2001
- Chelsea Trull
September 5–The class of 2005 begin their freshman year.
September 11–Two planes crash into the World Trade Center in New York. A plane also hits the Pentagon, marking the first attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.
October 3–University President Les Bollinger leaves to fill the top post at Columbia University.
October 9–U.S. begins bombing Afghanistan
2002
March 21–Former University booster Ed Martin was indicted by federal court for giving gifts to basketball players, including Chris Webber.
May 15–With a 5-4 vote, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Law School’s admissions procedures illegal, reversing a decision from March.
May 29–Mary Sue Coleman is announced at the 13th president of the University.
2003
March 20–The United States launched attack on Baghdad, marking the beginning of the war in Iraq which led to the fall of Saddam Hussein.
June 24–The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Law School’s use of race in its admissions policies in a 5-4 decision, but by a 6-3 vote struck down the LSA policy.
2004
September 10–The Business School receives a record $100 million donation from real estate mogul Stephen Ross.The gift was about three times larger than any previous donation in University history.
November 2–Althought President Bush had amassed a commanding lead in the popular vote and led in Ohio, Democratic candidate John Kerry refused to concede on Election Night.