The 1980s

Introduction

The 1980s, this decade is often referred to as "the Me decade" or "the Greed decade", reflecting the economic and social climate of the period. During this time the word "yuppie" entered the lexicon in the United States and UK, referring to the well-publicized rise of a new middle class. Lots of events happened during this period of times lots of inventions were invented and more.

Events

Events are the most important thing that make the world the way they are today. most of the events changes the world and some even bring back memories of how things become this way

Events

On April 26, 1986 at 01:23 a.m. reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Located near Pripyat in Ukraine, exploded. It was the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power. Further explosions and the resulting fire sent a plume of radioactively contaminated fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area. The plume drifted over parts of the Western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Northern Europe, and Eastern North America. Large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people. The accident brought up concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry, slowing its expansion for a number of years, while forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive.

Events

Space shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. On January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 74 seconds after lift off at Cape Canaveral, Florida. All seven astronauts including a school teacher died in the explosion. The reasons for the explosions were that the O-rings and gaskets that were used to seal the joints between the rocket boosters failed because of being exposed to cold weather. This cause the twin booster rockets to separate and fly off. The shuttle cabin also separated from the shuttle. This explosion causes other settle flights to be delayed for about three years.

Events

On October 11, 1986 Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit meeting in Reykjavík, Iceland, to pursue discussions about scaling back their intermediate-range ballistic missile arsenals in Europe. The talk came close to achieving an overall breakthrough on nuclear arms control, but ended in failure due to Reagan's proposed SDI and Gorbachev's proposed cancellation of it. By the spring of 1989, the USSR had not only experienced lively media debate, but had also held its first multi-candidate elections. For the first time in recent history, the force of liberalization was spreading from East to West.

People

People are important because they have a big impact of changing and shaping the way things are today and is going to be in the future.

People

Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. she was in office from 1981 – 2006.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor

People

Geraldine Anne Ferraro (born August 26, 1935). A Democratic politician and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was best known as the first and only woman to represent a major U.S. political party as a candidate for Vice President. She was in office form 1979 – 1985.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldine_Anne_Ferraro

People

Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (born October 8, 1941) was the first black candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 – 1988.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Louis_Jackson

Technology

Technology advances from those days to what we have now and it help us to work in a lot of ways.

Technology

The introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in August 1981 eventually lead to standardization in personal computing, largely due to the system's open architecture, which encouraged production of third-party clones of the unit. While the Apple II would eventually be displaced by the IBM PC, Apple Computer's 1984 release of the Apple Macintosh would create a new model for the home computer which IBM-compatible computers would eventually emulate, which results to more people using computers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Computer

Technology

The first flight of Columbia (STS-1) was commanded by John Young (a space veteran from the Gemini and Apollo eras) and piloted by Robert Crippen, who had never been in space before, but served as a support crew member for the Skylab missions and Apollo-Soyuz. The spacecraft launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, 1981, after orbiting around the earth for 36 times. Columbia then undertook three further research missions to test its technical characteristics and performance. Its first operational mission, with a four-man crew, was STS-5, which launched on November 11, 1982. In 1983, Columbia took its second operational mission (STS-9), with six astronauts, including non-American astronaut on a space shuttle. Columbia was not used for the next three years, during which time the shuttle fleet was expanded of include Discovery and Atlantis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia

Musician

Give people more entertainment to choose from.

Musician

R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe" in 1981 on independent record label Hip-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982; the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically-acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent critically-acclaimed releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. entered the mainstream in 1987 with the hit song "The One I Love." They signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to adopt broad political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.E.M._%28Band%29

Popular consumer product

Popular consumer products are grate to know because it is good to know what used to be very popular in those days and could try to come up with improvements.

Popular consumer product

Xavier Roberts rediscovers "needle molding" a German technique for fabric sculpture from the early 1800’s, by combining his interest in sculpture with the quilting skills passed down from his mother, Xavier creates his first soft-sculptures. While working his way as manager through school of th e Unicoi Craft Shop in Helen, Georgia, Xavier develops the marketing concept of adoptable Little People® with birth certificates. In 1981, the growing success of Xavier’s hand made Little People Originals is documented by Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Weekly and many others. In 1982, Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. signs a long term licensing agreement allowing a major toy manufacturer to produce a Toy replica of Xavier’s hand made soft sculpture Originals. The name Little People® is changed to the "Cabbage Patch Kids®" which is used for both the Toys and the hand made Originals. In 1983, the Cabbage Patch Kids Toys go on record as the most successful new doll introduction in the history of the toy industry.

http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/

Famous Piece of Art

Art gives a lot of color to your life.

Famous Piece of Art

Andy Warhol (born Augest 6 1928, February 22, 1987) had a re-emergence of critical and financial success in the 1980s, partially due to his affiliation and friendships with a number of prolific younger artists, who were dominating the "bull market" of '80s New York art: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, David Salle and the so-called Neo-Expressionists, as well as Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi and members of the Transavantguardia movement, which had become influential. Warhol also had an appreciation for intense Hollywood glamor. He once said: "I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're so beautiful. Everything's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol