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1980s
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1980s The 1980s decade refers to the years from
1980 to
1989, inclusive. Informally, the term may also be taken to include a few years at the end of the 1970s and/or the beginning of the 1990s.
Sometimes the 1980s are confounded to '''''the 199th decade''''', i.e. the ten years from
1981 up to and including
1990.
In the
United Kingdom UK, the first major 1980s
fashion trend was sparked by the arrival of the
New Romantics in the popular music charts in
1980. The election of
Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister in
1979 is also considered to be a major turning point. In
United States America, the decade was most poignantly symbolized by the presidency of
Ronald Reagan from
1981 to
1989 (or affectionally termed the "Reagan Years") as it epitomized the rise of
conservatism as the dominant creed in American political and cultural life. This extended somewhat into the early
1990s with the first
George H. W. Bush George Bush, but the
recession of the late '80s and early 1990s caused significant backlash againt Bush and the
Republican Party (United States) Republican Party.
Like the
1960s, the decade was an era of frantic change, characterised by political and economic
decentralisation, especially in countries with mixed and command economies. Political events and trends of the 1980s culminated in the toppling of military governments and authoritarian regimes, including every
communist state communist Warsaw Pact state in
Central Europe Central and
Eastern Europe and the downfall of the military juntas of
Brazil,
Chile and
Argentina, bringing to a close the decades-long
Cold War. These changes continued to be felt in the 1990s and on into the
21st Century.
The 1980s is also generally considered to be the transition between the
industrial age industrial and
information ages. The
petroleum supply disruptions which had marked the 1970s were not repeated, and new oil-field discoveries boosted supply and helped keep energy prices relatively low in most places during the decade. The 1980s saw rapid developments in numerous sectors of
technology which have defined the modern consumer world.
Electronics like
personal computers,
Computer and video games#Gaming platforms gaming systems, the first commercially available hand-held
mobile phones, and new audio and
data storage device data storage technologies such as the
compact disc, are all still prominent well into the
2000s. On the strength of their high-technology industries, the
Japan Japanese economy soared to record highs in the 1980s, prompting many American companies to frantically study and adopt Japanese management practices.
The
population of the world increased more dramatically in the 1980s than any other decade in human history, adding nearly one billion new people in the course of the decade. This is an important fact as such astronomical growth of the human race is unlikely to be repeated in the near future due to current
demographic trends, which are consistently showing a decline in
birth rates across the globe. Children born in the 1980s are likely to have an extremely prominent position in world business and government affairs from the
2020s all the way through to the
2050s due to their immense population, potential voting powers, relatively good health, and high
life expectancy.
Technology
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*
Bulletin board system popularity.
*
Compact discs are introduced.
* Popularization of
personal computers,
Walkmans,
VHS videocassette recorders, and
compact audio cassette cassette players.
* Introduction of the
IBM PC in
1981.
* Home
video games become enormously popular, most notably
Atari 2600 Atari until the market
Video game crash of 1983 crashes in 1983; the rise of
Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo brings about full recovery.
* The first
Space Shuttle program Space Shuttle mission,
STS-1, launched in
1981.
*
STS-51-L Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster in
1986.
* The
Soviet Union launches the
space station Mir in
1986.
*
Apple Macintosh, first commercially successful
GUI, is released in
1984.
*
Chernobyl accident Accident at Chernobyl nuclear reactor, April
1986.
*
Framework (office suite) launched
* In
England,
Sir Clive Sinclair introduces the environmentally friendly but short-lived
Sinclair C5 C5 car in 1985.
*
Microsoft release the first versions of
Microsoft Windows Windows
*
Internet begins to enter general knowledge in late 1980s
* First commercial hand-held
mobile phone -
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X
1983.
* Popularization of
synthesizers in electronic music, and in popular music in general.
*
Nintendo introduce
Game Boy in
1989.
Science
* Discovery of the
W and Z bosons at
CERN.
* Development of the
scanning tunneling microscope by
Gerd Binnig and
Heinrich Rohrer.
* Discovery of the
allotropes of carbon Carbon allotrope fullerene, also known as buckyballs.
* English physicist
Tim Berners Lee invents the World Wide Web at
CERN.
* Geneticist Dr Alec Jeffreys develops DNA fingerprinting, which will be of immense impact on crime-fighting.
War, peace and politics
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*
Cold War peaks; fall of the
Iron Curtain. Roughly defined as
Communism versus
Capitalism, or
USA versus
USSR (via
proxy war in communist countries.)
**
Jimmy Carter announces a U.S. boycott of the
1980 Summer Olympics in
Moscow;
Eastern Bloc countries boycott the
1984 Summer Olympics in
Los Angeles.
