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 7, 1989 - Surinam Airways Flight 764 Crash

    On This Day: June 7, 1989 - Surinam Airways Flight 764 Crash

    On this day June 7, 1989, Surinam Airways Flight 764 crashed while attempting to land at Paramaribo Zanderij International Airport in Suriname. The disaster claimed the lives of 176 of the 187 people on board, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Surinamese history. The flight, a...
  2. On This Day: June 7, 1982 - Graceland Opens to the Public

    On This Day: June 7, 1982 - Graceland Opens to the Public

    On this day June 7, 1982, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee officially opened its doors to the public. The estate spans 13.8 acres and quickly became one of the most visited private homes in America. Fans were invited to tour rooms such as the Jungle Room and the trophy...
  3. On This Day: June 6, 1982 - The Lebanon War Begins

    On This Day: June 6, 1982 - The Lebanon War Begins

    On this day June 6, 1982, Israel launched a large-scale military operation into southern Lebanon, marking the beginning of the Lebanon War. The operation, known as Operation Peace for Galilee, was intended to push back the Palestine Liberation Organization and secure Israel's northern border...
  4. On This Day: June 5, 1989 - The Tank Man Stands Alone in Tiananmen Square

    On This Day: June 5, 1989 - The Tank Man Stands Alone in Tiananmen Square

    On this day June 5, 1989, one of the most iconic moments of the 20th century was captured in Beijing, China. A lone man, carrying shopping bags, stood in front of a line of advancing tanks on Chang’an Avenue near Tiananmen Square, blocking their progress for over half an hour the morning after...
  5. On This Day: June 5, 1981 - First Recognized AIDS Cases Reported in the United States

    On This Day: June 5, 1981 - First Recognized AIDS Cases Reported in the United States

    On this day June 5, 1981, the United States Centers for Disease Control published a report describing five previously healthy young men in Los Angeles who had developed a rare form of pneumonia called PCP, commonly seen in people with severely weakened immune systems. All five men were gay, and...
  6. On This Day: June 4, 1988 - Deadly Train Explosion Strikes Arzamas in the Soviet Union

    On This Day: June 4, 1988 - Deadly Train Explosion Strikes Arzamas in the Soviet Union

    On this day June 4, 1988, a catastrophic train explosion rocked the city of Arzamas in Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 people and injuring over 1,500. The blast occurred when three cars on the freight train, each carrying hexagen (RDX), a powerful military explosive, detonated while passing...
  7. On This Day: June 3, 1989 - Chinese Troops Sent Into Tiananmen Square

    On This Day: June 3, 1989 - Chinese Troops Sent Into Tiananmen Square

    On this day June 3, 1989, the Chinese government sent armed troops and tanks into Tiananmen Square in Beijing to remove thousands of pro-democracy protesters who had been peacefully demonstrating for weeks. The protesters, made up largely of students, were calling for political reform, greater...
  8. On This Day: June 3, 1980 - Explosion Damages the Statue of Liberty

    On This Day: June 3, 1980 - Explosion Damages the Statue of Liberty

    On this day June 3, 1980, an explosion occurred at the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The blast caused significant damage to the base and surrounding observation deck, injuring several people and forcing the closure of the monument for repairs. Investigators quickly identified the...
  9. On This Day: June 3, 1980 - Grand Island Tornado Strikes Nebraska

    On This Day: June 3, 1980 - Grand Island Tornado Strikes Nebraska

    On this day June 3, 1980, a devastating tornado outbreak struck Grand Island, Nebraska, resulting in the deaths of five people and causing over 300 million dollars in damage. Known as the 1980 Grand Island Tornado, the event was part of a rare and destructive series of multiple tornadoes that...
  10. On This Day: June 3, 1982 - Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov Shot in London

    On This Day: June 3, 1982 - Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov Shot in London

    On this day June 3, 1982, Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov, was shot in the head outside a hotel in London. The attack left him critically wounded and permanently paralyzed. He survived the initial assault but remained in a coma for months and spent the rest of his life...
  11. On This Day: June 2, 1983 - Air Canada Flight 797 Tragedy Claims 23 Lives

