On September 11th, 2001, the worst terrorist attack in history took place, where 19 men affiliated with Al-Qaeda, hijacked 4 planes, crashing two of them (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) into the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center, one (American Airlines Flight 77) into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and another one (United Airlines Flight 93) which failed to meet its target ( the White House or Capitol Building) and ended up crashing into an empty field just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As a result, the Twin Towers were destroyed, the Pentagon was badly damaged, and 2,977 innocent lives were lost. Following the tragedy, the War on Terror was launched, and as of September 2024, only small operations continue.
The Twin Towers during sunrise, on September 12th, 2001, still standing proudly over the NYC Skyline.
But what if none of that ever happened? What if the worst terrorist attack in history was foiled?
2001 (late August-December):[]
August 29th, 2001: A major terrorist plot to hijack 4 planes and crash them into various targets is foiled when a chemical fire breaks out in one of the would-be hijackers' homes. A 9-1-1 call is made by the neighbors and after putting out the fires, firefighters and police discover plans of the terrorist plot. The would-be terrorists are arrested as a result, and the attack is called off, thus saving the 2,977 lives that would've been lost had the attack taken place. The terror plot is discussed by many news media channels, and becomes a worldwide news story. New Yorkers and the rest of the US breathe a sigh of relief realizing the plot was foiled.
September 11th, 2001: The Twin Towers still stand. The Pentagon is fine. The empty field in Pennsylvania continues being an empty field. The only historical thing that happens on September 11th is Michael Jordan returning to basketball. Just another ordinary day. Due to the unprecedented nature of the foiled attacks, the US government orders a complete review of every aspect of national security, from airports to trucking, seaports, etc. In addition, as the idea of one, let alone two large commercial airlines crashing into high rise buildings had been unthinkable, the government commissions several independent studies of the Twin Towers' internal structure.
September 18th, 2001: President George W. Bush signs an act into law that enforces strict security in airports across the United States in response to the foiled September 11th plot.
October 7th, 2001: The Strict Airport Security law goes into effect, making it much harder for potential terrorists to hijack or bring weapons onboard planes.
The crash of American 587 still takes place in a world without 9/11
November 12th, 2001: The crash of American Airlines Flight 587 still happens. There is still paranoia about it being the result of a terrorist attack, but it eventually dies down as it is revealed that the accident was the result of pilot error.
December 22, 2001: Due to the Strict Airport Security law, Richard Reid is unsuccessful in boarding American Airline Flight 63, which he had intended to destroy via shoe bomb. He is arrested, tried, and sentenced to decades in prison.
December 25th, 2001: The Mall at the World Trade Center is temporarily closed for a major renovation, which will expand the mall and bring in new tenants, and even introduce a food court. The mall, which was acquired by the Westfield Group back in August, is set to reopen in the Summer of 2002, and will be renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center".
2002-2003:[]
January 29th, 2002: President George W. Bush still describes North Korea, Iran, and Iraq as an "Axis of Evil", mentioning the foiled terror plot from Al-Qaeda in his State of the Union address, justifying the reason for super-strict airport security. Because of his concerns over Saddam Hussein, believing he is secretly holding WMD's, he calls for the invasion of Iraq, but the proposal is rejected by Congress.
March 16th, 2002: A terrorist plot to bomb the MBTA Subway system in Boston is foiled.
August 10th, 2002: The newly-expanded WTC Mall, now known as Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center, reopens to the public.
November 5th, 2002: 2002 Midterm Elections. Democrats retake the house and win the senate by one seat, with 51-49.
February 1st, 2003: The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster still takes place.
March 20th, 2003: The invasion of Iraq never takes place. As a result of the Iraq War never happening, Saddam Hussein remains in power, thus leaving no opportunity for Al Qaeda in Iraq, and by extension their successor, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL), to take root. Furthermore, without a US invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan, there is far less anti-Western sentiment amongst radical Jihadis.
April 4th, 2003: The World Trade Center celebrates its 30th anniversary, with fireworks being lit all across New York City and the rest of the USA.
August 14, 2003: The Northeast Blackout of 2003 still occurs. Terrorism is feared, but it is revealed that the cause was an alarm system failure, at FirstEnergy, in Ohio.
The Twin Towers during the Northeast Blackout.
September 2nd, 2003: John Kerry announces his run for the 2004 Presidential Election.
2004-2007:[]
February 4th, 2004: Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook.
March 11, 2004: Without the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, the Madrid train bombings do not occur, as in OTL, Jamal Zougam's and the other five participants' motive was Spanish participation in the Wars.
