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1980s

From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American

President Ronald Reagan and Soviet UnionSoviet General Secretary of the Communist

Party of the Soviet Unionleader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the twosuperpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Berlin Wall#The FallFall of the

Berlin Wall in 1989 is considered to be the most momentous event of the 1980s; In 1986,

six astronauts and Christa McAuliffeone teacher died in the Space Shuttle Challenger

disasterChallenger disaster; In 1985, the Live Aid concert was held in order to fund relief

efforts for the 19841985 famine in Ethiopiafamine in Ethiopia; Ukraine and much of the

world is filled with radioactive debris from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster; The IranIraq

War leads to over one million dead and $1 trillion spent.

Millennium: 2 millennium

Centuries: 19 century20 century21 century

Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s1980s1990s 2000s 2010s

Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

Categories: BirthsDeathsArchitecture

EstablishmentsDisestablishments

The 1980s, also known as "the Nineteen Eighties" or abbreviated as "the Eighties" or "the '80s", was the decade that

began on January 1, 1980 and ended on December 31, 1989 and was the ninth decade of the 20th century.

The time period saw great social, economic, and general change as wealth and production migrated to newly

industrializing economies. As economic liberalization increased in the developed world, multiple multinational

corporations associated with the manufacturing industry relocated into Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea,

Taiwan, China, and new market economies in Eastern Europe following the collapse of communism in easternEurope. Japan and West Germany are the most notable developed countries that continued to enjoy rapid economic

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growth during the decade while other developed nations, particularly the United States and United Kingdom

re-adopted laissez-faire economic policies.

Developing countries across the world faced economic and social difficulties as they suffered from multiple debt

crises in the 1980s, requiring many of these countries to apply for financial assistance from the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Ethiopia witnessed widespread famine in the mid-1980s, resulting in the

country having to depend on foreign aid to provide food to its population and worldwide efforts to address and raisemoney to help Ethiopians, such as the famous Live Aid concert in 1985.

Major civil discontent and violence occurred in the Middle East, including the Iran-Iraq War, the ongoing

Soviet-Afghan War, the 1982 Lebanon War, the Bombing of Libya in 1986, and the First Intifada in the Gaza Strip

and the West Bank.

In the eastern world, hostility to authoritarianism and the failing command economies of communist states resulted

in a wave of reformist policies by communist regimes such as the policies ofperestroika and glasnostin the Soviet

Union, along with the overthrows and attempted overthrows of a number of communist regimes, such as in Poland,

Hungary, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in China, the Czechoslovak "Velvet Revolution", and the

overthrow of the Nicolae Ceauescu regime in Romania and other communist Warsaw Pact states in Central and

Eastern Europe. It came to be called the late 1980s' "purple passage of the autumn of nations". By 1989, with thedisintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union announced the abandonment of political hostility toward the

western world and, thus, the Cold War ended. These changes continued to be felt in the 1990s and into the 21st

century.

Politics and wars

Terrorist attacks

1983 Beirut barracks bombing

The most notable terrorist attacks of the decade include:

Air India Flight 182 was destroyed on June 23, 1985 bySikh-Canadian militants. It was the biggest mass murder involving

Canadians in Canada's history.

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 bombs struck separate buildings housing United States

and French military forces killing 299 American and French

servicemen. The organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility

for the bombing.

The Lockerbie Disaster on 21 December 1988, when a Boeing 747-121 was blown up over the village of

Lockerbie, Scotland while enroute 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.

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Wars

The most prominent armed conflicts of the decade include:

International wars

Invasion of Grenada, 1983.

Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, 1988.

Aftermath of Halabja poison gas attack by Saddam Hussein

committed during the Iran-Iraq war.

The most notable wars of the decade include:

The Cold War (19451991)

Soviet war in Afghanistan (19791989) - 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 United States, 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.-ledinvasion of Grenada, triggered by a military coup

which ousted a brief revolutionary 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.

ArabIsraeli conflict (Early 20th century-present)

1982 Lebanon War - The 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 PLO, as well as Syrian, leftist

and Muslim Lebanese forces, Israel occupied

southern Lebanon and eventually surrounded the

PLO in west Beirut and subjected to heavy

bombardment, they negotiated passage from

Lebanon.

The Iran-Iraq war took place from 1980 to 1988.

Iraq was accused of using illegal chemical weapons

to kill Iranian forces and against its own dissident

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.

