80s history

Welcome to the We Love the Eighties Community

This community is dedicated to the music, movies, television, games, radio, and pop culture that defined the 1980s. It is a place for people who lived the decade, as well as those who appreciate what made it unforgettable. Members use this forum to check in during live radio blocks, share weekly listening memories, and talk about what the music, shows, and moments of the 80s bring back for them. Guests are welcome to browse selected discussions, while full participation requires registration. If you would like to understand the intent behind this community and how it is curated, you can read more here: About This Community. Explore current conversations, share your memories, and take part in a community built around real 80s experiences.

Join the discussion

See what members are talking about right now
Free registration. Facebook and Google login available.

Register Log in
  1. On This Day: June 30, 1981 - Jerry Lee Lewis Rushed to Hospital in Memphis

    On This Day: June 30, 1981 - Jerry Lee Lewis Rushed to Hospital in Memphis

    On this day June 30, 1981, rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis was rushed to a hospital in Memphis after suffering a severe tear in his stomach. The situation was critical, and doctors initially gave him less than a 50 percent chance to survive. The news shocked fans across the country, as the...
  2. On This Day: June 30, 1987 - Iran Contra Hearings Interrupt American Television

    On This Day: June 30, 1987 - Iran Contra Hearings Interrupt American Television

    On this day June 30, 1987, televisions across the United States were interrupted as the Iran Contra affair hearings were broadcast live to the public. Millions of Americans tuned in to witness the high-stakes investigation unfold in real time as top officials from the Reagan administration were...
  3. On This Day: June 30, 1986 - US Supreme Court Upholds State Bans on Homosexual Acts

    On This Day: June 30, 1986 - US Supreme Court Upholds State Bans on Homosexual Acts

    On this day June 30, 1986, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the case of Bowers v. Hardwick, ruling that states had the legal right to outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults. The 5 to 4 decision upheld a Georgia law that criminalized private, consensual...
  4. On This Day: June 30, 1985 - American Hostages Freed After TWA Flight 847 Hijacking

    On This Day: June 30, 1985 - American Hostages Freed After TWA Flight 847 Hijacking

    On this day June 30, 1985, the 39 American hostages who had been held captive aboard TWA Flight 847 were freed in Beirut after 17 tense days. The plane had originally been scheduled to travel from Cairo, Egypt to San Diego, California, with stops along the way. During the flight, it was hijacked...
  5. On This Day: June 27 1988 - Gare de Lyon Rail Accident Kills 56 in Paris

    On This Day: June 27 1988 - Gare de Lyon Rail Accident Kills 56 in Paris

    On this day June 27 1988, a deadly train collision occurred at the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris, France. A packed commuter train crashed into a stationary train, killing 56 people and injuring more than 60 others. It remains one of the worst rail disasters in French history. The...
  6. June 27 1980 - Itavia Flight 870 Crashed Killing All 81 People on Board

    June 27 1980 - Itavia Flight 870 Crashed Killing All 81 People on Board

    On this day June 27 1980, Itavia Flight 870 crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy. All 81 passengers and crew on board were killed. The incident, widely referred to as the Ustica Massacre, remains one of Italy's most controversial aviation disasters. Over...
  7. On This Day: June 27 1982 - Space Shuttle Columbia Launches STS 4 Mission

    On This Day: June 27 1982 - Space Shuttle Columbia Launches STS 4 Mission

    On this day June 27 1982, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Columbia on its fourth mission, officially designated STS 4. This marked the final test flight of the shuttle program before transitioning to full operational status. Astronauts Thomas Mattingly and Henry Hartsfield piloted the mission...
  8. On This Day: June 25, 1980 - Bill Haley Performs for the Last Time

    On This Day: June 25, 1980 - Bill Haley Performs for the Last Time

    On this day June 25, 1980, rock and roll pioneer Bill Haley performed live for the final time during a tour stop in South Africa. Known for igniting the rock and roll movement with his groundbreaking hit Rock Around the Clock in 1954, Haley’s energetic sound helped shape the very foundation of...
  9. On This Day: June 24, 1981 - The Humber Bridge Opens in England

    On This Day: June 24, 1981 - The Humber Bridge Opens in England

    On this day June 24, 1981, the Humber Bridge officially opened in England, connecting the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire across the Humber Estuary. At the time of its opening, it was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world, stretching over 7,000 feet from end to end. The...
  10. On This Day: June 22, 1984 - Virgin Atlantic Airways Takes Its First Flight

