15 Years of Latina: The Stories That Rocked Our World

  • 1996Christy Haubegger, a 28-year-old Stanford grad launches Latina
  • 1996Brothers to the Rescue Planes Shot Down
  • 1997Selena, a biopic on the life of the murdered Tejano singer...
  • 1997Che Guevara's Remains Returned to Cuba
  • 1998Big Pun becomes the first Latino rapper to go platinum.
  • 1998Carlos Santana Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • 1998Augusto Pinochet indicted in Chile
  • 1999Jennifer Lopez releases her first album, On the 6.
  • 1999Ricky Martin Performs at the Grammys
  • 1999Hugo Chavez Elected President of Venezuela
  • 2000Elian Gonzales Rescued and Sent Back to Cuba
  • 2000Dora the Explorer Debuts
  • 2000Alex Rodriguez signs with the Texas Rangers
  • 2000Benicio del Toro wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar
  • 2001Terrorists Fly Planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania
  • 2001Jennifer Lopez's Movie and Album Hit #1 in the Same Week
  • 2001The Dream Act Proposed in Senate
  • 2001Shakira Releases Laundry Service
  • 2002First Latina in Space
  • 2002Brazil Wins its Fifth World Cup
  • 2003U.S. Invades Iraq
  • 2003U.S. Navy Leaves Vieques
  • 2003The Passing of Celia Cruz
  • 2003Cameron Diaz Earns $20 Million for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
  • 2003Nilo Cruz Earns a Pulitzer Prize for Anna in the Tropics
  • 2003Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez Releases The Dirty Girls Social Club
  • 2004Daddy Yankee's Gasolina
  • 2004Facebook Co-Founded by Eduardo Saverin
  • 2004Terrorists Bomb Madrid's Trains During Rush Hour
  • 2004Eva Longoria Becomes A Star on Desperate Housewives
  • 2004Rita Moreno Receives a Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • 2005Juanes is Named One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
  • 2005Filiberto Ojeda Rios Killed in a Botched FBI Raid
  • 2005Antonio Villaraigosa Becomes Mayor of Los Angeles
  • 2005Alberto Gonzalez becomes the first Latino Attorney General.
  • 2005PerezHilton.com is Born
  • 2006Ugly Betty Debuts on ABC
  • 2007Banner year for Latinos at the Oscars
  • 2008Javier Bardem Wins a Best Supporting Actor Oscar
  • 2009Sonia Sotomayor Confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court
  • 2009President Obama Becomes the President with the Most Hispanic Appointees
  • 2009Penelope Cruz Earns a Best Supporting Actress Oscar
  • 2009Juanes Performs in Cuba
  • 2009Chita Rivera Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • 2009Zoe Saldana Becomes the First Black Latina A-Lister in Hollywood
  • 2010Deadly Earthquakes in Haiti and Chile
  • 2010Jaime Escalante Dies of Cancer
  • 2010Arizona Passes Anti-Immigration Bill SB1070
  • 2010Spain Wins the World Cup
  • 2010Rafael Nadal Becomes the Youngest Tennis Player in History to Complete a Grand Slam
  • 2010Mexico celebrates the 200th anniversary of its independence and 100th anniversary of its revolution.
  • 2010Susana Martinez Becomes First-Ever Latina Governor
  • 201039 Chilean Miners Survive for 69 Days Underground
  • 2010George Lopez Becomes First Latino Late Night Host
  • 2011Daniel Hernandez Saves the Life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
  • 2011According to the Census, Latinos Drove More than Half the Nation's Growth in the Past Decade
  • 2011Dilma Vana Rousseff becomes the first female President of Brazil
EVENT 56 OF 57
2011: According to the Census, Latinos Drove More than Half the Nation's Growth in the Past Decade

According to Census figures, U.S. Latinos number 50.5 million. Latinos drove more than half the nation’s growth in the past decade.

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