|
The 1980s saw great advances in genetic and digital technology. After years of animal experimentation since 1985 the first genetic modification of 10 adult human beings took place in May 1989, a [[gene tagging]] experiment <ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=hAJq3w5K_IUC&pg=PA513&lpg=PA513&dq=first+gene+therapy+september+14+1990&source=bl&ots=_2xJzDe8ir&sig=OzYQQ_FWukyxiV57RWiI9KgKsw0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCWoVChMInoD7h_WhyAIVAlSICh1jpg3x#v=onepage&q=first%20gene%20therapy%20september%2014%201990&f=false</ref> which led to the first true gene therapy implementation in September 1990. The first "designer babies", a pair of female twins were created in a laboratory in late 1989 and born in July 1990 after being sex-selected via the controversial [[assisted reproductive technology]] procedure [[preimplantation genetic diagnosis]].<ref>http://articles.latimes.com/1990-07-31/news/mn-1192_1_genetic-defect</ref> [[Gestational surrogacy]] was first performed in 1985 with the first birth in 1986, making it possible for a woman to become a biological mother without experiencing pregnancy for the first time in history.<ref name="people.com">http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20096199,00.html</ref>
The global [[Internet]] took shape in academia by the second half of the 1980s as well as many other [[computer network]]s of both academic and commercial use such as [[USENET]], [[Fidonet]] and the [[Bulletin Board System]]. By 1989 the [[Internet]] and the networks linked to it were a global system with extensive transoceanic satellite links and nodes in most rich countries.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=QgI1_r61JFQC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=norway+arpanet&source=bl&ots=X_ZiU6SWm8&sig=S8WWm64wPBuAID-L-kEIxSr-ldI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CHMQ6AEwEWoVChMI5Ja6oZODyAIVFC6ICh00fwv1#v=onepage&q=norway%20arpanet&f=false</ref> Based on earlier work from 1980 onwards [[Tim Berners Lee]] formalized the concept of the [[World Wide Web]] by 1989 and performed its earliest demonstrations in December 1990 and 1991. [[Television]] viewing became commonplace in the [[Third World]], with the number of TV sets in China and India increasing by 15 and 10 times respectively.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://utminers.utep.edu/asinghal/Articles%20and%20Chapters/Singhal-Rogers-Doshi-Rahman-1988-Diffusion%20of%20television.pdf |title=The Diffusion of Television in India first=Arvind |last=Singhal |first2=J.K. |last2=Doshi |first3=Everett M. |last3=Rogers |first4=S. Adnan |last4=Rahman |journal=Media Asia |volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=222–229 |accessdate=2015-04-18}}</ref>
==Politics and wars==
===Terrorist attacks===
{{Main|List of terrorist incidents#1970s–2000s}}
The most notable terrorist attacks of the decade include:
* [[El Mozote massacre]] in [[El Salvador]] on December 11, 1981, against civilians, committed by government forces supported by the [[United States]] during their anti-guerrilla campaign against Marxist–Leninist rebels.
* The [[Rome and Vienna airport attacks]] take place on December 27, 1985, against the Israeli [[El Al]] airline. The attack was done by militants loyal to [[Abu Nidal]], backed by the government of [[Libya]].
* The [[1983 Beirut barracks bombing]] – during the [[Lebanese Civil War]] two [[truck bomb]]s struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces killing 299 American and French servicemen. The organization [[Islamic Jihad Organization|Islamic Jihad]] claimed responsibility for the bombing.
* The [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]] in [[India]], committed by [[Hindus|Hindu]] militants against [[Sikhs]] in response to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] by a Sikh militant. Thousands of people are killed and tens of thousands of Sikhs became [[displaced persons]].
* [[Air India Flight 182]] was destroyed on June 23, 1985, by Sikh-Canadian militants. It was the biggest mass murder involving Canadians in Canada's history.
* On December 21, 1988, [[Pan Am Flight 103]] was blown up over the village of Lockerbie, Scotland, while en route from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's JFK. The bombing killed all 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 people on the ground, totaling 270 fatalities who were citizens of 21 nationalities. The bombing was and remains the worst terrorist attack on [[UK]] soil.
===Wars===
The most notable wars of the decade include:
* The [[Cold War]] (1945–1991)
** [[Soviet war in Afghanistan]] (1979–1989) – a war fought between the [[Soviet Union]] and the Islamist Mujahideen Resistance in Afghanistan. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] of the [[United States]] (see [[Operation Cyclone]]), as well as [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Pakistan]] and other Muslim nations through the context of the Cold War and the regional India–Pakistan conflict.
** [[Invasion of Grenada]] (1983) – a 1983 U.S.-led invasion of [[Grenada]], triggered by a [[military coup]] which ousted a brief [[revolution]]ary government. The successful invasion led to a change of government but was controversial due to charges of [[American imperialism]], [[Cold War]] politics, the involvement of [[Cuba]], the unstable state of the Grenadian government, and Grenada's status as a [[Commonwealth realm]].
** [[Salvadoran Civil War]] (1980–1992) – part of the cold war conflicts, reached its peak in the 1980s, 70,000 Salvadorans died.
* Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas, as they are known in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-speaking countries), sparking the [[Falklands War]]. It occurred from 2 April to 14 July 1982 between the United Kingdom and [[Argentina]] as British forces fought to recover the islands. Britain emerged victorious and its stance in international affairs and its long decaying reputation as a [[colonial power]] received an unexpected boost. The [[military junta]] of Argentina, on the other hand, was left humiliated by the defeat; and its leader [[Leopoldo Galtieri]] was deposed three days after the end of the war. A military investigation known as the [[Rattenbach report]] even recommended his execution.
