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The Past 5 Years Explained in 73 Headlines
By _Morgan Housel_ 
(http://my.fool.com/profile/tmfhousel/info.aspx?source=iapsitlnk0000002)   | 
_More  Articles_ 
(http://www.fool.com/author/1611/index.aspx?source=iapsitlnk0000003)  
September 17, 2013 
 
 
Five years ago this week, I called Motley Fool editor Anand Chokkavelu on 
the  phone. "So, Lehman Brothers just filed for bankruptcy," I said. Thus 
began the  financial crisis and the worst recession in 80 years. 
Here's what's happened next. 
"_Lehman  Files for Bankruptcy; Merrill Is Sold_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/business/15lehman.html?pagewanted=all) ," 
The New York  Times, 
September 14, 2008 
It wasn't alone ... 
"_AIG  struggles to survive financial tsunami_ (http://uk.reuters.
com/article/2008/09/15/uk-banking-idUKN1525923620080915) ," Reuters, September  
16, 
2008 
The government came in ... 
"_U.S. to Take Over  AIG in $85 Billion Bailout; Central Banks Inject Cash 
as Credit Dries  Up_ 
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122156561931242905.html) ," The Wall Street 
Journal, September  16, 2008 
And pulled out all the stops ... 
"_US  Senate passes $700bn bank bailout_ 
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/3119580/Financial-crisis-US-Senate-passes-700bn-bank-bail-o
ut.html) ," Telegraph, October 2, 2008 
The pain began ... 
"_Job  losses reach worst level in five years_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/03/news/economy/jobs_september/) ," CNNMoney,  
October 3, 2008 
And markets panicked ... 
"_Dow  Jones falls below 10,000 as global markets melt_ 
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/3146297/Dow-Jones-falls-below-10000-as-global-market
s-melt.html) ," Telegraph, October 6, 2008 
Bringing volatility ... 
"_Markets  Surge to Biggest One-Day Gain Since Great Depression_ 
(http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-10-14/business/36910988_1_markets-surge-worst-
week-signals-that-european-governments) ," The Washington Post, October 14, 
2008 
And a new face ... 
"_Voters  tag economy as Issue No. 1, elect Obama_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/04/news/economy/election_polls/index.htm) ," 
CNNMoney,  November 5, 
2008 
A few silver linings emerged ... 
"_Average  U.S. gas prices fall below $2_ 
(http://www.thestar.com/business/2008/11/21/average_us_gas_prices_fall_below_2.html)
 ," Toronto  Star, 
November 21, 2008 
But even more carnage came with it ... 
"_Fourth-worst  drop ever for Dow_ 
(http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/01/20081201biz-wallstclose1201.html)
 ," AZ Central,  December 1, 
2008 
The horror set in ... 
"_U.S. Loses  533,000 Jobs in Biggest Drop Since 1974_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/business/economy/06jobs.html) ," The New  
York Times, 
December 5, 2008 
The "d" word was used ... 
"_Obama Dismisses  Great Depression Talk_ 
(http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=6413167&page=1) ," ABC, December 7,  2008 
Washington armed its weapons ... 
"_Obama  Said to Favor $775 Billion for Stimulus Plan_ 
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=anzPAxPhNd9U) ," 
Bloomberg,  January 6, 
2009 
Others shook their heads ... 
"_Global  Worries Over U.S. Stimulus Spending,"_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/business/worldbusiness/30davos.html)  The 
New York  Times, January 
29, 2009 
The stimulus began ... 
"_Obama Signs  Stimulus Into Law_ 
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123487951033799545.html) ," The Wall Street  
Journal, February 18, 2009 
>From every direction ... 
"_Fed to  Pump Another $1 Trillion Into Economy_ 
(http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june09/fed_03-18.html) ," PBS, 
March 18,  2009 
It didn't seem to help ... 
"_Stocks  fall to lowest level since 1997 as Dow drops below 6,800_ 
(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/markets/2009-03-02-stocks-monday_N.htm) 
,"  
USA TODAY, March 2, 2009 
And Americans were getting crushed ... 
