XXth C: Timeline

[Glen]

1980

July 1980: Hayloft and fellow Individualists hold a convenetion in San Antonio. Hayloft is nominated as President, and former Texas Lt. Governor Eduardo Santana is nominated as Vice-President. The inclusion of a Hispanic candidate improves the already strong pro-Individualist movement in the Southwest.

August 18th 1980- William Lincoln Roberts named US ambassador to Liberia. Many later historian consider that he overstepped his authority by allowing funds and weapons to be funneled to pro-independence movements in the German and Portuguese colonies in the area, supported under the rug by the governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

November 1980: Clarence Hemingway is elected president of the United States. Hayloft comes in a clear third place win, with 11% of the popular vote, and electoral votes from Chihua, and one from New Mexico.

November 15, 1980 -- The Sunshine Party wins an outright majority of seats, 52%, in Sierra Leone. It continues in coalition with the Torys, mainly because the Sunshine Party has no equivalent in other Imperial Council nations, which makes the Torys very useful in inter-imperial affairs.

[Glen]

1981

August 18, 1981 - Portugal reaches an agreement with the Guinea-Bissau rebels and agrees to grant independance to the colony. The Portuguese Government warns that this will not result in a trend, and that Angola will remain under their control forever.

August 30, 1981 - Angola's representation in the Portuguese government is increased, and the position of Finance Minister is granted to the Angolan Pedro Nevares. Covert talks with some of the more moderate pro-independance groups in Mozambique and Angola begin to try to co-opt them into a quasi-autonomous Mozambique and Angola.

[Glen]

1982

March 8, 1982 - Iowa becomes the first state to ban all forms of smoking, citing it as a public health hazard. Smokeless forms of tobacco and marijuana remain legal to use.

[Glen]

1983

1983- Nicolaus founds the Alaska-Russia Company with the help of Russian Duma member Yosef Tilovski, and Walter E. Garby, who runs a private cargo plane company. The ARC, focuses on promoting trade between The US and Russia, using Alaska as a door.

December 2nd 1983- In one of the worst winters in this century, with hundred of thousands lacking basic necessities and the example of the growing economy of South Russia right by their borders, the Russian people revolted against the “Wolf Pack” Junta. When the Army refused to support the regime they were forced to flee to Sweden and a provisional government was declared.

December 6th 1983- Swedish authorities announced the arrest of the former leaders of the Russian junta and asked the nations of the World in what should be the next step to follow.

December 29th 1983- The Russian provisional government asked Tsar Alexander Romanov to return and reunite both nations. He responded by flying to St. Petersburg on January 2nd 1984 and accepting the Crown in front of the Russian Republic Duma.

[Glen]

1984

1984-Alexander Romanov returns to his throne as Emperor of All the Russias.

January 6th 1984- Tsar Alexander announces the reunification of both Russias under his person and asked the world nations to end the embargo against the former Russian Republic. While the United States, the Socialist Bloc and Japan immediately agreed, the British Empire and the nations of WATT refused until the status of Afghanistan is resolved.

January 18th 1984- Tsar Alexander agrees to allow an International group to study the situation in the former Afghanistan to issue an opinion of the situation.

March 26th 1984- The British Empire and the WATT nations agreed to ease their embargo, allowing for essential goods to reach the new Russian Empire.

August 10, 1984 - The US Supreme Court upholds the right of the State of Iowa to ban smoking.

August 15, 1984 -- A beautiful summer intern in DuPont's R&D department, Cynthie Molouf, gets her first break into showbiz when she is cast as "The Cannabutter Girl" in a series of commercials to advertize the "sugar-free, smokeless marijuana that won't smell the joint up -- or slow the party down."

November 1984: Clarence Hemming is re-elected president.

November 1, 1984 - With the end of the ten year moritorium on space travel beyond the moon, an international consortium between the United States, British Empire, German Empire and several other nations is announced, its intent to go to Mars and beyond. Many of the shielding problems are believed to be surmountable, but the costs necessitate an international effort as none of the nations alone can afford the effort.

[Glen]

1985

January 22nd 1985- The Anderson Report is finally made public. Named in honor of the leader of the International Commission that went to Afghanistan for six months, former under Secretary of State of the United States George William Anderson, it stated the damage to the country was so big that they were not a viable nation anymore. The massive use of chemical and atomic weapons plus pesticides have done damage to the soil and the environment that will take decades for them to recover. Also by now close to 30% of the population is composed of ethnic Russians and their removal was going to be a gigantic enterprise. Their recommendation was to keep Afghanistan as part of the Russian Empire and to end the embargo. It was stated that Russian should allow the close to three million Afghanis refugees to return if they desire to do so.

June 3, 1985 - It is announced that the international Mars mission will innovate cutting edge cryosuspension to allow for more crew and more shielding than previous missions.

