-
Social Security reform becomes law
a program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. -
American hostages held in Iran released.
a group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American hostages. ... The students set their hostages free days after the crisis began and just hours after President Ronald Reagan delivered his inaugural address -
Soviet grain embargo lifted
The grain embargo against the Soviet Union was enacted by Jimmy Carter in January 1980 in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. It remained in effect until Ronald Reagan ended it upon taking the office of president. -
Reagan inaugurated
He became the new president -
Spending speech
increase defense, decrease taxes -
Reagan shot
President 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 Hotel. Hinckley believed the attack would impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he had become obsessed. -
Reagan and air-traffic controllers strike
nearly 12,300 members of the 15,000-member Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike, beginning at 7 a.m., EST, grounding approximately 35 percent of the nation's 14,200 daily commercial flights -
Sandra Day O’Connor nominated to Supreme Court
appoint the first woman to the highest court in the United States. -
Military buildup (B-1 Bomber and MX missiles)
100 MX land-based missiles and 100 B1 bombers under a $180.3 billion but an unspecified expansion of civil defense -
Fiscal Responsibility Act
to cut the budget deficit through federal spending cuts, tax increases, and reform measures -
Reagan delivers his first State of the Union
Washington, D.C. The 1982 State of the Union Address was given by the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 97th United States Congress. -
Reagan addresses Parliament in England
the first speech by an American president to a meeting of both houses of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan presents his hope -
Strategic Defense Initiative
proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons -
Suicide bombers attack U.S. Marines in Lebanon
The explosion reduced the building to rubble and killed 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers. -
Invasion of Grenada
another act to stop the spread of communism -
U.S. illegally sells arms to Iran (Iran-Contra Affair)
officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to the Khomeini government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. -
Reagan, Gorbachev hold summit in Switzerland
the first American-Soviet summit in more than six years -
Space Shuttle Challenger explosion (Reagan Speech)
known as the best speech from a president -
Farm credit crises
caused farmland value to drop 60% in some parts of the Midwest from -
South African sanctions
The law imposed sanctions against South Africa and stated five preconditions for lifting the sanctions that would essentially end the system of apartheid, which the latter was under at the time. -
Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Iceland Democrats gain seats
meeting -
Water Quality Control Act
establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. -
Gorbachev, Reagan sign treaty
This landmark agreement proposed to eliminate all intermediate and short-range ground-based missiles and launchers from Europe. -
Sanctions on Poland
lifted by Reagan -
Tower Commission concludes report (1987)
concluded that CIA Director William Casey, who supported the Iran-Contra arrangement, should have taken over the operation and made the president aware of the risks, and notified Congress as legally required. -
Berlin Wall Speech in West Berlin
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” -
Reagan prohibits abortion assistance
prohibiting abortions and abortion counseling by family planning programs that receive Federal funds -
Reagan visits Soviet Union
summit meeting -
Reagan says farewell
he left office