July 22, 2004: On what was the issuance date of the 9/11 Commission's final report in OTL is instead that of the final report of the last of independent study of the Twin Towers' internal structure. The reports agree that due to the Towers' unconventional structure of simply having a lightweight fireproofing foam, rather than heavy duty masonry, fires of sufficient heat would be capable of severely weakening the buildings, potentially leading to partial, if not complete collapses. As a result of the studies, major renovations of the Twin Towers are ordered, involving the augmentations of their columns and trusses, as well as the installations of additional emergency stairwells.
October 14th, 2004: The US government's investigations into how secure the nation truly is are completed. They discover major vulnerabilities in areas, such as tunnels, subway stations, shipping ports, and power grids. However, on the same day, Al-Qaeda operatives detonate bombs in parts of multiple American cities, such as the New York City Subway, the Chicago L-Train, the United States Capitol, San Francisco City Hall, Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles, The John Hancock Tower in Boston, the UN Headquarters in NYC, and the FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. 576 people die as a result of the bombings, and over 700 people are seriously injured. President George W. Bush later makes a speech denouncing the horrific attacks, and states that he and whoever wins the upcoming election promises to find those responsible for the attacks. They also vow that they will ensure that robust anti-terrorism measures are put into effect. This date in history becomes known as "10/14."
The N, Q, R, W, platform of the 14th Street-Union Square station was the target of the NYC Subway attack in the October 14th 2004 bombings.
November 2nd, 2004: On the night of the 2004 elections, John Kerry defeats George W. Bush in order to become the 44th President of the United States. Kerry's victory signals the end of the Bush-Clinton Presidential dynasty. The next day, after President George W. Bush delivers a tearful concession speech.
December 6, 2004: Bush's and Kerry's vows to avenge and prevent anything like 10/14 from happening again culminate in the former's signing of the United Strengthening and Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2004, much like in OTL with 9/11.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(Chief)
William Rehnquist |
Nixon
|
68–26
|
Staunch Conservative | January 7, 1972
|
J. M. Harlan II
|
|
John Paul Stevens | Ford | 98-0 | Staunch Liberal | December 19, 1975 | Douglas |
|
Sandra Day O'Connor | Reagan | 99-0 | Moderate Conservative | September 25, 1981 | Stewart |
|
Antonin Scalia | Reagan | 98-0 | Staunch Conservative | September 26, 1986 | Rehnquist |
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
David Souter | G. H. W. Bush | 90-9 | Liberal | October 9, 1990 | Brennan |
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Clinton | 96-3 | Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993 | B. White |
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
John Kerry, 44th President of the United States (2005-2013)
January 20th, 2005: John Kerry is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Security is extremely tight during the inauguration ceremony due to 10/14. As Kerry becomes President, the 16-year Bush-Clinton Presidential dynasty concludes.
January 23rd, 2005: The Democrats in Congress launches a wealth tax package which repeals the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.
January 27th - 30th, 2005: The wealth tax package passes through the House and Senate and is signed by President Kerry.
February 8th, 2005: John Kerry releases a new healthcare legislative bill known as the Affordable Care Act.
February 14th, 2005: YouTube is launched.
March 10th, 2005: The House of Representatives pass the Affordable Care Act in a 231-204 vote.
March 22nd, 2005: The Senate passes the Affordable Care Act in a 53-47 vote.
March 23rd, 2005: President John Kerry officially signs the Affordable Care Act, signaling a major legislative victory for the Democrats and the Kerry Administration.
April 7th, 2005: President Kerry urges Congress to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and allow the United States to join the Kyoto Protocol.
April 15th - 30th, 2005 After much debate in both chambers, Congress ratifies and grants approval for the United States to join the Kyoto Protocol.
May 2nd, 2005: President Kerry signs the Congressional ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, in which the United States officially joins the Kyoto Protocol in becoming involved in the global efforts to improve the environment and mitigating global warming and climate change. Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore is present at the signing.
June 28, 2005: Without the War in Afghanistan, the events of Operation Red Wings do not take place. In addition to OTL Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz, and Michael Murphy are spared.
July 1st, 2005: Senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, the leading liberal justice of the Supreme Court, informs the Kerry Administration that he will retire from the bench on December 20th, 2005.
July 7, 2005: The London bombings still occur, due to the perpetrators support of Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, in the wake of 10/14.
July 10th, 2005: President John Kerry announces that he is nominating Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to succeed Justice Stevens.
August 29th, 2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates the southern part of the US, with New Orleans being hit the hardest. John Kerry's response to the hurricane saves many lives, making his approval rating skyrocket to 87%, the highest since George H. W. Bush in 1991. Kerry stresses the need to mitigate climate change.