    On This Day: June 22, 1984 - Virgin Atlantic Airways Takes Its First Flight

    On this day June 22, 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways launched its maiden flight, traveling from London’s Gatwick Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Founded by Richard Branson, the airline entered the aviation industry with a bold vision: to make flying fun, stylish, and...
  11. On This Day: June 21, 1989 - U.S. Supreme Court Rules Flag Burning Is Protected Speech

    On This Day: June 21, 1989 - U.S. Supreme Court Rules Flag Burning Is Protected Speech

    On this day June 21, 1989, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Texas v. Johnson that burning the American flag is a form of political protest protected under the First Amendment. The decision came after Gregory Lee Johnson was convicted for burning a flag during a protest...
  12. On This Day: June 21, 1982 - John Hinckley Verdict Shocks the Nation

    On This Day: June 21, 1982 - John Hinckley Verdict Shocks the Nation

    On this day June 21, 1982, a jury found John Hinckley Jr. not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. The decision followed a high-profile trial that captivated the nation after Hinckley shot and wounded President Reagan, Press Secretary James...
  13. On This Day: June 18, 1984 - Police Clash with Miners at Orgreave

    On This Day: June 18, 1984 - Police Clash with Miners at Orgreave

    On this day June 18, 1984, a violent confrontation occurred at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire, where around 5,000 police officers faced off against approximately 5,000 striking miners. This clash was one of the most intense moments of the UK Miners’ Strike. Tensions had been...
  14. On This Day: June 18, 1981 - F117 Nighthawk Makes Maiden Flight

    On This Day: June 18, 1981 - F117 Nighthawk Makes Maiden Flight

    On this day June 18, 1981, the Lockheed F117 Nighthawk took to the skies for its maiden flight. This top secret aircraft was the first ever designed entirely around stealth technology, using sharp angles and radar absorbing materials to make it nearly invisible to detection systems. The test...
  15. On This Day: June 17, 1985 - First Arab and Muslim in Space

    On This Day: June 17, 1985 - First Arab and Muslim in Space

    On this day June 17, 1985, Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became the first Arab and the first Muslim to travel into space. He launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as part of the STS 51 G mission, making history for both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world. At...
    • Pete
    • News story
    • 80s history 80s news 80s space sultan bin salman bin abdulaziz al saud
    • Category: On This Day in 80s News
  16. On This Day: June 17, 1987 - The Dusky Seaside Sparrow Becomes Extinct

    On This Day: June 17, 1987 - The Dusky Seaside Sparrow Becomes Extinct

    On this day June 17, 1987, the last known Dusky Seaside Sparrow died in captivity, marking the official extinction of the species. Native to the marshes of Florida's Merritt Island and the St. Johns River, the bird was first discovered in the late 1800s and was known for its dark plumage and...
  17. On This Day: June 16, 1981 - President Reagan Awards Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor

    On This Day: June 16, 1981 - President Reagan Awards Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor

    On this day June 16, 1981, President Ronald Reagan awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Canadian diplomat Ken Taylor, making him the first foreign citizen in history to receive the prestigious honor. Ken Taylor served as the Canadian Ambassador to Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis...
    • Pete
    • News story
    • 80s history congressional gold medal ken taylor president ronald reagan
    • Category: On This Day in 80s News
  18. On This Day: June 15, 1985 - Rembrandt’s Danaë Painting Vandalized in Russia

    On This Day: June 15, 1985 - Rembrandt’s Danaë Painting Vandalized in Russia

    On this day June 15, 1985, Rembrandt’s famous painting Danaë was severely damaged in the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad when a man threw sulfuric acid on the canvas and slashed it twice with a knife. The attacker was later declared insane. The Danaë, painted in the 1630s, is considered one of...
  19. On This Day: June 14, 1986 - Mindbender Roller Coaster Tragedy in Edmonton

    On This Day: June 14, 1986 - Mindbender Roller Coaster Tragedy in Edmonton

    On this day June 14, 1986, a tragic accident occurred on the Mindbender roller coaster at Fantasyland in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A mechanical failure caused the last car of the train to derail during a loop, resulting in the deaths of three riders and injuries to several others. The disaster...
  20. On This Day: June 13, 1983 - Pioneer 10 Becomes the First Man Made Object to Leave the Central Solar System

    On This Day: June 13, 1983 - Pioneer 10 Becomes the First Man Made Object to Leave the Central Solar System

    On this day June 13, 1983, the space probe Pioneer 10 passed the orbit of Neptune, making it the first man made object to leave the central region of the solar system. Launched by NASA in 1972, Pioneer 10 was originally built to study Jupiter, but it went far beyond expectations by continuing...
Back
Top