The 1980s Interactive Timeline

The 1980s A year-by-year look at major events from the decade.

1980 Mt. St. Helens erupts John Lennon assassinated Rubik's Cube gains worldwide popularity Ted Turner founds CNN More than 50 nations, including U.S., boycott Moscow Olympic Games

1981 Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan survive assassination attempts Sandra Day O'Connor becomes first woman to serve on Supreme Court Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer AIDS recognized by the CDC Personal Computers (PCs) introduced by IBM Pac-Man craze sweeps U.S.

1982 "E.T." hits theaters Michael Jackson releases "Thriller" Rev. Sun Myung Moon marries 2,075 couples at Madison Square Garden Falkland Islands war (Argentina-U.K.)

1983 President Reagan announces Star Wars defense plan Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space U.S. Embassy in Beirut bombed Cabbage Patch Kids craze sweeps U.S. M*A*S*H ends after 251 episodes

1984 Huge poison gas leak at Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two bodyguards Vietnam War Memorial opened in Washington Bishop Desmond Tutu awarded Nobel Peace Prize

1985 Hole in the ozone layer discovered Mikhail Gorbachev calls for Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) of Soviet Union New Coke hits stores Wreck of the Titanic found

1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after liftoff Chernobyl nuclear accident Iran-Contra scandal U.S. bombs Libya

1987 DNA first used to convict criminals "Black Monday" stock market plunge

1988 Pan Am Flight 103 is bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland U.S. shoots down Iranian airliner Solidarity strikes in Poland Soviet troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan after nine year occupation U.S. and Canada sign free trade agreement

1989 Berlin Wall falls Exxon Valdez spills millions of gallons of il on Alaska coastline Student protesters killed in China's Tiananmen Square F.W. DeKlerk becomes President of South Africa, promising apartheid reforms

Credits: CBS/AP