September 3rd, 2005: Ultra-conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist dies after suffering from advanced thyroid cancer for almost a year.
September 5th, 2005: President John Kerry makes history by nominating Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be the 17th Chief Justice of the United States and the very first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. To succeed Justice Ginsburg as Associate Justice, President John Kerry nominates Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood to the Supreme Court.
September 7th - 16th, 2005: The Senate Judiciary Committee holds the confirmation hearings of Justice Ginsburg and Judge Wood. During this time, the Democrats confirm that the hearings for Judge Sotomayor are on hold until after the Ginsburg and Wood nominations are finished.
September 17th, 2005: The United States Senate unanimously confirms Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States, in which history is made. Later, the Senate confirms Diane Wood as the new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in a 62-38 vote. Chief Justice Ginsburg and Justice Wood are both sworn in by Justice Stevens immediately following their Senate confirmation votes. The Supreme Court of the United States now has a liberal majority since the Earl Warren Court and three female justices.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96–3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
John Paul Stevens | Ford | 98-0 | Staunch Liberal | December 19, 1975 | Douglas |
|
|
Sandra Day O'Connor | Reagan | 99-0 | Moderate Conservative | September 25, 1981 | Stewart |
|
|
Antonin Scalia | Reagan | 98-0 | Staunch Conservative | September 26, 1986 | Rehnquist |
|
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
|
David Souter | G. H. W. Bush | 90-9 | Liberal | October 9, 1990 | Brennan |
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
October 1st, 2005: President John Kerry announces the largest climate change and global warming mitigation bill in United States history, known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This bill includes cap and trade, the implementation of a carbon tax, acceleration of the production of 50 million electric vehicles, expediting the installation of over 100 million charging stations for electric vehicles, establishment of 300 billion solar panels and wind turbines, electric grid modernization, retrofitting of buildings (especially hospitals), construction of strong new infrastructure (including sea walls, solar farms, storm surge barriers, repairing all antiquated sewer systems, curbside gardens, permeable pavements, and green roofs), increasing full access to clean water, significantly reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions (by 50%), eliminating methane release, permanently banning offshore drilling and fracking, eradicating federal land fossil fuel extractions and subsidies, and transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable clean energy by 2010.
October 13th - 20th, 2005: The Senate finally holds the Supreme Court nomination hearings of Judge Sotomayor.
November 10th, 2005: The Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court in a 60-35 vote.
December 20th, 2005: Justice Sotomayor is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Chief Justice Ginsburg. As Sotomayor begins her tenure, there are four female justices serving on the bench.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96-3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
Sandra Day O'Connor | Reagan | 99-0 | Moderate Conservative | September 25, 1981 | Stewart |
|
|
Antonin Scalia | Reagan | 98-0 | Staunch Conservative | September 26, 1986 | Rehnquist |
|
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
|
David Souter | G. H. W. Bush | 90-9 | Liberal | October 9, 1990 | Brennan |
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
January 2nd - 7th, 2006: The American Clean Energy and Security Act passes both chambers of Congress and is signed into law. This enactment places the United States in the lead at moving towards a healthier, cleaner, more sustainable, and energy efficient future. President John Kerry signs the American Clean Energy and Security Act into law.
March 21st, 2006: Twitter is launched by Jack Dorsey.
July 19th, 2006: An investigative report from the New York Post is made regarding John Kerry's Vice President, John Edwards. The report alleges that Edwards has been having an affair with a former campaign worker in John Kerry's 2004 election campaign. A scandal known as "EdwardsGate" breaks out. Edwards denies the allegations, but then in August, it is later revealed that Edwards' wife, Second Lady Elizabeth, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, making the scandal even worse.
August 17th, 2006: Impeachment Proceedings against Vice President Edwards begin, and John Kerry's approval rating slowly falls to 47%.
Workers replace the TV antenna of the North Tower due to health concerns.
September 7th, 2006: Due to health concerns of it transmitting cancer, the antenna of the North Tower is replaced with a longer and stronger antenna that is healthy, raising the North Tower’s full height to 1,750 feet. The North Tower would be the tallest building in the world until January 4th, 2010, when the Burj Khalifia officially opened.
October 20th, 2006: Vice President Edwards is impeached by the House of Representatives on all 3 charges of lying under oath, obstruction of justice, and perjury.
November 7th, 2006: Republicans take back the house during the midterms in a landslide, and gain a majority in the senate, with 56-44 seats.
December 30th, 2006: Vice President John Edwards resigns from his position as Vice President before the Senate Trial.
January 10th, 2007: Replacement of the North Tower’s antenna is finished.