**
Solidarity movement in
Poland launched in
1981. It eventually topples the country's
Communist regime.
**
Ronald Reagan proposes the
Strategic Defense Initiative, derided as "Star Wars." Deploys
MGM-31 Pershing Pershing missiles in Western Europe to counter the Soviet
SS-20, to some protests.
** Three
Soviet Premiers die in rapid succession:
Leonid Brezhnev,
Yuri Andropov, and
Konstantin Chernenko.
** American schoolgirl
Samantha Smith visits Russia after writing to Yuri Andropov and becomes involved in the growing
peace movement between East and West before her death in
1985.
**
Gorbachev introduces
Glasnost and
Perestroika in the
Soviet Union.
** Fall of the
Berlin Wall in
East Germany in
1989, preparing the way to
German reunification.
**
Velvet revolution in
Czechoslovakia.
**
Romanian Revolution of 1989 Revolution in
Romania, execution of
Nicolae CeauÅŸescu CeauÅŸescu.
**
Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi tackles with a growing
Sikh insurgency and the
Khalistan Movement. She orders
Operation Blue Star on the holy
Golden Temple. She is assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
** In
1989 students protest on
Tiananmen Square,
Beijing,
China and are eventually suppressed.
** Soviet fighters down
Korean Air Flight 007 in
1983, leading to a high point in international tensions.
**
Ronald Reagan decides to invade
Grenada in
1983 and depose the nascent hard-line
communist government.
** The
United States launches a covert war against the
Sandinista government of
Nicaragua and is condemned by the
World Court for mining Nicaragua's harbour, an authority and judgment the U.S. administration did not recognize.
** The
Reagan Doctrine implements support for
anti-communist or anti-
Soviet insurgency insurgencies most notably in
Nicaragua,
Angola,
Cambodia, and
Afghanistan. This leads to continued civil war, the deposition of several regimes, some democratization, but also the
Iran-Contra scandal.
** President
Tito of
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia dies.
** Over 120,000 flee
Cuba in
1980 during the
Mariel Boatlift, during which
Fidel Castro released many criminals into American harbors.
* The continued rise of
Islamic Fundamentalism following the
Iranian Revolution of 1979.
**
Iran-Iraq war from
1980 to
1988 causes an estimated 1 million deaths.
**
1982 Invasion of Lebanon Israel invades Lebanon in
1982, . A suicide bomber kills 241 U.S.
United States Marine Corps marines stationed there as peacekeepers.
** In
1985, A radical
PLO offshoot called
Palestine Liberation Front hijacks the
Achille Lauro and shoots the wheelchair-bound
Leon Klinghoffer, throwing him overboard.
** Terror groups
Abu Nidal and
Hezbollah rise to prominence in Western attention.
** Release of Americans held hostage in
Iran.
**
Iranian leader
Ruhollah Khomeini Ayatollah Khomeini issues a
fatwa urging the killing of
Salman Rushdie.
**
Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland,
United Kingdom UK.
*Several
military dictatorships fell or faced destabilization attempts
** Large protests in the
Philippines topples the
Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship; military rule ends after protests in
Argentina and
South Korea.
** Under
George H. W. Bush, the U.S. invades
Panama in 1989 to overthrow
Manuel Noriega.
** The
Reagan administration bombs
Libya in
1986 in response to alleged Libyan support for attacks on U.S. servicemen in
Europe.
** King
Juan Carlos of Spain prevents a military coup in
1981.
Spain joined
NATO in
1982; it joined the
European Union with
Portugal in
1986.
**
Augusto Pinochet forms a new constitution, holds a referendum on rule and loses.
Democracy is restored.
*
Margaret Thatcher and
Thatcherism dominate
British politics.
* The "
Ronald Reagan Reagan Revolution", beginning with the election of
1980, introduces so-called
neoconservatives to
Washington, DC Washington.
* In
1981,
François Mitterrand becomes France's President, the most politically successful
French Socialist Party Socialist in French history.
*
Helmut Kohl is elected in
West Germany in 1982, leading to the defeat of the anti-deployment movement; in the
1990s he becomes the longest serving
Chancellor of Germany so far.
*
Falklands War;
Argentina invades and occupies the
Falkland Islands Falkland islands in
1982 but is subsequently defeated by the
United Kingdom.
*
P.W. Botha suppresses anti-
apartheid activists; international boycotts of
South Africa continue.
* The
Soviet Union ends its disastrous military campaign in
Afghanistan.
* Former
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim is exposed as a former
Nazism Nazi
*
Vietnam continues its military occupation of
Cambodia.
* In Europe, rise of alleged
neo-fascist parties (
Jean-Marie Le Pen Le Pen in
France,
Franz Schönhuber Schönhuber/Republikaner in Germany,
Jörg Haider Haider in Austria), parallel to a rise of
Green Party Green parties.
