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Period: to
The 1980s
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Attempt to rescuse American hostages in Iran fails
Air crash in operation kills 8 soldiers and injures 5. -
Mount Saint Helens erupts
Kills 57 people and causes over $3 billion in damages. Blast have 500x the power of the nuclear bomb used on Hiroshima. -
John Lennon assasinated
Music icon killed by fan, causing immense sadness as Americans saw a public figure disappear forever. -
Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
Became 40th president of the US -
Reagan survives assassination attempt
Was shot in the chest while in Washington, DC. -
Sandra Day O'Connor becomes first female Supreme Court Justice
Was approved 99-0 in a unanimous vote to become a Justice. -
Highest unemployment rate since 1940 reached.
10.4% of American citizens were unemployed and at the end of November over 11 million people would not have jobs. -
Astronaut, Sally Ride, travels into space
Becomes first American woman to travel into space. -
Ronald Reagan wins second term
Won the electoral college by a ratio of 525:13 -
First Soviet-US meeting of leaders in 6 years
Meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in a 5 hour summit. -
MLK Day officially observed as a federal holiday in the US
Was not an official holiday until then -
Challenger space shuttle explodes
Just 73 seconds into the mission, Challenger exploding killing all onboard passengers, including a teacher and 6 astronauts. -
Stock Market crash named Black Monday
Had a record 22.6% drop in one day. -
George H. W. Bush wins presidency
Won electoral college by a ratio of 426:11 -
Exxon-Valdez oil tanker crashes
Releases eleven million gallons of oil extending over 45 miles -
Berlin Wall falls
Influx of German people dismantle the wall, uniting Germany once again.
