Our nation will never be the same. From the destruction of the World Trade Center to the election of President Barack Obama, the past decade has been one of the most influential in our nation’s history.

We remember exactly where we were. A plane had flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Less than an hour later, many of us watched a second plane smash into the neighboring tower. In the days following Sept. 11, 2001, fear faded as our nation’s leaders declared their resolve and swore the murderous acts would not go unpunished.

The Iraqi government was accused of knowingly harboring terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, ignored demands from the international community to comply with nuclear regulation and inspection. On March 20, 2003, military forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain invaded the country.

Hussein was captured Dec. 13 of the same year. He was tried by the Iraqi interim government in November 2006, and executed by hanging Dec. 30. The nation conducted its first multiparty election in 50 years in 2005, but the new government has a long way to go. Pundits continue to debate the legitimacy of the invasion, while leaders are focused on the thousands of U.S. troops who remain in Iraq.

Iraq is not the only countries affected by conflict. War and violence are far too familiar in many African nations; yet it was the war that broke out in Darfur in 2003 that caught the eye of the world. The Arab Janjaweed militia – with whom the Sudanese government denies any ties – capitalized on rebel violence, raping women and slaughtering and pillaging countless villages. The humanitarian response, especially among university students, left an unforgettable impression and reminded us that the world is not completely desensitized to atrocities and violations of basic human rights. Dozens of Web sites, including savedarfur.org and ourpledge.org, continue to push for international intervention.

The most powerful individual involved in our military efforts is, himself, one of the top stories of the decade. On Nov. 4, 2008, tens of thousands of Americans gathered in Washington, D.C., to watch the Chief Justice swear in on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible the first African-American man to hold the office of president. Riding campaign promises to “fundamentally transform” the United States of America, President Obama’s legacy is in the making.

The past 10 years have changed some of our fundamental beliefs about the world. Sept. 11 changed the face of terrorism – and the way we fight it. The Iraq invasion altered, perhaps permanently, the direction of United States foreign policy. The genocide in Darfur reminded us how important ordinary citizens can be in the face of international crises.

The decade may be over, but the changes remain. And the U.S. and the international community may find themselves dealing with the aftermath of the past decade for many more to come.