Project #6

The 1980s

Period: Jan 1, 1980 to Dec 31, 1989

John Lennon Assasinated

Dec 8, 1980

John Lennon was assasinated by Mark David Chapman who shot him in the back 4 times.

1980 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1980

Inflation rate = 14.7%
Household income = $16.542
GDP = 2,862.5B
Unemployment rate = 6.30%
30 YR interest rate = 13.47%

AIDS Dscovered

May 6, 1981

Doctors discovered the virus HIV which eventually led to the AIDS outbreak.

1981 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1981

Infaltion rate = 11.2%
Household income = $17974
GDP = 321-.9 B
Unemployment rate - 7.5%
30 YR interest rate = 16.63%

First Artificial Heart Transplant

May 12, 1982

The first artificial heart recipient ever was Barney Clark. At 61, he was too old to be eligible for a human heart, thus Barney became the first one to receive a permanent artificial heart. After the transplant, he lived for 112 days.

1982 Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1982

Inflation Rate = 6.67%
Household Income = $19032
GDP = $3345 B
Unemployment Rate = 8.6%
30 YR Interest Rate = 16.04%

First Mobile Phone

May 12, 1983

Motorola introduced the first mobile phone in the US.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1983

Inflation Rate = 3.5%
Annual Household Income = $19494
GDP = 3638.1 B
Unemployment Rate = 10.4%
30 YR Interest Rate = 13.24%

Chemical Disaster in India

May 12, 1984

Large-scale chemical disaster in Bhopal, India on December 3 claimed over 2,000 lives overnight. Almost 13,000 others passed away later due to gas-related diseases. Several thousands are still suffering from permanent disabilities till date.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1984

Inflation Rate = 4.67%
Annual Household Income = $20948
GDP = 4040.7 B
Unemployment Rate = 8%
30 YR INterest Rate = 13.88%

First Ozone Hole Discovered

May 12, 1985

First hole in the Ozone layer was detected near the Antarctic region by scientists Farman, Gardiner, and Shanklin of the British Antarctic Survey.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1985

Inflation Rate = 3.84%
Annual Household Income = $22109
GDP = $4346.7 B
Unemployment Rate = 7.3%
30 YR Interest Rate = 12.43%

First Laptop

May 12, 1986

Laptop computer was developed for commercial distribution by IBM.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1986

Inflation Rate = 2.08%
Annual Household Income = $23339
GDP = $4590.1 B
Unemployment Rate = 6.7%
30 Yr Interest Rate = 10.19%

INF Treaty Signed

May 12, 1987

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty was signed between the US and the USSR at Washington D.C. on December 8. Hereby, neither of the nations could use nuclear or mid-range weaponry.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1987

Inflation Rate = 3.97%
Annual Household Income = $24489
GDP = $4870.2 B
Unemployment Rate = 6.6%
30 YR Interest Rate = 10.21%

Iran-Iraq War Ends

May 12, 1988

The Iran-Iraq war or the Persian Gulf War finally came to an end after eight years on August 20, 1988. The reported death toll was one million.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1988

Inflation Rate = 4.4%
Annual Household Income = $25693
GDP = $5252.6 B
Unemployment Rate = 5.7%
30 YR Interest Rate = 10.34%

Tiananmen Square Massacre

May 20, 1989

Tiananmen Square Massacre: Student protests for democracy in Beijing, China gained mass popularity during this period. Eventually, on May 20, the Chinese government declared martial law, leading to army intervention. Though the exact figures are unclear with different organizations going back and forth with their numbers, the government statement eventually listed 7,000 as injured and 241 as dead.

Economic Indicators

Dec 31, 1989

Inflation Rate = 5.23%
Annual Household Income = $27391
GDP = $5657.7 B
Unemployment Rate = 5.4%
30 YR Interest Rate = 10.32%