Entertainment
March 21, 1980 – The popular serialized American television show Dallas asked “Who Shot J.R.?” in the episode airing this evening. Television viewers in 53 countries watched this season- ending episode. It was watched by 41 million viewers in the U.S. alone, making it the second most watched television episode of all time.
June 12, 1981 - The Blockbuster film “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” produced by George Lucas and directed by Stephen Spielberg, debuted. It began a tradition, starting in the 1980s, of the non-stop action/adventure film genre.
August 1, 1981 - MTV debuted. From its first video, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, it was clear that this cable music television channel would revolutionize the music industry and usher in the era of music videos.
February 28, 1983 – The final episode of the popular American television program M.A.S.H. titled “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” aired this evening. With 105 million viewers watching, this is the most-watched television episode of all time.
July 13, 1985 – The Live Aid concert was held on this date. This concert, held in Philadelphia and London, raised over $100 million for famine victims in Ethiopia.
September 26, 1988 – Viking Penguin published Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses", inspired by the life of Muhammad. It created controversy in the Muslim world as they called upon all Muslims to kill Rushdie and the publishers of the book.
Fashion and Fads
June 1, 1980 – Jelly shoes became popular footwear in the 1980s, thanks to a New York Times article published on this date. These plastic shoes came in a variety of colors and were worn mostly by women.
1982 – Bausch & Lomb signed a product placement deal for its Ray-Ban sunglasses to be featured in more than 60 television shows and movies during the 1980s. Its Wayfarer model proved especially popular, featured in the Tom Cruise film Risky Business and on the television show "Miami Vice".
Art & Architecture
May 26, 1980 – A Pablo Picasso exhibit was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. More than 1.5 million people attended this exhibit, making it the largest and most widely attended exhibit of any American artist in the 20th century.
November 13, 1982 – The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial was opened in 1982. Created by artist Maya Lin, the memorial contains 58,261 names of those who died fighting in Vietnam.
Important Events
April 24, 1984 – U.S. researchers identify the virus that causes AIDS. At the time, it was called HTLV-3, and is now termed HIV.
April 26, 1986 – The nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union occurred. This is considered the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. Over 30 people were killed as a direct result of the accident. However, it is estimated that over 2500 people later developed cancer and died as a result of the accident.
October 19, 1987 – The U.S. stock market fell 22.6% on this date, called Black Monday. This marked the largest one-day drop of the stock market in history.
November 9, 1989 – The Berlin Wall, which separated East Germany from West Germany, fell on this date. This symbolized the end of the Cold War and led to a reunification of Germany.
Written by Michael S. Atwood