*
Political correctness becomes a concern in mainstream politics.
* Dark years for
Malta and its politics. Violence is culminated by the murder of
Raymond Caruana and blocking entry to
Partit Nazzjonalista Nationalist supporters into the southern village of
Zejtun.
* The
Rainbow Warrior is sunk by
France French DGSE secret service agents.
*
Samuel Doe regime in
Liberia.
Economics
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*
Reaganomics,
Thatcherism and
Rogernomics.
* In the United States the longest
bull market in history begins in
1983;
Dow Jones Industrial Average passes 2000 point milestone
January 8,
1987.
*
OPEC controls slip;
petroleum prices collapse below $10 per barrel by mid-
1986, devastating oil-producing nations such as
Mexico.
* U.S.
Midwest Farm Crisis 1981–
1985.
*
East Asian Tigers' share of world trade rises significantly.
* U.S.
balance of trade falls into chronic deficit;
populists criticize trade relations with
Japan.
* Stockmarkets across the world crash on
Black Monday (1987) Black Monday,
October 19,
1987. The
New York Stock Exchange suffers its largest one-day stock market drop.
*
Late 1980s recession
Trends and fashions
:''See also:
1980s fashion''
* The
video game console begins to outstrip the
arcade game.
* The
Rubik's cube,
Cabbage Patch Kids, "Baby on Board" signs, and
Trivial Pursuit fads capture the interest of the American and British public.
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*
Nerds are a popular subject.
*
Alcohol education expands.
*Hair becomes big and poofy, or otherwise eccentric. Examples include the
Mullet (haircut) Mullet and the
Flock of Seagulls cuts.
* Gay issues rise to public awareness with the
Bowers v. Hardwick Supreme Court decision,
gender bending perceptions of
Boy George,
George Michael,
Michael Jackson, and
Prince, as well as the increased consciousness of the
AIDS epidemic and its perception as a "gay disease."
*Power Dressing was a major fashion statement of the decade, characterised by the use of increasingly large shoulder pads - the origins of this trend are often attributed to the American television series
Dynasty (TV series) Dynasty and, specifically to one of its stars - English-born
Joan Collins, who caused quite a stir as the scheming character Alexis Carrington.
*Pop stars of the era such as
Duran Duran and television shows like
Miami Vice brought the trend to the male fashion world, often accompanied by "designer stubble" and blonde highlights.
*A much remarked upon new trend in the 1980s in
Britain was openly gay pop stars such as
Boy George and the
Pet Shop Boys.
*
Women's Liberation movement increases women's role in the workplace, and establishes new precedents for US women. As a carry-over from the 1970s, more and more women take to calling themselves "
Ms." versus "Mrs." or "Miss"
*
No-Fault divorce laws pave the way for increased divorce rate, as depicted in the movie,
Irreconcilable Differences. No-Fault divorce catapults record numbers of women and children into the throes of poverty. The increase in single parent homes and, perhaps more significantly, homes in which both parents work leads to the phenomenon of
Latch-key children, where children come home to an empty house and watch a lot of television.
*
Neo-prohibitionism grows in popularity.
*
The Karate Kid becomes a blockbuster hit.
Ninja and
martial arts mania sweeps North America due to the popularity of
Kung Fu Theater and Ninja Movies. Many instructional books are published and sold by many individuals claiming to be experts. This is often blamed as the beginning of the
McDojo or
Bullshido trend.
*The
Postmodern architecture movement gains
prominence when
Michael Graves' groundbreaking and controversial
Portland Building opens in
Portland, Ore. in
1982.
* Environmental concerns are growing. In
Britain, environmentally-friendly domestic products surge in popularity and Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher joins the Greens.
* Aerobics are huge.
Music
*
Music videos (and
MTV) begin to have an effect on record industry in the
United States. Pop artists
Michael Jackson and
Madonna (entertainer) Madonna are pioneers;
Bruce Springsteen and
Bryan Adams also become influential; groups such as
Duran Duran,
Bon Jovi and
Flock of Seagulls benefit.
*
New Wave music, or
Synthpop, a form of synthesized pop-rock, popular throughout decade, especially around
1983.
*
House music - a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post-
disco scene early in the decade, later developing into
acid house - a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture.
*
Hair metal popular in 1980s.
Thrash metal becomes underground sensation originating in the Bay Area, California. Bands like
Metallica,
Megadeth, and
Slayer are popular.
