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Election of 1980 Takes Place
Republican nominee Ronald Reagan defeated Democrat Jimmy Carter. Reagan won easily and was popular. Carter only won six states and the District of Columbia, putting the Republicans back in control for the first time in 25 years. -
AIDS Virus is First Identified
In 1980, what the CDC considers the U.S.' first victim of its 1980s AIDS crisis was admitted to the CDC for medical treatment. He would not be diagnosed until 1981, when the CDC retroactively identified him as the first, and the virus that caused AIDS would not be identified by scientists until 1983. However, the epidemic killed thousands in the United States and continues to kill people across the world, leading to widespread distrust of the gay community, particularly gay men. -
The Iran-Iraq War Breaks Out
The Iran-Iraq war began in 1980 when Iraq invaded Iran, as it wanted to replace Iran as the dominant country in the Persian Gulf. The war stretched for eight years throughout the 1980s, and a number of countries, including the U.S., the Soviet Union, France, and other Arab countries all supported Iraq. The war caused many casualties until a ceasefire was finally brokered by the U.N. in 1988. -
Iran Hostage Crisis Release Occurs
he Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981, after a group of Iranian college students who supported the Iran Revolution took over the U.S Embassy in Tehran. Following much negotiation they were released in 1981 during Reagan's inaugural address. -
USA Today Begins Publishing and is the First Nationwide Newspaper.
In 1982, USA Today first began publishing. As the first nationwide newspaper, this event marked the beginning of an era of mass consumer media available to everyone, everywhere, that would change the way culture, politics, and news interacted dramatically. The newspaper is known for its colorful graphics, short stories, and easily readable and eye-catching format that transformed the way the entire newspaper industry did business. -
The Strategic Defense Initiative is Announced
The proposal for the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as SDI, or "Star Wars," was announced by President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983, and was a plan to create a missile defense system to protect the United States from attacks by nuclear ballistic missiles. The plan was controversial and never occurred due to concerns over both the massive expense of the endeavor and moral issues with weaponizing space. -
Gorbachev Comes to Power
Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as leader of the Soviet Union. Unlike his predecessors, he supported democratic reforms and acknowledged that his country needed serious change. He was responsible for the policies of glasnost ("openness") and perestroika, which eventually led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He was the last leader before the union fell. -
Policies of Glasnost and Perestroika are Adopted
The policy of glasnost (meaning "openness") is adopted and popularized by Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union. Both glasnost and perestroika were reforms meant to restore the country, but these two policies are blamed for the eventual fall of the Soviet Union. Perestroika was put in place to reform the economical system in the union, and glasnost allowed for the rest of the world to know what was happening in the country, thus it's meaning of "openness" or transparency. -
The Chernobyl Disaster Begins
The Chernobyl disaster, now famously synonymous with all nuclear disasters, began on April 25th, 1986, continued through the 26th, and continues to have a disastrous impact on some parts of the Russian/Ukrainian ecosystem today. A power blackout caused hundreds of employees to be hospitalized, and it is widely considered one of the worst nuclear accidents of our time. -
The 1987 Stock Market Crash (Black Monday) Occurs
In finance, Black Monday refers to Monday, October 19, 1987, when stock markets around the world crashed. The crash began in Hong Kong and spread west to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already sustained significant declines.By the end of the month, stock markets had fallen internationally, and would take several years to recover. -
Election of 1988 Takes Place
The election of 1988 was yet another example of the country turning to a tide of conservatism. In the election, incumbent Vice President George H.W. Bush and the Republican Party's nominee for president won against the Democrat Michael Dukakis, who was Governor of Massachusetts. Bush campaigned upon traditional conservative "family values" and a tough on crime/drugs stance, and was the obvious choice to many voters after a popular Reagan presidency.
