Great Events from History: The 20th Century
Table of Contents
Contents
Publisher's Note
Contributors
Keyword List of Contents
List of Maps, Tables, and Sidebars
1970's
1970's, Drive-Through Services Proliferate
1970's, Growth of Organic Farming
1970's, Retailers Control Inventory Shrinkage with Computer Technology
1970's, Spanish Art Thrives After Years of Suppression
1970's, Women's Military Roles Expand
1971
1971, Canadian Activists Found Greenpeace
1971, Direct Transoceanic Dialing Begins
1971, Earthwatch Is Founded
1971, Federal Trade Commission Begins to Endorse Comparative Advertising
1971, New York State Allows Offtrack Betting
1971, Paclitaxel Is Extracted from Pacific Yew Trees
1971, United States Suffers Its First Trade Deficit Since 1888
1971-1974, Civil Rights Groups Investigate the FBI and CIA
January-March, 1971, Animal Welfare Institute Launches the "Save the Whales" Campaign
January, 1971-April, 1979, Amin Regime Terrorizes Uganda
January 12, 1971, Relevance Programs Change Entertainment Standards
January 12, 1971-September 16, 1976, All in the Family Confronts Controversial Issues
January 15, 1971, Dedication of Egypt's Aswan High Dam
February 4, 1971, Rolls-Royce Declares Bankruptcy
February 7, 1971, Swiss Women Gain the Right to Vote
February 10, 1971, Guare's The House of Blue Leaves Joins Naturalistic and
Nonrepresentational Theater
March 8, 1971, U.S. Supreme Court Bans Discrimination in Hiring
March 12, 1971, Incarcerated Mental Patients Gain Right to Treatment
March 26-December 16, 1971, Bangladesh Secedes from Pakistan
April, 1971, Sri Lankans Agitate for Political Reform
April 19, 1971, Russians Launch the Salyut Space Station
April 20, 1971, U.S. Supreme Court Endorses Busing to End School Segregation
April 21, 1971, Baby Doc Succeeds Papa Doc in Haiti
May 18, 1971, U.S. Advertising Industry Organizes Self-Regulation
May 19, 1971-March, 1972, Mars 2 Is the First Spacecraft to Impact Mars
May 30, 1971-October 27, 1972, Mariner 9 Is the First Spacecraft to Orbit Another Planet
June 26-30, 1971, Pentagon Papers Case
June 28, 1971, U.S. Supreme Court Establishes the Lemon Test
June 30, 1971, U.S. Voting Age Is Lowered to Eighteen
July 1, 1971, Independent Agency Takes Over U.S. Postal Service
August 1, 1971-August 29, 1977, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour Brings Glitz to Television
August 4, 1971, Audiences Embrace Mortimer's A Voyage Round My Father
August 15, 1971, Devaluation of the Dollar
August 15 and September 3, 1971, Bahrain and Qatar Achieve Independence
August 18, 1971, Bánzer Seizes Power in Bolivian Coup
August 20-21, 1971, Heavy Rains Flood the Red River Delta
September 9-13, 1971, Prisoners Riot Against Conditions in Attica
October, 1971, Commoner Publishes The Closing Circle
October 12, 1971, Jesus Christ Superstar Establishes the Rock Opera
October 25, 1971, People's Republic of China Is Seated at the United Nations
November-December, 1971, Tomlinson Sends the First E-Mail
November 8, 1971, Led Zeppelin Merges Hard Rock and Folk Music
November 15, 1971, Intel Introduces the First "Computer on a Chip"
December 18, 1971, Native Alaskans Are Compensated for Their Land
December 20, 1971, United Nations Declares Rights for the Mentally Retarded
December 27, 1971, Fungicide-Tainted Grain Poisons Thousands of Iraqis
1972
1972, AFL-CIO Recognizes the United Farm Workers
1972, Club of Rome Issues The Limits to Growth
1972, Star Trek Becomes a Cult Classic
1972-1973, Worldwide Droughts Bring Famine
January 1, 1972-June 30, 1984, World Fertility Survey Is Conducted
January 30, 1972, "Bloody Sunday" in Northern Ireland
February 21, 1972, Nixon Opens Trade with China
March 1, 1972, U.S. Congress Updates Water Pollution Law
March 2, 1972, Manley Becomes Prime Minister of Jamaica
March 2, 1972-January 22, 2003, Pioneer 10 Explores Jupiter and the Outer Planets
March 15, 1972-December 20, 1990, Coppola's Godfather Trilogy Explores Organized Crime
Spring, 1972, Nike Produces Its First Running Shoe
March 22, 1972-June 30, 1982, ERA Passes Congress but Falls Short of Ratification
March 24, 1972, U.S. Congress Mandates Equal Employment Opportunity
