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| 1995, Jan. 4 |
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| The 104th Congress convenes. The new Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich (R., Ga.), broke precedent, moved beyond the usual ceremonial opening, and held a 14-hour session designed to implement the Republican Party's proposed Contract with America. | 1 |
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| Jan. 20 |
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| The U.S. said it would ease its 44-year trade embargo on North Korea to ensure North Korea's cooperation in reducing its nuclear arsenal. | 2 |
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| Jan. 31 |
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| Clinton authorized an emergency loan of $20 billion to Mexico. | 3 |
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| Feb. 4 |
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| The U.S. imposed huge tariffs on imports from China in an effort to punish the Chinese government for its continued manufacture of pirated goods. On Feb. 26 the U.S. and China signed a negotiation pact because China agreed to crack down on piracy. The pact was expected to be a big boost to trade. The U.S. and China signed trade accords on March 12. | 4 |
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| Feb. 19 |
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| Clinton announced his refusal to participate in a planned May summit in Russia because of the situation in Chechnya. | 5 |
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| March 7 |
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| The U.S. dollar plunged to a record low since World War II against the Japanese yen and the German mark, due in part to the loan made to help with the Mexican economic crisis. | 6 |
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| March 15 |
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| Clinton signed a ban on the participation of U.S. companies in petroleum production activities in Iran because of the U.S.'s perception of Iran as a terrorist country. | 7 |
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| April 19 |
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| A huge car bomb exploded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, destroying the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and killing more than two hundred people, including approximately 24 children. On April 21 Timothy McVeigh, a citizen with strong anti-government views, was arrested for planting the bomb. | 8 |
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| April 30 |
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| Pres. Clinton put an end to all U.S. trade with Iran, citing the country's record of terrorism and its acquisition of nuclear power as the reasons. | 9 |
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| July 11 |
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| Clinton formally reestablished diplomatic ties with Vietnam. | 10 |
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| July 19 |
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| Pres. Clinton defended affirmative action programs at the conclusion of a five-month-long review of federal affirmative action programs designed to prevent or redress discrimination against women and minorities. | 11 |
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| Aug. 31 |
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| The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) announced “Citizenship USA,” a plan to reduce the amount of time between an immigrant's application for citizenship and the swearing-in process. | 12 |
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