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Argentina retook the Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas, as they are known in Spanish-speaking countries),

sparking the Falklands War. It occurred from 2 April 198214 July 1982 between the United Kingdom and

Argentina as British forces fought to reocuppy 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.

The United States launched an 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 December11, 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, 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 president,

Manuel Noriega.

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, which the

Palestinians claim as their own. The Intifada soon became violent as the Israeli army and Palestinian militants

fought for control over the disputed territories. The First Intifada would continue until peace negotiations began

between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Israeli government in 1993. Lebanese Civil War (19751990) - 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 theRainbow

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.

Peru faced the beginning of internal conflict by the communist Tpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement in 1980

that would continue until the end of the 1990s. Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier was overthrown by a popular uprising on February 6, 1986.

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El Salvador's civil war 1980-1992, part of the cold war conflicts, reached its peak in the 80s, 70,000 salvadorans

died.

Coups

The most prominent coups d'tat of the decade include:

Nigeria suffered multiple military coups in 1983 and 1985. Sitiveni Rabuka staged two military coups in Fiji in 1987, and declared the country a republic the same year.

Nuclear threats

The Israeli Air Force F-16A Netz '243' which was flown by Colonel

Ilan Ramon during Operation Opera.

Operation Opera - a 1981 surprise Israeli air strike

that destroyed the Iraqi 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

Canada gained official independence from the United Kingdom with a new Constitution on 17 April 1982,

authorized by the signature by Queen 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 and the United Kingdom fully separated Australia's governments from the influence of the

British Parliament, resulting in a consolidation of Australia's independence that had been granted a century

before.

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 awarded to Antigua and Barbuda, Belize (both 1981), and Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983) of the

Caribbean; and Brunei of Southeast Asia in 1984.

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1980s 6

Prominent political events

Americas

U.S. President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev

signing the 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 ofU.S. military power to challenge the Soviet Union.

He further directly challenges 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.

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 English-speaking

Canada, came to a head in 1980 when the provincial government called a public 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 dictatorships give way to democracy in Argentina (1983), Uruguay (19845), Brazil (19858) and Chile

(19889).

Europe

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of German

reunification.

The European Community's enlargement continuedwith the accession of Greece in 1981 and Spain and

Portugal in 1986.

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 wasgenerally peaceful, the exception being Romania,

who's 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.

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 Miloevi who aggressively pushed for increased

political influence of Serbs in the late 1980s, condemning non-Serb Yugoslav politicians who challenged his

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1980s 7

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 allowing some democratic elections

(though maintaining Communist dominance). 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 the course of 1989, most of the communist governments in Eastern Europe collapsed.

The United Kingdom was governed by the Conservative Party under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the first

female leader of a western country. Under her Premiership, the party introduced widespread economic reforms

including the privatisation of industries and the de-regulation of stock markets echoing similar reforms of U.S.

President Ronald Reagan. She was also a staunch opponent of communism earning her the nickname 'The Iron

Lady'.

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 poorhealth 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 (the main thoroughfare in Metro Manila).

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1980s 8

Disasters

Natural disasters

1980 eruption of Mount St.

Helens.

Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington, U.S. on May 18, 1980, killing 57

people.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area during the1989 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 USD).

The US Drought of 1988 decimated the US with many parts of the country

becoming victim. 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 USD). The concurrent heat waves killed 5,800 to 17,000 people

in the United States.

Hurricane Allen (1980), Hurricane Alicia (1983), Hurricane Gilbert (1988),

Hurricane Joan (1988), and Hurricane Hugo (1989) were some notably destructive Atlantic hurricanes of the

1980s.

Other natural disasters of the 1980s include the 19821983 El Nio which brought destructive weather to most of

the world; the 1985 Mexico earthquake, which registered 8.1 on the 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 Armenian earthquake, which rocked the Caucasus region of the USSR.

Non-natural disasters

The space shuttle Challengerdisintegrates on

January 28, 1986.

In 1984, the Bhopal disaster resulted from a toxic MIC gas leak atthe Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing 3,000 immediately

and ultimately claiming 15,00020,000 lives.

On September 1, 1983, the Soviet Union shot down Korean Air

Lines Flight 007, which was carrying 269 people.

Japan Air Lines 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 the worst ever single-plane crash.

