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Winter Olympics took place in Lake Placid, NY. Miracle on Ice takes place when an Amateur hockey team defeats Soviet Union professional all-star team. USA beats Soviet Union 4-3. -
CNN is launched in Atlanta Georgia -
Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States. Reagan defeated Carter in the 1980 election, winning 50.7% of the popular vote and 489 electoral votes to Carter's 41% and 44 electoral votes. -
John Lennon was shot and killed by a crazy fan in New
York´s Upper West Side. -
The inauguration was held on the west front which symbolized the presidential memorials and Arlington National Cemetery -
President Reagan and his Secret Service detail were departing from a midday speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. when a lone gunman opened fire -
In the early morning hours of April 12, 1981, NASA launched is first Space Transportation System, or space shuttle, mission, carrying astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into orbit -
Sandra Day O´Connor became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by President Ronald Reagan. She served from 1981 to 2006 -
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1982, fulfilling one veteran's promise to never forget those who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.
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Michael Jackson releases his second album called Thriller -
Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space. -
10/25/1983 - 10/29/1983 The U.S. invaded Grenada to protect the U.S. citizens living there. There were approximately 1,000 medical students going to the medical school on the island. -
Reagan won 49 states en route to amassing 525 electoral votes to Mondale’s 13—one of the biggest landslides in U.S. election history. -
A Famine relief concert called Live Aid was held to raise money for relief efforts in Ethiopia and other African countries (In 17 hours the concert raised 70 million dollars). There were artists such as Queen, Madonna, David Bowie, The Beach Boys, Elton John, etc. -
The decline of the Cold War. Ronald Reagan met with the Soviet Union in six years in a five hour summit conference. The Reagan administration implemented a new policy towards the Soviet Union through NSDD-32 (National Security Decisions Directive) to confront the USSR on three fronts. -
Officially observed for the first time as a federal holiday in the U.S. The first year the U.S. observed the holiday was 1986 -
Challenger Space Shuttle explodes after lift off at Cape Canaveral, Florida killing seven people. The space shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after takeoff, killing all the astronauts on board. The tragedy unfolded on live TV with millions watching. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Meltdown in Ukraine
Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. 31 people died instantly. The result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. -
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (Simpson-Mazzoli Act) is signed into law by President Reagan, and all employers are required to request Form I-9 to any employees hired. -
Black Monday -
The Stock Market crash occurred on the NYC stock exchange
22.6% drop in one day. Stock markets around the world would have minor crashes. -
Massive Decommission of Nuclear Weapons - The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed an agreement to dismantle all 1,752 U.S. and 859 Soviet missiles in the 300 - 3,400 mile range. -
Under the legalization program's major phase, whose deadline was last May 4, temporary residency was granted to more than 1.7 million illegal aliens. They had to prove continuous residency in the United States since Jan. 1, 1982. -
Bush Sr. is elected president in 1988 -
The Exxon Valdez oil spill was a man-made disaster that occurred when Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker owned by the Exxon Shipping Company. -
Walt Disney World Opens -
Army General Colin Powell is elevated to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first African American to be nominated to that post. -
The Berlin Wall dividing communist East Germany from West Germany crumbled. Political reforms inside the Soviet bloc, escalating pressure from the people of eastern Europe and ultimately, confusion over an East German directive to open the border.