April, 1972, Ward and Dubos Publish Only One Earth
April 1-13, 1972, Professional Baseball Players Go on Strike
April 10, 1972, Nations Agree to Rules on Biological Weapons
April 15, 1972, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Is Signed
April 19, 1972, Environmentalists Are Defeated in Sierra Club v. Morton
April 19, 1972, Hounsfield Introduces the CAT Scan
May, 1972, Trudeau's Doonesbury Offers Political Commentary
May-August, 1972, Burundi Commits Genocide of Hutu Majority
May 15, 1972, United States Hands Okinawa to Japan
May 15, 1972, U.S. Supreme Court Protects Home Schooling
May 26, 1972, SALT I Is Signed
June 5-16, 1972, United Nations Holds an Environmental Conference in Stockholm
June 17, 1972-August 9, 1974, Watergate Affair
June 29, 1972, U.S. Supreme Court Abolishes the Death Penalty
July 23, 1972, Launch of the First Earth Resources Technology Satellite
September, 1972, Gell-Mann Formulates the Theory of Quantum Chromodynamics
September 1, 1972-June 2, 1976, Cod Wars
September 5-6, 1972, Arab Terrorists Murder Israelis at Munich Olympics
September 10, 1972, U.S. Loss to the Soviet Union Sparks Basketball Controversy
September 17, 1972-February 28, 1983, M*A*S*H Reflects Antiwar Sentiments
September 21, 1972, Marcos Declares Martial Law in the Philippines
September 21, 1972, Texas Instruments Introduces the Pocket Calculator
September 23, 1972, Janowsky Publishes His Theory of Manic Depression
October 1, 1972, Oregon Bans Nonrefillable Bottles
October 6-November 8, 1972, Trail of Broken Treaties
October 21, 1972, U.S. Congress Expands Pesticide Regulations
October 27, 1972, U.S. Congress Protects Coasts and Marine Sanctuaries
October 27, 1972, U.S. Government Regulates Noise Pollution
October 28, 1972, Nixon Signs Law to Protect Consumer Safety
December 31, 1972, U.S. Government Bans DDT
1973
1973, Cohen and Boyer Develop Recombinant DNA Technology
1973, Invention of the Plastic Soda Bottle
1973, ITT Actions Cause Suspicion of Involvement in a Chilean Coup
1973, Schumacher Publishes Small Is Beautiful
1973-1975, The Gulag Archipelago Exposes Soviet Atrocities
January, 1973, Cousteau Society Is Founded
January 22, 1973, U.S. Supreme Court Expands Women's Reproductive Rights
January 27, 1973, Vietnam Releases U.S. Prisoners of War
February, 1973, Ecology Party Is Founded in Great Britain
February, 1973-March, 1974, Organic Molecules Are Discovered in Comet Kohoutek
February 27-May 8, 1973, Native Americans Occupy Wounded Knee
March, 1973, Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow Is Published
March, 1973, U.S. Troops Leave Vietnam
March 1, 1973, Tharp Stages Deuce Coupe for the Joffrey Ballet
March 3, 1973, International Convention Protects Endangered Species
March 20, 1973, Iran Announces Nationalization of Foreign Oil Interests
March 27, 1973, Chipko Movement Protects India's Forests
April 3, 1973, First Cellular Phone Call
April 4, 1973, Opening of the World Trade Center
April 17, 1973, Federal Express Begins Operations
May 14, 1973-February 8, 1974, Skylab Inaugurates a New Era of Space Research
May 26, 1973-December 26, 1991, Détente with the Soviet Union
June 9, 1973, Secretariat Wins the Triple Crown
June 21, 1973, East and West Germany Establish Diplomatic Relations
June 27, 1973, Military Rule Comes to Democratic Uruguay
July, 1973, Northern Ireland Witnesses Passage of the Emergency Provisions Act
July 5, 1973, Habyarimana Overthrows President Kayibanda
July 31, 1973, European Space Agency Is Formed
August, 1973, Wonder Releases Innervisions
August 1, 1973, Caribbean Community and Common Market Is Established
September 11, 1973, Chilean Military Overthrows Allende
September 20, 1973, Tennis's Battle of the Sexes
September 26, 1973, U.S. Congress Responds to Demands of Persons with Disabilities
October 6-26, 1973, Yom Kippur War
October 17, 1973-March 18, 1974, Arab Oil Producers Curtail Oil Shipments to Industrial States
November 3, 1973-March 24, 1975, Mariner 10 Uses the Gravitational Pull of One Planet to
Reach Another
November 7, 1973, U.S. Congress Overrides Presidential Veto to Pass the War Powers Act
