1980's
 

Space Shuttle Program
Space shuttles have transformed U.S. space exploration. These reusable crafts can launch satellites and house labs for scientific experiments. Columbia, the first space shuttle, was launched April 12, 1981.

Musical Smash
Based on children's poems by T. S. Eliot, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats" first appeared on Broadway October 7, 1982. Wildly popular with people of all ages, it has become the longest-running show in Broadway history.

San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were the most successful football team of the 1980s. Led by their high-powered "West Coast" offense, the 49ers won four Super Bowls between 1982 and 1990.Hostages Come Home
On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking hostages. Following prolonged negotiations, the hostage crisis came to an end after 444 days.

Figure Skating
Figure skating gained popularity during the 1980s as fans eagerly followed national and international rivalries. Americans captured nine World Championships, and American men won the gold medal in 1984 and 1988.

Cable TV
The cable TV industry expanded rapidly in the 1980s. Satellite transmission, coupled with advancements in cable technology, allowed a wider variety of programming, including channels devoted specifically to news, movies, or sports.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Designed by Maya Lin and dedicated on November 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., displays the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War or are listed as missing.

Compact Discs
First marketed in the U.S. in 1983, compact discs (CDs) dramatically changed the music industry. With features such as durability, convenience and sound quality, CDs outsold records by the end of the decade.

Cabbage Patch Kids
Homely and lovable, Cabbage Patch Kids® were the surprising toy success of the 1983-84 holiday season when they set off a shopping frenzy. In an increasingly electronic era, the low-tech "adoptable" dolls were a welcome change.

Hit Comedy
Debuting in 1984, "The Cosby Show" became TV's top-rated program the next year, remaining at number one for five straight seasons. The Huxtables were African-American professionals who used warmth and humor to raise their five children.

Fall of the Berlin Wall
Built in 1961 to prevent citizens from fleeing communist East Germany to the West, the Berlin Wall symbolized the Cold War. When travel restrictions were suddenly lifted November 9, 1989, Germans celebrated the end of Berlin's division.

Video Games
With the rise in popularity of video games, Americans spent more than 20 billion quarters and countless hours in arcades in 1981 alone. Home video games, with consoles plugged into TVs, turned living rooms into personal arcades.

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"
"E.T." tells the story of a boy who befriends a stranded space alien and helps him "phone home." Winner of four Academy Awards® and one of the most beloved films of all time, "E.T." held the record as the top-grossing film for 15 years.

Personal Computers
During the 1980s, personal computers from companies such as Tandy, Commodore, Apple, and IBM revolutionized desktops. Home and office users could run business software, play games, or even write their own programs.

Hip-hop Culture
Created predominantly by African-American and Latino youths from the South Bronx, hip-hop culture - including rapping, break dancing, Djing, and graffiti - spread across the U.S. and world, influencing dance, music, language, and fashion.