In 1986, the NASA Space Shuttle Challengerdisintegrated after

launch, killing all of the crew onboard. This was the first disaster

involving the destruction of a NASA space shuttle. A faulty O-ring

was the cause of the accident.

In 1986, the Chernobyl disaster, a large-scale nuclear meltdown in the 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.

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska. Although not among the largest oil spills in history, its

remote and sensitive location made it one of the most devastating ecological disasters ever.

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1980s 9

Assassinations

Anwar Sadat

Reagan assassination attempt

The 1980s were marked by several notable assassinations and

assassination attempts:

Famous former Beatles musician John Lennon was assassinated

in 1980 in New York City.

Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated at a military

parade in Cairo on October 6, 1981.

Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C. on March 30,

1981 by John Hinckley, a mentally disturbed young man who

also stalked Jodie Foster. Reagan's press secretary James Brady

was also shot, along with a police officer and a Secret Service

agent. The latter two recovered, along with Reagan himself, but

Brady used a wheelchair thereafter and would become an

advocate of gun control.

Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated onOctober 31, 1984 by her own bodyguards in response to the

Indian Army's attack on Golden Temple to destroy Sikh

Militant stronghold in Amritsar earlier in the decade.

American singer-songwriter and musician Marvin Gaye was

shot dead by his father at his home in Los Angeles on April 1,

1984.

In 1984, there was an assassination attempt on the British Prime

Minister, Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Government

by the IRA.

Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in February 1986. The assassin has never been identified. In May 1981, there was an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square. The 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.

Technology

Electronics and computers

Arcade games and video games had been growing in popularity since the late 1970s, and by 1982 were a major

industry. But a variety of factors, including a glut of low-quality games and the rise of home computers, caused a

tremendous crash in late 1983. For the next three years, the video game market practically ceased to exist in the US.

But in the second half of the decade, it would be revived by Nintendo, whose Famicom console had been enjoying

considerable success in Japan since 1983. Renamed the Nintendo Entertainment System, it would claim 90% of the

American video game market by 1989.

Computers experienced explosive growth in the '80s, going from being a toy for electronics hobbyists to a

full-fledged industry. The IBM PC, launched in 1981, become the dominant computer for professional users.

Commodore created the most popular home computers of both 8-bit and 16-bit generations. MSX standard was the

dominant computer platform in Japan. Apple was committed to resisting the tide of IBM PC clones, whileintroducing the first Macintosh computer in 1984. It was the first commercially successful personal computer to use

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1980s 10

a graphical user interface and mouse,[1] which started to become general features in computers after the middle of the

decade.

IBM 5150, the first model of the IBM PC,

was released in 1981. The IBM PCs and

compatible models from other vendors would

become the most widely used computer

systems in the world.

Commodore 64 which sold an estimated

at more than 17 million units in

19821994 became the best-selling

computer model of all time.

The Macintosh 128K, the

first commercially

successful personal

computer to use a graphical

user interface, was

introduced to the public in

1984.

[2]

Walkman and Boomboxs, introduced during the late 1970s, became very popular and had an profound impact on the

Music industry and youth culture. Consumer VCRs and video rental stores became commonplace as vhs won out

over the competing betamax standard.

Walkman WM-D6C Pro (1984) 1980s Boombox VHS won out over the

competing Betamax

standard.

Space exploration

The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine

ignition, 1981

American interplanetary probes continued in the '80s, the Voyager duo

being the most famous. After making a flyby of Jupiter in 1979, they

visited Saturn in 1980

1981. Voyager 2 reached Uranus in 1986 (just afew days before the Challenger disaster), and Neptune in 1989 before

the probes exited the solar system.

No American probes were launched to Mars in the 1980s, and the

Viking probes, launched there in 1975, completed their operations by

1982. The Soviets launched two Mars probes in 1988, but they failed

ignominiously.

The arrival of Halley's Comet in 1986 was met by a series of

American, Soviet, Japanese, and ESA probes.

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1980s 11

After a five-year hiatus, manned American space flights resumed with the launch of the space shuttle Columbia in

April 1981. The shuttle program progressed smoothly from there, with three more orbiters entering service in

19831985. But that all came to an end with the tragic loss of the Challenger on January 28, 1986, taking with it

seven astronauts, including Christia McAuliffe, who was to have been the first teacher in space. In full view of the

world, a faulty O-ring on the right solid rocket booster burned through the external fuel tank and caused it to

explode, destroying the shuttle in the process. Extensive efforts were made to improve NASA's increasingly careless

management practices, and to make the shuttle safer. Flights resumed with the launch of Discovery in September

1988.

