George W. Bush served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2000 to 2004, during which time he faced a controversial election against Al Gore and led the nation in responding to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 by starting a war on terrorism as Commander-in-Chief. Some of the notable events during his presidency included the first tax surplus in 40 years, ongoing Arab-Israeli conflicts, and terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C.