1980s

Historical events

Period: Jan 1, 1980 to Dec 31, 1989

Population increase

Apr 1, 1980

The 1980 census shows a population in the United States of 226,542,203, an 11.4% increase since 1970.

1980 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1980

Inflation Rate :13.58%
Household Income: $16.542
GDP: 6.49T
Unemployment: 7.1%
Interest rate: 13.77%

Attempt murder of president

Mar 30, 1981

John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on U.S. President Ronald Reagan outside of the Washington Hilton Hotel. President Reagan was hit by one bullet, which punctured his lung. Three others were also injured in the shooting.

1881 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1981

Inflation rate: 10'.35%
H.Income: $28,506
GDP: $6.49billion
Unemployment rate: 7.1%
Interest rate: 16.63%

1982 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1982

Inflation rate: 6.16%
H.Income: $19,032
GDP: 6.49trillion
Unemployment rate: 9.7%
Interest Rate: 16.8

Rescue

Apr 20, 1983

President Reagan signs legislation meant to rescue the Social Security System from bankruptcy.

1983 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1983

Inflation rate: 3.22%
H. Income: $19,494
GDP: $6.99trillion
Unemployment rate: 9.7%
Interest rate: 13.23%

1984 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1984

Inflation rate: 4.30%
H.Income: $20,948
GDP: $7.39trillion
Unemployment rate: 7.5%
Interest rate: 13.87

1985 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1985

Inflattion rate: 3.55%
H.Income: $22,109
GDP: $7.7trillion
Unemployment rate: 7.2%
Interest rate: 12.42%

The Challenger disaster

Jan 28, 1986

The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its launch. All seven crew members died and the shuttle fell into the Atlantic Ocean.

1986 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1986

Inflation rate: 1.91%
H.Income: $23,339
GDP: $7.93trillion
Unemployment rate: 7.0%
Interest rate: 10.18%

Agreement

Dec 8, 1987

The United States and the Soviet Union sign an agreement

1987 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1987

Inflation rate:3.66%
H.Income:$24,489
GDP:8.28trillion
Unemployment rate:6.2%
Interest rate:10.20%

1988 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1988

Inflation rate: 4.08%
H.Income: $25,693
GDP: 8.60trillion
Unemployment rate: 5.5%
Interest rate: 10.34%

Labor Department

Jan 6, 1989

Economic reports on the previous year from the Labor Department indicate a growth rate of 3.8%, the largest in four years and an unemployment rate of 5.3%, a low of fourteen years.

Loan Bailout

Aug 9, 1989

The Savings and Loan Bailout is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George Herbert Walker Bush.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Nov 9, 1989

Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. By 1989, the Soviet Union could not keep their empire anymore.

1989 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1989

Inflation rate: 4.83%
H.Income: $27,3921
GDP: $8.84trillion
Unemployment rate: 5.3%
Interest rate: 10.32%