The Soviet manned program went well during the decade, experiencing only minor setbacks. The Salyut 6 space

station, launched in 1977, was replaced by Salyut 7 in 1982. Then came Mir in 1986, which ended up operating for

more than a decade, and was destined to be the last in the line of Soviet space stations that had begun in 1971. One

of the Soviet Union's last "superprojects" was the Buran space shuttle; it was only used once, in 1988.

Automobiles

The American auto industry began the 1980s in a thoroughly grim situation, faced with poor quality control, rising

import competition, and a severe economic downturn. Chrysler and American Motors (AMC) were near bankruptcy,and Ford was little better off. Only GM continued with business as usual. But the auto makers recovered with the

economy by 1983, and in 1985 auto sales in the United States hit a new record. However, the Japanese were now a

major presence, and would begin manufacturing cars in the US to get around tariffs. In 1986, Hyundai became the

first Korean auto maker to enter the American market. In the same year, the Yugoslavian-built Yugo was brought to

the US, but the car was so small and cheap, that it became the subject of countless jokes. It was sold up to 1991,

when economic sanctions against Yugoslavia forced its withdrawal from the American market.

As the decade progressed, cars became smaller and more efficient in design. In 1983, Ford design teams began

revolutionizing existing automobiles with a new philosophy which was called "Aero". The idea was to design cars to

incorporate pro-aerodynamic round styling to increase airflow and decrease drag while in motion. The Thunderbird

was one of the first cars to receive these design changes and it was an instant hit. Later, in 1985, Ford released the

Taurus which was considered a dramatic step in automobile design and its aerodynamic style was so popular and

revolutionary at the time that other manufacturers scrambled to emulate it which eventually caused a design

revolution which is still evident to the present day which increasingly round and aerodynamic designed being

implemented by many companies worldwide.

GM began suffering significant losses in the late-1980s, partially the result of chairman Roger Smith's restructuring

attempts, and partially because of increasingly stale and unappealing cars. For example, "yuppies" increasingly

favored European luxury cars to Cadillac. In 1985, GM started Saturn (the first new American make since the Edsel),

with the goal of producing high-quality import fighters. Production would not begin until 1990, however.

Chrysler introduced its new compact, front-wheel drive K-cars in 1981. Under the leadership of Lee Iacocca, thecompany turned a profit again the following year, and by 1983 paid off its government loans. A seemingly endless

succession of K-cars followed. But the biggest success was the arrival of the minivans in 1984. These proved a huge

hit, and despite competition, they would dominate the van market for more than a decade. And in 1987, Chrysler

purchased the Italian makes of Lamborghini and Maserati. In the same year, Chrysler bought AMC from Renault

laying to rest the last significant independent U.S. automaker, but acquiring the hugely profitable Jeep line and

continuing the Eagle brand until the late 1990s.

The DeLorean DMC-12 was the brainchild of John DeLorean, a flamboyant former GM executive. Production of the

gull-winged sports car began in Northern Ireland in 1981. John DeLorean was arrested in October 1982 in a sting

operation where he was attempting to sell cocaine to save his struggling company. He was acquitted of all charges in

1984, but too late for the DeLorean Motor Company, which closed down in 1983. The DMC-12 gained renewedfame afterward as the time machine in theBack to the Future motion picture trilogy.

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The imposition of CAFE fuel-mileage standards in 1979 spelled the end of big-block engines, but performance cars

and convertibles reemerged in the 1980s. Turbochargers were widely used to boost the performance of small cars,

and technology from fuel injection began to take over from the widely used application of carburetors by the late

1980s. Front-wheel drive also became dominant.

The eighties marked the decline of European brands in North America by the end of the decade. Renault, Citroen,

and Peugeot ceased importation by the end of the decade. Alfa Romeo would continue until 1993. Fiat also ceasedimports to North America in the eighties.

Economics

International debt crisis in developing countries, reliance of these countries on aid from the International

Monetary Fund.

Spread of neoliberal economics in developed world.

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.

Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China embarked on extensive reforms in the 1980s, introducing market

economics and downgrading ideology. Increasing demands for political freedom culminated in the Tiananmen

Square Massacre in June 1989, when tanks and troops of the People's Liberation Army crushed student protesters

who were camped in the square, killing or injuring 3000 or more people. Hardliners took over the government

afterwards, and China ended the '80s as an international pariah.