November 23, 1973, West Germany Bans Immigration of Workers from Outside the EEC
November 30, 1973, United Nations Sanctions South Africa for Apartheid
December, 1973-June, 1974, Rowland and Molina Theorize That Freon Causes Ozone Depletion
December 15, 1973, American Psychiatric Association Delists Homosexuality as a Psychiatric
Disorder
December 26, 1973, The Exorcist Epitomizes 1970's Horror Films
December 28, 1973, U.S. Congress Protects Endangered Species
December 29, 1973, Nixon Signs HMOs into Law
1974
1974, Automakers Introduce the Catalytic Converter
1974, D'Eaubonne Coins the Term "Ecofeminism"
1974, Heilbroner Predicts Growth Limits
1974, Medical Group Exposes Torture in Greece and Chile
1974, Portugal Grants Independence to Its African Colonies
1974, United States Plans to Cut Dependence on Foreign Oil
1974, Worldwatch Institute Is Founded
1974-1976, Punk's Antifashion Style First Appears
1974-1980, Sick Building Syndrome Is Recognized
January 14, 1974-October 22, 1975, World Football League's Challenge to the National Football
League Fails
January 15, 1974-July 12, 1984, Happy Days Exemplifies Escapist Television
January 21, 1974, U.S. Supreme Court Mandates Bilingual Education
January 31, 1974, U.S. Congress Protects Children Against Abuse
February, 1974, Military Junta Comes to Power in Ethiopia
February 13, 1974, Soviet Union Expels Solzhenitsyn
March, 1974, Clay Soldiers Are Discovered in China
April, 1974, Optical Pulses Shorter than One Trillionth of a Second Are Produced
April, 1974, Pirsig Publishes Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
April 8, 1974, Aaron Breaks Ruth's Home Run Record
May 18, 1974, India Joins the Nuclear Club
June, 1974, Tunable, Continuous-Wave Visible Lasers Are Developed
June 17, 1974, IRA Terrorists Bomb British Parliament
June 26, 1974-2000, Use of Bar Codes Proliferates
July 15, 1974, Cyprus Crisis Erupts
August 9, 1974, Nixon Resigns from the U.S. Presidency
August 17, 1974, U.S. Congress Revises Resource Management
August 19, 1974, United States Grants Amnesty to Vietnam War Draft Evaders
September 2, 1974, U.S. Congress Protects Employee Benefits
September 28, 1974, Dalí Museum Opens in Spain
October 2, 1974, Robinson Becomes Baseball's First African American Manager
October 23, 1974, U.S. Congress Creates the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
October 30, 1974, Ali and Foreman Rumble in the Jungle
November, 1974, Anthropologists Discover the Early Hominid "Lucy"
November, 1974, Discovery of the J/psi Subatomic Particle
November, 1974, Dog Soldiers Portrays Vietnam in Fiction
November 13, 1974, Silkwood Becomes a Symbol for the Antinuclear Movement
November 16, 1974, U.N. Declaration on Hunger and Malnutrition
December 16, 1974, U.S. Congress Requires Safe Drinking Water
1975
Mid-1970's, Denim Jeans Become Accepted as Fashion
1975, Atlantic Salmon Return to the Connecticut River
1975, The Monkey Wrench Gang Advocates "Ecotage"
1975, U.N. Global Environment Monitoring System Is Inaugurated
1975-1976, Players Challenge Baseball's Reserve Clause
1975-1978, Silverman Rescues ABC Television's Ratings
1975-1979, Violent Action-Adventure Television Series Flourish
January 3, 1975, U.S. Congress Expands Eastern Wilderness
January 3, 1975, U.S. Congress Protects Public Against Hazardous Waste in Transit
January 4, 1975, U.S. Congress Requires Product Warranties
January 5, 1975, The Wiz Brings African American Talent to Broadway
January 18, 1975-July 23, 1985, The Jeffersons Signals Success of Black Situation Comedies
February, 1975, Marley's Natty Dread Establishes Reggae's Popularity
March 11, 1975, Southern Schools Are Found to Be the Least Racially Segregated
April 17, 1975, Khmer Rouge Comes to Power in Cambodia
May, 1975, Indo-Chinese Boat People Begin Fleeing Vietnam
May, 1975, Sony Introduces the Betamax
May 23, 1975, Joplin's Treemonisha Is Staged by the Houston Opera
May 28, 1975, Formation of the Economic Community of West African States
June 19-July 2, 1975, World Conference on Women Sets an International Agenda
June 20, 1975, Jaws Prompts a Wave of Special-Effects Films