* Popular artists include
Michael Jackson,
Janet Jackson,
Bon Jovi,
Duran Duran,
Madonna (entertainer) Madonna,
Bruce Springsteen,
Alabama,
Bryan Adams,
Queen (band) Queen,
U2,
Menudo,
Tears for Fears,
Depeche Mode,
New Order, the
New Kids on the Block and
a-ha.
*
United States American singer
Prince (entertainer) Prince,
France French band
Indochine (band) Indochine ("3e sexe"),
Canadian singer
Norman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"),
Spain Spanish band
Mecano ("Mujer Contra Mujer") were all part of a huge new worldwide movement of artists who wrote innovative lyrics sometimes with sexual innuendos that reflected the then popular and highly fashionable androgynous style.
* In the US,
Contemporary Christian music contemporary Christian music gains popularity in the mid-80s with such crossover artists as
Amy Grant,
Kathy Troccoli, and
Michael W. Smith.
* Synthesizers and keyboards extremely prevalent in popular music, along with drum machines, lending an electronic, distinct sound to most 1980s records.
* Massive sales for
Ethiopian
famine relief records by
Band Aid (band) Band Aid ("
Do They Know It's Christmas?") and
USA for Africa ("
We Are the World"), followed by
Live Aid famine relief concert in
London and
Philadelphia. Other artists push for
nuclear disarmament.
* The
Hip hop music Hip hop scene evolves to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles. Hip hop also brings artists like
Grandmaster Flash,
Kurtis Blow and
N.W.A. to the forefront; hip hop's spread outside of
New York City, especially to
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, accelerates and then takes off beyond America's shores.
* The Smiths challenged typical notions of masculinity, with ambiguous songs such as 'This Charming'.
* Morrissey becomes a solo artist in 1988, with masterpieces such as Viva Hate and the collection of A-Sides and B-Sides, Bona Drag.
Television
* '''Wayne and Victoria Chew''' were married live with Dick Clark on Clark's 1985 New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast on ABC Television worldwide from Times Square, New York. One of the most widely viewed non-celebrity weiddings in television history. Chew family updates and appearences on Clark's show, and ABC's GMA have followed the televised wedding. Wayne Chew is currently working on various entertainment projects and Victoria is employed as a medical accounting specialist. They have been married over twenty years.
*
Television networks are challenged by
cable television. In the U.S., ''
Cheers'' and ''
The Cosby Show'' and
Family Ties take top ratings on thursday nights and the
Fox Broadcasting Company Fox network is launched.
CNN becomes the first 24-hour news channel.
* ''
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'', the first animated children's television program built exclusively around a toyline, starts a new trend of increasing the connection between children's programming and
toy advertising, alarming many parents and
watchdog organizations; an explosive number of toy tie-in
Animated cartoon cartoons follow.
*
Animation in the United States and elsewhere begins a dramatic comeback in production values and mainstream popular appeal both in feature films and on television.
Robotech,
Star Blazers, and
Voltron spearhead the first wave of organized
anime fandom outside Japan.
*
Soap operas gain popularity among high-schoolers and college students in the
United States, thanks in part to the
supercoupling of
Luke and Laura on the most popular soap of the day, ''
General Hospital (US TV Series) General Hospital''.
*
MTV and
MuchMusic break out, influencing pop culture. Both play
music videos 24 hours a day, with no commercials and very few breaks.
* In
Britain, the Sky Television satellite service is launched in
1989.
* Revival of
sitcoms in the late 1980s and through the
1990s.
Film
*
Steven Spielberg's ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' opens in
1982 and shatters records for box office gross receipts.
*
Ridley Scott's ''
Blade Runner'' opens in
1982.
*Teen flicks and horror movies reach a high, the two big horror franchises that existed for most (or all) of the 80's were the "Friday the 13th" movies and the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series.
*Movie
sequels very common
*
Action movies, present since the
1950s, were being produced en masse, where actors like
Harrison Ford,
Tom Cruise,
Mel Gibson,
Sylvester Stallone,
Chuck Norris and
Arnold Schwarzenegger were pioneers.
*
John Hughes a definitive director and writer of movies, making movies such as ''
Sixteen Candles'', ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' and ''
Uncle Buck'' which would be seen as decade-defining movies by the late
1990s.
*''
Batman (1989 film) Batman'' sent a wave of "Bat-Mania" throughout most of the country and went on to be the biggest and highest grossing movie of
1989. Some were even calling it, "The movie of the decade".
Video games
*The
video game becomes popular, along with the
video arcade. Although graphics are incredibly primitive by
2000s and even
1990s standards, they would improve much during the latter part of the decade.
*
Space Invaders, invented in
Japan in
1978 and first previewed at a
United Kingdom UK trade show in
1979, makes a huge impact on the early 80s gaming scene.