    On This Day: June 2, 1983 - Air Canada Flight 797 Tragedy Claims 23 Lives

    On this day June 2, 1983, a tragic in-flight fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 led to the deaths of 23 passengers. The flight, en route from Dallas to Toronto with a stop in Montreal, experienced an electrical fire in the rear lavatory while flying over Kentucky. The crew managed to make an...
  12. On This Day: May 30, 1989 - The Goddess of Democracy Statue Unveiled in Tiananmen Square

    On This Day: May 30, 1989 - The Goddess of Democracy Statue Unveiled in Tiananmen Square

    On this day May 30, 1989, student demonstrators in Beijing unveiled the Goddess of Democracy statue in Tiananmen Square during the height of the pro democracy protests. The statue stood 33 feet tall and was constructed from foam and papier mâché over a metal frame by students from the Central...
  13. On This Day: May 30, 1982 - Spain Officially Joins NATO

    On This Day: May 30, 1982 - Spain Officially Joins NATO

    On this day May 30, 1982, Spain officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The decision to join NATO marked a significant shift in Spain’s post-Franco foreign policy, aligning the country more closely with Western Europe and the United States during the height of the...
  14. On This Day: May 29, 1988 - President Ronald Reagan Arrives in Moscow

    On This Day: May 29, 1988 - President Ronald Reagan Arrives in Moscow

    On this day May 29, 1988, President Ronald Reagan arrived in Moscow for his first official visit to the Soviet Union. The trip marked a major moment in the final years of the Cold War, as Reagan met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to continue diplomatic efforts that had begun to ease...
    • Pete
    • News story
    • 1988 80s history mikhail gorbachev president ronald reagan soviet union
    • Category: On This Day in 80s News
  15. On This Day: May 29, 1985 - The Heysel Stadium Disaster Claims 39 Lives

    On This Day: May 29, 1985 - The Heysel Stadium Disaster Claims 39 Lives

    On this day May 29, 1985, tragedy struck at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium during the European Cup Final between Liverpool F.C. and Juventus. Moments before kickoff, a large group of fans were pressed against a collapsing wall following a rush of supporters in a crumbling section of the...
  16. On This Day: May 28, 1981 - A Gunman Took Hostages at CBS Studios in Phoenix

    On This Day: May 28, 1981 - A Gunman Took Hostages at CBS Studios in Phoenix

    On this day May 28, 1981, a shocking incident occurred at the CBS affiliate studios in Phoenix, Arizona, when Joseph Billie Gwin forced his way into the building armed with a rifle. Fearing the threat of World War III, Gwin took four people hostage and demanded national broadcast time to deliver...
  17. On This Day: May 26, 1981 - A Tragic Plane Crash Occurred Aboard the USS Nimitz

    On This Day: May 26, 1981 - A Tragic Plane Crash Occurred Aboard the USS Nimitz

    On this day May 26, 1981, a tragic accident occurred aboard the USS Nimitz when a Prowler aircraft crashed into the flight deck during night operations off the coast of Florida. The crash caused a massive fire and explosion as the impact triggered the detonation of several bombs and fuel tanks...
  18. On This Day: May 22, 1987 - The Hashimpura Massacre Took Place in Meerut, India

    On This Day: May 22, 1987 - The Hashimpura Massacre Took Place in Meerut, India

    On this day May 22 1987 one of the darkest chapters in modern Indian history unfolded. During a time of severe communal unrest in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) rounded up a group of Muslim men from the Hashimpura neighborhood. Instead of taking them...
  19. On This Day: May 21, 1981 - MGM Purchased United Artists From Transamerica for $380 Million

    On This Day: May 21, 1981 - MGM Purchased United Artists From Transamerica for $380 Million

    On this day May 21, 1981, Transamerica Corporation agreed to sell United Artists to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $380 million. The move came after United Artists suffered a devastating financial loss due to the critical and commercial failure of the 1980 film Heaven's Gate, which went drastically...
    • Pete
    • News story
    • 80s entertainment 80s history 80s news metro goldwyn mayer united artisits
    • Category: On This Day in 80s News
  20. On This Day: May 20, 1989 - China Declared Martial Law Ahead of Tiananmen Square Massacre

    On This Day: May 20, 1989 - China Declared Martial Law Ahead of Tiananmen Square Massacre

    On this day May 20, 1989, the Chinese government declared martial law in Beijing in response to the growing student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. This marked a critical turning point in what had begun as peaceful protests, as the announcement paved the way for the violent...
Back
Top