The Solidarity movement began in Poland in 1980, involving workers demanding political liberalization and

democracy in Poland. Attempts by the communist government to crush 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 1980s saw a revival of capitalism and laissez-faire economics. 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.

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).,[3] solidifying American economic power.[4]

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1980s 13

Society

The 1980s was also an era of tremendous population growth around the world, surpassing even the 1970s and 1990s,

thus arguably being the largest in human history. Population growth was particularly rapid in a number of African,

Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries during this decade, with rates of natural increase close to or exceeding

4% annually.

Additional significant world-wide events

Worldwide

Beginning of the AIDS pandemic.

There were numerous protests demanding that the US government take action against AIDS, which were fuelled

by the AIDS-related deaths of celebrities such as Rock Hudson and Liberace, and by the case of Ryan White, a

child who became infected by the HIV virus through contaminated blood supplies.

National safety campaigns raised awareness of seat belt usage to save lives in car accidents, helping to make the

measure mandatory in most parts of the world by 1990. Similar efforts arose to push child safety seats and bike

helmet use, already mandatory in a number of regions. Rejection of smoking based on health concerns increased throughout the western world.

Political correctness in the 1980s and increasingly in the following 1990s, was a trend of behaviour, in western

societies, designed to fit the mores of those opposed to forms of prejudice against certain minority groups .

The role of women in the workplace increased greatly. Continuing the 1970s' trend, more women in the

English-speaking world took to calling themselves "Ms.", rather than "Mrs." or "Miss." A similar change occurred

in Germany, with women choosing "Frau" instead of "Frulein" in an effort to disassociate marital status from

title. In most western countries, women began to exercise the option of keeping their maiden names after

marriage; in Canada, legislation was enacted to end the practice of automatically changing a woman's last name

upon marriage.

Opposition to nuclear power plants grew, especially after the catastrophic 1986 Chernobyl accident. Environmental concerns intensified. In the United Kingdom, environmentally friendly domestic products surged

in popularity. Western European countries adopted "greener" policies to cut back on oil use, recycle most of their

nations' waste, and increase focus on water and energy conservation efforts. Similar "eco-activist" trends appeared

in the US in the late 1980s.

Increased awareness and opposition to white-minority apartheid rule in South Africa occurred in the western

world.

Counterculture in the eastern world revolved around "pro-democracy" stances in opposition to multiple

communist states perceived as authoritarian.

Gay rights became more widely accepted in the Western world.

Militancy against communist governments in Europe and Asia, collapse of the Warsaw Pact precipitated the endof the Cold War.

A joint American-French expedition discovers the wreck of the RMS Titanic on 1 September 1985 at a depth of

2.5 miles (4 km) at 414355N 495645W.

Africa

Opposition against Apartheid in South Africa and worldwide grows to a mass international condemnation of

racial segregation policies comes to a peak by December 1989 in the Springbok summit when SA President de

Klerk grants clemency to imprisoned ANC activist Nelson Mandela who was released in February 1990.

The 19841985 famine in Ethiopia occurred, resulting in international efforts to help the Ethiopian people,

including the famous Live Aid concert in July 1985.

Americas

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1980s 14

Ten thousand Cubans stormed the Peruvian embassy in Havana seeking political asylum on 6 April 1980. On 7

April the Cuban government granted permission for the emigration of Cubans seeking refuge in the Peruvian

embassy.

The 1986 World's Fair, Expo 86, was held in Vancouver, Canada. It was the last fair held in North America and

was considered a great success in comparison to the then-recent American Expositions.

Asia Vietnam continued to occupy Cambodia and battle the Khmer Rouge throughout the entire decade. Relations with

China remained hostile, and there were frequent border skirmishes, although none were comparable to the 1979

conflict. The country remained one of Asia's poorest and was totally dependent on Soviet economic assistance.

Mikhail Gorbachev began reducing foreign aid to the communist bloc in the late 1980s, and this combined with

the deaths of elderly Vietnamese leaders such as Le Duan brought about the gradual adoption of a relatively free

market system similar to that of China.

Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, husband of the first female president of the Philippines was shot dead at the Manila

International Airport on 21 August 1983. The killers were never identified.