* [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] (early 20th century – present)
** [[1982 Lebanon War]] – the [[Politics of Israel|Government of Israel]] ordered the invasion as a response to the assassination attempt against Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom, [[Shlomo Argov]], by the [[Abu Nidal Organization]] and due to the constant terror attacks on northern Israel made by the terrorist organizations which resided in Lebanon. After attacking the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]], as well as [[Syria]]n, leftist and [[Muslim]] [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] forces, Israel occupied southern Lebanon and eventually surrounded the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] in west [[Beirut]] and subjected to heavy bombardment, they negotiated passage from Lebanon.
** In October 1985 eight Israeli [[F-15 Eagles]] carried out [[Operation Wooden Leg]] intending to bomb the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]]'s new headquarters in [[Tunis]], [[Tunisia]], more than 2,000 km from Israel. The attack cost 270 lives, most of them Tunisian civilians. The attack was later condemned by the [[United Nations Security Council]]. The [[USA]] is thought to have assisted or known of the attack.
* The [[Iran–Iraq war]] took place from 1980 to 1988. [[Iraq]] was accused of using illegal [[chemical weapons]] to kill [[Iran]]ian forces and against its own dissident [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] populations. Both sides suffered enormous casualties, but the poorly equipped Iranian armies suffered worse for it, being forced to use soldiers as young as 15 in human-wave attacks. Iran finally agreed to an armistice in 1988.
* The United States launched an [[Operation El Dorado Canyon|aerial bombardment of Libya]] in 1986 in retaliation for Libyan support of terrorism and attacks on US personnel in Germany and Turkey.
* The [[South African Border War]] between South Africa and the alliance of [[Angola]], [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]] ended in 1989, ending over thirty years of conflict.
* The United States engaged in significant direct and indirect conflict in the decade via alliances with various groups in a number of Central and South American countries claiming that the U.S. was acting to oppose the spread of [[communism]] and end illicit drug trade. The U.S. government supported the government of [[Colombia]]'s attempts to destroy its large illicit [[cocaine]]-trafficking industry and provided support for right-wing military government in the [[Salvadoran civil war]] which became controversial after the [[El Mozote massacre]] on December 11, 1981, in which U.S.-trained Salvadoran paramilitaries killed 1000 Salvadoran civilians. The United States, along with members of the [[Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States]], [[Invasion of Grenada|invaded]] [[Grenada]] in 1983. The [[Iran–Contra affair]] erupted which involved U.S. interventionism in [[Nicaragua]], resulting in members of the U.S. government being indicted in 1986. U.S. military action began against [[Panama]] in December 1989 to overthrow its dictator, [[Manuel Noriega]] resulting in 3,500 civilian casualties and the restoration of democratic rule.
* [[Battle of Cuito Cuanavale]] took place as part of the [[Angolan civil war]] and [[South African Border War]] from 1987 to 1988. The battle involved the largest fighting in Africa since World War II between military forces from [[Angola]], [[Cuba]] (expeditionary forces) and [[Namibia]] versus military forces from South Africa and the dissident Angolan [[UNITA]] organization.
* The [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]] between [[Azerbaijan]] and the [[Armenia]] started in 1988 and lasted six years.
====Civil wars and guerrilla wars====
The most notable Internal conflicts of the decade include:
* The [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]] occurred in the People's Republic of China in 1989, in which pro-democracy protestors demanded political reform. The protests were crushed by the People's Liberation Army.
* The [[First Intifada]] (First Uprising) in the [[Gaza Strip]] and [[West Bank]] began in 1987 when Palestinian Arabs mounted large-scale protests against the Israeli military presence in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, largely inhabited by Palestinians. The First Intifada would continue until peace negotiations began between the [[Palestinian Liberation Organization]] (PLO) and the Israeli government in 1993.
* [[Lebanese Civil War]] (1975–1990) - Throughout the decade, Lebanon was engulfed in civil war between Islamic and Christian factions.
* The [[Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front]] began a violent campaign for independence in [[New Caledonia]].
* [[Greenpeace]]'s attempts to monitor [[French nuclear testing]] on [[Mururoa]] were halted by the sinking of the ''[[Rainbow Warrior (1978)|Rainbow Warrior]]''.
* The [[Second Sudanese Civil War]] erupts in 1983 between the [[Muslim]] government of [[Sudan]] in the north and non-Muslim rebel secessionists in [[Southern Sudan]]. The conflict continues through the present day [[Darfur genocide]].
* [[Internal conflict in Peru]]: The communist [[Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement]] starts its fight against the Peruvian state in 1980, that would continue until the end of the 1990s.
* [[Haiti]]an [[dictator]] [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]] was overthrown by a popular uprising on February 6, 1986.
*
===Coups===
{{Main|List of coups d'état and coup attempts#1980 - 1989}}
The most prominent [[coups d'état]] of the decade include:
* A [[1980 Surinamese coup d'état|military coup]] is launched in [[Suriname]] on February 25, 1980; the country's politics are dominated by the military until 1991.
* [[Nigeria]] suffered multiple [[military coup]]s in 1983 and 1985.
* [[Sitiveni Rabuka]] staged two [[1987 Fijian coups d'état|military coups in Fiji]] in 1987, and declared the country a [[republic]] the same year.