March 27th, 2007: John Kerry nominates senator Barack Obama to replace John Edwards as Vice President, making him the first African-American to take the position.
April 16th, 2007: The Virginia Tech shooting still happens, killing 32 people( including the perpetrator). President John Kerry, as well as Democratic members of Congress attempt to pass universal background checks, but the bill is ultimately defeated, due to them not having a majority.
The Twin Towers in June 2009.
June 24th, 2007: Osama Bin Laden is captured by US Military forces in Pakistan and is taken to the newly-constructed Fort Hood Military Prison in Texas where he will stand trial for the October 2004 Bombings. This boosts John Kerry's approval rating to about 68%.
June 27th, 2007: British Prime Minister Tony Blair doesn't resign in this timeline, as without the War on Terror his public approval rating never decline as much as it did in OTL.
August 1, 2007: The collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis still takes place, just like it does in OTL.
2008-2012:[]
September 29th, 2008: The 2008 Stock Market Crash still takes place.
November 4th, 2008: John Kerry is re-elected for a second term as President, defeating Republican senator John McCain. The Democrats retake the Senate 50-50 and the House 222-212-1.
November 26-29, 2008: The Mumbai, India attacks, carried out by the Pakistan-based organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) still occur. 175 people are killed.
January 20th, 2009: John Kerry is inaugurated for a second term in office.
April 16, 2009: With the Democrats now having a majority in the House and Senate, as well as retaining the White House, they are now able to pass universal background checks for all gun transactions. President John Kerry signs the bill into law on the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, as a tribute to those who died.
April 23rd, 2009: Associate Justice David Souter sends a letter to John Kerry informing him that he will retire from the bench after the 2008-2009 term.
May 15th, 2009: President John Kerry announces that he will nominate Elena Kagan, the incumbent Solicitor General of the United States, to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice to replace Justice Souter.
June 28th - July 2nd, 2009: The nomination hearings of Elena Kagan take place at the Senate Judiciary Committee.
July 30th, 2009: The Senate confirms Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court in a 56-43 vote. Justice Kagan is sworn in by Chief Justice Ginsburg. There are now five female justices and four male justices serving on the Supreme Court.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96-3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
Sandra Day O'Connor | Reagan | 99-0 | Moderate Conservative | September 25, 1981 | Stewart |
|
|
Antonin Scalia | Reagan | 98-0 | Staunch Conservative | September 26, 1986 | Rehnquist |
|
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
November 14th, 2009: The trial of Osama Bin Laden begins after many delays.
May 7th, 2009: British Prime Minister Tony Blair leads the Labour Party to a historic fourth successive election victory, albeit with a significant seat decrease.
November 5th, 2009: Despite the reduced anti-Western sentiment, 10/14 still inspires US Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan to carry out the Shooting at Ford Hood, in Texas. Malik attempts to free Bin Laden, but is ultimately captured.
December 25, 2009: Due to the PATRIOT Act, the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 never happens, despite Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) still arising, despite Osama Bin Laden's 2007 capture.
April 20th, 2010: The BP Oil Spill still takes place.
June 27th, 2010: The Supreme Court, in a 5-2-2 ruling written by Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, overrules Planned Parenthood v. Casey, but fully restores the 1973 "Roe v. Wade standard" of strict scrutiny of abortion law, rather than the "undue burden." Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy write a concur/dissent stating that he would have kept the Casey standard, which was an opinion written by him. Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas state in their dissents that they would have overruled Roe completely.
November 2nd, 2010: Republicans win back a majority in both houses of Congress.
December 17th, 2010: The Arab Spring still occurs. However, due to ISIS never rising and less influence from Islamic radical groups, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, and Yemen become stable constitutional republics with democracy in place.
March 16th, 2011: A mass shooting occurs in Kabul, Afghanistan during the Arab Spring, when members of the Taliban open fire against the protesters, killing 87 people and injuring over 100. The deadly massacre results in even further protests.
April 5th, 2011: Tony Blair resigns as British Prime Minister after fourteen years due to mediocre approval ratings. He is succeeded by his incumbent Foreign Secretary and protegee David Miliband.
June 11th, 2011: Saddam Hussein is toppled from power as a result of the Arab Spring. He is subsequently executed by beheading by the insurgents as he falls from power. Despite Hussein's demise, Al-Qaeda's 2007 collapse (which means there was no opportunity for Al-Qaeda in Iraq, followed by ISIS/ISIL to take hold), leaves a power vacuum that a new democratic government ultimately fills.
February 14th, 2012: After a long, exhausting trial, Osama Bin Laden is found guilty for financing 10/14 and is sentenced to death by firing squad.
