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Olympic Summer Games boycott, 1980 - After the USSR refused to withdraw from Afghanistan during the Cold War, the US, along with 65 other countries, boycotted the games held in Moscow.

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Olympic Games boycott revenge, 1984 - The Soviet Union then boycotted the Summer Games held in Los Angeles.

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"Miracle on Ice," 1980 - Before all the boycotting, the US and the USSR faced off during the men's ice hockey tournament at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The American victory became one of the most iconic moments of the Games and in US sports.

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The Elk Cloner, 1982 - The first large-scale computer virus outbreak in history was spread by floppy disk.

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The Elk Cloner, 1983 - The event also marked the first time the term "computer virus" was used. 

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CNN, 1980 - Ted Turner founded the news channel in 1980.

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Iran hostage crisis, 1981 -

Iran released the 52 American diplomats and citizens who were held hostages for 444 days on January 20, 1981.

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Ronald Reagan, 1981 - That was the same day Ronald Reagan began his term as President of the United States.

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MTV, 1981 - After debuting in 1981, MTV instantly became a massive hit by actually playing music videos.

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Pac-Man, 1980 - The release of Pac-Man was arguably the first game to create a sense of addiction throughout gamers in public.

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AIDS epidemic, 1981 - The United States experienced an unprecedented outbreak of HIV. The disease caused by HIV, AIDS, was named the following year.

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Rock Hudson, 1985 - The AIDS-related death of Hollywood star Rock Hudson marked a turning point awareness in the US. 1985 is also when Reagan first addressed the disease publicly.

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Compact Discs, 1982 - The first CD was released in 1982.

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First African-American Miss America, 1983 - Vanessa Williams became the first African-American crowned Miss America.

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Crack cocaine, 1983 - Crack cocaine was synthesized and produced in the Bahamas first before spreading north into the United States.

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Artificial heart transplant, 1982 - Barney Clark, 61, received the first permanent artificial heart. He lived 112 days after the transplant.

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US-Vatican relations, 1984 - Between 1867 and 1984, the US did not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

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Bhopal disaster, 1984 - The gas leak accident at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, became one of the largest chemical disasters in history, causing 15,000 deaths.

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Famine in Ethiopia, 1983-1985 - The country was hit with a devastating famine, costing more than one million lives.

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Chernobyl disaster, 1986 - The nuclear accident became the most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history.

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Exxon Valdez oil spill, 1989 - The after effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on Alaska’s Bligh Reef still linger today. Up to 750,000 barrels of crude oil were spilled, making it one of the worst ecological disasters in human history.

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US drought, 1988 - A devastating drought hit the United States in 1988, causing heat waves that killed up to 17,000 people.

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DeLorean DMC-12, 1981 - The 'Back to the Future' car was actually produced in the early '80s.

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Miami crime - The decade saw astronomical numbers of murder cases in Miami, which forced police to rent a refrigerated trailer from Burger King in which to store the corpses.

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Cinco de Mayo - In the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo became a popular celebration in the US as beer companies saw it as a marketing opportunity. The tradition took off to the point that it's way larger in the US than in its native Mexico today.

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Weird Al - In the heyday of beer sponsorships, the cult figure turned down a US$5 million deal with one company, contending he saw it as an ethical violation given how young his fan base was.

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'Blue Lagoon,' 1980 - Brooke Shields was only 14 when she filmed the racy movie.

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CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking - The CIA was reportedly involved in cocaine trafficking connected to the Contra war in Nicaragua during the Reagan Administration. The issue remains highly controversial. The CIA is said to have been the supplier for a drug kingpin in Los Angeles.

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Canada Act, 1982 - Canada did not have official independence from the United Kingdom until 1982, when Elizabeth II authorized the Canada Act.

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End of British colonies - Other British colonies to gain independence in the 1980s included Zimbabwe in 1980, and Australia and New Zealand in 1986. The latter cases were similar to Canada's.

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TV break - The words “we’ll be back after these messages” began airing to help children differentiate between the TV show and commercials. 

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Glasgow Ice Cream Wars - An ice cream truck driver in Scotland began selling drugs, which eventually caused a turf war with the other ice cream truck that sold drugs.

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BET, 1980 - When Black Entertainment Television was launched in 1980, it only aired for two hours on Fridays and didn't turn a profit until 1985. It went on to become the first black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Whiskey on the Rocks, 1981 - Soviet submarine S-363 was a Soviet Navy Whiskey-class submarine of the Baltic Fleet, which was run aground on October 27, 1981 on the south coast of Sweden, near Karlskrona, one of the larger Swedish naval bases. The ensuing international incident is often referred to as the "Whiskey on the rocks" incident. A diplomatic situation followed, but was solved.

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No commercials -

It wasn't until the 1980s that cable TV began to air commercials.

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Chicken McNuggets, 1981 - McDonald’s launched its world-famous Chicken McNuggets in 1981.

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Genetic fingerprint, 1984 -

British genetic scientist Alec Jeffreys invented the genetic fingerprint, which is key in modern gene analysis.

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GMOs, 1988 - China began growing modified tobacco plants in 1988, introducing the first genetically modified crops.

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Ivory ban , 1989 - Elephants nearly went extinct in the 1980s as a result of large-scale hunting, which prompted a worldwide ban on ivory.

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Transatlantic optical cable, 1988 - The first transatlantic optical cable was installed under the Atlantic Ocean, connecting France, England, and the US.

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Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989 - The Berlin wall came down on November 9, 1989, marking one of the 20th century's most iconic moments. 

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Emoticons, 1982 - The grandfather of the emoji was introduced by computer scientist Scott Fahlman when he suggested the smiley face to help differentiate serious posts and jokes on message boards at Carnegie Mellon.

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Rubik’s Cube, 1980 - The Rubik’s Cube was introduced at the International Toy Fair.

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John Lennon's murder, 1980 - The iconic Beatle was shot and killed in New York on December 8.

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Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, 1981 - Lady Di became everyone's favorite princess in 1981.

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Cabbage Patch Kids -

This is the decade that underwent the inexplicable Cabbage Patch Kids craze.

See also: Things everyone had in their home in the '80s

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