* The "[[Anti-Bureaucratic Revolution]]" - a series of interconnected coups d'états - take place in [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] from 1988 to 1989 through mass protests organized and committed by supporters of Serbian politician [[Slobodan Milošević]] overthrow the governments of Serbia's autonomous provinces of [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo|Kosovo]] and [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina|Vojvodina]], and the government of [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro|Montenegro]], and finally the main government of [[Socialist Republic of Serbia|Serbia]] with Milošević becoming [[President of Serbia]].
===Nuclear threats===
[[File:IAF F-16A Netz 243 CIAF 2004.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Israeli Air Force]] [[F-16A]] Netz '243' that was flown by Colonel [[Ilan Ramon]] during [[Operation Opera]] ]]
* [[Operation Opera]] - a 1981 surprise [[Israel]]i [[air strike]] that destroyed the [[Iraq]]i [[nuclear reactor]] being constructed in [[Osirak]]. Israeli [[military intelligence]] assumed this was for the purpose of [[plutonium]] production to further an Iraqi [[nuclear weapons]] program. Israeli intelligence also believed that the summer of 1981 would be the last chance to destroy the reactor before it would be loaded with [[nuclear fuel]].
* President Reagan's decision to station intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Western Europe provoked mass protests involving more than one million people.
===Decolonization and independence===
* In 1982, Canada gained official independence from the United Kingdom with the [[Canada Act 1982]], authorized by the signature by [[Elizabeth II]]. This act severed all political dependencies of the United Kingdom in Canada (although the Queen remained the titular head of state).
* In 1986, Australia gained full independence from the United Kingdom with the [[Australia Act 1986]], which severed the last remaining powers of the British government and monarchy over Australia's government, almost all of which had long been considered spent and obsolete.
* In 1986, New Zealand and the United Kingdom fully separated New Zealand's governments from the influence of the British Parliament, resulting in New Zealand's full independence with the [[Constitution Act 1986]] which also reorganised the [[government of New Zealand]].
* Independence was granted to [[Vanuatu]] from the British/French condonimum (1980), [[Kiribati]] from joint US-British government (1981) and [[Palau]] from the United States (1986).
* [[Zimbabwe]] becomes independent from official colonial rule of the United Kingdom in 1980.
* Independence was given to [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Belize]] (both 1981), and [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]] (1983) of the Caribbean; and [[Brunei]] of Southeast Asia in 1984
===Prominent political events===
'''Americas'''<br />
[[File:Reagan and Gorbachev signing.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev signing the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty|INF Treaty]], 1987]]
* [[Ronald Reagan]] was elected U.S. President in 1980. In international affairs, Reagan pursued a hardline policy towards preventing the spread of communism, initiating a considerable buildup of U.S. military power to challenge the Soviet Union. He further directly challenged the [[Iron Curtain]] by demanding that the Soviet Union dismantle the [[Berlin Wall]].
* The [[Reagan Administration]] accelerated the [[War on Drugs]], publicized through anti-drug campaigns including the [[Just Say No]] campaign of First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]. Drugs became a serious problem in the '80s. Cocaine was popular among celebrities and the young, sophisticated "yuppies", while crack, a cheaper and more potent offshoot of the drug, turned the inner cities into war zones. {{citation needed|date=January 2016}}
* Political unrest in the province of [[Quebec]], which, due to the many differences between the dominant francophone population and the anglophone minority, and also to francophone rights in the predominantly [[Canadian English|English]]-speaking Canada, came to a head in 1980 when the provincial government called a public [[Quebec referendum, 1980|referendum]] on partial separation from the rest of Canada. The referendum ended with the "no" side winning majority (59.56% no, 40.44% yes).
* [[Military dictatorship]]s give way to democracy in [[History of Argentina#The democratic transition (from 1983 to today)|Argentina]] (1983), [[History of Uruguay#20th century|Uruguay]] (1984–5), [[1980s in Brazil|Brazil]] (1985–8) and [[Chile]] (1988–9).
'''Europe'''<br />
[[File:Thefalloftheberlinwall1989.JPG|thumb|right|The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of German reunification]]
* The [[European Community]]'s [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]] continued with the accession of Greece in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986.
* In 1983 [[Bettino Craxi]] became the first [[socialist]] to hold the office of [[Prime Minister of Italy]]; he will remain in power until 1987. At the end of his presidency broke out the [[Mani pulite]] corruption scandal.
* Significant political reforms occurred in a number of communist countries in eastern Europe as the populations of these countries grew increasingly hostile and politically active in opposing communist governments. These reforms included attempts to increase individual liberties and market liberalization, and promises of democratic renewal. The collapse of communism in eastern Europe was generally peaceful, the exception being Romania, whose leader [[Nicolae Ceaucescu]] tried to keep the people isolated from the events happening outside the country. While making a speech in Bucharest in December 1989, he was booed and shouted down by the crowd, and then tried to flee the city with his wife [[Elena Ceaușescu|Elena]]. Two days later, they were captured, charged with genocide, and shot on Christmas.
* In [[Yugoslavia]], following the death of communist leader [[Josip Broz Tito]] in May 1980, the trend of political reform of the communist system occurred along with a trend towards [[ethnic nationalism]] and inter-ethnic hostility, especially in Serbia, beginning with the 1986 [[Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts]] followed by the agenda of Serbian communist leader [[Slobodan Milošević]] who aggressively pushed for increased political influence of Serbs in the late 1980s, condemning non-Serb Yugoslav politicians who challenged his agenda as being enemies of Serbs.
* There was continuing civil strife in Northern Ireland, including the adoption of hunger strikes by Irish Republican Army prisoners seeking the reintroduction of political status.