Popular culture

The most prominent events and trends in popular culture of the decade include:

Music

See also 1980s in music, Timeline of musical events#1980s

Madonna is considered one of the most

successful female Pop artists of the

1980s.

Hard rock, heavy metal, and glam metal became some of the most dominant

music genres of the decade, peaking with the arrival of such bands as Iron

Maiden, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Metallica,

Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, Mtley Cre, Suicidal

Tendencies (they were a punk band in their beginnings, but would become ametal band in their later career), Dream Theater, Queensrche, and guitarists

Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen (who had joined Steeler and Alcatrazz

before he became a solo artist). Punk rock continued to make strides in the

musical community; it gave birth to many sub-genres like 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, Sonic

Youth, etc. experienced success in this genre.

In the United States, MTV was launched and music videos began to have a larger effect on the record industry. Pop

artists such as Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Prince, Madonna, and Queen mastered the format and helped turn this

new product into a profitable business. New Wave and Synthpop were developed by many British and American

artists, and became popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early and mid eighties. Michael

Jackson was a

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1980s 15

Michael Jackson is considered one of the

most successful male Pop and R&Bartists of the 1980s

Stage view of Live Aid concert at Philadelphia's

JFK Stadium in the United States in 1985. The

concert was a major global international effort by

musicians and activists to sponsor action to send

aid to the people of Ethiopia who were suffering

from a major famine.

popular entertainer of the 1980s and his leather jacket, glove and

Moonwalk dance were often imitated. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller

becameand currently remainsthe best-selling album of all time,

with sales estimated by various sources as somewhere between 65 and

110 million copies worldwide. Madonna was regarded as the most

ground breaking female artist of the decade; she was also noted for hermany fashion incarnations. The keyboard synthesizer and drum

machine were among the most popular in music in the 1980s,

especially in New Wave music. After the 1980s, electronic instruments

were no longer popular in rock but continued to be the main

component of mainstream pop.

The hip hop scene, which had been popular by 1989, continued to

evolve, gaining recognition and exhibiting a stronger influence on the

music industry. The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C.,

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, N.W.A, LL Cool J, De La

Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, EPMD, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice-T, DJ Jazzy

Jeff & The Fresh Prince, 2 Live Crew, Tone Lc, and others

experienced success in this genre.

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 discothques

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 musicworldwide.

Several notable artists died in from the early to mid 1980s. John

Lennon was shot in the back outside of his home in New York City on

the night of December 8, 1980; Tim Hardin died of a heroin overdose

on December 29, 1980; Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin

melanoma on May 11, 1981; Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father

at his home in Los Angeles on April 1, 1984 (one day before what

would have been his 45th birthday); and Metallica bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a bus accident in Sweden on

September 27, 1986.

1985's Live Aid concert, featuring many artists, promoted attention and action to send food aid to Ethiopia whose

people were suffering from a major famine.

Film

Oscar winners: Ordinary People (1980), Chariots of Fire (1981), Gandhi (1982), Terms of Endearment(1983),

Amadeus (1984), Out of Africa (1985),Platoon (1986), The Last Emperor(1987),Rain Man (1988),Driving Miss

Daisy (1989)

The 15 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest domestic grossing):E.T. the

Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,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

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crocodile_Dundeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Back_to_the_Future_Part_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indiana_Jones_and_the_Temple_of_Doomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Top_Gunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Who_Framed_Roger_Rabbithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Who_Framed_Roger_Rabbithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Back_to_the_Futurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raiders_of_the_Lost_Arkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rain_Manhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Batman_%281989_film%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indiana_Jones_and_the_Last_Crusadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Wars_Episode_V:_The_Empire_Strikes_Backhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Wars_Episode_VI:_Return_of_the_Jedihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Driving_Miss_Daisyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Driving_Miss_Daisyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rain_Manhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Emperorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Platoon_%28film%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Out_of_Africa_%28film%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amadeus_%28film%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Terms_of_Endearmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gandhi_%28film%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chariots_of_Firehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ordinary_Peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984%E2%80%931985_famine_in_Ethiopiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethiopiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Live_Aidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cliff_Burtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metallicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Angeleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marvin_Gay%2C_Sr.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Marvin_Gayehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marvin_Gayehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melanomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Marleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tim_Hardinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Cityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_John_Lennonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Lennonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Lennonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago%2C_Illinoishttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=House_musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Detroit%2C_Michiganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Detroit%2C_Michiganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Technohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tone_L%C5%8Dchttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2_Live_Crewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DJ_Jazzy_Jeff_%26_The_Fresh_Princehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DJ_Jazzy_Jeff_%26_The_Fresh_Princehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ice-Thttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eric_B._%26_Rakimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=EPMDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Tribe_Called_Questhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_La_Soulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_La_Soulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LL_Cool_Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=N.W.Ahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Fivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grandmaster_Flashhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Run%E2%80%93D.M.C.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Public_Enemy_%28group%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beastie_Boyshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hip_hop_musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Wave_musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drum_machinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drum_machinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keyboard_synthesizerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_%28entertainer%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_best-selling_albums_worldwidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thriller_%28album%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moonwalk_dancehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glovehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leather_jackethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Live_Aid_at_JFK_Stadium,_Philadelphia,_PA.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984%E2%80%931985_famine_in_Ethiopiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethiopiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=JFK_Stadiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philadelphiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Live_Aidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Michael_Jackson_1984.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Contemporary_R%26Bhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pop_musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Jackson