*
Pac-Man fever craze early in the decade, especially around
1982-
1983
*Super Mario Bros games popular from
1986 to ???.
*Atari video game company fails to institute proper quality controls on the software for its popular Video Computer System game console- the glut of terrible software causes a massive collapse of the home console industry. Nintendo's Famicom/NES console release rectifies this problem by only being able to play games personally approved by the company, and revives home gaming.
Others
*
AIDS is identified and named.
*
Assassination of
John Lennon and
Olof Palme, attempts on
Ronald Reagan and
Pope Pope John Paul II John Paul II.
* Research increases on
alcohol and weight.
*
Remove Intoxicated Drivers grows rapidly.
*
Crack Cocaine epidemic in urban areas, resulting in violent crime and drug trafficking soaring to record levels in most large
United States American cities.
People
World leaders
* General
Leopoldo Galtieri (
Argentina)
* President
Raúl AlfonsÃn (Argentina)
* Chancellor
Bruno Kreisky (
Austria)
* Chancellor
Fred Sinowatz (Austria)
* Chancellor
Franz Vranitzky (Austria)
* Prime Minister
Bob Hawke (
Australia)
* Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser (
Australia)
* President
João Figueiredo (
Brazil)
* President
José Sarney (Brazil)
* Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau (
Canada)
* Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney (Canada)
* General
Augusto Pinochet (
Chile)
*
Deng Xiaoping (
People's Republic of China)
* President
Chiang Ching-kuo (
Republic of China on Taiwan)
* Prime Minister
Poul Schlüter (
Denmark)
*
Erich Honecker (
East Germany)
* President
Anwar Sadat (
Egypt)
* President
Hosni Mubarak (Egypt)
* President
Daniel Ortega (
Nicaragua)
* President
Mengistu Haile Mariam (
Ethiopia)
* President
Urho Kekkonen (
Finland)
* President
Mauno Koivisto (Finland)
* President
François Mitterrand (
France)
* Prime Minister
Andreas Papandreou (
Greece)
* Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi (
India)
* Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi (India)
* Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini (
Iran)
* President
Saddam Hussein (
Iraq)
* President
Patrick Hillery (
Republic of Ireland Ireland)
* Taoiseach
Charles Haughey (Ireland)
* Taoiseach
Garret FitzGerald (Ireland)
* Prime Minister
Menachem Begin (
Israel)
* Prime Minister
Shimon Peres (Israel)
* Emperor
Hirohito (
Japan)
* Prime Minister
Yasuhiro Nakasone (Japan)
* Emir
Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (
Kuwait)
* President
Muammar al-Qaddafi (
Libya)
*
Pope John Paul II
* President
Hastings Kamuzu Banda (
Malawi)
* Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad (
Malaysia)
* Prime Minister
Dom Mintoff (
Malta)
* Prime Minister
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici (
Malta)
* Prime Minister
Eddie Fenech Adami (
Malta)
* Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad (
Malaysia)
* President
Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (
Mexico)
* President
Samora Machel (
Mozambique)
* Prime Minister
Robert Muldoon (
New Zealand)
* Prime Minister
David Lange (New Zealand)
* Prime Minister
Geoffrey Palmer (New Zealand)
* Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands Beatrix (
Netherlands)
* General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (
Pakistan)
* General
Manuel Noriega (
Panama)
* President
Ferdinand Marcos (
Philippines)
* President
Corazon Aquino (
Philippines)
* President
Wojciech Jaruzelski (
Poland)
* President
Nicolae CeauÅŸescu (
Romania)
* Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew (
Singapore)
* President and Prime Minister
Pieter Willem Botha P.W. Botha (
South Africa)
* President
Chun Doo-hwan (
South Korea)
* Premier
Leonid Brezhnev (
Soviet Union)
* General Secretary
Mikhail Gorbachev (
Soviet Union)
* King
Juan Carlos of Spain Juan Carlos (
Spain)
* President
Felipe González (
Spain)
* Prime Minister
Ranasinghe Premadasa of Sri Lanka
* Prime Minister
Olof Palme (
Sweden)
* President Hafith Al-Asad (
Syria)
* Prime Minister Turgut Ozal (Turkey)
* Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II (
United Kingdom and the
Commonwealth Realms)
* Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher (United Kingdom)
* President
George H.W. Bush (
United States)
* President
Jimmy Carter (United States)