"_Housing  Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fall a Record 18.5%_ 
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a3ArfwXFeZJM) ," 
Bloomberg,  February 
24, 2009 
We realized this recession was different ... 
"_Job  Losses Hint at Vast Remaking of Economy_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/business/economy/07jobs.html?pagewanted=all) 
," The New  York Times, 
March 6, 2009 
It didn't seem to end .... 
"_663,000  Jobs Lost in March; Total Tops 5 Million_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/business/economy/04jobs.html?pagewanted=all) 
," The New  York 
Times, April 3, 2009 
Some wondered how far it could go ... 
"_George  Soros says US banks 'basically insolvent'_ 
(http://in.reuters.com/article/2009/04/06/idINN0638646120090406) ," Retuers, 
April 6,  2009 
American icons dropped ... 
"_Chrysler  files for bankruptcy_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/30/news/companies/chrysler_bankruptcy/) ," 
CNNMoney, May 1, 2009 
And dropped ... 
"_General  Motors files for bankruptcy_ (http://www.ma
rketwatch.com/story/general-motors-files-for-bankruptcy-2009619060) ," 
MarketWatch, June 1,  2009 
We became comfortable with the "d" word ... 
"_Global  Economic Shock Worse Than Great Depression_ 
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/07/global-economic-shock-wor_n_184283.html)
 ," Huffington 
Post,  May 8, 2009 
Some saw a light at the end of the tunnel ... 
"_Why  the Economy is Showing Green Shoots: It Might as Well Be  Spring_ 
(http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/17/it-might-as-well-be-spring.ht
ml) ," The Daily Beast, April 17, 2009 
Not everyone agreed ... 
"_Warren Buffett: U.S.  Economy In "Shambles" No Signs of Recovery Yet_ 
(http://www.cnbc.com/id/31526130) ," CNBC, June 24,  2009 
But glimmers of hope arose ... 
"_Dow  Jones Reclaims 10,000 Milestone_ 
(http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500395_162-5383728.html) ," CBS, October 15, 2009 
For some it was better than ever... 
"_Goldman  Sachs breaks record with $16.7bn bonus pot_ 
(http://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/oct/15/goldman-sachs-record-bonus-pot)
 ,"  The 
Guardian, October 15, 2009 
For others the pain was just beginning ... 
"_Foreclosures hit record  high_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/14/real_estate/record_foreclosure_year/) ," 
CNNMoney, January 14, 2010 
But the carnage appeared over ... 
"_Jobs  Report Is Strongest Since the Start of the Recession_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/business/economy/05jobs.html) ," The New 
York Times, 
December 4, 2009 
And we were reminded that good news still exists ... 
"_Apple unveils  the 'magical' iPad_ 
(http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/27/apple.tablet/index.html) ," CNN, January 
28, 2010 
The stimulus never ended ... 
"_Fed  to buy $600 billion in bonds to aid economy_ 
(http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2010/11/03/Fed-to-buy-600-billion-in-bonds-to-aid-economy.html)
 ," Toledo Blade, March 11, 2010 
And the improvement became real ... 
"_Warren Buffett  says economy showing real strength_ 
(http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FFGSO00.htm) ," BusinessWeek,  
May 3, 2010 
Jobs still lagged ... 
"_U.S.  adds jobs but unemployment rate rises to 9.9%,"_ 
(http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2010/05/03/daily53.html)  
Philadelphia 
Business Journal, May 7, 2010 
But Wall Street cheered ... 
"_Dow  Briefly Reaches 11000 Level, Extends Historic  Rebound_ 
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dow-briefly-reaches-11000-level-extends-historic-reboun
d-2010-04-09) ," MarketWatch, April 9,  2010 
The pain spread across oceans ... 
"_Debt  crisis unsettles European economy_ 
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/05/AR2010020504411.html)
 ," The Washington  
Post, February 9, 2010 
As more change arrived ... 
