8+(e)+-+The+1980's

**The 1980s** was the decade spanning from Jan. 1, 1980 to Dec. 31, 1989. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. The American led global war on drugs began, and US automakers continued market losses to Japan and other countries. Chasing cheap labor, a lot of global manufacturing relocated into Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, China and Eastern Europe, away from traditional manufacturing strongholds. New middle class economies were beginning to emerge in the old Soviet bloc countries and other parts of the world, and Islamic fundamentalism began to assert itself in the Middle East. In the United States, the early 1980s were characterized by a religious revival (see [|Moral Majority] ) and conservative revival (known as the "Reagan revolution"). [|The New Right] succeeded in building a policy approach and electoral apparatus that propelled [|Ronald Reagan] into the [|White House] in the 1980 presidential election. The era was characterized by the blend of conservative family values alongside a period of increased telecommunications, a shift towards [|neoliberal] market economies and the new openness of [|perestroika] and [|glasnost] in the USSR. This transitional period also saw massive democratic revolutions such as the [|Tiananmen Square protests of 1989] in [|China], the [|Czechoslovak velvet revolution] , and the overthrow of the [|dictatorial] regime in [|Romania] and other [|communist] [|Warsaw Pact] states in [|Central] and [|Eastern Europe]. It came to be called as the late 1980s purple passage of the [|autumn of nations]. These changes continued to be felt in the 1990s and into the 21st century. The 1980s was also an era of tremendous population growth around the world, surpassing even the 1970s and 1990s for arguably being the largest in human history. This growth occurred not only in developing regions but also developed western nations, where many newborns were the offspring of [|Baby Boomers]. Population growth was particularly rapid in a number of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries during this decade, with rates of natural increase close to or exceeding 4% annually.
 * THE 80’s **

The role of women in the workplace increased greatly. Continuing the 1970s' trend, more and more women in the English-speaking world took to calling themselves " [|Ms.] ", rather than "Mrs." or "Miss." A similar change occurred in Germany, with women choosing "Frau" instead of "Fräulein" in an effort to disassociate marital status from title. In most [|western] countries, women began to exercise the option of keeping their maiden names after marriage; in [|Canada], legislation was enacted to end the practice of automatically changing a woman's last name upon marriage. [|Social welfare] for [|handicapped] children improved in some countries and these children were no longer ignored or forced into state [|mental institutions]. National safety campaigns raised awareness of [|seat belt] usage to save lives in automobile accidents, helping to make the measure mandatory in most countries and U.S. states by 1990. Similar efforts arose to push [|child safety seats] and [|bike] [|helmet] use, already mandatory in a number of U.S. states and some countries. [|Alcohol education and drug education] expanded, bringing about movements such as [|M.A.D.D.], Nancy Reagan's [|Just Say No] campaign, and [|D.A.R.E.]. By 1990, every state in the U.S. mandated the [|drinking age] to be 21. Rejection of [|smoking], perceived as more unhealthy and deadly than in previous decades, increased among Americans following a 1984 reconfirmation of earlier studies into the risks of smoking by the [|U.S. Surgeon General]. "Smoking" and "non-smoking" sections in American restaurants became common, state efforts to combat underage smoking (such as banning cigarette sales to [|minors] ) intensified, and acknowledgment of smoking-related [|birth defects] became more common. Opposition to [|nuclear power] plants grew, especially after the catastrophic 1986 [|Chernobyl accident]. Environmental concerns intensified. In the United Kingdom, environmentally friendly domestic products surged in popularity. Western European countries adopted "greener" policies to cut back on [|oil] use, [|recycle] most of their nations' waste, and increase focus on [|water] and [|energy conservation] efforts. Similar "Eco-activist" trends appeared in the U.S. in the late 1980s. The [|1980 Summer Olympics] in [|Moscow] were disrupted by a [|boycott] led by the [|United States] and 64 other countries in protest of the 1979 [|Soviet invasion of] [|Afghanistan]. The Soviet Union responded to the actions taken by the United States and other nations in 1980 by leading [|Eastern Bloc] countries and allies in a boycott of the [|1984 Summer Olympics] in [|Los Angeles]. The [|1988 Summer] [|Olympics] in [|Seoul] were the first not to be affected by major boycotts since 1972, but were marred by the disqualification of 100m sprint winner [|Ben Johnson] for failing a drugs test. In this