* President
Ronald Reagan (United States)
* Chancellor
Helmut Schmidt (
West Germany)
* Chancellor
Helmut Kohl (West Germany)
* President
Josip Broz Tito (
SFRY Yugoslavia)
* President
Mobutu Sese Seko (
Zaire)
* President
Robert Mugabe (
Zimbabwe)
Entertainers
*
AC/DC
*
Brat Pack
*
The Police
*
Journey (band) Journey
*
Bon Jovi
*
Mötley Crüe
*
David Brooks
*
Garth Brooks
*
Matthew Broderick (''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''
Glory (film) Glory'')
*
The Cars
*
Phoebe Cates (''
Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', ''
Gremlins (movie) Gremlins'')
*
Guns N' Roses
*
Tom Cruise (''
Top Gun (film) Top Gun'', ''
Rain Man'', ''
Risky Business'', ''
The Color of Money'')
*
Bo Derek
*
Matt Dillon
*
Dalida
*
David Bowie
*
Depeche Mode
*
Duran Duran (''
Duran Duran (album) Duran Duran'', ''
Rio'', ''
Seven And The Ragged Tiger'', ''
Notorious'', ''
Big Thing'')
*
Ozzy Osbourne
*
Emilio Estevez (''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
The Outsiders'', ''
Young Guns'')
*
Harrison Ford (''
Indiana Jones'' series, ''
Star Wars'' series, ''
Blade Runner'', ''
Witness (1985 movie) Witness'')
*
Jodie Foster
*
Iron Maiden
*
INXS (''
The Swing(album) The Swing'', ''
Kick'')
*
New Order
*
Michael J. Fox (''
Back to the Future'' series, ''
Teen Wolf'')
*
Mel Gibson (''
Lethal Weapon'' series, ''
Mad Max'' series)
*
Debbie Harry (''
Blondie (band) Blondie'')
*
Paul Hogan (actor) Paul Hogan (''
Crocodile Dundee'')
*
John Hughes (film director) John Hughes
*
Chrissie Hynde (''
Pretenders'')
*
Michael Jackson (''
Thriller'', ''
Bad (album) Bad'')
*
Janet Jackson (''
Control'')
*
Elton John
*
Michael Keaton (''
Batman (1989 movie) Batman'', ''
Mr. Mom'', ''
Night Shift'')
*
Annie Lennox (''
Eurythmics'')
*
George Lucas (''
Indiana Jones'' series, ''
Star Wars'' series, ''
Captain Eo'')
*
Madonna (entertainer) Madonna (''
Material Girl'')
*
Metallica
*
George Michael (''
Wham! (pop duo) Wham!'')
*
Mötley Crüe
*
Rick Moranis ("[http://www.thecheappop.com/rickicon.html Before Napolean Dynamite, there was Rick Moranis]")
*
Eddie Murphy (''
Saturday Night Live'', ''
Beverly Hills Cop'', ''
Trading Places'')
*
Jack Nicholson (''
Terms of Endearment'', ''
The Shining'', ''
Batman (1989 movie) Batman'', ''
Prizzi's Honor'', ''
Ironweed'', ''
Reds'')
*
Queen (band)
*
Rush (band)
*
Sean Penn
*
Michelle Pfeiffer (''
Grease 2'', ''
Scarface (1983 film) Scarface'', ''
Dangerous Liaisons'')
*
Prince (artist) Prince (''
Purple Rain (album) Purple Rain'', ''
Sign 'O' the Times (album) Sign 'O' the Times'')
*
Kenny Rogers
*
Meg Ryan
*
Charlie Sheen
*
Arnold Schwarzenegger (''
The Terminator'', ''
Predator (movie) Predator'', ''
Conan the Barbarian (film) Conan the Barbarian'')
*
Sylvester Stallone (''
Rambo: First Blood'')
*
Patrick Swayze (''
Dirty Dancing'')
*
Judas Priest
*
The Cure
*
U2 (''
War (album) War'', ''
The Joshua Tree'', ''
Rattle and Hum'')
*
Van Halen
*
Sigourney Weaver
*
Cyndi Lauper
Sports figures
*
Alexis Arguello (Nicaraguan
boxing boxer)
*
Marco van Basten (Dutch
soccer player)
*
Wilfred Benitez (Puerto Rican
boxing boxer)
*
Larry Bird (U.S.
basketball player)
*
Allan Border (Australian cricket captain/batsman)
*
Ian Botham (Somerset & England cricket all-rounder)
*
Mike Brearley (Middlesex & England cricket captain/batsman)
*
George Brett (baseball) George Brett (U.S.
baseball player)
*
Warwick Capper (Australian
Australian rules football football player)
*
Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexican
boxing boxer)
*
Roberto Duran (Panamanian
boxing boxer)
*
Paulo Roberto Falcão (Brazilian
soccer player)
*
Ric Flair (U.S.
professional wrestling wrestler)
*
Mike Gatting (Middlesex & England cricket captain/batsman)
*
Sunil Gavaskar (India cricket opening batsman)
*
Wilfredo Gómez (Puerto Rican
boxing boxer)
*
Gordon Greenidge (West Indies cricket opening batsman)
*
Wayne Gretzky (Canadian
ice hockey player)
*
Florence Griffith Joyner (U.S.
athletics track and field athlete)
*
Richard Hadlee (New Zealand cricket fast bowler)
*
Marvin Hagler (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Alan Hansen (Liverpool & Scotland footballer))
*
Thomas Hearns (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Hulk Hogan (U.S.
wrestling wrestler)
*
Larry Holmes (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Bo Jackson (U.S.