* [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, and initiated major reforms to the Soviet Union's government through increasing the rights of expressing political dissent and opening elections to opposition candidates (while maintaining legal dominance of the Communist Party). Gorbachev pursued negotiation with the United States to decrease tensions and eventually end the [[Cold War]].
* At the end of the decade, the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]] in 1989 would be followed in 1990 by the [[German reunification]]. During 1989, most of the communist governments in Eastern Europe collapsed.
* The United Kingdom was governed by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] under Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], the first female leader of a Western country. Under her [[Premiership of Margaret Thatcher|Premiership]], the party introduced widespread economic reforms including the [[privatisation]] of industries and the de-regulation of [[stock market]]s echoing similar reforms of [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan]]. She was also a staunch opponent of communism earning her the nickname ''The Iron Lady''.
* Poor industrial relations marked the beginning of the decade such as the [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)]] was a major [[industrial action]] affecting the UK [[Coal mining|coal industry]]. The strike by the [[National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)|National Union of Mineworkers]] (NUM) was led by [[Arthur Scargill]], although some NUM members considered it to be unconstitutional and did not observe it. The [[BBC]] has referred to the strike as "the most bitter industrial dispute in British history."<ref>{{cite web|title=1984: The beginning of the end for British coal |location=London |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/12/newsid_3503000/3503346.stm|accessdate=20 December 2014}}</ref> At its height, the strike involved 142,000 mineworkers, making it the biggest since the [[1926 United Kingdom general strike|1926 General Strike]].<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Strikes Around the World, 1968-2005: Case-studies of 15 Countries |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YZ2ms23ZuVQC&dq=statisticians+strike&source=gbs_navlinks_s |location=Amsterdam |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |page=353 |date=2007 |isbn=9789052602851 }}</ref>
* In November 1982, [[Leonid Brezhnev]], who had led the Soviet Union since 1964, died. He was followed in quick succession by [[Yuri Andropov]], the former KGB chief, and [[Konstantin Chernenko]], both of whom were in poor health during their short tenures in office.
'''Asia'''
* South Korean president [[Chun Doo Hwan]] came to power at the end of 1979 and ruled as a dictator until his presidential term expired in 1987. He was responsible for the [[Kwangju Massacre]] in May 1980 when police and soldiers battled armed protesters. Relations with North Korea showed little sign of improvement during the 1980s. In 1983, when Chun was in Burma, a bomb apparently planted by North Korean agents killed a number of South Korean government officials. After leaving office, he was succeeded by [[Roh Tae Woo]], the first democratic ruler of the country, which saw its international prestige greatly rise with hosting the Olympics in 1988. Roh pursued a policy of normalizing relations with China and the Soviet Union, but had to face militant left-wing student groups who demanded reunification with North Korea and the withdrawal of US troops.
* In the Philippines, after almost 20 years of dictatorship, Philippine president [[Ferdinand Marcos]] left the presidency and was replaced by [[Corazon Aquino]] through the "[[People Power Revolution]]" from February 22 to 26, 1986. This has been considered by some a peaceful revolution despite the fact that the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued an order to disperse the crowds on [[EDSA (road)|EDSA]] (the main thoroughfare in Metro Manila).
===Gallery of notable world leaders===
==Disasters==
===Natural disasters===
[[File:MSH80 st helens eruption plume 07-22-80.jpg|thumb|upright||[[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]] ]]
* [[Mount St. Helens]] erupted in [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S. on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people.
* On October 17, 1989, the [[Loma Prieta earthquake]] struck the San Francisco Bay Area during Game 3 of the [[1989 World Series]], gaining worldwide attention. Sixty-five people were killed and thousands injured, with major structural damage on freeways and buildings and broken gas-line fires in [[San Francisco]], California. The cost of the damage totaled $13 billion (1989 [[United States dollar|USD]]).
* The [[US Drought of 1988]] decimated the US with many parts of the country affected. This was the worst drought to hit the United States in many years. The drought caused $60 billion in damage (between $80 billion and $120 billion for 2008 [[United States dollar|USD]]). The concurrent [[heat wave]]s killed 5,800 to 17,000 people in the United States.
* [[Hurricane Allen]] (1980), [[Hurricane Alicia]] (1983), [[Hurricane Gilbert]] (1988), [[Hurricane Joan-Miriam|Hurricane Joan]] (1988), and [[Hurricane Hugo]] (1989) were some notably destructive Atlantic hurricanes of the 1980s.
* Other natural disasters of the 1980s include the 1982–1983 [[El Niño]] which brought destructive weather to most of the world; the 1985 Mexico earthquake, which registered 8.1 on the [[Richter Magnitude Scale|Richter scale]] and devastated Mexico City and other areas throughout central Mexico; the 1985 [[Nevado del Ruiz]] [[lahar]] in [[Colombia]]; the 1986 [[Lake Nyos]] [[limnic eruption]] in [[Cameroon]]; and the 1988 [[Armenia]]n earthquake, which rocked the [[Caucasus]] region of the [[USSR]].
===Non-natural disasters===
[[File:Challenger explosion.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Space Shuttle Challenger|space shuttle ''Challenger'']] disintegrates on January 28, 1986]]
* On April 25, 1980, [[Dan-Air Flight 1008]] crashed on approach to [[Tenerife]] in the [[Canary Islands]]. All 146 people on board were killed.
* On August 19, 1980, [[Saudia Flight 163]] caught fire moments after takeoff from the [[Saudi Arabia]]n capital of [[Riyadh]]. The flight quickly returned to the airport, but evacuation of the plane was delayed and all 301 people aboard died.
* On July 9, 1982, [[Pan Am Flight 759]] was forced down by a wind shear microburst, killing 153 people.