decade, the [|West Indies] established themselves as the unofficial world champions of cricket, though in a shock upset, they lost the [|1983 Cricket World Cup] to [|India]. The [|1987 Cricket World Cup] was won by [|Australia]. **80’s MUSIC** The decade began with a backlash against [|disco] music in the [|United states], and a movement away from the [|orchestral arrangements] that had characterized much of the music of the 1970s. Music in the 1980s was characterized by unheard of electronic sounds accomplished through the use of [|synthesizers] and [|keyboards] , along with [|drum machines]. This made a dramatic change in music. In the United States, [|MTV] was launched and [|music videos] began to have a huge effect on the record industry. The first video aired was " [|Video Killed the Radio] [|Star] " by the British band [|The Buggles], and it proved oddly prophetic. Bands such as [|Duran Duran] made lavish music videos which made MTV a cultural phenomenon. Pop artists such as [|Madonna] and [|Michael Jackson] mastered the format and turned it into big business. [|New Wave] and [|Synthpop] were developed by many British and American artists, and become popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early and mid eighties. [|Heavy metal], [|Big Hair Bands] and [|Glam metal] , experienced extreme popularity in 1980s, becoming one of the most dominating music genres of the 1980s (especially in the late 80s) with artists receiving extensive airplay. The [|Hip hop] scene evolved to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles. As hip hop artists gathered mainstream attention, hip hop's influence began to spread outside of [|Los Angeles] and [|New York City], eventually taking off into America's shores during the 1980s in 1986. In the U.S., [|contemporary Christian music] gained popularity in the mid-80s. AC/DC release Back in Black, the second highest selling album world wide after the death of their legendry lead singer Bon Scott. **New styles of music** [|Thrash metal] appeared and became an underground sensation originating mostly in the [|Bay Area] (San Francisco), and [|New York City]. A few of these acts managed to achieve mainstream exposure (especially during the early 1990s), and were frequently seen as alternatives to the poppier " [|glam metal] " bands of the day. [|Extreme metal] began, and gained prominence in the underground. [|House music] was a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post- [|disco] scene early in the decade and later developed into [|acid house], a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture. With increased commercialization of popular music, thousands of new bands from all over the country sprang up in opposition by performing aggressive, stripped-down punk rock with an even larger amount of political and social awareness injected into the lyrics. Known as [|Hardcore punk], it would go on to influence and create other musical genres well into the 21st century. [|El General] recorded a first album and [|reggaeton] was born in Panama. [|Prince] was credited with jump-starting the [|Minneapolis sound]. **VIDEO GAMES** Although popularity of [|video games] and arcades began in the mid to late 1970s, it continued throughout the 1980s with rapid growth in video game technology throughout the decade. [|Space Invaders], developed in [|Japan] in 1978, was first previewed at a [|UK] trade show in 1979, making a huge impact on the early 80s gaming scene. Many other games followed including [|Pac-Man], creating a //Pac Man fever craze// early in the decade, especially in 1982 and 1983; [|Super Mario Bros.] games became a highly successful franchise starting in 1985, with its popularity continuing today. In the 1980s, [|Atari] failed to apply proper quality control to the software development process for its popular [|Video Computer System] [|game console]. The amount of low-quality software caused a massive [|collapse of the home console industry]. The release of [|Nintendo] 's [|Famicom/NES] console rectified the problem and revived home gaming by only being able to play games approved by the company. [|PC Engine] and [|Sega Mega Drive] were next generation game consoles that were released during the last years of the decade. [|Home computers] become popular in the 1980s and during that decade they were used heavily for gaming, especially the [|ZX Spectrum]. The prevailing [|IBM PC] standard was born in 1981 but had a status of a non-entertainment computer throughout the decade. Along with the IBM PC, the [|Commodore 64] (1982) was the most popular 8-bit home computer and its successor, the [|Amiga] (1985), was the most popular 16-bit home computer. **AROUND THE WORLD IN THE 80’S** **Australia** [|Bob Hawke] was [|Prime Minister] of [|Australia] for most of the 1980s. Most Australian states decriminalized [|homosexuality]. In 1983 the states of [|Victoria] and [|South Australia] were hit by the [|Ash Wednesday] [|fires]. These fast-spreading wildfires claimed the lives of 75 people and left much of south-eastern