1980s History
Which US volcano erupted in 1980?
- In 1980, Mt. Saint Helens in Washington erupted, killing 57 people.
What country's Prime Minister was assassinated in 1984?
- On October 31, 1984, India's Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was assassinated by two of her own bodyguards. Ghandi was the first, and as of 2020 only, female Prime Minister of India.
What artifical organ was successfully transplanted in 1982?
- In 1982, Paul Winchell designed the first artifical heart to successfully be transplanted. The recipient, Barney Clark, lived 112 after the transplant.
Who was elected as South Africa's Prime Minister in 1989?
- In 1989, F.W. de Clerk was elected as South Africa's Prime Minister. He was one of the first to begin to dismantle apartheid.
Who was the first woman in space in 1983?
- In 1983, Sally K. Ride boarded the Space Shuttle Challenger and became the first woman to travel to space.
What company introduced the first mobile phones in 1983?
- In 1983, Motorola introduced the public to the first mobile phones. The phone itself weighed 4.4 pounds.
What year did the Space Shuttle Challenger explode?
- The Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986 only 73 seconds after its launch. The explosion killed all five astronauts aboard.
Who was the first woman to serve as a US Supreme Court Justice?
- In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first women to be nominated for the US Supreme Court. She won her nomination and served as a Supreme Court Justice until 2006.
What did the 1989 deadly protests in China become known as?
- In 1989, thousands of Chinese students in Beijing protested for democracy. The Chinese government imposed martial law and ultimately killed thousands.
What Beatles' member was shot dead in 1980?
- The world was shocked when John Lennon was shot dead outside his New York apartment on December 8, 1980. Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman, who claimed he did so because of Lennon's fame.
