1980s
1. The Iran–Iraq War
+/-2. Canada, New Zealand, Australia and others gained official independence from the United Kingdom (1982)
+/-3. Ronald Reagan (1980)
4. Mikhail Gorbachev (1985)
+5. End of the Cold War
+6. The fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
+7. Margaret Thatcher
+8. The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (1986)
+9. The Chernobyl disaster (1986)
+10. The personal computer experienced explosive growth in the 1980s
+11. World Wide Web
+12. The "Black Monday" (1987)
+/-13. Michael Jackson was one of the icons of the 1980s
+14. Cable television
+/-15. The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
+16. Rubik's Cube
+/-Contents
I. Cold War 1. Iran–Iraq War
2. Fall of the Berlin Wall
3. Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher
4. End of the Cold War
II. Events and Disasters 1. Chernobyl disaster
2. Summer Olympics in Moscow
3. "Black Monday"
4. Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
III. Technology and Culture 1. PCs
2. World Wide Web
3. Cable television 4. Michael Jackson
5. Rubik's Cube
I. Cold War
In the second half of the 20th century, a confrontation between the two strongest superpowers of its time, the USA and the USSR, took place on the world political arena and received the definition of "cold war".
After the end of World War II the United States and the Soviet Union were the most powerful politically and economically and wanted to strengthen their leadership positions in every possible way.
In 1946, in the American city of Fulton, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech in which he accused the Soviet Union of aggressive expansion. The "Truman Doctrine" which he spoke in 1947, further worsened relations between the USSR and its allies. Both of these events were considered by the USSR government as a declaration of war.
The period of the Cold War lasted from 1946 to 1991. Despite the fact that the confrontation between the two powers did not turn into a "hot" war, they nevertheless took part on opposite sides in military conflicts.
1. Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was a long armed conflict that began in 1980 with a full-scale invasion of Iran by its neighbour Iraq. The war lasted for almost eight years and ended in 1988. Iraq wished to replace Iran as the dominant state in the Persian Gulf as well as its close alliances with the United States and Israel, a major player in the Middle East.
The United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France, and many Arab countries provided financial, political and logistical support for Iraq. Iran received various forms of support from Syria, Libya, China, North Korea, Israel, Pakistan and South Yemen.
In total, around 500,000 people were killed during the war. The end of the war resulted in neither reparations nor border changes.
2. Fall of the Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. it came to symbolize physically the "Iron Curtain" that separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
In 1989, series of revolutions in nearby Poland and Hungary caused a chain reaction in East Germany. The East German government announced on 9 November 1989 that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed and climbed onto the Wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. The demolition of the Wall officially began in 1990 and was completed in 1994. The "fall of the Berlin Wall" paved the way for German reunion.
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II. Events and Disasters
1. Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that happened on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in cost and casualties.
The accident occurred during a safety test on the steam turbine of a nuclear reactor. About 100,000 people were evacuated from the area, primarily from Pripyat. The exclusion zone was later increased to 30 kilometres and later it became the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone covering an area of approximately 2,600 km2.
The USSR built the protective Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus by December 1986. It reduced the spread of radioactive contamination from the wreckage and protected it from weathering.
2. Summer Olympics in Moscow The 1980 Summer Olympics commonly known as Moscow 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow. The Games were the first to be staged in an Eastern Bloc country, as well as the first Olympic Games and only Summer Olympics to be held in a Slavic language-speaking country.
The USSR wanted to put on a spectacle to impress the rest of the world, so an artistic performance was included after the ceremonial parts were finished. Since then, subsequent opening ceremonies have expanded on the artistic program, and it is now seen as the main event at the opening ceremonies.
The Olympic Mishka, is the name of the Russian Bear mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He was designed by children's books illustrator Victor Chizhikov. During the closing ceremony on one side of the stadium where the Olympic Torch was situated, there was a placard mural of Mishka which shed tears of happiness from his left eye. At the end of the ceremony, Mishka with his balloons was released and rose in the air away from the stadium, and this nostalgic moment has been fondly remembered by Russians. A few hours later Mishka landed on Vorobyovy Gory and later was exhibited at the Exhibition Centre.
Eighty nations were represented at the Moscow Games. Led by the United States, 66 countries boycotted the games entirely, because of the Soviet's participation in the Afghan War. Some athletes from some of the boycotting countries participated in the games under the Olympic Flag. The Soviet Union later boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
3. "Black Monday" Black Monday is the name commonly given to the global, sudden, severe, and unexpected stock market crash on October 19, 1987. All of the twenty-three major world markets experienced a sharp decline. The least affected was Austria (a fall of 11.4%) while the most affected was Hong Kong (with a drop of 45.8%). Out of twenty-three major industrial countries, nineteen had a decline greater than 20%. Worldwide losses were estimated at US$1.71 trillion. The severity of the crash sparked fears of extended economic instability or even a reprise of the Great Depression.
4. Challenger disaster The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a fatal accident in the United States space program that occurred in 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the death of all seven crew members aboard; it was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft in flight.
Nationally televised coverage of the launch and explosion was provided by CNN. To promote the Teacher in Space program, NASA had arranged for many US children to view the launch live at school.
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III. Technology and Culture
1. Personal Computers During the early 1980s, PCs were further developed for household use, with software for personal productivity, programming and games. Somewhat larger and more expensive systems were aimed at office and small business use. In 1982 "The Computer" was named Machine of the Year by Time magazine.
An increasingly important set of uses for personal computers relied on the ability of the computer to communicate with other computer systems, allowing interchange of information. Commercial Internet service providers emerged in the late 1980s, giving public access to the rapidly growing network.
2. World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information space where documents and other web resources can be accessed through the Internet using a web browser. The Web has changed people's lives immeasurably. It is the primary tool billions of people worldwide use to interact on the Internet.
English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. He developed the foundations for the Web: HTTP, HTML, the WorldWideWeb browser, a server, and the first website in order to manage documentation.
The terms Internet and World Wide Web do not mean the same thing. The Internet is a global system of computer networks interconnected through telecommunications and optical networking. In contrast, the World Wide Web is a global collection of documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URIs.
3. Cable TV 4. Michael Jackson Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, as well as the robot. He is the most awarded individual music artist in history.
5. Rubik's Cube The Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle originally invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. The cube was released internationally in 1980 and became one of the most recognized icons in popular culture. It won the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle.
Although the Rubik's Cube reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1980s, it is still widely known and used. Many speedcubers continue to practice it and similar puzzles; they also compete for the fastest times in various categories. The world record time for solving a Rubik's Cube is 3.47 seconds, held by a chinese athlete.