Australia (including the cities of [|Melbourne] and [|Adelaide] ) under a layer of ash. The 1988 World's Fair, [|Expo '88], was held in [|Brisbane]. In 1981 there was a [|assassination attempt] on [|Pope] [|John Paul II] in [|Saint Peter's Square]. In 1986, [|Swedish] Prime Minister [|Olof Palme] was [|assassinated]. In the [|European Community], after the [|first direct elections] for the [|European Parliament] in 1979, its [|enlargement] continued with the accession of [|Greece] in 1981 and [|Spain] and [|Portugal] in 1986. At the end of the decade, the Fall of the [|Berlin Wall] in 1989 would be followed in 1990 by the [|German reunification]. **United Kingdom** [|Margaret Thatcher] held the office of [|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom] from 1979 to 1990. The [|Falklands War] occurred from 2 April 1982 – 14 July 1982 against the Argentinians over the Falkland Islands off the East Coast of [|Argentina]. [|Lady Diana Spencer] married Prince Charles 1981. **United States** American schoolgirl [|Samantha Smith] visited the [|Soviet Union] after writing to [|Yuri Andropov] and became involved in the growing peace movement between East and West before her death in 1985. The United States, along with members of the [|Organisation of Eastern Caribbean] [|States], [|invaded] [|Grenada] in 1983. There was also an [|attack] by the US against [|Libya] in 1986. [|John Lennon] was [|assassinated] in 1980. An [|attempt was made] on the life of [|Ronald Reagan], 1981. A [|crack cocaine] epidemic occurred in urban areas of the U.S., such that violent crime and drug trafficking soared to record levels in most large American cities. Crime and drug use rates began to fall toward the end of the decade. [|Riots] took place in the poor section of [|Miami] in May 1980 and January 1989. A poverty rate of 50% African Americans, 30% Hispanic and 10% White. Unemployment achieved an overall rate of 10%.
 * Europe**

** 80’s CULTURE ** In the early 1980s, the first generation of computer, video, and arcade games produced the popular [|//Space Invaders//] arcade game (first released in 1978), followed by many others. Computer technology began to enter mainstream culture and appeared in movies such as [|//Tron//] (1982) and [|//WarGames//] (1983), using then-state of the art special effects that would go on to have a major impact on movie making. [|Rubik's Cube], [|Cabbage Patch Kids] , " [|Baby on Board] " signs, [|Teddy Ruxpin] , and [|Trivial Pursuit] [|fads] captured the interest of the American and British public. [|Rubik's Cube], often used as the defining symbol of the 1980s Many cartoon characters appeared in the media and on merchandise, becoming huge trends of the 1980s. [|Martial arts] and [|Ninja] mania swept North America due to the popularity of [|Kung] [|Fu Theater] and ninja movies. [|//The Karate Kid//] became a blockbuster hit film, and raised interest in [|karate]. "Raybans" or [|sunglasses] became popular items, as well as [|sneakers], men's [|shorts] and other [|athletic wear] such as sweats and jerseys for an active generation of young people. [|Aerobics] surged in popularity. The fad reached across exercise videos, fashion, television, film and music. [|MTV], an all-music television station, debuted in the United States in 1981. enhance the continent's cultural image. Examples include celebrities [|Olivia] [|Newton-John], [|Jacko] and [|Yahoo Serious] , musicians [|INXS] , [|Midnight Oil] and [|Men] [|at Work], the [|Crocodile Dundee] and [|Mad Max] movies, the [|Roos] shoe brand and [|Koala Blue] chain within the fashion segment, and tastes such as "shrimp on the barbie" and [|Foster's Lager]. Rap music began to break into the mainstream, resulting in a string of [|breakdancing] movies. [|Boomboxes] became widespread among inner city music listeners and especially breakdancers, for which the device became a vital element to the ritual. "Breakdance battles" were a more peaceful alternative to gang fights and became popular in music videos. In the U.S., [|Spanish-language] television and radio stations built two major networks to carry shows and music for the U.S. [|Latino] audience, believed at the time to have been left out of the mainstream media. ** LIVE AID ** The concert was conceived as a follow-up to another Geldof/Ure project, the successful charity single " [|Do They Know It's Christmas?] ", performed by a collection of [|British] and [|Irish] music acts billed as ' [|Band Aid] ' and released the previous winter. The concert grew in scope, as more acts were added on both sides of the Atlantic. As a charity fundraiser, the concert far exceeded its goals: on a television programme in [|2001], one of the organisers stated that while initially it had been hoped that Live Aid would raise £1 million, the final figure was £150 million (approx. $283.6 million). Partly in recognition of the Live Aid effort, Geldof received an honorary [|knighthood]. Music promoter [|Harvey Goldsmith] was also instrumental in bringing the plans of Geldof and Ure to fruition.
