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John Lennon Assassinated
Lennon was shot four times by a craized fan at his home in New York City. The killer was 25-year-old Mark David Chapman. His motives for killing Lennon are unclear to the world still to this day. After being shot, Lennon and his wife ran into the lobby, before Lennon collapsed to the ground and 911 was called. Two of the bullets had pierced his lungs, while a third had ricocheted and damaged the aorta and cut his windpipe. He died at 11:07 that night. -
Millions Watch Royal Wedding on TV
The wedding between Lady Diana and Prince Charles took place at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was the wedding of the decade. There were 3,500 people at the ceremony itself. Another 600,000 people lined the streets of London, while 750 million people watched the ceremony on TV. Diana's gown was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel. It was silk taffeta with antique lace and had a 25- foot train. -
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller
The 24-year-old singer released his Thriller album. In addition to the title song, it included songs such as Beat It, Billie Jean, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. The album is still the best-selling of all time and has sold over 104 million copies to date. A year later, the Thriller music video premiered on MTV. It forever changed the music industry and secured Jackson the as "The King of Pop." -
Cabbage Patch Kids are Popular
During the Christmas season, parents were in a panic to get their kids the hottest new toy. Many stores had extremely long waiting lists, while others had a first-come first-serve policy. This led to fights between potential buyers. At the end of the year, about three million Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had been "adopted" by a child. -
Indira Gandhi Killed by Two Bodyguards
Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister. She had employed the Sikh guards to protect her, but in June she had sent the Indian army into their temple, killing hundreds and desecrating their temple. She had refused to replace her body guards when she was ambushed during a walk in her garden path. She was killed instantly. -
Wreck of the Titanic Found
With help from France, American oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the remains of the Titanic. The ship lay over two miles below the ocean's surface. Ballard used an unmanned submersible called Argo. It's discovery gave way to new dreams of exploring the ocean. -
Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes
The shuttle had left Kennedy Space Center at 11:38AM. The event was televised and the world watched as Challenger flew higher. 73 seconds after take-off, the aircraft exploded. All seven crew members were killed, including social studies teacher Sharon "Christa" McAuliffe. After investigation, it was discovered that the O-rings had malfunctioned. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
In the early morning of April 28, a ractor at the nuclear power plant exploded. The explosion released a hundred times more radiation than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 31 people died shortly after the explosion and thousands more are expected to die from long-term effects. This disaster changed the world's opinion about using nuclear reaction for power. -
Pan Am Flight 103 Is Bombed Over Lockerbie
All 259 people on board the flight were killed when the plane exploded above Scotland. Another 11 on the ground were also killed. It took over 11 yeares to bring someone to trial for placing a bomb on the plane. The town of Lockerbie suffered damage form the fallign debris of the plane. -
Students Massacred in China's Tiananmen Square
A group of students, mourning the death of Hu, organized a march to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The four thousand marchers chanted slogans for democracy and to end corruption. The government decided to send troops in to the square to stop protests. The protesters were told to go home, but they payed no attention to the warning. The soldiers began firing and kept on until June 4 when Tiananmen Square was cleared.