* In 1984, the [[Bhopal disaster]] resulted from a toxic [[methyl isocyanate|MIC]] gas leak at the [[Union Carbide]] plant in [[Bhopal, India]], killing 3,000 immediately and ultimately claiming 15,000–20,000 lives.
* On September 1, 1983, Soviet Union fighter jets shot down [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007]], which was carrying 269 people, none of whom survived.
* On August 2, 1985, [[Delta Air Lines Flight 191]] crashed on approach to [[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]] in [[Texas]]. 137 people were killed while 27 survived.
* [[Japan Airlines Flight 123]], carrying 524 people, crashed on August 12, 1985 while on a flight from Tokyo to Osaka killing 520 of the people on board. This was, and still is, the worst single-plane crash ever.
* On December 12, 1985, [[Arrow Air Flight 1285]] crashed seconds after lifting off from [[Gander, Newfoundland]]. All 256 people on board, many of them U.S. servicemen returning home from duty overseas, perished.
* On January 28, 1986, the NASA [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']] [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|disintegrated]] 73 seconds after launch, killing all of the crew on board. This was the first disaster involving the destruction of a NASA space shuttle. A faulty [[O-ring]] was the cause of the accident.
* On April 26, 1986, the [[Chernobyl disaster]], a large-scale [[nuclear meltdown]] in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]], Soviet Union, spread a large amount of radioactive material across Europe, killing 47 people, dooming countless others to future radiation-related cancer, and causing the displacement of 300,000 people.
* On August 31, 1986, [[1986 Cerritos mid-air collision|Aeroméxico Flight 498]] crashed after colliding with a private [[Piper Cherokee]] over [[Cerritos, California]], killing everyone on both airplanes and several others on the ground. On the same day, the Soviet passenger ship ''[[SS Admiral Nakhimov|Admiral Nakhimov]]'' sank after colliding with the bulk carrier ''Pyotr Vasev'' in the [[Black Sea]], killing 423 people.
* On May 9, 1987, an [[uncontained engine failure]] on [[LOT Flight 5055]] caused an in-flight fire on board the airliner, which subsequently crashed, killing all 183 passengers and crew.
* On August 16, 1987, [[Northwest Airlines Flight 255]] crashed almost immediately after takeoff from [[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport|Detroit Wayne Airport]] in [[Michigan]], killing 156 people.
* On November 28, 1987, a fire broke out on [[South African Airways Flight 295]], eventually causing the aircraft to crash into the Indian Ocean. All 159 aboard were killed.
* On December 7, 1987, 43 people were killed when an irate former [[US Airways|USAir]] employee went on a rampage aboard [[Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771|PSA Flight 1771]].
* On December 20, 1987, the [[Philippines|Philippine]] passenger ferry [[MV Doña Paz|MV ''Doña Paz'']] burned and sank after colliding with the oil tanker [[MT Vector|MT ''Vector'']]. With an estimated death toll of over 4,000, this was and remains the world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
* On July 3, 1988, [[Iran Air Flight 655]] was shot down by the U.S. missile cruiser [[USS Vincennes (CG-49)|USS ''Vincennes'']] over the [[Strait of Hormuz]], killing all 290 people on the plane. The event is one of the most controversial aviation occurrences of all time, with the true cause disputed between the Americans and the Iranians.
* On March 24, 1989, the [[oil tanker]] [[Exxon Valdez]] ran aground on [[Bligh Reef]] in [[Alaska]]'s [[Prince William Sound]] spilling an estimated equivalent of 260,000 to 750,000 barrels of crude oil. Although not among the largest oil spills in history, its remote and sensitive location made it one of the most devastating ecological disasters ever. The after effects of the spill continue to be felt to this day.
* On July 19, 1989, [[United Airlines Flight 232]], carrying 296 people, suffered an in-flight engine failure and was forced to crash-land at [[Sioux City, Iowa]]. 185 survived, while 111 were killed when the plane burst into flames upon touchdown.
==Assaults==
[[File:Reagan assassination attempt 3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Reagan assassination attempt]]]]
The 1980s were marked by several notable assassinations and assassination attempts:
* On April 12, 1980, [[William R. Tolbert, Jr.]], the President of [[Liberia]], is killed during a military coup. His death marks the end of [[Americo-Liberian]] rule in Liberia.
* Musician and former member of [[The Beatles]] [[John Lennon]] was [[Death of John Lennon|assassinated]] in New York City on December 8, 1980.
* Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C. on March 30, 1981 by [[John Hinckley]], a mentally disturbed young man who also stalked actress [[Jodie Foster]]. Reagan's press secretary [[James Brady]] was also shot, along with a police officer and a U.S. Secret Service agent. The latter two recovered, along with Reagan himself, but Brady used a wheelchair as a result of brain damage thereafter and would become an advocate of gun control.
* In May 1981, there was an [[1981 Pope John Paul II assassination attempt|assassination attempt]] on [[Pope]] [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] in [[Saint Peter's Square]]. The would-be assassin was a Turkish man named [[Mehmet Ali Agca]], who was subsequently sentenced to life in prison, but would be pardoned in 2000. At the time, it was widely believed that he was an agent of the Soviet Union or [[Bulgaria]], due to the Pope's vocal anti-communist stance. Agca himself told dozens of conflicting stories over the years, and his motive remains unclear.
* Egyptian president [[Anwar Sadat]] was [[Assassination of Anwar Sadat|assassinated]] at a military parade in [[Cairo]] on October 6, 1981.
