A timeline of national and world events relative
to the interior of the FINISHING HOUSE

2011 The Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to climb over 15000, enforcing the common wisdom that the global financial market has recovered.

2012 Congress enacts the Universal Healthcare Act.

2013 The recovered banking giants of Wall Street covertly return to policies bolstering predatory lending.

2016 The Dow falls below 2000. The second Great Depression becomes inevitable. Time magazine declares bankruptcy. On the cover of their final issue is printed in bold type the common chant of the day "TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!"

2017 The public outrage at Wall Street sets in motion a government policy to "encourage" the borough of Manhattan to secede from the Union.

2018 Manhattan is declared a sovereign state under the auspices of the United Nations.

2021 The United States government devises a plan to help end the country's financial crisis. Medical research will become the nationÕs primary export.

2022 The Department of Health mandates that medical science be the core curriculum of all public schools and universities. Medical school education is entirely funded by the federal government.

2033 A vaccine for several types of common cancers passes phase III clinical trials.

2034 A vaccine for the common cold passes phase III clinical trials.

2035 An anti-apoptotic that extends the human life span passes phase III clinical trials.

2039 The United States returns to financial health.

2040 Human organ farms are organized by the Department of Health.

2046 Foreign powers discover that sentient human-animal hybrids are unintentionally being conceived at the farms and are allowed to develop and live as humans. Human Supremacists begin to organize in Europe and the Manhattan nation.

2049 Britain bombs the American human-organ farms. Their mission is successful, but the United States continues to protect sentient hybrids who survived the bombings.

2051 The oldest American dies at the age of 178.

2053 China develops a cure for all known cancers. America's economy shows weakness.

2055 Euthanasia and assisted suicide are legalized in all 50 states.

2059 The Passion Light passes phase III clinical trials. James is 5 years old.