1980s
During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.
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Power dressing. ’Eatertainment.’ Fad toys that sparked near-riots. Which trends did you participate in?
Health officials first became aware of AIDS in the summer of 1981, but U.S. leaders remained largely silent for four years.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was made worse when Soviet authorities initially denied the event and then acted slowly to contain it.
The president and Congress clashed over welfare, crime, defense spending and whether to fund Contras in Nicaragua.
Challenger Disaster
How the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Unfolded
Seventy three seconds after take off the Space Shuttle Challenger encounters unexpected disaster. Find out more in this clip from Season 1, "Challenger Disaster."
3 Major Events of the 1980s
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The Exxon Valdez oil spill dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989, damaging the environment and killing wildlife.
In 1989, five New York teenagers were falsely accused of rape.
The Iran-Contra Affair was a deal made by the Ronald Reagan administration which sent arms to Iran to secure the release of hostages and fund Nicaraguan rebels.
Chernobyl is a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that was the site of the worst nuclear accident in history when a routine test went horribly wrong on April 26, 1986.
The 1980s were a decade of political conservatism, such as President Ronald Reagan’s Reaganomics, and of blockbuster movies, pop culture and fashion on MTV.
Just Say No was the name and catchphrase of a youth antidrug campaign led by first lady Nancy Reagan as part of the U.S. government's war on drugs in the 1980s.
The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, claiming the lives of all seven astronauts aboard.
HIV and AIDS began spreading among humans in the 1920s and became a public health crisis by the 1980s, before the first effective treatments emerged.
HIV and the syndrome it causes, AIDS, was first identified in the United States in 1981.
The 20-foot piece of the NASA space shuttle was found off the coast of Florida during the filming of the new HISTORY Channel series, 'The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters.'
Fear of satanic cults and secret rituals swept the nation across music, media and even day care centers.
President Reagan took three tries to get a Supreme Court nomination approved—and the outcome would have far-reaching consequences for the Court and the country.
When a variant of Mad Cow Disease moved from cattle to humans in the mid-1990s, panic ensued and the British economy lost billions.
With Chernobyl's nuclear radiation raining down, Communist party officials dithered, delayed and hid the truth. Then they gave residents of nearby Prypiat 50 minutes to evacuate.
Challenger blew apart 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts on board.
Once cutting-edge, these gadgets have since been overshadowed.