* Philippine Opposition Senator [[Benigno Aquino, Jr.]] was [[Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.|assassinated]] in [[Manila]] on August 21, 1983.
* American singer-songwriter and musician [[Marvin Gaye]] was [[Death of Marvin Gaye|shot dead]] by his [[Marvin Gay, Sr.|father]] at his home in [[Los Angeles]] on April 1, 1984.
* Indian prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]] was [[Assassination of Indira Gandhi|assassinated]] on October 31, 1984 by her own [[bodyguard]]s in response to the Indian Army's attack on Golden Temple to destroy [[Sikh]] Militant stronghold in Amritsar earlier in the decade.
* In 1984, there was an [[Brighton Hotel Bombing|assassination attempt]] on the British [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] and the Conservative Government by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]].
* In 1985, there was an [[Heysel Stadium disaster|assassination attempt]] on the Belgian [[Prime Minister of Belgium|Prime Minister]], [[Wilfried Martens]]. Caused of playtime over by the [[Juventus]] and [[Liverpool F.C.]].
* Swedish Prime Minister [[Olof Palme]] was [[Assassination of Olof Palme|assassinated]] in February 1986. The assassin has never been identified.
*On October 15, 1987, the President of [[Burkina Faso]], [[Thomas Sankara]], was killed during a coup d'état organised by his former colleague, [[Blaise Compaoré]].
{{Clear}}
==Technology==
===Medicine and Biology===
The 1980s had many fundamental advances in medicine and biology. The first [[surrogate pregnancy]] of an unrelated child took place on April 13, 1986 in Michigan.<ref name="people.com"/> The first [[genetically modified]] crops, tobacco plants were grown in China in 1988.<ref>http://artsci.wustl.edu/~anthro/research/stone/stone-annualreview-2010.pdf</ref>
==Economics==
* The early 1980s was marked by a severe global [[Early 1980s recession|economic recession]] that affected much of the developed world.
* Inflation peaked in the U.S. in April 1980 at 14.76% and subsequently fell to a low of 1.10% in December 1986 but then rebounded to 4.65% at the end of the decade.On the other hand, Finland's economy grew by almost the fastest pace in the world, which eventually culminated in the recession of the 1990s Finnish economy. In Finland, the 1980s called the "Nousukausi", namely The economic upswing<ref>{{cite web|title=Inflation and CPI Consumer Price Index 1980-1989|url=http://inflationdata.com/articles/inflation-cpi-consumer-price-index-1980-1989/|website=InflationData.com|accessdate=3 January 2015}}</ref>
* International debt crisis in developing countries, reliance of these countries on aid from the [[International Monetary Fund]].
* Revival of [[laissez-faire economics|laissez faire]]/[[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] economics in the developed world led by the UK and US governments emphasising reduced government intervention, lower taxes and deregulation of the stock markets associated with an economic revival in the mid- to late 80s. Consumers became more sophisticated in their tastes (a trend begun in the 1960s), and things such as European cars and designer clothing became fashionable in the US.
* Mexico suffers from a debt crisis starting in 1982. Economic problems worsened in 1985 by resignation of most officials of the Mexican government after a failed response of emergency aid in the Mexico City earthquake (September 19) just after the 175th anniversary of Independence holiday (September 16). In 1988, [[Carlos Salinas de Gortari]] won a controversial presidential election amid charges of voter fraud, bribery, corruption and other abuses of power.
* Enactment of the [[Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement]] in 1989 to further establish a strong economic bond between the two prosperous neighbor countries of North America.
* In the [[Soviet Union]], the [[Eleventh Five-Year Plan (Soviet Union)|eleventh Five-Year Plan]] was initiated in 1981 during a [[Era of Stagnation|period of economic stagnation]] that began in the late 1970s. The Plan was a near failure, as most of the targets were not met. With the ascent of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary]] of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]], the twelfth Five-Year Plan sought to [[Uskoreniye|accelerate]] and [[Perestroika|restructure]] the Soviet economy through reforms to decentralize production and distribution systems.
* Under the leadership of [[Deng Xiaoping]], China embarked on extensive reforms in the 1980s, opening the country's economy to the West and allowing capitalist enterprises to operate in a [[Socialism with Chinese characteristics|market socialist system]]. The corruption of [[Communist Party of China|Communist Party]] leadership was met by dissent from students and workers in the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]] which were suppressed by the [[People's Liberation Army]].
* The [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity movement]] began in Poland in 1980, involving workers demanding political liberalization and democracy in Poland. Attempts by the Communist government to prevent the rise the Solidarity movement failed and negotiations between the movement and the government took place. Solidarity would be instrumental in encouraging people in other communist states to demand political reform.
* The financial world and the stock market were glamorized in a way they had not been since the 1920s, and figures like [[Donald Trump]] and [[Michael Milken]] were widely seen as symbols of the decade. Widespread fear of Japanese economic strength would grip the United States in the '80s.
* During the 1980s, for the first time in world history, transpacific trade (with [[East Asia]], such as China, and [[Latin America]], primarily with Mexico) equaled that of transatlantic trade (with [[Western Europe]] or with neighboring Canada),<ref>"The Next Hundred Years", George Friedman, 2009, pg 4</ref> solidifying American economic power.<ref>"The Next Hundred Years", George Friedman, 2009, pg 45</ref>
* [[Keating five|The Savings and Loan Scandal]].
==Society==
Country music came to the forefront with youth appeal and record breaking marks with groundbreaking artists, such as Alabama and Hank Williams Jr. to achieved multiple platinum and award status.
