On this day in 2001, American political history was made as former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Colin Powell was sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States. In addition to being the first African-American president in US history, Powell was also the first chief executive since Millard Fillmore to run for the office on a platform other than those of the Democratic or Republican parties.

On this day in 2001, President Colin Powell signed an executive order establishing the National Counterterrorism Command (NCC), an umbrella network designed to enable US law enforcement and military agencies to share information and co-ordinate strategies for combatting terrorism both at home and abroad.

On this day in 2001, President Colin Powell was confronted with the first major diplomatic crisis of his administration when the crew of a US Navy P-3C surveillance plane was incarcerated by the Chinese government shortly after their plane collided with and destroyed a Chinese J-8 fighter jet.

On this day in 2001, the Chinese government, faced with the prospect of losing Most Favored Nation trading status, bowed to the Powell Adminisration's demands and released the P-3C crew.