American football and
baseball player)
*
Imran Khan (Pakistani
cricket (sport) cricket player)
*
Jahangir Khan (Pakistani
squash (sport) squash player)
*
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson (U.S.
basketball player)
*
Michael Jordan (U.S.
basketball player)
*
Jarmila KratochvÃlová (Czech
athletics track and field athlete)
*
Greg LeMond (U.S.
cycling cyclist)
*
Sugar Ray Leonard (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Carl Lewis (U.S.
athletics track and field athlete)
*
Wally Lewis (Australian
Rugby League player}
*
Gary Lineker (English
Football (soccer) footballer)
*
Ronnie Lott (U.S.
American football player)
*
Saleem Malik (Pakistani
cricket (sport) cricket player)
*
Diego Armando Maradona (Argentine
soccer player)
*
Malcolm Marshall (West Indies cricket fast bowler)
*
John McEnroe (U.S.
tennis player)
*
Mal Meninga (Australian
Rugby League player}
*
Mark Messier (Canadian
ice hockey player)
*
Javed Miandad (Pakistani
cricket (sport) cricket player)
*
Joe Montana (U.S.
American football player)
*
Dale Murphy (U.S.
baseball player)
*
Martina Navrátilová (Czech/U.S.
tennis player)
*
Jack Nicklaus (U.S.
golfer)
*
Nelson Piquet (Brazilian
motor racing racing driver)
*
Michel Platini (French
soccer player)
*
Alain Prost (French
motor racing racing driver)
*
Jerry Rice (U.S.
football player)
*
Vivian Richards (West Indies cricket batsman)
*
Nolan Ryan (U.S.
baseball player)
*
Ozzie Smith (U.S.
baseball player)
*
Neville Southall (Welsh
soccer player)
*
Michael Spinks (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Lawrence Taylor (U.S.
American football player)
*
Isiah Thomas (U.S.
basketball player)
*
Daley Thompson (English
athletics track and field athlete)
*
Mike Tyson (U.S.
boxing boxer)
*
Zico (Brazilian
soccer player)
Films
Image:ReturnOfTheJediPoster1983.jpg Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|The original theatrical poster for ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi''.html" title="Meaning of The original theatrical poster for ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi">thumb|The original theatrical poster for ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi''">The original theatrical poster for ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi">thumb|The original theatrical poster for ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi''
*
Blues Brothers (1980)
* ''
Caddyshack'' (1980)
* ''
Friday the 13th (film) Friday the 13th'' (1980)
*
Nine to Five (1980)
* ''
Raging Bull'' (1980)
* ''
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980)
* ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981)
* ''
Blade Runner'' (1982)
* ''
Poltergeist'' (1982)
* ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982)
* ''
Tootsie'' (1982)
*
Scarface (1983)
* ''
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' (1983)
*
Wargames (1983)
* ''
A Nightmare On Elm Street'' (1984)
* ''
Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984)
*
Footloose (1984)
* ''
Ghostbusters'' (1984)
* ''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (1984)
* ''
Police Academy'' (1984)
* ''
This is Spinal Tap'' (1984)
* ''
Sixteen Candles'' (1984)
*
Star Trek: The Search for Spock (1984)
*
Terminator (1984)
* ''
The Karate Kid'' (1984)
* ''
Back to the Future'' (1985)
* ''
The Breakfast Club'' (1985)
* ''
Fletch (film) Fletch'' (1985)
* ''
The Goonies'' (1985)
* ''
St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
* ''
Pretty in Pink'' (1986)
* ''
Aliens (1986 film) Aliens'' (1986)
* ''
Top Gun (film) Top Gun'' (1986)
* ''
Short Circuit'' (1986)
* ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986)
* ''
Full Metal Jacket'' (1986)
* ''
RoboCop'' (1987)
* ''
The Lost Boys'' (1987)
* ''
The Princess Bride (film) The Princess Bride'' (1987)
*
Spaceballs (1987)
* ''
Big'' (1988)
* ''
Coming To America'' (1988)
* ''
Die Hard'' (1988)
* ''
A Fish Called Wanda'' (1988)
* ''
Hairspray (movie) Hairspray'' (1988)
* ''
License to Drive'' (1988)
* ''
Rain Man'' (1988)
* ''
Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988)
*
Beetle Juice (1988)
* ''
Ghostbusters II'' (1989)
* ''
Back to the Future II'' (1989)
* ''
When Harry Met Sally...'' (1989)
* ''
Glory (film) Glory'' (1989)
* ''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989)
* ''
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989)
* ''
The Little Mermaid (film) The Little Mermaid'' (1989)
* ''
Batman (1989 movie) Batman'' (1989)
* ''
Dead Poets Society'' (1989)
* ''
Do the Right Thing'' (1989)
Television
''See Also'':
List of years in television#1980s 1980s in television
*''
21 Jump Street''
*''
The A-Team'' (including
Mr. T)
*''
ALF (television) ALF''
*''
'Allo 'Allo!''
