istoryworld
All Events
The trade union movement Solidarnośc (Solidarity) is declared illegal by the Polish government
George Segal's bronze monument The Holocaust is unveiled in San Francisco
Hezbollah emerges in Lebanon as an Iranian-sponsored resistance movement against the Israeli occupation of the southern part of the country
After 18 years as General Secretary of the Communist party in the USSR, Leonid Brezhnev dies in office
Michael Jackson's releases the album Thriller, which goes on to sell 40 million copies in ten years
Research groups led by Roberto Gallo and Luc Montagnier independently discover a retrovirus that causes AIDS and is subsequently named the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
British economist Nicholas Kaldor attacks monetarism in The Economic Consequences of Mrs Thatcher
Bob Hawke is Australia's prime minister after a Labor victory in the election
Ronald Harwood's play The Dresser is partly inspired by the British actor Donald Wolfit
President Reagan proposes a Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) against nuclear attack
The first all-digital synthesizer, the DX7, is put on the market by Yamaha
A civilian government, voted into power in Argentina, prosecutes members of the military junta for civil rights abuses
Philip Johnson completes the A.T. & T. skyscraper in New York, an early example of Post-Modernism
The US system MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) becomes the industry standard for electronic communication in music
Philips and Sony jointly introduce a new device, the compact disc
Manuel Noriega wins control of the National Guard in Panama on his way to achieving absolute power
South African novelist J.M. Coetzee publishes The Life and Times of Michael K, and wins the Booker Prize
A new version of the Apple adds the mouse to personal computers
Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino is assassinated at Manila International Airport
The Tamil Tigers launch a civil war against the Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka
Classical ballerina Natalia Makarova triumphs on Broadway in On Your Toes
Rudolf Nureyev begins a successful 6-year period as artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet
Government imposition of Islamic law (sharia) triggers renewed civil war in Sudan between the Muslim north and Christian south
Polish union leader and activist Lech Walesa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
President Reagan sends US marines to Grenada after the execution of the island's prime minister, Maurice Bishop
