From Ukraine to Gaza
During the Cold War, the USA and 65 other countries boycotted the games in Moscow after the USSR refused to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Subsequently, the Soviet Union retaliated and decided not to take part in the Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Before these boycotts, the United States and the Soviet Union competed against each other in the men's ice hockey tournament at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The American victory became one of the most famous moments of the Games and of US sports.
The first large-scale outbreak of a computer virus in history was spread via floppy disk.
This famous outbreak also marked the first time the term 'computer virus' was used.
The cable news channel was launched by Ted Turner on June 1, 1980 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
On January 20, 1981, Iran released the 52 American diplomats and citizens who had been held hostage for 444 days by a group of militarized Iranian college students. According to The White House Historical association website, "the Iranian hostage crisis contributed greatly to Jimmy Carter’s loss of the presidency in the 1980 election."
On the same day of the hostages release, Ronald Reagan became President of the United States.
MTV was launched with the clip 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by The Buggles. The channel became an instant success by playing music videos.
Pac-Man was released, biting its way through computers. This was probably the first game to trigger a feeling of addiction in gamers around the world.
In 1981, the first official reports of the new epidemic were published in the US. The term AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) was used for the first time in 1982.
The death of Hollywood star Rock Hudson, who had AIDS, marked a turning point in raising awareness in the USA. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan addressed the disease publicly for the first time.
Although they became famous and widespread in the 1990s, the first CD was commercially released in 1982.
Vanessa Williams made history as the first African-American woman to win the title of Miss America.
Crack cocaine was first synthesized and produced in the Bahamas. The first cities in the USA where crack cocaine emerged were New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, and it later spread to the rest of the country.
Barney Clark received the first permanent artificial heart. He was 61 years old and survived 112 days after the surgery.
The Holy See and the US had no diplomatic relations from 1867 to 1984 due to rumors of Catholic involvement in the assassination of President Lincoln. This separation ended on January 10, 1984.
The gas leak at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, is still one of the biggest chemical disasters in history, claiming 15,000 lives.
The country was struck by a severe famine that killed over a million people.
The explosion of one of the reactors at the Chernobyl power station in Ukraine became the worst catastrophe in the history of nuclear power plants.
The consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill at Bligh Reef in Alaska are still being felt today. Approximately 750,000 barrels of crude oil were spilled, making it one of the worst environmental disasters in human history.
This was one of the worst drought episodes in the United States. It began in 1988 and continued (in certain areas) through 1989 and 1990. The over- cultivation of farmland and the pumping of almost all the groundwater were largely to blame. The drought and heatwaves killed up to 17,000 people.
Remember the cool car from 'Back to the Future' (1985)? Doc's DeLorean was actually produced in the early 80s.
During this decade, Miami experienced a huge spike in homicides, and police even had to rent a refrigerated trailer from Burger King to store all the bodies that were coming in.
The Cinco de Mayo celebration grew in popularity in the US during this decade as beer brands capitalized on the marketing potential. Interestingly, this tradition has evolved to the point where it's now bigger in the US than in Mexico.
During the Reagan Administration, it was alleged that the CIA was involved in cocaine trafficking in connection with the Contra war in Nicaragua. This is still a very controversial topic. The CIA is said to have been the supplier for a drug lord in Los Angeles.
Canada's official independence from the United Kingdom was attained in 1982 when Queen Elizabeth II approved the Canada Act.
Other British colonies that gained independence in the 1980s were Zimbabwe in 1980 and Australia and New Zealand in 1986.
The phrase "we'll be back after these messages" was introduced by the FCC to help children distinguish between the TV show and Commercials.
Several ice cream sellers in Glasgow used the ice cream business as a cover for selling drugs. A turf war broke out between these ice cream vendors over the illegal business, which also involved the intimidation of rival ice cream sellers.
Black Entertainment Television (BET) debuted in 1980, initially airing only on Fridays for two hours. The station did not turn a profit until 1985. Nonetheless, BET reached an important milestone by becoming the first black-owned company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Soviet submarine S-363 was a Whiskey-class submarine of the Soviet Navy's Baltic Fleet that ran aground on October 27, 1981, off the southern coast of Sweden, near Karlskrona, one of Sweden's larger naval bases. The international incident that followed is often referred to as "whiskey on the rocks." A diplomatic situation ensued, but was resolved.
Cable television in the US began with government-funded channels, and it was not until the 1980s that cable television began to air commercials.
In 1981, McDonald's introduced its popular Chicken McNuggets.
Alec Jeffreys, a British genetic scientist, invented and developed the genetic fingerprint, which is of crucial importance in today's genetic analysis.
Genetically modified crops were first introduced in tobacco plantations in China in 1988.
In the 1980s, elephants faced a serious risk of extinction due to widespread hunting, leading to a global ban on ivory to protect these animals.
The first transatlantic fiber optic cable was laid in the Atlantic Ocean, connecting France, England, and the US.
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down, marking an iconic moment in the 20th century when Eastern and Western Europe were no longer separated by a physical barrier.
The birth of the emoji's 'grandfather' happened thanks to computer scientist Scott Fahlman, who introduced the smiley face to distinguish between serious posts and jokes on message boards at Carnegie Mellon.
The Rubik's Cube made its debut at the International Toy Fair.
John Lennon, the legendary guitarist and singer of The Beatles, was fatally shot in New York on December 8.
Lady Di became the beloved Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles in 1981
This was also the decade in which the inexplicable Cabbage Patch Kids craze took place...
Sources: (History Channel)
See also: Iconic toys that defined the ‘80s
Check out the gallery and see how many of these unique moments you remember.
The 1980s' most significant events
Were times truly simpler back then?
LIFESTYLE History
The 1980s, the last decade before the advent of the internet, was a unique chapter in history. From the new tensions of the Cold War to the rapid technological advances of the early information and telecommunications revolution, this decade witnessed a series of fascinating events.
Check out the gallery and see how many of these unique moments you remember.