1996–2005
We choose to go to the moon … and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone… —President John F. Kennedy 1962
On June 29, 1995, the American space shuttle launched the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth. This historic moment of cooperation between former rival space programs also marked the 100th human space mission in American history, achieved with the help of machinists, programmers, and skilled tradesmen and women.
As personal computers became as common in homes as color televisions in the 90s, they also started being used not only by large manufacturers but by small and mid-sized companies. The World Wide Web became increasingly accessible, and soon, manufacturing businesses recognized the value of marketing their expertise and unique services on their own company websites.
Major cultural events like the 2000 Y2K scare and the devastating terrorist attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, negatively impacted international trade and prompted unprecedented caution in response to global threats.
Offshore manufacturing increased due to American demand for low-cost products. Accusations of the Chinese Communist Party stealing intellectual property raised new concerns about foreign entities spying on defense contractors.
Satellite communications became essential to daily life, and defense aerospace systems grew more in demand. Cable connections replaced landline phones. Manufacturers faced challenges in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving technological advancements.
Super 8 home films evolved into VHS and Beta videos. Photo albums condensed into compact discs. Pagers were replaced with Blackberrys and flip phones. The computerized age was thrown into breakneck speed.
And the “Being Born” sculpture was relocated in 1996 to the redesigned and re-landscaped Chicago’s formerly named “New Orleans Triangle, now called “Donald J. DePorter Gateway.”