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Pac-Man
On May 22, 1980, the Pac-Man video game was released in Japan and by October of the same year it was released in the United States. The yellow, pie-shaped Pac-Man character, who travels around a maze trying to eat dots and avoid four mean ghosts, quickly became an icon of the 1980s. To this day, Pac-Man remains one of the most popular video games in history. -
John Lennon
To start off the 80's, one of the most popular group member's from a very famous band, The Beatles, was shot down and killed in Manhattan , New York, at 10:00P.M. -
President Reagan
On March 30, 1981, 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on U.S. President Ronald Reagan just outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. President Reagan was hit by one bullet, which punctured his lung. Three others were also injured in the shooting. -
The Pope
The first attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place on Wednesday, 13 May 1981, in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City. The Pope was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck 4 times, and suffered severe blood loss. -
E.T.
The movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was a hit from the day it was released (June 11, 1982) and quickly became one of the most beloved movies of all time. -
Thriller
The Thriller years, 1982- 1984, would see Michael Jackson reach worldwide super stardom. Michael dominated the world of music, setting new standards and producing the biggest selling album of all time. -
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids started to become a very popular doll to young children. -
Sally Ride
Sally Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman and then youngest American, at 32 to enter space. -
PG-13
On this day in 1984, the Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees the voluntary rating system for movies, introduces a new rating, PG-13. -
Bhopal, India
During the night of December 2-3, 1984, a storage tank containing methyl isocyanate at the Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked gas into the densely populated city of Bhopal, India. It was one of the worst industrial accidents in history. -
Ozone Layer
In 1985, scientists startled the world with an ominous discovery. While monitoring the stratosphere over Antarctica, they discovered a hole in the earth's ozone layer. -
Titanic Found
On Sept. 1, 1985, underwater explorer Robert Ballard located the world's most famous shipwreck. The Titanic was largely intact at a depth of 12,000 ft. off the coast of St. John's, Newfoundland. -
Challenger Explodes
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. -
U.S. Bombs Libya
On April 14, 1986, the United States launches air strikes against Libya in retaliation for the Libyan sponsorship of terrorism against American troops and citizens. -
DNA First Evidence
A rapist in Florida was the first person to be convicted through the use of DNA evidence. -
Klaus Barbie in Jail
A Nazi war criminal, Klaus Brabie, known as the 'Butcher of Lyon' who was personally responsible for the torture and death of thousands of Jews was sentenced to life in prison. -
Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655 was a civilian jet airliner shot down by U.S. missiles on 3 July 1988 as it flew over the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the Iran–Iraq War. -
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103, a London to New York flight, exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. A total of 270 people were killed, 259 of which had been on board the plane and another 11 had been killed from the debris that hit the ground. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels of crude oil. -
Berlin Wall Goes down
On November 9, 1989, the citizens of East Berlin knocked down the Berlin Wall to show freedom to West Berlin's government.