The [[Techno]] style of electronic dance music emerged in [[Detroit, Michigan]] during the mid- to late 1980s. The [[House music]] style, another form of electronic dance music, emerged in [[Chicago, Illinois]] in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino and gay communities, first in Chicago, then in New York City and Detroit. It eventually reached Europe before becoming infused in mainstream pop and dance music worldwide.
[[Punk rock]] continued to make strides in the musical community; With bands leading the significance of this period such as [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], [[Bad Brains]], [[Minor Threat]], [[Suicidal Tendencies]], [[D.O.A. (band)|D.O.A.]], [[Bad Religion]], [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]], [[Social Distortion]], and [[Dead Kennedys]], it gave birth to many subgenres like [[Hardcore punk|hardcore]], which has continued to be moderately successful, giving birth in turn to a few counterculture movements, most notably the [[Straight Edge]] movement which began in the early era of this decade. [[College rock]] caught on in the underground scene of the 1980s in a nationwide movement with a distinct [[D.I.Y]] approach. Bands like the [[Pixies]], [[R.E.M.]], [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]], [[Sonic Youth]], [[XTC]], [[The Smiths]], [[Hüsker Dü]], [[The Stone Roses]], [[The Jesus and Mary Chain]] etc. experienced success in this genre. The 1980s also saw the birth of the [[grunge]] genre, with the arrival of such bands as [[Soundgarden]], [[Green River (band)|Green River]], [[Melvins]], [[Screaming Trees]], [[Malfunkshun]], [[Skin Yard]], [[The U-Men]], [[Blood Circus (band)|Blood Circus]], [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Tad (band)|Tad]], [[Mudhoney]], [[Mother Love Bone]] and [[Alice in Chains]] (who formed in 1987, but did not release their [[Facelift (album)|first album]] until three years later).
===Film===
{{Main|1980s in film}}
* Oscar winners for Best Picture: ''[[Ordinary People]]'' (1980),'' [[Chariots of Fire]]'' (1981), ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), ''[[Terms of Endearment]]'' (1983), ''[[Amadeus (film)|Amadeus]]'' (1984), ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]] ''(1985), ''[[Platoon (film)|Platoon]]'' (1986), ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), ''[[Rain Man]]'' (1988), ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'' (1989),
* The highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest ''domestic'' grossing): ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'', ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'', ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', ''[[Rain Man]]'', ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'', ''[[Back to the Future]]'', ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'', ''[[Top Gun]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'', ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'', ''[["Crocodile" Dundee]]'', ''[[Fatal Attraction]]'' and ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide|title=All-Time Worldwide Box Office|work=IMDb}}</ref>
ThisThe was1980s saw the periodreturn whenof studio-driven films, coming from the filmmaker-driven [[New Hollywood]] era of the 1970s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bordwell|first1=David|author1=Ebert, Roger|title=Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert|date=2008|publisher=The University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago and London|isbn=978-0226182018|page=xvii|edition=Paperback|url=http://www.amazon.com/Awake-Dark-Best-Roger-Ebert/dp/0226182010|accessdate=26 February 2016|quote=In his pluralism, [Roger] Ebert proved a more authentic cinephile than many of his contemporaries. They tied their fortunes to the Film Brats and then suffered the inevitable disappointments of the 1980's return to studio-driven pictures.}}</ref> The period was when '[[high concept]]' films weregained introduced.popularity, Thewhere movies were supposed to be easily marketable and understandable, and, therefore, they had short cinematic [[Plot (narrative)|plots]] that could be summarized in one or two sentences. The modern Hollywood [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] is the most popular film format from the 1980s. Producer [[Don Simpson]]<ref>{{Cite book|last = Fleming |first = Charles |title = High concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood culture of excess |year = 1998|publisher= Doubleday |ISBN = 978-0-385-48694-1}}</ref> is usually credited with the creation of the high-concept picture of the modern Hollywood blockbuster.
The 80s also spawned the [[Brat Pack (actors)|Brat Pack]] films, many of which were directed by [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]]. Films such as ''[[Class (film)|Class]]'', ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'', ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]'', ''[[Mannequin (1987 film)|Mannequin]]'', ''[[Porky's]]'', ''[[Pretty Inin Pink]]'', ''[[Sixteen Candles]]'', ''[[St. Elmo's Fire (film)|St. Elmo's Fire]]'', ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'', ''[[Weird Science (film)|Weird Science]]'', and ''[[Valley Girl (film)|Valley Girl]]'' were popular teen comedies of the era and launched the careers of several major celebrities such as: [[Emilio Estevez]], [[Anthony Michael Hall]], [[Forest Whitaker]], [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]], [[Andrew McCarthy]], [[Judd Nelson]], [[Molly Ringwald]], [[Sean Penn]], [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[Michael J Fox]]. Other popular films included ''[[About Last Night...]]'', ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', ''[[Dirty Dancing]]'', ''[[Flashdance]]'', ''[[Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose]]'', ''[[Raging Bull]]'' and ''[[St. Elmo's Fire]]'' which also launched the careers of high-profile celebrities like [[Demi Moore]], [[Joe Pesci]], [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Kevin Bacon]], [[Rob Lowe]], and [[Patrick Swayze]].
Horror films were a popular genre during the decade, with several notable horror franchises being born during the 1980s. Among the most popular were the ''[[Child's Play (film series)|Child's Play]]'', ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'', ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'', ''[[Hellraiser (franchise)|Hellraiser]]'', and ''[[Poltergeist (film series)|Poltergeist]]'' franchises. Aside from these films, the concept of the [[B movie|B horror film]] gave rise to a plethora of horror films that went on to earn a cult status. An example of such is the 1981 film ''[[The Evil Dead]]'', which marked the directorial debut of [[Sam Raimi]].