*''
Cagney & Lacey''
*''
Cheers''
*''
Coronation Street''
*''
The Comedy Company''
*''
The Cosby Show''
*''
Diff'rent Strokes''
*''
Doctor Who''
*''
The Dukes of Hazzard''
*''
Dynasty (TV series) Dynasty''
*''
EastEnders''
*''
The Equalizer''
*''
The Facts of Life''
*''
Falcon Crest''
*''
Fast Forward''
*''
Family Ties''
*''
Full House''
*''
General Hospital (US TV Series) General Hospital''
*''
The Greatest American Hero''
*''
Growing Pains''
*''
Head of the Class''
*''
Hill Street Blues''
*''
The Jewel in the Crown''
*''
Knight Rider''
*''
Knots Landing''
*''
L.A. Law''
*''
Late Night with David Letterman''
*''
Little Lulu Show''
*''
Magnum P.I.''
*''
Miami Vice''
*''
Moonlighting (TV series) Moonlighting''
*
MTV
*''
Neighbours''
*''
Only Fools and Horses''
*''
Perfect Strangers (sitcom) Perfect Strangers''
*''
Punky Brewster''
*''
Roseanne''
*''
Saturday Night Live''
*''
Smurfs''
*''
St. Elsewhere''
*''
T.J. Hooker''
*''
The Tonight Show'' with
Johnny Carson
*''
Who's The Boss?''
*''
Yes, Minister''
Music
Musical genres popular during the 1980s include
hip hop music hip hop,
old school rap,
heavy metal music,
twee pop,
hair metal,
New Wave music,
New Romantic,
shoegazing,
jangle pop,
hardcore punk,
synthpop,
alternative rock,
dream pop,
techno music techno,
house music house,
Acid House acid house,
two-tone, and the
Minneapolis sound.
Country music also remained popular with hits from the likes of
Kenny Rogers,
Ricky Skaggs,
Dolly Parton,
George Strait and
Randy Travis.
1989 saw
Garth Brooks break onto the scene.
''See also:''
1980s music groups,
List of rock and roll albums in the 1980s
External links
{{Wiktionary}}
-
Where Are They Now? The 80s Up To Date!
-
Awesome80s.com: Covering everything that happened in the 1980s
-
80s Actual:The 1980s as they were in England - news, pop culture - a work in progress.
-
The 1980's Week-By-Week Includes news and pop culture from each featured week
-
In the 80s
Category:1980s *
ca:Dècada del 1980
cy:1980au
da:1980'erne
de:1980er
el:Δεκαετία 1980
eo:1980-aj jaroj
es:Años 1980
et:1980. aastad
fi:1980-luku
fr:Années 1980
he:×©× ×•×ª ×”-80
hu:1980-as évek
io:1980a yari
is:1981–1990
it:Anni 1980
ja:1980年代
ko:1980년대
la:Decennium 199
mi:Ngahurutanga 199
nl:1980-1989
no:1980-Ã¥rene
os:1980-тæ
pl:Lata 80. XX wieku
pt:Década de 1980
ro:Anii 1980
ru:1980-е
simple:1980s
sk:80. roky 20. storoÄ?ia
sl:1980.
sq:Vitet 1980
sr:1980е
sv:1980-talet
zh:1980年代
zh-min-nan:1980 nî-tÄ?i
Category:Years by decade
Category:20th century
de:Kategorie:1980er
et:Kategooria:1980. aastad
es:CategorÃa:Años 1980
fr:Catégorie:Années 1980
io:Category:1980a yari
id:Kategori:1980-an
is:Flokkur:1981-1990
nl:Categorie:1980-1989
ja:Category:1980年代
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sk:Kategória:80. roky 20. storoÄ?ia
sr:Категорија:1980-е
sv:Kategori:1980-talet
tr:Kategori:1980'ler
zh:Category:1980年代
*** Shopping-Tip: 1980s