"_Obama  signs health care reform into law_ 
(http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2010/03/22/daily19.html) ," Dallas 
Business  Journal, March 23, 
2010 
A new crisis unfolded .... 
"_Greece  accepts bailout package_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/02/news/international/greece_bailout/) ," 
CNNMoney, May 2, 2010 
Computers crashed the party ... 
"_Dow's Brief Fall of 1,000  Points Sets Off Anxiety_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/business/07markets.html) ," May 5,  2010 
While a new age of health care began ... 
"_Obama  signs sweeping financial overhaul into law_ 
(http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/21/obama-signs-sweeping-financial-overhaul-into-law/)
 ," 
AP, July 21,  2010 
And as Europe continued teetered ... 
"_Financial  Crisis Spreads Throughout Europe_ 
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127216754) ," NPR, May 
27, 2010 
America found a new worry ... 
"_Oil  Spill Growing off Gulf Coast after Rig Explosion_ 
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/27/national/main6436619.shtml) ," CBS, 
April  27, 2010 
Old names reemerged ... 
"_GM  files paperwork for massive IPO_ 
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gm-files-paperwork-for-massive-ipo-2010-08-18)
 ," MarketWatch, August 18,  
2010 
Just in time for a new downturn ... 
"_Double-dip  feared as US economic growth loses pace_ 
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk
/finance/economics/7919706/Double-dip-feared-as-US-economic-growth-loses-pace.html)
 ," Telegraph, July  30, 2010 
Was this a new recession? ... 
"_Dow  plunges below 10,000 amid bad news on euro and US jobs_ 
(http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/0604/Dow-plunges-below-10000-amid-bad-news-on-eur
o-and-US-jobs) ," CSM, June  4 2010 
Maybe, but the financial crisis was over ... 
"_TARP  repayments exceed outstanding bailout debt_ 
(http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/12/business/la-fi-tarp-repayment-20100612)
 ," Treasury says," 
LA Times, June 12, 2010 
And the cheerleaders came out ... 
"_Administration  Kicks Off "Recovery Summer" with Groundbreakings and 
Events Across the  Country_ 
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/administration-kicks-recovery-summer-with-groundbreakings-and-events-across-country)
 
," White House, June 17, 2010 
But the recession's scars couldn't be ignored ... 
"_Fears  grow over length of US jobs crisis_ 
(http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-12-03/news/27618662_1_jobless-rate-unemployment-rate-ber
nanke) ," Economic  Times, December 3, 2010 
Political fights ensued ... 
"_Obama  signs bill to extend Bush-era tax cuts for two more  years_ 
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/16/AR2010121606200.ht
ml) ," The Washington Post, December 17, 2010 
But the market kept rallying ... 
"_Dow  12,000: Just Getting Going?_ 
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dow-12000-just-getting-going-1296057687428) 
," MarketWatch, January 26,  2011 
The recovery seemed to heat up ... 
"_Big Jump  in Private Jobs Bolsters Recovery Hopes_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/business/economy/05jobs.html) ," The New  
York Times, March 4, 
2011 
Just in time for more political games ... 
"_Obama: Raise  debt ceiling or risk global recession_ 
(http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MK7LHG1.htm) ," Bloomberg, 
April 15,  2011 
And threats ... 
"_Bachmann:  don't raise federal debt ceiling_ 
(http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2014914965_apusgoppresidentialhopefulsbachmann.html)
 ," 
Seattle  Times, April 29, 2011 
Led to consequences ... 
"_United  States of America [Credit] Rating Lowered To 'AA+' Due To 
Political Risks,  Rising Debt Burden_ 
(http://www.standardandpoors.com/ratings/articles/en/us/?assetID=1245316529563) 
," Standard & Poor's,  August 5, 2011 
Markets panicked ... 
"_Dow  plunges 512; worst 1-day action since 2008,"_ 
(http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2011/08/04/colorado-stocks-dow-plunges-512.html)
  
Albuquerque  Business First, August 4, 2011 
And the spotlight turned to Europe ... 