September 11, 2012: The renovations of the Twin Towers' internal structures are completed. In addition, without Al-Qaeda in power, Ansar al-Sharia never rises to power (due to Al-Qaeda being their inspiration), thus averting the attacks on the US diplomatic post and CIA annex, in Benghazi, Libya.
October 29th, 2012: Hurricane Sandy makes landfall in NYC. The WTC complex is flooded as a result, and is closed for a few weeks before reopening. The Twin Towers reopen on November 14th, and the Mall and 7 World Trade Center reopen on December 2nd. The PATH station doesn't reopen until February 2013, after a 3-month long repair of the Hudson tubes.
The Twin Towers during Hurricane Sandy.
President John Kerry is praised for his emergency response to the hurricane
November 6th, 2012: Republican Mitt Romney and his running mate John McCain win the 2012 presidential election, defeating his Democratic opponent, Delaware Senator Joe Biden and running mate Hillary Clinton.
December 14th, 2012: Despite universal background checks being enacted in 2009, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting still happens, as Adam Lanza used his mother's guns. Due to this, President-Elect Romney vows to pass a new law with stricter gun regulations, including requiring them to be locked up when not in use, much to the dismay of all gun enthusiasts.
2013-2015:[]
Mitt Romney, 45th President of the United States (2013-2021)
January 20th, 2013: A bloody inauguration day. While being inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States, Mitt Romney is shot in an assassination attempt by a die-hard gun enthusiast named Eugene Gregors, who was upset over Romney's plan to enforce strict gun control in the US, and believed in the conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax in an attempt by the US government to take away guns from law-abiding civilians. Romney miraculously survives the shooting, but sadly, one of the Secret Service agents is killed as a result of the incident. The inaugural process is delayed until January 25th while Romney recovers.
April 4th, 2013: The World Trade Center celebrates its 40th anniversary, with #WTC40 trending across all social media platforms. Fireworks are lit all across New York City and the rest of the USA.
April 15, 2013: Without the motivations of US military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev never carry out the Boston Marathon bombing, sparing three lives.
May 3rd, 2013: Leader of the Opposition Theresa May is able to lead the Conservative Party to a landslide victory at the 2013 general election, with it ending 16 years of Labour power.
May 4th, 2013: Senior Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor notifies Mitt Romney of her retirement.
May 20th, 2013: President Mitt Romney announces that he will nominate Judge John Roberts of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to the Supreme Court of the United States.
June 12th - 17th, 2013: The nomination hearings of Circuit Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court occur before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
June 27th, 2013: John Roberts is confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by the Senate in a 78-22 vote.
June 30th, 2013: Associate Justice John Roberts is sworn in as Justice O'Connor's successor by Chief Justice Ginsburg. Although there are now five male justices and four female justices, there is still a 5-4 liberal justice majority.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96-3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
Antonin Scalia | Reagan | 98-0 | Staunch Conservative | September 26, 1986 | Rehnquist |
|
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
|
John Roberts | Romney | 78-22 | Conservative | June 30, 2013 | O'Connor |
July 4th, 2013: After a year-long delay, Osama Bin Laden is executed in the Fort Hood Military Prison.
August 23, 2013: Nidal Malik Hasan is still sentenced to death for the 2009 Ford Hood Shooting, as well as sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to free Bin Laden.
December 2013: The Ebola Outbreak still occurs.
March 8, 2014: The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 still occurs. Among the many theories are those involving terrorism, but as of 2024, nothing has been proven nor denied, despite the many claims that the plane's wreckage has been found.
An R160 F train approaches Smith-9th Streets station, with the Twin Towers in the background, on October 16th, 2014. The building seen under construction next to the Twin Towers is the Hamilton Tower, which replaced One Liberty Plaza.
April 20th, 2014: Eugene Gregors is found guilty for the attempted assassination of President Mitt Romney, and is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is sent to the Rykers Island Correctional Facility in New York City weeks later.
June 28th, 2014: Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway in New York City opens.
August 19th, 2014: A terrorist plot to bomb the Berlin U-Bahn is foiled by police.
June 16th, 2015: Donald Trump announces his presidential campaign for the 2016 Election, but to little attention.
October 19th, 2015: An assassination plot against British Prime Minister Theresa May in Parliament is foiled by London Police.
November 13-14, 2015: Without ISIS ever arising, the Paris attacks do not occur, sparing 138 lives.
November 27th, 2015: Donald Trump drops out of the 2016 Election race due to low popularity.
