-
Iraq War begins
Iraqi troops hold 90 square miles of Iran after invasion; 8-year Iran-Iraq War begins (Sept. 19) -
Anwar el-Sadat
Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists during a military parade in Cairo -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan elected president in Republican sweep (Nov. 4) -
AIDS
AIDS is first identified. -
First personal computer
IBM introduces its first personal computer, running the Microsoft Disk Operating System -
Permanent artificial heart
A permanent artificial heart is implanted in a human for first time in Dr. Barney B. Clark, 61, at University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City (Dec. 2). -
Sally K. Ride
Sally K. Ride, 32, first US woman astronaut in space as a crew member aboard space shuttle Challenger (June 18) -
US invades Grenada
US invades Grenada (Oct. 25) -
Olympic games
Soviet Union withdraws from summer Olympic games in US, and other bloc nations follow (May 7 -
President Reagan re-elected
President Reagan re-elected in landslide with 59% of vote -
Apple
Apple introduces the user-friendly Macintosh personal computer. -
US and Vatican
US and Vatican exchange diplomats after 116-year hiatus (Jan. 10 -
hepatitis B
The first genetically-engineered vaccine, for hepatitis B, gains FDA approval. -
Libyan
President Reagan freezes Libyan assets in US (Jan. 8). -
Major nuclear accident
Major nuclear accident at Soviet Union's Chernobyl power station alarms world (April 26 et seq.) -
Libyan "terrorist centers"
US planes attack Libyan "terrorist centers" (April 14) -
Iraqi missiles
Iraqi missiles kill 37 in attack on US frigate Stark in Persian Gulf (May 17); -
TV
Ninety-eight percent of U.S. households have at least one television set. -
global warming and the greenhouse effect
NASA scientist James Hansen warns congress of the dangers of the global warming and the greenhouse effect. -
free trade agreement
US and Canada reach free trade agreement (Jan. 2). -
Benazir Bhutto,
Benazir Bhutto, first Islamic woman prime minister, chosen to lead Pakistan (Dec. 1) -
China Democracy
Tens of thousands of Chinese students take over Beijing's Tiananmen Square in rally for democracy (April 19 et seq.). -
WWW
First World Wide Web server and browser developed by Tim Berners-Lee (England) while working at CERN. -
Libyan fighters
US planes shoot down two Libyan fighters over international waters in Mediterranean (Jan. 4) -
George Herbert Walker Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush inaugurated as 41st US President (Jan. 20 -
Berlin Wall
After 28 years, Berlin Wall is open to West (Nov. 11) -
US troops invade Panama
US troops invade Panama, seeking capture of General Manuel Noriega (Dec. 20) -
Nelson Mandela
South Africa frees Nelson Mandela, imprisoned 27½ years -
Panama
General Manuel Noriega surrenders in Panama (Jan. 3) -
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched (Apr. 25) -
Persian Gulf War (Aug. 2 et seq.)
Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, setting off the Persian Gulf War (Aug. 2 et seq.) -
East and West Germany reunited
East and West Germany reunited (Aug. 31 -
Cease-fire ends Persian Gulf War
Cease-fire ends Persian Gulf War (April 3) -
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin becomes first freely elected president of Russian Republic (July 10) -
Bush and Yeltsin proclaim a formal end to the Cold Wa
Bush and Yeltsin proclaim a formal end to the Cold War (Feb. 1 -
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton elected President, Al Gore Vice President; Democrats keep control of Congress (Nov. 3) -
South Africa
South Africa holds first interracial national election (April 29); Nelson Mandela elected President -
US rescues Mexico's economy with $20-billion aid program
US rescues Mexico's economy with $20-billion aid program -
Rwanda massacre
Death toll 2,000 in Rwanda massacre (April 22) -
South Africa gets new constitution
South Africa gets new constitution (May 8) -
Hong Kong
Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule (June 30) -
US spacecraft begins exploration of Mars (July 4)
US spacecraft begins exploration of Mars (July 4) -
Timothy J. McVeigh
Timothy J. McVeigh sentenced to death for Oklahoma City bombing (Aug. 14 -
White House sex scandal
President accused in White House sex scandal; denies allegations of affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky (Jan. 21 et seq.). -
the euro
Europeans agree on single currency, the euro (May 3) -
Y2K
The world awaits the consequences of the Y2K bug, with more drastic millennial theorists warning of Armageddon. -
George W. Bush
George W. Bush is sworn in as 43rd president (Jan. 20). -
9-11
Terrorists attack United States. Hijackers ram jetliners into twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked plane crashes 80 mi outside of Pittsburgh (Sept. 11). Toll of dead and injured in thousands. Within days, Islamic militant Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda terrorist network are identified as the parties behind the attacks.