 * [|Australian] pop culture introduced new trends in the U.S. throughout the 1980s to
 * Live Aid** was a multi-venue rock music concert held on [|July 13], [|1985] . The event was organized by [|Bob Geldof] and [|Midge Ure] to raise funds for famine relief in [|Ethiopia] . Billed as the 'global jukebox', the main sites for the event were [|Wembley Stadium] , [|London] (attended by 82,000 people) and [|JFK Stadium] , [|Philadelphia] (attended by about 99,000 people), with some acts performing at other venues such as [|Sydney] and [|Moscow] . It was one of the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated 1.5 billion viewers, across 100 countries, watched the live broadcast.

** BERLIN WALL ** The **Berlin Wall** ( [|German] : //Berliner Mauer//) was a [|barrier] separating [|West Berlin] from [|East Berlin] and the rest of [|East Germany]. The longer '[|**inner German border**]**'** demarcated the remainder of the East-West German border between the two states. Both borders were part of the [|Iron Curtain]. The wall separated [|East Berlin] and [|West Berlin] for 28 years, from the day construction began on August 13, 1961 until it was dismantled in 1989, and was considered to be a longtime symbol of the Iron Curtain. [|[1]] During this period, at least 133 people were confirmed killed trying to cross the Wall into West Berlin, according to official figures. [|[2]] However, a prominent victims' group claims that more than 200 people had been killed trying to flee from East to West Berlin. [|[3]] The GDR/East German government gave [|shooting orders] to border guards dealing with defectors; such orders are not the same as shoot to kill orders which GDR officials have denied exist. [|[4]] When the East German government announced on November 9, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, that visits in West Germany and West Berlin would be permitted, crowds of East Germans climbed onto and crossed the wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. Over the next few weeks, parts of the wall were chipped away by a euphoric public and by souvenir hunters; industrial equipment was later used to remove almost all of the rest of it. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for [|German reunification], which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990. ** JOHN LENNON & POPE ASSASSINATION ** John Winston Lennon, (9 October 1940 – [|8 December] [|1980] ) was an [|English] [|rock] [|musician], singer, songwriter, [|artist] , and [|peace activist] who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of [|The Beatles]. As a member of the group, Lennon was one of the lead vocalists and [|co-wrote the majority] of the band's songs with bassist [|Paul McCartney]. On the night of 8 December [|1980], Lennon was shot four times in the back in the entrance hallway of [|the Dakota] by [|Mark David Chapman]. Lennon had autographed a copy of //Double Fantasy// for Chapman earlier that same night. Chapman pleaded guilty and is currently serving life in Attica prison near New York. Twenty years after his death millions of fans paid tribute to Mr Lennon in his home town of Liverpool and in New York. His widow launched a campaign against gun violence in the United States to mark the anniversary.

An attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II occurred on May 13, 1981. Mehmet Ali Ağca shot and seriously wounded the Pope in the Vatican City's St. Peter's Square. Ağca was convicted for this crime in July 1981, and was deported to Turkey in 2001, after serving 20 years imprisonment. According to Ağca, the plan was for him and the back-up gunman Oral Çelik to open fire in St. Peter's Square and escape to the Bulgarian embassy under the cover of the panic generated by a small explosion. On May 13 they sat in the square, writing postcards waiting for the Pope to arrive. When the Pope passed, Ağca fired several shots and critically wounded him, but was grabbed by a nun and several other spectators and prevented from finishing the assassination or escaping.

** ROYAL WEDDING ** The Marriage of the Decade - In 1981, the royal wedding took place at Buckingham Palace in London, England. Prince Charles married a kindergarten teacher named Diana Spencer. The day was declared a national holiday, and so the entire UK ground to a halt as crowds of over half a million people lined the streets of London, and everybody else tuned in on TV to watch the event itself. Estimates suggest that the wedding was watched by more than 750 million people world wide. That’s some viewing figure! The Wedding took place on 29th July 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Charles wore the dress uniform of a Naval commander, whilst Diana wore the world famous Emmanuel designed dress, that had a train that stretched 25 feet. The rest of the country meanwhile carried on their own celebrations, with many attending street parties. Long tables were set up in the roads of housing estates and bunting hung from the lamp posts whilst everyone sat down to have lunch with their neighbours and friends, with everyone chipping in food and drink. Of course, the wedding day wouldn’t have happened without the initial engagement of the couple, which was formally announced on the 24th February 1981. This is when the famous engagement photo was taken, with Charles in a fairly plain dark grey suit, and Diana wearing a smart blue outfit. This photo got plastered across just about every conceivable piece of merchandise you could ever think of- plates, biscuit tins, T-shirts, mugs etc.