December 2, 2015: The San Bernardino, California attack still happens, because again, despite reduced anti-Western sentiment, there are still those who sympathize with Al-Qaeda in the wake of 10/14.
2016-2018:[]
January 25th, 2016: The WTC Transportation hub is expanded, with a connection to the Fulton Street Station.
February 13th, 2016: Ultra-conservative Senior Associate Justice Antonin Scalia suddenly dies.
February 28th, 2016: Mitt Romney and the Republican Senate agree to confirm the Scalia vacancy but the choices are down to either Circuit Judges Neil Gorsuch or Thomas Hardiman.
March 6th, 2016: President Mitt Romney announces that he will nominate Third Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman to replace Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court.
April 9th - 16th, 2016: The Senate Judiciary Committee holds the Hardiman nomination hearings.
May 6th, 2016: Judge Hardiman is confirmed to the Supreme Court with all the Republicans voting in favor and all the Democrats voting in opposition. Hardiman reveals that he will be sworn in upon the conclusion of the 2015-2016 term.
June 12, 2016: As a result of ISIS/ISIL never rising to power, would-be Pulse Nightclub Massacre perpetrator Omar Mateen does not carry out his rampage, in Orlando, Florida, thus saving 50 lives, including his own (Mateen being an ISIS sympathizer, in OTL).
June 29th, 2016: Justice Hardiman is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Chief Justice Ginsburg.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96-3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
Anthony Kennedy | Reagan | 97-0 | Moderate Conservative | February 18, 1988 | Powell |
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
|
|
John Roberts | Romney | 78-22 | Conservative | June 30, 2013 | O'Connor |
|
Thomas Hardiman | Romney | 53-47 | Conservative | June 29, 2016 | Scalia |
November 8th, 2016: Mitt Romney is re-elected for a second term in office, beating Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine.
January 20th, 2017: Mitt Romney is inaugurated for a second term in office.
July 2017: Vice President John McCain is diagnosed with brain cancer.
August 11th-12th, 2017: The Unite The Right rally and the subsequent car attack in Charlottesville never take place as Trump is not president.
October 2017: The Harvey Weinstein scandal still occurs as does the subsequent MeToo Movement.
October 31, 2017: Without ISIS/ISIL as an inspiration, Sayfullo Saipov does not carry out his plot to run over people in New York City with a pick-up truck.
February 14th, 2018: Due to the stricter gun laws enforced by President Romney, the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting never occurs. 17 people are spared.
May 19th, 2018: The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still takes place.
June 28th, 2018: Senior Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, a moderate conservative, announces his retirement after 30 years of service on the Supreme Court. In a meeting with President Romney, Justice Kennedy urges the President to nominate Brett Kavanaugh, a judge who previously clerked for Justice Kennedy, as his successor.
July 14th, 2018: President Mitt Romney announces he will nominate former clerk of Justice Kennedy and DC Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
August 25th, 2018: Vice President John McCain sadly dies from brain cancer, 4 days shy of his 82nd birthday.
September - October 2018: The combative and controversial Senate Judiciary Committee hearings of Brett Kavanaugh are held. The hearings include Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony and the national response to Dr. Ford.
October 6th, 2018: The Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh as Justice Kennedy's successor 55-45 as five Democratic Senators up for re-election in 2018 vote in favor to save their seats. Justice Kavanaugh is sworn in by Chief Justice Ginsburg.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Clinton
|
96-3
|
Staunch Liberal | August 10, 1993
|
B. White
|
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
|
|
John Roberts | Romney | 78-22 | Conservative | June 30, 2013 | O'Connor |
|
|
Thomas Hardiman | Romney | 53-47 | Conservative | June 29, 2016 | Scalia |
|
Brett Kavanaugh | Romney | 55-45 | Conservative | October 6, 2018 | Kennedy |
October 12th, 2018: Jeb Bush is nominated by President Mitt Romney to replace John McCain as his Vice President.
November 6th, 2018: Democrats still take back the house and senate in the 2018 Midterm Elections.
2019-2022:[]
March 2019: The 2019-2020 Hong Kong Protests still take place.
July 24th, 2019: Boris Johnson still becomes Prime Minister of the UK.
August 5th, 2019: Phase 2 of NYC's Second Avenue Subway opens.
November 11th, 2019: Xi Jinping is almost assassinated with a truck bomb during his visit to Shanghai for his response to the Hong Kong Protests. The attempted assassins, 2 men and 2 women, are later captured by police.
December 20th, 2019: The perpetrators of the assassination attempt against Xi Jinping are found guilty and are sentenced to death. The execution takes place 2 weeks later.
January 28th, 2020: Kobe Bryant still dies in a helicopter accident just outside Los Angeles.
