CRS counts 21 funding gaps since FY1977. The older cases did not always look like a modern shutdown, because the 1980 and 1981 Civiletti opinions changed how agencies handled lapses in appropriations.
History timeline
Why does the U.S. keep coming close to shutdowns? This timeline starts in the 1970s.
This page shows the bigger picture. U.S. government shutdowns are not common, but they have happened again and again since the federal fiscal year moved to October 1.
History timeline
If you only want the big moments, start with these years.
Most people do not need all 21 entries first. These are the years readers usually recognize right away.
Drag the timeline
Drag left or right, then open the year you want.
FY 1977 10 days
First post-fiscal-year funding gap
A 10-day gap soon after the federal fiscal year shifted to October 1.
FY 1996 5 + 21 days
The Clinton-Gingrich confrontation
Two shutdowns in one fiscal year turned the budget fight into a defining political event.
FY 2014 16 days
Affordable Care Act standoff
A shutdown tied to a high-profile fight over spending and health policy.
FY 2019 34 days
The longest modern shutdown until 2025
This became the record-holder until the FY2026 lapse lasted even longer.
FY 2026 42 days
A new longest funding gap
CRS records the FY2026 lapse as the longest in the timeline.
History timeline
Every shutdown and funding gap on the list
This list follows the CRS chronology. It starts with the first post-fiscal-year funding gap in 1976 and runs through the FY2026 lapse that lasted 42 days.
FY 1977 10 days
First post-fiscal-year funding gap
This 10-day gap came soon after the federal fiscal year moved to October 1.
FY 1978 8 days
First FY1978 lapse
Congress resolved this gap with another short-term funding measure.
FY 1978 8 days
Second FY1978 lapse
A second FY1978 funding gap followed one month later.
FY 1979 12 days
Longest gap of the 1970s
The FY1979 lapse lasted 12 days and showed how hard appropriations fights could become.
FY 1980 8 days
Last pre-Civiletti gap
This happened before the 1980 and 1981 legal opinions that shaped the modern shutdown model.
FY 1982 3 days
Early modern shutdown-era lapse
After the Civiletti opinions, funding lapses were treated more strictly and became more operationally visible.
FY 1983 2 days
Short FY1983 lapse
A brief funding break as lawmakers argued over spending and appropriations timing.
FY 1983 3 days
Second 1982 gap
Another short lapse showed how quickly appropriations fights could repeat.
FY 1984 3 days
FY1984 gap
A brief shutdown-era funding lapse continued the pattern of 1980s brinkmanship.
FY 1985 2 days
FY1985 gap, part one
The first of two closely spaced gaps in late 1984.
FY 1985 1 day
FY1985 gap, part two
A follow-on lapse that ended quickly but underlined how unstable the budget process had become.
FY 1987 1 day
FY1987 brief gap
A one-day lapse, short but still part of the broader pattern.
FY 1988 1 day
FY1988 brief gap
Another short lapse late in the decade.
FY 1991 3 days
FY1991 gap
A three-day funding lapse at the start of the 1990s.
FY 1996 5 days
Clinton-Gingrich showdown, part one
The first of two shutdowns tied to a major budget confrontation.
FY 1996 21 days
Clinton-Gingrich showdown, part two
For years, this 21-day shutdown stood as the longest in the modern era.
FY 2014 16 days
Affordable Care Act standoff
A 16-day shutdown during the Obama administration.
FY 2018 2 days
January 2018 gap
A short weekend lapse that temporarily closed federal agencies.
FY 2018 Overnight
Brief February 2018 gap
An overnight lapse that lasted only hours but still counted in the broader funding-gap chronology.
FY 2019 34 days
Record-setting Trump-era shutdown
A 34-day shutdown that became the longest on record until the FY2026 lapse.
FY 2026 42 days
FY2026 lapse sets a new record
CRS records this 42-day lapse as the longest funding gap in the timeline.
Official sources