-
Assassination Attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on U.S. President Ronald Reagan outside of the Washington Hilton Hotel. The President was hit with one bullet, which punctured his lung. Three others were injured during the shooting. Reagan had emerged from a side door of the Hilton Hotel and had just finished giving a speech to a group of trade unionists at the National Conference of Building and Construction Trades Department. -
Vietnam War Memorial Opened in Washington D.C.
On Nov. 10, 1982, the first visitors got to tour the newly completed Vietnam War Memorial near the National Mall in Washington. "The Wall," as it is commonly called, features a long V-shaped expanse bearing the names of all United States service members killed during the conflict in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. -
The 1984 Democratic National Convention
The 1984 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California from July 16 to July 19, 1984 to select a candidate for the 1984 U.S. presidential election. Charles T. Manatt, the Democratic National Committee Chairman at the time, led the convention. Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to be nominated by either major party for the Presidency or Vice Presidency. -
"The Night Walker" Starts Killing Spree
Richard Ramirez as an American serial killer, rapist, and burglar. His highly publicized crime spree terrorized the residents of Los Angeles and later San Francisco. The news media offically dubbed him as "The Night Stalker." Ramirez was an avowed satanist and showed no remorse for his crimes. Ramirez was convicted of 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault, and 14 counts of burglary. His crime spree ended on August 24, 1985 when he was taken into custody -
Space Shuttle "Challenger" Explodes
at 11:38 am, on Tuesday, January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. As the world watched on TV, the Challenger exploded in mid-air just 73 seconds after take-off.All seven crew members, including social studies teacher Sharon McAuliffe, died in the disaster. Further investigation discovered that the O-rings of the right solid rocket booster had malfunctioned. -
U.S. Bombs Libya
On Tuesday, April 15, 1986, the U.S. bombing of Libya took place. The bombing was code-named "Operation El Dorado Canyon" and comprised air strikes carried out by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. The bombing on Libya took place as a response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing. There were 40 reported Libyan casualties, and one US plane was shot down, killing two airmen. -
New York Stock Exchange Suffers Huge Drop on "Black Monday"
In finance, "Black Monday" refers to the worldwide stock market crash on the Monday of October 19, 1987. Huge values were shredded in short time. The crash began in Hong Kong and made it's way west to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already declined by a significant margin. In Australia and New Zealand, the stock market crash is also referred to as "Black Tuesday" because of the time zone difference. U.S. Feds encouraged banks to continue to lend to one another. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill occured on March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound, Alaska. About 11 to 38 US gallons of crude oil was spilled. This event is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters. The region was a habitat for otters, salmon, seals, and seabirds. According to reports, the ship was carrying approximately 55 million gallons of oil. -
Student's Massacred in China's Tiananmen Square
Student-led protests in Bei Jing turned into a massacre known as "The June Fourth Incident" and "The '89 Democracy Movement." The protests were forcibly suppressed by military officials taking orders from hardline leaders to enforce martial law in the country's capital. Troops marched in with assault rifles and tanks fighting against unarmed casualties. The protests had been triggered by the death of a former Communist Party General Secretary. The exact number of deaths remains unknown, -
Loma Prieta Earthquake
The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake occured in Northern California at 5:04 p.m. local time. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 6.9 and resulted in the death of 63 and injury of 3,757. Damage was heavy in Santa Cruz County, but effects extended into the San Francisco Bay Area. It became the first major earthquake in the United States to be broadcasted on national television.