8/3/2019 Article on the 1980's

16/26

1980s 16

Dundee,Fatal Attraction andBeverly Hills Cop.[5]

The highest-grossing film of the decade was "E.T. the

Extra-Terrestrial" (1982)

This was the period when the 'high concept' films were introduced.

The movies were supposed to be easily marketable and

understandable, and, therefore, they had short cinematic plots that

could be summarized in one or two sentences. The modern

Hollywood blockbuster is the most popular film format from the1980s. Producer Don Simpson[6] is usually credited with the

creation of the high-concept picture of the modern Hollywood

blockbuster.

The 80s also spawned the Brat Pack films, many of which were

directed by John Hughes. Films such as The Breakfast Club, Fast

Times at Ridgemont High, Porky's, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science and 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, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage. Other

popular films includedAbout Last Night...,Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure,Dirty Dancing,Flashdance,Footloose,

Raging Bull and St. Elmo's Fire which also launched the careers of high profile celebrities like Demi Moore, JoePesci, 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 A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Hellraiserfranchises.

Aside from these films, the concept of the 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 theBeverly Hills

Cop, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and Rambo franchises. Other action films from the decade which are of notable

status include The TerminatorandPredator. These films propelled the careers of modern celebrities such as Arnold

Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone to international recognition.

Television

Seinfeldpremiered on NBC in 1989 and soon thereafter

became a commercial blockbuster and cultural

phenomenon, and one of the most popular sitcoms of all

time.

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.

Some of the most popular TV series which premiered during the

1980s include: Alf, Airwolf, The A-Team, Dynasty, Dallas,

Knight Rider, MacGyver, Magnum, P.I., Miami Vice, Diff'rentStrokes, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, The Cosby Show,

Murder, She Wrote,"21 Jump Street", Star Trek: The Next

Generation, Night Court, Who's the Boss?, Family Matters,

Quantum Leap, Saved by the Bell, Roseanne, Full House, The Golden Girls, Cheers, Growing Pains, Family Ties,

Seinfeld, The Simpsons, andMarried... with Children.

The 1980s was the decade of transformation in television. Cable television became more accessible and therefore,

more popular. By the middle of the decade, almost 70% of the American population had cable television and over

85% were paying for cable services such as HBO or Showtime.[7]

The 1980s was also the heyday of nighttime soap operas such asDallas andDynasty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dynasty_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dallas_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soap_operahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Showtime_%28TV_network%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HBOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cable_televisionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Married..._with_Childrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Simpsonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seinfeldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Family_Tieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Growing_Painshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheershttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Golden_Girlshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Full_Househttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roseanne_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saved_by_the_Bellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_Leap_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Family_Mattershttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Who%27s_the_Boss%3Fhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Night_Courthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=21_Jump_Streethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder%2C_She_Wrotehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cosby_Showhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Facts_of_Life_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Jeffersonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diff%27rent_Strokeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diff%27rent_Strokeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miami_Vicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magnum%2C_P.I.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MacGyverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knight_Rider_%281982_TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dallas_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dynasty_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_A-Teamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Airwolfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ALF_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Popular_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Music_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MTVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Seinfeld_logo.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBChttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seinfeldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sylvester_Stallonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mel_Gibsonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eddie_Murphyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Br