[Glen]

1986

May 14, 1986 - Construction begins in Earth orbit on the International Mars Explorer. Plans are that it will be a long term investment in a vehicle that will be reusable for interplanetary travel.

[Glen]

1987

1987- The ARC purchases 17 icebreakers and converts them to carry cargo also.

February 1987: A recovery by the Ethiopian Stock Exchange helps boost the GDP over the $25,000/capita hurdle. The Ethiopian Bureau of Commerce hosts a series of seminars on diversifying investment portfolios.

August 17, 1987 - The core crew for the International Mars Explorer is announced. The flight commander will American Chip Stranahan, the ground commander will be Indian born Briton Raj Gupta, and senior scientist on the mission will be German Professor Ursala Greth.

[Glen]

1988

April 1988: Juliet Cabot-Lodge makes a speach, broadcast over all major television networks except UV: United Voice discussing bi-partisan co-operation, showing examples form the three previous administrations of the parties working toghether to find common goals. She declares the 'achivement of a Truly Unified United States of America, and the realisation of everthing all of us have been fighting for so long.' It recieves huge media attention, mostly possitive, from all mainstreme networks. For the first time, there is serious discussion of the possibility of merging the parties.

June 1988: Former presidential competitors Gatling and Welles make a joint apperance in Washington encouraging partisan co-operation. Two days latter the Seymour foundation creats Coucil for a Unified United States (CUUS). Juliet Cabot-Lodge runs the council, with Gatling, Welles, Fargo, and Fletcher also join. Many mid-term candidates support the council to improve their personal appeal.

[Glen]

1989

1989- Nicolaus's nephew Nicolaus founds the Alaskan Culture Party. The party advocates Russian immigration, and also supports the privatization of ports in Alaska under the ARC.

January 5, 1989 - A tentative launch date is set for August 20, 1990. The date is considered ambitious by many.

[Glen]

1990

January 20, 1990 - It is announced that the mission has to be delayed due to delays in construction and funding problems. The next launch window is September 1992.

June 2, 1990 - Sonora becomes the Twenty-seventh State to ban smoking.

August 22, 1990 - Though the main mission was pushed back, an advance unmanned packet of equipment is sent ahead to Mars in the launch window instead.

[Glen]

1991

January 15, 1991 - Austrian Rudi Focker is removed from the Mars crew roster when his nation withdraws from the international Mars project citing economic concerns.

October 20, 1991 - The US federal government passes nation-wide regulations banning the sale of smoking products as a public health hazard.

[Glen]

1992

July 4, 1992 - The President of the United States invites the entire crew of the future Mars mission to Washington to celebrate the Fourth of July, the last before the scheduled launch date.

Early September 1992 - The crew of the International Mars Explorer are ferried up to Earth orbit in preparation for launch.

September 25, 1992 - The International Mars Explorer embarks for Mars.

[Glen]

1993

April 29, 1993 - The International Mars Explorer arrives successfully in Mars orbit.

May 1, 1993 - The Mars lander arrives on the surface of Mars, shuttling down the first scientists and crew.

September 18, 1993 - Michael Naismith is seriously injured during the mission and is placed back in cryosuspension on the International Mars Explorer.

[Glen]

1994

May 2, 1994 - The International Mars Explorer sets out on its return journey to Earth.

Febuary 1994: The CUUS modifies their platform, dropping all supports for Individualism.

March 1994: Senator Martinez officially leaves the Republican Party and submitts papers for the Creation of the Individualist Party.

[Glen]

1995

January 18, 1995 - The International Mars Explorer returns to Earth. One crewmember died from complications of cryosuspension but otherwise the mission was a success.

[Glen]

1996

January 1996: In a very highly publicized incident, a Populist Deputy Sheriff from the small town of Liberty Wyoming shoots a CUUS US Marshall after the Marshall refused to recognise local legal laws and bassically taking over controll of law enforcement. It is then revealed that the mayor of the county had athorised the use of fire arms to protect 'enforcement legitamacy.'

March 1996: The CUUS proposes increased supervision of local crime enforcement. Populist and Individualist filibuster.

March 23, 1996 - The medical follow up one year after the return of the mission finds no increased rate of cancer at the time, suggesting at least some initial success of the shielding. Plans are announced to send the International Mars Explorer, now refitted, back to Mars. Some nations have dropped out but others have signed on. Despite the one cryosuspension death, it is decided to double the crew sent by planning to have half of them rotate through cryosuspension during the mission, though medical screens will be even more vigorous than last mission to minimize risk.

[Glen]

1997

December 25, 1997 - The Christmas launch of the return trip of the International Mars Explorer to Mars.

[Glen]

1998

June 30, 1998 - The International Mars Explorer arrives in orbit around Mars for the second time in its history.

[Glen]

1999

July 15, 1999 - The International Mars Explorer sets out for its return to Earth.