"_Financial  crisis: Italy could tip euro into abyss_ 
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8686892/Financial-crisis-Italy-could-tip-e
uro-into-abyss.html) ," Telegraph,  August 7, 2011 
The stimulus continued ... 
"_Federal  Reserve launches Operation Twist_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/21/news/economy/federal_reserve_operation_twist/?cnn=yes)
 ," CNNMoney, 
September 22, 2011 
Familiar business names continued to die off ... 
"_R.I.P.  Borders: Book Chain Shuffles Off Into  Liquidation_ 
(http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/18/idUS299695975020110718) ," Reuters, 
July 18,  
2011 
And a new asset captured Americans' imaginations ... 
"_Gold tops  $1,900, looking 'a bit bubbly'_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/22/markets/gold_prices/index.htm) ," CNNMoney, 
August 23, 2011 
Corporations were doing better than ever ... 
"_Companies  near record profits amid high unemployment_ 
(http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/01/companies-near-record-profits-amid-high-unemployment/)
 
," Raw Story,  August 1, 2011 
For the most part ... 
"_FBI raids  bankrupt solar venture Solyndra_ 
(http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/09/technology/solyndra_fbi/) ," CNNMoney, 
September 9, 2011 
Wall Street showed it still knows how to have a good time  ... 
"_MF  Global Files for Bankruptcy_ 
(http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-31/mf-global-finance-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-in-new-york.html)
 ," 
Bloomberg, November 1,  2011 
And not everyone was happy about it ... 
"_Occupy  Wall Street: Civil society's awakening_ 
(http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/22/opinion/la-oe-solnit-ows-20111122) ," 
LA Times,  November 
22, 2011 
More Wall Street games continued ... 
"_Libor  Probe Said to Expose Collusion, Lack of Internal Controls_ 
(http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-15/libor-investigation-said-to-expose-collusi
on-lack-of-internal-controls.html) ,"  Bloomberg, February 14, 2012 
As new icons were born ... 
"_Facebook Goes  Public_ 
(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76485.html) ," Politico, May 18, 
2012 
And as innovation flourished ... 
"_Apple  Shares Top $700: iPhone 5 Euphoria Setting In_ 
(http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2012/09/18/apple-shares-top-700-iphone-5-euphoria-setting-in/)
 
," The Wall Street  Journal, September 18, 2011 
So did the recovery ... 
"_Unemployment  falls in 41 states in September_ 
(http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/19/september-state-unemployment/1642183/)
 ," USA 
TODAY, October  19, 2012 
Mother nature showed her anger ... 
"_Hurricane  Sandy's Economic Impact Likely To Be Immense_ 
(http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/29/163891993/hurricane-sandys-economic-impact-li
kely-to-be-immense) ," NPR, October  29, 2012 
And Americans went to the polls ... 
"_Analysis:  Obama reelection driven by economy,  turnout_ 
(http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/07/us-usa-campaign-elect-idUSBRE8A613L20121107)
 ," 
Reuters, November 7,  2012 
Just in time for more political games ... 
"_U.S.  approaches 'fiscal cliff,' and world watches from the  sidelines_ 
(http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-11-02/business/35505042_1_fiscal-clif
f-fiscal-crash-global-economy) ," The Washington Post,  November 2, 2012 
But nothing could stop stocks ... 
"_Dow  Jones hits new high, closes above 15,000 for first time_ 
(http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/7/dow-jones-hits-new-high-closes-above-150
00-first-t/?page=all) ," Washington Times, May 7, 2013 
Or innovation ... 
"_Tesla  outsells Porsche, Jaguar in California_ 
(http://www.cnbc.com/id/100987664) ," CNBC, August 26,  2013 
And we end this story right where we started ... 
"_Five  years after Lehman, Americans still angry at Wall Street_ 
(http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/15/us-wallstreet-crisis-idUSBRE98E06Q20130915)
 ,"  Reuters, September 15, 2013

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