HISTORY

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.

1970s

Immigration, the movement of people living in one country into another country, is a fundamental aspect of human history, though it was as controversial hundreds of years ago as it is today.

Immigration

Religion and spiritual issues, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, the Bible, Wicca, Buddhism and more, are at the core of human values and history.

Religion

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

From religious and patriotic holidays to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Easter, Passover, New Year's Day, Veterans' Day, Memorial Day and more annual observances.

Annual Observances

The history of art and entertainment tells the complex story of human civilization through visual art, design, literature, music, film and television. It ranges from cave drawings of the Neolithic period to Renaissance masterpieces to rock 'n' roll and video games.

Arts & Entertainment

1959

Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, includes the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger, and people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

Space Exploration

1973

In “the Trial of the Century,” Bruno Richard Hauptmann went before a New Jersey jury in 1935 for the murder of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby son. In Germany, the Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of citizenship. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The first canned beer went on sale in Richmond, Virginia, and Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio. Lawrence of Arabia died in England following a motorcycle accident, and Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.

1935

Officially the first year of the new millennium, 2001 is remembered now for a single day: September 11, when terrorist-hijacked airliners brought down the Twin Towers, slammed into the Pentagon and nosedived into a Pennsylvania field. Congress responded by passing the Patriot Act, giving the government expanded powers to combat terrorism, and authorized the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the plotters’ base. The year also introduced iTunes, the Xbox, Wikipedia and the first Harry Potter movie.

2001

After scandal-plagued U.S. President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly, Vice President Calvin Coolidge ascended to the Oval Office. Adolf Hitler gained worldwide attention—and a five-year prison sentence—as leader of a failed coup in Munich, Germany, the Beer Hall Putsch. In Japan, a massive earthquake killed more than 140,000 people. And in Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter opened the sealed tomb of Tutankhamun, finding the ancient boy king’s mummified body in a solid-gold coffin.

1923

The Middle East is a large and diverse region composed of several countries and cultures in north Africa and western Asia. Its complex history includes the Persian Gulf War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Zionism and more.

Middle Eastern History

During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.

Arab American

Topics

Arab American Heritage Month 2025

Eid al‑Adha

Eid al‑Fitr

Islam

Stories

Christa McAuliffe: How NASA’s Teacher in Space Project Ended in Tragedy

The 7 Oldest Mosques in America

6 Groundbreaking Innovations by Arab Americans

Arab Immigration to the United States: Timeline

This Day in History

Palestinian‑American public intellectual Edward Said is born

Arab American autoworkers lead walkout at Chrysler’s Dodge Main plant

George A. Kasem of California becomes first Arab American member of Congress

James Abourezk of South Dakota becomes first Arab American to serve in U.S. Senate

“The Prophet,” by Lebanese‑American poet‑philosopher Kahlil Gibran, is published

First Muslim holiday U.S. postage stamp is issued