1980

1980

US defeats Soviet Union in ice hockey in what was labeled the "Miracle on Ice"

More Information for the "Miracle on Ice."

The United States Olympic ice hockey team makes history at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics on February 22nd in what was later called the “Miracle on Ice.” The U.S. Team, composed of mostly college-level players, defeated the four-time gold medal winning team from the Soviet Union in one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The game was the semi-final and would determine who would go on to compete for the gold. the Soviet team had not lost a single Olympic hockey game since 1968 and were the heavy favorites, but the Americans amazingly beat them with a score of 4-3 and continued on to the final match, winning again against Finland. This was the second time that the United States had won the gold medal in Olympic hockey.

Mount St. Helens erupts

More Information for Mount St. Helens Eruption on May 18th in Washington killing 57..

1. A series of small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens in Washington state begin in March of 1980.

2. Earthquakes throughout the month increased the volcanic activity, and near the end of the month, the volcano had its first eruption in over one hundred years as a series of steam explosions blew a crater into the summit, releasing ash.

3. The volcano remained active through most of April but then ceased activity for a number of days.

4. Volcanic activity began again in May.

5. By the middle of May on May 18 the pressure had built and Mount St. Helens experienced a huge eruption that created avalanches, explosions, large ash clouds, mudslides, and massive damage to the surrounding area.

6. A total of 57 people were killed as a result of the volcanic blast.

Start of Iran -- Iraq War.

More Information for the Iran-Iraq War.

The Iran-Iraq war begins in September of 1980 after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to invade Western Iran. Fighting during the war continued between the two nations until 1988 when they signed a cease-fire. A formal peace agreement to officially end the war was not signed until August of 1990. It was estimated that over one million people, military members and civilians, lost their lives as a result of the conflict

CNN Launches

CNN (Cable News Network) began broadcasting on June 1st. The American-based network was headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and founded by Ted Turner. It was the first 24-hour news network available to cable subscribers in the United States and Canada and has since become available worldwide. The network originally struggled to find success but by the mid- 1980s it had gained more influence and became well known for its live coverage of events as they happened, often being the first to broadcast during big news events.

The Staggers Act

More Information and Timeline for the Staggers Act

The Staggers Act of 1980 comes into effect in October of 1980. The Act allowed for the deregulation of the United States Rail Industry which had remained largely untouched since the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act that had been created with the purpose of regulating the booming rail industry and the monopolies that had been controlling the rails. The Staggers Act allowed carriers greater freedom in establishing rates as well as increasing the overall flexibility of the industry. The deregulation was thought of as necessary as the automobiles and trucking greatly overshadowed rail in the 20th century.

Former Beatle John Lennon is shot to death

More Information for John Lennon

Popular musician and former Beatles member John Lennon was shot and killed by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman outside of Lennon’s apartment in Manhattan during December of 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon, beloved by many around the world for his talent as an artist and outspoken nature as a public figure, had given an autograph to Chapman earlier in the day and was returning home from a recording studio with his wife Yoko Ono at the time of the attack. In the days following his death hundreds of fans gathered outside of his apartment in mourning.

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