March 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic still takes place, but without Trump in the oval office, it is not heavily politicized as it is in the OTL, and thus, fewer people die as a result of the disease, around 4,500 deaths. The Twin Towers close due to the pandemic, but eventually reopen to the public in phases.
The Twin Towers, during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
May 11th, 2020: The Observation Deck on the WTC's South Tower reopens to the public, with masking and social distancing enforced. The observation decks on top of the Empire State Building and 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Top of the Rock) are reopened on May 7 (4 days earlier) and also have mask and social distancing mandates for visitors. Liberty Island and Ellis Island are also reopened on May 7 with mask and social distancing rules. While the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is also reopened, the crown remained closed for another few months. The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the South Tower observation deck, and the Statue of Liberty National Monument are among the first attractions in New York City to reopen.
May 25th, 2020: The George Floyd Protests still take place, but like the COVID-19 Pandemic, are not heavily politicized without Trump as President. President Mitt Romney urges for the protests to be calm and peaceful.
June 2020: Ansel Elgort, Justin Bieber, etc. are still cancelled off of Twitter as cancel culture still exists.
July 19th, 2020: The World Trade Center Shopping Mall as well as the Marriot Hotel at 3 WTC reopen.
September 18th, 2020: Iconic Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passes away from a difficult pancreatic cancer battle. Immediately after Ginsburg's passing, Mitt Romney and the Democratic Senate Leaders have a discussion about the vacancy. The Senate Democratic Leaders inform President Romney that they will only confirm one of the liberal Associate Justices or Justice John Roberts as the next Chief Justice while the next President will appoint the new member of the Supreme Court. Romney agrees to this deal as he prefers to have a Chief Justice seated before the October term begins but does not want to jeopardize Jeb Bush's election bid by confirming an entirely new member of the Supreme Court either as Associate Justice or Chief Justice before Election Day.
September 20th, 2020: President Mitt Romney nominates Associate Justice John Roberts as the next Chief Justice of the United States.
September 23rd - 30th, 2020: The Senate Judiciary Committee convenes for the hearings of Justice Roberts' Chief Justice nomination. Some Democrats are disappointed as they express their belief the new President should fill Supreme Court vacancies that occur when Election Day is just around the corner while other Democrats feel the need to have the Chief Justice seat filled before the October term start date and that rejecting Roberts' Chief Justice nomination would not remove him from the Supreme Court as he would remain as an Associate Justice otherwise. Meanwhile, some Republicans believe a new Associate Justice should be confirmed to have the Supreme Court start with a full panel and restore a conservative majority as there has been a liberal majority for 15 years.
October 3rd, 2020: John Roberts is confirmed as the 18th Chief Justice of the United States in a 70-30 vote by the Senate. Chief Justice Roberts is sworn in by Associate Justice Stephen Breyer after his confirmation vote.
November 3rd, 2020: Former Vice President Barack Obama and his running mate, United States Senator from California, Kamala Harris, win the 2020 Presidential Election, defeating Vice President Jeb Bush and his running mate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
January 6th, 2021: The attack on the US Capitol never occurs, because, as mentioned before, Trump is not the president.
January 20th, 2021:
Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Barack Obama is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Although Joe Biden never becomes president in this timeline, he remains in the United States Senate.
January 27th, 2021: President Barack Obama announces that he will nominate DC Circuit Judge Robert L. Wilkins to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice for the vacant seat left by John Roberts after he was elevated to Chief Justice.
February 8th - 13th, 2021: The Senate Judiciary Committee led by the Democrats convenes for Judge Wilkins' Supreme Court nomination. His nomination is sent to the full Senate floor with recommendation.
February 25th, 2021: The Senate confirms Robert L. Wilkins as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in a 58-42 vote. Justice Wilkins is sworn in by Chief Justice Roberts later that day. He becomes the third African American justice to serve on the Supreme Court and there is still a 5-4 liberal justice majority.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
John Roberts |
Romney | 78-22
|
Conservative | June 30, 2013
|
O'Connor
|
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Stephen Breyer | Clinton | 87-9 | Liberal | August 3, 1994 | Blackmun |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
|
|
Thomas Hardiman | Romney | 53-47 | Conservative | June 29, 2016 | Scalia |
|
|
Brett Kavanaugh | Romney | 55-45 | Conservative | October 6, 2018 | Kennedy |
|
Robert L. Wilkins | Obama | 58-42 | Staunch Liberal | February 25, 2021 | J. Roberts |
April 9th, 2021: Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, still dies months before his 100th birthday, as he does in the OTL.