Several action film franchises were also launched during the 1980s. The most popular of these were the ''[[Beverly Hills Cop (film series)|Beverly Hills Cop]], [[Die Hard (franchise)|Die Hard]], [[Lethal Weapon (film series)|Lethal Weapon]]'', and ''[[Rambo (film series)|Rambo]]'' franchises. Other action films from the decade which are of notable status include ''[[The Terminator]]'', and ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]''. These films propelled the careers of modern celebrities such as [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Bruce Willis]], [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Mel Gibson]], and [[Sylvester Stallone]] to international recognition.
A significant development in the home media business is the establishment [[The Criterion Collection]] in 1984, an American company "dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality". Through their releases, they were able to introduce what is now a standard to home video: [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterboxing]] to retain the original aspect ratio, [[Audio commentary|film commentaries]] and supplements/special features.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Criterion|url=https://www.criterion.com/about_us|website=The Criterion Collection|publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Wadham College|title=Frame by Frame|url=https://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/news/2014/october/frame-by-frame|accessdate=27 February 2016|work=[[Wadham College, Oxford|Wadham College, University of Oxford]]|publisher=Wadham College, University of Oxford|date=28 October 2014}}</ref>
===Television===
{{Main|1980s in television}}
[[File:Seinfeld actors montage.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Seinfeld]]'' premiered on [[NBC]] in 1989 and became a commercial success, cultural phenomenon, and one of the most popular sitcoms]]
[[MTV]] was launched in the United States in 1981 and had a profound impact on the [[music industry]] and [[popular culture]] further ahead, especially during its early run in the 1980s and early 1990s.
*[[Hawthorn Football Club]] dominated Australian football, reaching seven successive VFL Grand Finals and winning the premiership in 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1989
*[[Liverpool F.C.]] were the most successful club side of the era, becoming English champions on six occasions (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1988) and winning two European Cups (1981, 1984). They also won the FA Cup in 1986, completing the first double in their history, and four consecutive [[League Cup]] titles from 1981 to 1984.
* Other highly successful club sides of the 1980s include [[Juventus]] (7 major honours won), [[Real Madrid]] (10 major honors won), [[Bayern Munich]] (9 titles won) [[PSV Eindhoven]] (4 times Dutch champions and European Cup winners in 1988), and [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] (4 times Brazilian champions, South American and International Cup winners in 1981).
* The [[San Francisco 49ers]] won four Super Bowls during the decade led by [[Joe Montana]].
* [[Magic Johnson]] and [[Larry Bird]] face against each other in three NBA Finals: '84,'85, and '87.
* [[Ultimate (sport)|Disc ultimate]] league play is introduced to Canada in 1980 by [[Ken Westerfield]] starting the first [[Ultimate Canada#History|disc ultimate league (TUC)]], in Toronto.
===Video gaming===
[[File:Prickätarpucken.svg|thumb|left|110px|[[Pac-Man]] (1980) became Immensely popular and an icon of 1980s popular culture.]]
[[File:NES-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) was released in the mid-1980s and became the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling gaming console]] of its time]]
Popular video games include: ''[[Pac-Man]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'', ''[[Metroid]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Frogger]]'', ''[[Digger (video game)|Digger]]'', ''[[Tetris]]'', and ''[[Golden Axe]]''.
''[[Pac-Man]]'' (1980) was the first game to achieve widespread popularity in mainstream culture and the first game character to be popular in his own right.
Handheld [[History of video games#Handheld LCD games|electronic LCD games]] was introduced into the youth market segment.
==Further reading==
* Batchelor, Bob, and Scott F. Stoddart. ''The 1980s'' (American Popular Culture Through History) (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/American-Popular-Culture-Through-History/dp/031333000X/ excerpt and text search]
* Grant, James. ''Money of the Mind: How the 1980s Got That Way'' (1994) [http://www.amazon.com/Money-Mind-How-1980s-That/dp/0374524017/ excerpt and text search]
* New York Times. ''New York Times Film Reviews: Best Picture Picks from the 1980s by The New York Times'' (2013) [http://www.amazon.com/York-Times-Film-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00BL9K2XO/ excerpt and text search]
* Sirota, David. ''Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now--Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything'' (2011) [http://www.amazon.com/Back-Our-Future-Now--Our-Everything/dp/0345518780/ excerpt and text search]
* Stanfill, Sonnet. ''80s Fashion: From Club to Catwalk'' (2013), 160pp
* Stewart, Graham. ''Bang! A History of Britain in the 1980s'' (2013) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Britain-1980s-Graham-Stewart/dp/1848871457/ excerpt and text search]
==External links==
{{Commons category|1980s}}
* [http://www.smellstickers.com/ 80s Culture, nostalgia, scratch and sniff stickers]
* [http://80s.publikradio.com/ 80s Music Online radio]
* [http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/ Memories of the toys, games, TV, movies and music of the 1980s]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/decades/1980s/default.stm The UK in the 1980s]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/archives/timeline/1980s.htm Australia in the 1980s]
* [http://www.80snostalgia.com/ 80s Nostalgia - a nostalgic look back at our favourite decade.]
* [http://80sactual.com/ '80s Actual - 1980s pop culture and news - the decade as it was lived in the UK.]
* [http://kajafax.co.uk/ KajaFax - The No.1 Fan community for 80s pop band KajaGooGoo, Limahl and all band member projects]
{{Decades in the 20th century}}
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