Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from January 20, 1993, to January 20, 2001. His two-term administration oversaw strong economic growth and budget surpluses while also facing major political controversies, including impeachment and acquittal in 1998–1999.
Domestically, Clinton presided over a period of sustained economic expansion, reduced unemployment, and several major policy initiatives—most notably passage of NAFTA, welfare reform in 1996, and balanced budgets that produced federal surpluses in the late 1990s. His administration also advanced legislation on crime, gun control, and family leave while benefiting from the technology-driven boom of the decade.
Clinton’s presidency is also marked by controversy: a personal scandal led to his impeachment by the House in 1998 and acquittal by the Senate in 1999, which shaped public debate about character and accountability. On foreign policy he expanded U.S. engagement, including NATO interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo, leaving a mixed legacy of increased international involvement and contested domestic politics.
Signed NAFTA (1993); Enacted 1996 Welfare Reform (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act); Achieved federal budget surpluses in the late 1990s; Led NATO interventions in Bosnia (1995) and Kosovo (1999); Impeached by the House (1998) and acquitted by the Senate (1999); Signed key domestic laws including the Brady Bill and Family and Medical Leave Act
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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On May 17, 1994, President Clinton nominated U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Stephen G. Breyer to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy resulting from Justice Harry Blackmun's retirement.
On May 4, 1994, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed the Gaza–Jericho Agreement transferring authority over the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area to the newly created Palestinian Authority in a ceremony facilitated by the United States.
On April 27 South Africa conducted its first nationwide multiracial elections, resulting in a decisive victory for the African National Congress and paving the way for Nelson Mandela to assume the presidency.
After former President Richard Nixon died on April 22, 1994, President Bill Clinton issued a public statement honoring Nixon’s service and directed U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
On April 7, 1994, President Bill Clinton publicly condemned the mass killings that erupted after the downing of Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana's plane and pledged U.S. humanitarian aid and support for international relief efforts.
On April 6 a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down, setting off widespread massacres that rapidly escalated into what became the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
On March 31, 1994, the last U.S. combat troops departed Somalia, ending the United States' direct military involvement in the UN-endorsed mission begun in 1992.
President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 12898 directing federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs on minority and low‑income populations.
President Clinton formally transmitted his fiscal year 1995 budget to Congress, outlining spending levels, revenue projections, and deficit-reduction proposals for the coming year.
President Clinton delivered his 1994 State of the Union address, outlining priorities such as crime reduction, economic growth, health care reform, and welfare change.
President Clinton declared a federal major disaster for Los Angeles County, authorizing federal assistance after the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 17, causing extensive damage, dozens of deaths and widespread disruption and prompting a major federal disaster response.