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The killer clown sentenced to death
John Wayne Gacy Jr was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", personas he had devised. -
Star Wars: Episode V - The Emperor Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back) is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Up to 100 people worked on the nearly 600 effects required for the film, which included miniatures, matte paintings, stop motion, articulated models, and full-size vehicles. Special effects-related expenses totaled $8 million, and the team was led by Richard Edlund and Brian Johnson to complete the effects. -
First pac man machine
Pac-Man manufacturer Namco installed the first machine in a movie theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo. -
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Iran-Iraq War
In September 1980, Iraqi forces launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Iran, beginning the Iran-Iraq War. Fueled by territorial, religious and political disputes between the two nations, the conflict ended in an effective stalemate and a cease-fire nearly eight years later, after more than half a million soldiers and civilians had been killed. -
John Lennon Shot Dead
On the evening of December 8, 1980, English musician John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles, was shot and fatally wounded in the archway of the Dakota His killer was Mark David Chapman Chapman said he was inspired by the fictional character Holden Caulfield from J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, a "phony-killer" who despises hypocrisy. -
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Aids Crisis
The disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) first appeared in the early 1980s, and rapidly became an epidemic among homosexual men. Intravenous drug users who shared needles, blood transfusion patients, and women with infected sexual partners were also at risk of contracting AIDS. -
Ronald Reagan becomes president
Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over Democratic incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. -
Roanld Regan wounded in assination attempt
President of the United States Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C. as he was returning to his limousine after a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton. -
First Woman Supreme Court Justice
Sandra D. O'Connor was nominated by president Reagan on July 7, 1981 to become the first supreme court justice. -
MTV's first music video
Music Television goes on the air for the first time ever, with the words (spoken by one of MTV's creators, John Lack): “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The Buggles' “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first music video to air on the new cable television channel. -
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Falkland's War
A brief but undeclared war between Argentina and Great Britain over control of the Falkland Islands and associated island dependencies. The war only lasted 10 weeks. Both countries long had claimed sovereignty over the Falklands and had been in protracted negotiations over them. -
March in NY against nuclear weapons
On the morning of June 12, 1982 people began to gather and carry signs for nuclear disarmament. By mid-afternoon, the police estimated that over 750,000 people were in Central Park demanding an end to nuclear weapons. While nuclear disarmament was the main focus of the rally, many in attendance expressed the belief that nuclear weapons were indeed linked to other social justice issues. For many black participants, there was a direct link between the money President Reagan was spending. -
Discovery fingerprint DNA
British geneticist Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered DNA fingerprinting on this day in 1984. He identified that every individual has a unique genetic code, so people could be identified by their genetic fingerprints. -
Titanic Wreckage Discovered
The wreck of the Titanic is located at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 13,000 feet underwater. It is approximately 400 miles from Newfoundland, Canada. -
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science fiction film.
Following highly successful test screenings, the release date was brought forward to July 3, 1985, giving Back to the Future more time in theaters during the busiest period of the theatrical year. The change resulted in a rushed post-production schedule, and some incomplete special effects. Back to the Future was a critical and commercial success, earning $381.1 million to become the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide -
First MLK Day
President Ronald Reagan signed the bill in November 1983. The first federal King holiday was celebrated in 1986. It took longer for the 50 states to adopt the holiday. That Monday, people across the country held marches and church services to celebrate King's legacy, as shown by this 1986 ABC News report. In California, a freedom train ran from San Jose to San Francisco to honor King, while thousands marched in Birmingham, Alabama. -
Challenger Disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a fatal incident on January 28, 1986, in the United States space program where the Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. It was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft in flight. The cause of the disaster was the failure of the two redundant O-ring seals in a joint in the shuttle's right solid rocket booster. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash of 1987 was a steep decline in U.S. stock prices over a few days in October of 1987; in addition to impacting the U.S. stock market, its repercussions were also observed in other major world stock markets. After five days of intensifying declines in the stock market, selling pressure hit a peak on October 19, 1987, also known as Black Monday. -
George H.W. Bush is Elected President
In the 1988 presidential election, Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis, becoming the first incumbent vice president to be elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836. Foreign policy drove the Bush presidency, as he navigated the final years of the Cold War and played a key role in the reunification of Germany. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Chinese troops storm through Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy protesters. The brutal Chinese government assault on the protesters shocked the West and brought denunciations and sanctions from the United States.