November 2021: The Astroworld Concert disaster still takes place, Kyle Rittenhouse never goes to trial and continues his life as normal.
January 27th, 2022: Associate Justice Stephen Breyer notifies President Obama that he will retire from the bench at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 Supreme Court term.
February 2022: The Russian invasion of Ukraine still takes place, but support for Ukraine isn't politicized as both parties unanimously vote to support the country's fight against the Russian invaders.
February 25th, 2022: President Barack Obama nominates DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States to succeed Justice Breyer.
March 21st - 24th, 2022: The Senate Judiciary Committee convenes to have Jackson's nomination hearings take place.
April 7th, 2022: Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court by the Senate in a 60-33 vote. However, she will be sworn in after the Supreme Court term concludes.
May 24th, 2022: The Robb Elementary School shooting never happens. 21 people are spared.
June 24th, 2022: The overturning of Roe v. Wade never happens as the SCOTUS case was fully reinstated in 2010.
June 30th, 2022: Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by Chief Justice Roberts. When Justice Jackson takes her seat on the bench, she is the first female African American justice of the United States Supreme Court.
| Justice | Appointed by: | SCV | Ideology | Start date | Predecessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Chief)
John Roberts |
Romney | 78-22
|
Conservative | June 30, 2013
|
O'Connor
|
|
|
Clarence Thomas | G. H. W. Bush | 52-48 | Staunch Conservative | October 23, 1991 | T. Marshall |
|
|
Diane Wood | Kerry | 62-38 | Staunch Liberal | September 17, 2005 | Ginsburg |
|
|
Sonia Sotomayor | Kerry | 60-35 | Staunch Liberal | December 20, 2005 | Stevens |
|
|
Elena Kagan | Kerry | 56-43 | Staunch Liberal | August 7, 2009 | Souter |
|
|
Thomas Hardiman | Romney | 53-47 | Conservative | June 29, 2016 | Scalia |
|
|
Brett Kavanaugh | Romney | 55-45 | Conservative | October 6, 2018 | Kennedy |
|
|
Robert L. Wilkins | Obama | 58-42 | Staunch Liberal | February 25, 2021 | J. Roberts |
|
Ketanji Brown Jackson | Obama | 60-33 | Staunch Liberal | June 30, 2022 | Breyer |
August 2022: The FBI's raid on Mar-A-Lago never happens because, once again, Trump was never president. Trump therefore continues to focus on his business empire.
September 8th, 2022: Queen Elizabeth II still passes away at the age of 96, as she does in the OTL.
November 8th, 2022: Republicans still take back the house.
2023-Present Day:[]
January 3rd, 2023: Senator Joe Biden becomes the President pro tempore of the United States Senate as Senator Patrick Leahy retires.
January 25th, 2023: Grand Central Madison still opens to the public as it does in the OTL.
April 4th, 2023: The World Trade Center celebrates its 50th Anniversary, with the hashtag "#WTC50" trending on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and more.
October 7, 2023: Hamas still attacks Israel, resulting in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War.
March 26, 2024: The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore, Maryland still occurs. There are ongoing fears that it was the result of terrorism, but at the present moment, there is no evidence to support this.
May 30, 2024: Donald Trump's conviction for falsifying business records, in order to conceal hush money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, never happens. In this timeline, Trump dropped out of the 2016 Presidential race, before the payments ever happened.
June 11, 2024: Senator Joe Biden's son Hunter is still convicted of charges of lying on a gun application.
July 13, 2024: The assassination attempt against Donald Trump, near Butler, Pennsylvania, does not happen, as he is not running for President.
July 21, 2024: Vice President Kamala Harris is not running for President, as Barack Obama is already running for re-election. Joe Biden, meanwhile, announces he will run for a tenth term as the senior Senator from Delaware in 2026.
September 15, 2024: The second assassination attempt against Donald Trump, at Trump International Golf Club, does not occur, as again, Trump is not running for President.
September 26, 2024: Hurricane Helene hammers Florida's Big Bend region, before causing further flooding and destruction in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. President Obama is praised for his response to the hurricane.
October 9, 2024: Just over two weeks after Helene's destruction, Hurricane Milton wreaks more havoc, making landfall near Siesta Key, Florida. President Obama is again praised for his response.
November 6, 2024: Barack Obama is re-elected US President, defeating Republican nominee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his running mate, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Years onward: Life continues on as normal. No divisions in the US have taken place, the Middle East is less dangerous, and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center continue to exist, standing tall and proudly over the skyline of New York City as one of the most iconic buildings of all time. The North Tower is the 7th tallest building in the world in this timeline.
Without 9/11, the world is a much better place.