In the 1980s, video gaming underwent significant transformations. Yes, the 90s brought us the internet, which in turn brought us emails, online shopping and even free online slots games. But for me, the ’80s were the best. From the entire industry nosediving and nearly destroying itself, the arcade business grew faster than … Read more
The 1980s were filled with great comedic movies. These movies have given the public a lot of memorable movies that are still not forgotten. When it comes to 1980s comedies, John Hughes prevailed in the series of the best teen romantic comedies that have now become cult classics. From Sixteen Candles to … Read more
The 80s era provided us with some prominent personalities that stood the test of time. Hollywood stars giving their fair share of popularity during the 80s; Eddie Murphy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Harrison Ford, to name a few that rose to stardom. But the entertainment industry didn’t simply blow up because of rising … Read more
Every single year, a lot of musicians come out with their various records. The amount of musical content is now so varied and huge that it’s only natural to forget the songs we’ve listened to before. While 80s music might be one of the most popular and enduring collections, not all the … Read more
Along with music, TV shows, and iconic movies, pop culture in the 1980s also gave us some legendary sports history. In fact, this might be the decade with some of the most memorable events and awe-inspiring moments. Some games were unexpectedly won, now-famous players got their start, and some performances (like Mary … Read more
The 1980s had a vast variety of impacts on pop culture, particularly on musical creations, but not all of them were of legendary status. In fact, even some of the hits of that era were–for the lack of a better term–downright weird. Here are just a few examples now: ‘She Blinded Me … Read more
After a brief show trial, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were summarily executed on December 25, 1989. The execution resulted in the demise of one of the last Stalinist administrations to emerge in Eastern Europe following WWII. Learn more about WWII here. The fall of governments in Poland, Czechoslovakia, … Read more
The 80s was a unique decade, with fashion, technology, and music having some ground-breaking turning points. It’s no surprise that many people are all too eager to capture the same spirit that defined that decade, at least the way it’s usually remembered in the United States. To this end, folks may throw … Read more
The ‘80s was a turning point for back issue comics, with several iconic offerings that are still widely popular today. In many ways, it was a landmark decade for the industry. When asked about the iconic comics of the ‘80s, many people will probably mention ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ and ‘Watchmen’. While … Read more
According to a publicly released British diplomatic cable, in 1989, at least 10,000 people were massacred during the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing. This shocking event is one of the top political events in the 1980s. The paper was made public 28 years after the military clashed with students at a pro-democracy rally … Read more
When you want to revisit a certain era in time, it might be easiest to look up some TV shows or movies from that decade or year. If you’re more of a bookworm, however, picking up some of the best books from that era is a better idea. Some books might not … Read more
Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos converged on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from February 22 to 25, 1986, to protest President Ferdinand Marcos’ claim that he had won re-election against Corazon Aquino. This historical event is regarded as one of the most significant political occurrences of the 1980s. What is the People Power … Read more
The music made during the 1980s is fondly remembered and still enjoyed by people who grew up during that time. Many younger folks also enjoy the music of this decade, which is no surprise. After all, this is the time when people were listening to a wide variety of music from all … Read more
A summit between the Soviet Union and the United States leaders was held. Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan come face to face in Geneva but reached no ground-breaking agreements. On the other hand, the encounter appeared to promise well for the future, as the two men engaged in lengthy, intimate conversations and … Read more
According to Professor Swaran Singh, Indira Gandhi, India’s Prime Minister, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. The killing prompted four days of rioting in which over 8,000 Indian Sikhs were killed in retaliation assaults. At the time, Professor Swaran Singh of Warwick Medical School was a trainee surgeon … Read more
Geraldine Anne Ferraro served in the United States House of Representatives as a lawyer. In 1984, she broke with convention by running for vice president with presidential candidate Walter Mondale. She was the first woman to run on a national ballot for a major political party, running for the Democratic Party. Her … Read more
Former senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. was killed on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. His death was a watershed moment in Philippine history, motivating millions of people to take to the streets to oppose President Ferdinand Marcos’ regime, who would subsequently call for a tumultuous snap … Read more
The official narrative of Leonid Brezhnev’s death is that he died of abrupt heart arrest. Despite the Secretary General’s poor health, his untimely death has resulted in several misconceptions. And it’s no surprise: some of the circumstances surrounding Brezhnev’s death remain odd. His mysterious death is one of the top political events … Read more
Muslim radicals assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Al-Sadat during a military parade commemorating the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel on October 6, 1981. The CBS News Bureau in Cairo tries to make sense of contradictory reports on whether Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had dead in the hours after the shooting while Sadat … Read more
Argentina attacked the British foreign territory of the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982. Argentina had claimed sovereignty over the islands for many years, and the country’s governing military dictatorship did not believe Britain would try to reclaim them by force. Despite the enormous distance involved – the Falklands were 8,000 miles … Read more
After seven months and ten deaths, an Irish nationalist hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been called off. Bobby Sands, the imprisoned Irish Republican Army or IRA leader who started the protest on March 1, 1981–the fifth anniversary of Britain’s “criminalization” of Irish political prisoners–was the first … Read more
Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed in the Supreme Court by President Reagan on August 19, 1981, thereby fulfilling his 1980 campaign pledge to nominate the first woman to the highest court in the United States. At the time of her nomination, the fifty-one-year-old O’Connor was a judge in the Arizona Court of … Read more
From November 4, 1979, and ended on January 20, 1981, the Iran hostage crisis was a severe diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and Iranian administrations. Iranian terrorists held 52 American citizens prisoner in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran for 444 days. The hostage crisis, which was sparked by anti-American sentiment following Iran’s … Read more
Representatives of Poland’s communist government gave in to the demands of striking shipyard workers in Gdansk on August 31, 1980. Lech Walesa, a former electrician, led the striking workers, who later formed Solidarity, the first autonomous labor organization to emerge from a Soviet bloc country. In September 1980, Solidarity was founded and … Read more
Ted Turner, the maverick television mogul, founded CNN as part of his Turner Broadcasting System, or TBS, despite industry experts telling him it couldn’t be done. On June 1, 1980, CNN debuted after four years of development, with a news program hosted by Dave Walker and Lois Hart, a husband-and-wife combination. The … Read more
The Iran-Contra Affair was a covert US arms deal that swapped missiles and other weapons to release sure Americans held captive in Lebanon by terrorists and utilized monies from the arms sale to finance military struggle in Nicaragua. The contentious deal—and the accompanying political scandal—threatened to derail Ronald Reagan’s administration. Indeed, this … Read more
In German, the Berlin Wall, or Berliner Mauer, was erected in the dead of night on August 13, 1961, as a physical barrier between West Berlin and East Germany. Its goal was to prevent disgruntled East Germans from emigrating to the West. President Ronald Reagan delivered a memorable address in front of … Read more
In November 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States, defeating President Jimmy Carter and independent candidate John B. Anderson in a landslide victory. But, unfortunately, Reagan was almost assassinated by a would-be assassin a few months later, on March 30, 1981, in an ambush that horrified the world. Reagan’s … Read more
How do you listen to the latest songs or your favorite music? Chances are you’re hearing them via iTunes, Spotify, or Youtube and playing them on your smartphone, Bluetooth speakers, or wireless earbuds. Nearly four decades, things were far more different. In 1982, the first compact disc player was released and became … Read more