Color photograph of Barak Obama in front of a white background and an American flag with a black background underneath and white and grey textb

On January 20, 2009 President-Elect Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. His inauguration was a massive gathering with an estimate of over 1 million attendants, some reports estimated that it may be the largest crowd gathered for an inaugural address. The event was celebrated over three days with concerts, a national day of community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and an inaugural prayer service. Obama also took a train tour from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. to commemorate Lincoln’s 1861 train tour from Springfield, Illinois to Washington, D.C. that also coincided with Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

White text on a blue background with red stars around the outer edge

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev visited Chicago, Illinois in May 1992. While there, he visited the Chicago Board of Trade, where he visited the trading arenas and had a private meeting with then Chairman William F. O'Connor and Vice Chairman Dale Lorenzen. The visit came less than a year after the collapse of the communist Soviet Union and the end of Gorbachev's presidency. 

Red, white and blue background with white text and two black and white photographs of two men's heads

From July 13-16, 1992, members of the democratic party of the United States met in New York City to nominate a candidate for the 1992 presidential election. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was seen as the leading contender, and was formally nominated by New York Governor Mario Cuomo. After winning by 3,372 votes, Clinton chose Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate, making them the youngest ticket in the 20th century. This button features the images of democratic candidate Bill Clinton and New York Governor Mario Cuomo. 

Illustration of trees with two black flags and black and yellow text on a yellow background

The Kalamazoo Freedom Fair was was a demonstration of support for constitutional rights including freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and religion, held on Saturday, May 14, 1983 at Milham Park in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The event featured events such as performances from local musicians, clowns, and speeches made by Kalamazoo community leaders on the topic of free speech. The fair was held as a way for community members to detract attention away from another rally of neo-Nazi supporters, who received permission to rally in another Kalamazoo park, Bronson Park, on the same day.

(1983, May 6). Kalamazoo Freedom Fair Slated. Battle Creek Enquirer, 7. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/204783891/

Red text with an illustration of a horse head and a mug of beer on a yellow background

The infield is an area at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky with a rowdy reputation. This area does not provide a direct view of the racetrack, but it is a more frugal way to attend the Kentucky Derby. The infield is famous for its party atmosphere and people dressed in costumes.

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National Tea Company was a Midwestern grocery store chain founded in 1899 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. At its peak in the 1920s, National Tea Co. had over 1600 stores nationwide and was one of the leading grocers in the United States. While the Great Depression led to the closure to many stores, National Tea remained one of the largest grocery chains in the country until its decline the 1970s and 1980s. Schnucks Markets acquired National Tea in 1995. This button was created to commemorate the company's 30th anniversary in 1929. 

Color photograph of a clown on a reddish orange background with red text and a yellow ribbon with black text on it with a red light where the clowns nose is, it blinks when turned on

For its 125th anniversary of The Greatest Show on Earth in 1995 the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus launched its first national campaign with Sears as a sponsor. Sears continued to sponsor the show until 1999. P.T. Barnum began The Greatest Show on Earth in 1871, and he joined forces with the Cooper and Bailey Circus in 1881. The Ringling Brothers who started a small circus in Wisconsin in 1884 bought the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth in 1907. The Irvin and Israel Feld family owned and ran the show from 1967 until 2017. Animal activists, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, have protested the circus since the 1980s. In 1995 the circus established the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. The final show with elephants was held in May 2016, and with low attendance rates and high operating costs, the circus ended with its final show in May 2017.

Image of Batman running with a black and yellow striped background 

First appearing in Detective Comics #27 (1939), Batman is a fictional superhero who appears in American comics publisher, DC Comics. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, a billionaire who is also the owner of Wayne Enterprises. Upon witnessing his parents murder at the hands of a common crook as a child, Bruce Wayne dedicated himself to fighting criminals. Operating in Gotham City, Batman has gone up against numerous foes, including Two-Face, The Riddler, and his arch-nemesis, The Joker. Since his creation, Batman has been widely successful, becoming one of comics most identifiable superheroes. The character has appeared in media outside of comics, including toys, television, and films.

Green text and an illustration of an alligator head on a white background

Brookfield Zoo opened in 1934 in Brookfield, Illinois and cares for 450 different species of animals. This is the first zoo in the U.S. to exhibit a giant panda and the first to build an indoor dolphin exhibit. They also built Tropic World, which includes the first indoor rainforest simulation.

Black text with a red and white stripped background featuring Valujet's mascot, Critter

Founded in 1992, ValuJet Airlines was a low-cost carrier that operated in America and scheduled domestic and international flights in the Eastern United States and in Canada. The airline developed a reputation for its lack of safety measures in comparsion to other airlines. The collapse of the airline came in May, 1996 when ValuJet Flight 592, which was carrying 110 people crashed into the Everglades only 11 minutes after taking off from Miami. Every person on the flight was killed. The cause of the crash was later determined to have been the result of a fire which was caused by the activation of chemical oxygen generators that were illegally on the plane. The incident grounded all ValuJet planes until September of that year. The company's reputation and finances suffered major losses due to the crash. In 1997, ValuJet merged with AirTran Airways, taking the AirTran name in the process. The merged airline continued to operate as AirTran until 2011, when it was purchased by Southwest Airlines.