1980s History Events
1980s history events seem to many like they just took place yesterday. The 1980s, or "the Eighties," was the decade that began on January 1, 1980 and ended on December 31, 1989. If you were born during this time or were just growing up, you might have fun reminiscing about these events and trends.
June 1, 1980: CNN is officially launched.
May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington, killing 57 people.
December 8, 1980: John Lennon was assassinated in New York City.
August 1, 1981: MTV was launched in the United States
January 20, 1981: Ronald Regan becomes 40th President of the United States.
March 30, 1981: Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C. by John Hinckley.
May 11, 1981: Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin melanoma.
1981: AIDS is first recognized, thus begins the AIDS pandemic.
May 11, 1981: Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin melanoma.
July 2, 1982: "Lawn Chair Larry" flies 16,000 feet above Long Beach, California in a lawn chair lifted up by weather balloons.
January 27, 1984: Michael Jackson's hair catches on fire during a Pepsi commercial.
December 2-3, 1984: The Bhopal disaster resulted from a toxic gas leak at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing 3,000 immediately and claiming 15,000–20,000 lives. It was the world's worst industrial disaster.
July 13, 1985: Live Aid concert, held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The concert raised money to send food to the starving people of Ethiopia.
March 6, 1985: Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York.
January 26, 1986: The space shuttle Challenger disintegrates after take off, killing all 7 crew members.
April 26, 1986: The Chernobyl disaster, a nuclear meltdown in the Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, spread a large amount of radioactive material across Europe, killing 47 people, and causing the displacement of 300,000 people. Considered to be the worst nuclear power plant accident in history.
June 12, 1987: While in Germany, President Regan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
December 9, 1987: Microsoft releases Windows 2.0.
April 12, 1988: Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs, California.
December 9, 1988: The last Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant roll off the assembly line in a Chrysler factory.
March 24, 1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound in Alaska.
July 31, 1989: The Game Boy by Nintendo is released in the United States. Significant fashion trends of the 1980s include: "Baby on Board" signs in cars
Popular trends you may remember from the 1980s:
TOYS FROM THE 1980s:
Being reminded of some of the historical events from the 1980s can be a real blast to the past!
June 1, 1980: CNN is officially launched.
May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington, killing 57 people.
December 8, 1980: John Lennon was assassinated in New York City.
August 1, 1981: MTV was launched in the United States
January 20, 1981: Ronald Regan becomes 40th President of the United States.
March 30, 1981: Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C. by John Hinckley.
May 11, 1981: Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin melanoma.
1981: AIDS is first recognized, thus begins the AIDS pandemic.
May 11, 1981: Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin melanoma.
A very fun historical event from the 1980s:
July 2, 1982: "Lawn Chair Larry" flies 16,000 feet above Long Beach, California in a lawn chair lifted up by weather balloons.
January 27, 1984: Michael Jackson's hair catches on fire during a Pepsi commercial.
December 2-3, 1984: The Bhopal disaster resulted from a toxic gas leak at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing 3,000 immediately and claiming 15,000–20,000 lives. It was the world's worst industrial disaster.
July 13, 1985: Live Aid concert, held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The concert raised money to send food to the starving people of Ethiopia.
March 6, 1985: Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York.
January 26, 1986: The space shuttle Challenger disintegrates after take off, killing all 7 crew members.
April 26, 1986: The Chernobyl disaster, a nuclear meltdown in the Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, spread a large amount of radioactive material across Europe, killing 47 people, and causing the displacement of 300,000 people. Considered to be the worst nuclear power plant accident in history.
June 12, 1987: While in Germany, President Regan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
December 9, 1987: Microsoft releases Windows 2.0.
April 12, 1988: Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs, California.
December 9, 1988: The last Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant roll off the assembly line in a Chrysler factory.
March 24, 1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound in Alaska.
July 31, 1989: The Game Boy by Nintendo is released in the United States. Significant fashion trends of the 1980s include: "Baby on Board" signs in cars
Popular trends you may remember from the 1980s:
TOYS FROM THE 1980s:
- Smurfs
- Care Bears
- Dungeons and Dragons
- My Little Pony
- Stawberry
- Rubik's Cube
- Pac Man
- Hulk Hogan doll
- Transformers
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- New Kids on the Block
- Debbie Gibson
- Madonna
- Huey Lewis and the News
- Genesis
- Pet Shop Boys
- Cindy Lauper
- Tesla
- Poison
- Pat Benetar
- Family Ties
- MacGyver
- School House Rock
- Slayer
- Tears for Fears
- She-Ra and He-Man
- Knight Rider
- Magnum, P.I.
- Cheers
- Miami Vice
- The Simpsons
- The Cosby Show
- Scooby-Doo
- Ghost Busters
- Muppet Babies
- Fraggle Rock
- Dallas
- Dynasty
- Mr. T
- Alf
- The A-Team
- Dallas
- Roseanne
- Aqua Net hair spray
- Swatches and slap bracelets
- Wearing feathered hair and neon headbands
- Perms, Mullet hair cut, and hair gel
- Scrunchies in hair
- Mis-matched earrings or only one earring
- Shoulder pads
- Leg warmers and mini skirts
- Sweatshirts with their collars cut open
- Bright colored high heels
- "Jellies" shoes
- Dr. Martens
- Track suits
- Acid-washed jeans and denim jackets
- Air Jordan basketball shoes
- Happy Pants
- Brand names became important starting with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein
- Ray-Ban sunglasses
- Flashdance (1983)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Back to the Future (1985)
- Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- E.T. (1982)
- Batman (1989)
- Star Wars Episode V (1980)
- Star Wars Episode VI (1983)
- The Shining (1980)
- Rain Man (1988)
- Fatal Attraction (1987)
- Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
- On Golden Pond (1981)
- The Karate Kid (1984)
- The Color Purple (1985)
- Out of Africa (1985)
- Sophie's Choice (1982)
- A Passage to India (1984)
Being reminded of some of the historical events from the 1980s can be a real blast to the past!