July 3, 1975, Civil Service Decides That Gays Are Fit for Public Service
July 15-24, 1975, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
August 1, 1975, Helsinki Accords Offer Terms for International Cooperation
August 6, 1975, U.S. Congress Bans Literacy Tests for Voting
August 25, 1975, Springsteen's Born to Run Revives Mainstream Rock
October 8, 1975, U.S. Congress Admits Women to Armed Services Academies
October 10, 1975, Tokyo Declaration Forbids Medical Abuses and Torture
October 11, 1975, Saturday Night Live Is First Broadcast
October 22, 1975, Soviet Venera Spacecraft Transmit the First Pictures from the Surface of
Venus
October 28, 1975, U.S. Congress Prohibits Discrimination in the Granting of Credit
November, 1975-January, 1978, Sex Pistols Spark Punk Rock's Musical Insurrection
November 6-13, 1975, Dispute over the Western Sahara Erupts in the Green March
November 10, 1975, Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
November 10, 1975, U.N. Resolution Denounces Zionism
November 11, 1975, Australian Constitutional Crisis
November 19, 1975, Forman Adapts One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest for Film
November 20, 1975, Death of Franco
November 29, 1975, U.S. Law Provides for Public Education of Disabled Children
December 8, 1975, East Timor Declares Independence but Is Annexed by Indonesia
December 9, 1975, United Nations Adopts a Declaration on Disabled Persons' Rights
December 9, 1975, United Nations Issues a Declaration Against Torture
December 10, 1975, Sakharov Is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
December 31, 1975, Hells Canyon Is Preserved as a National Recreation Area
1976
1976, Colombian Guerrilla War Begins
1976, India Adopts Compulsory Birth Control
1976, Kibble Proposes the Theory of Cosmic Strings
1976, Peruvian Guerrilla War Begins
1976, Speech Recognition Machines Master One Thousand Words
1976-1979, Argentina Conducts a "Dirty War" Against Leftists
1976-2000, Mutual Funds Spark Growth of Individual Investments
January 12, 1976, Wanted! The Outlaws Revitalizes Country Music
January 21, 1976, Concorde Flies Passengers at Supersonic Speeds
February 12, 1976, IRA Prisoner Dies After Hunger Strike
February 27, 1976, Inuit File Claim to a Section of Canadian Territory
March 4, 1976, First Cray-1 Supercomputer Is Shipped to the Los Alamos National Laboratory
March 25, 1976, Assassination of King Faisal
April-June, 1976, Shange's for colored girls . . . Presents the Black Female Psyche
April 1, 1976, Jobs and Wozniak Found Apple Computer
April 7, 1976, Genentech Is Founded
June 5, 1976, Teton Dam Collapses
June 16, 1976, South African Government Suppresses Soweto Student Rebellion
June 27-28, 1976, Canada Joins the G7
July 1, 1976, Smithsonian Opens the National Air and Space Museum
July 2, 1976, U.S. Supreme Court Reinstates the Death Penalty
July 4, 1976, Israeli Raid on Entebbe
July 10, 1976, Italian Factory Explosion Releases Dioxin
July 12, 1976, Price Club Introduces the Warehouse Club Concept
July 18, 1976, Comaneci Receives the First Perfect Score in Olympic Gymnastics
July 20-September 3, 1976, Viking Spacecraft Send Photographs to Earth from Mars
July 25, 1976, Einstein on the Beach Introduces Minimalist Music to Mainstream Audiences
July 27, 1976, Mysterious Legionnaires' Disease Strikes
July 28, 1976, Deadly Earthquake Strikes China
September, 1976, Land Institute Is Founded to Develop Alternative Grains
September 8, 1976, Ebola Epidemic Kills First of Many in Africa
September 9, 1976, Death of Mao Zedong Leads to Reforms in China
October 11, 1976, EPA Is Charged with Regulating Toxic Chemicals
October 12, 1976, United States Bans PCBs
October 19, 1976, Expanded Copyright Law Reflects New Technology
October 21, 1976, "Cradle-to-Grave" Legislation Covers Hazardous Wastes
October 21, 1976, Sears Agrees to an FTC Order Banning Bait-and-Switch Tactics
October 21, 1976, U.S. Congress Secures Lands in the Public Domain
October 22, 1976, U.S. Congress Limits Forest Clear-Cutting
November 2, 1976, Atlantic City Legalizes Casino Gambling
November 2, 1976, Carter Is Elected President
December, 1976, Murdoch Extends His Media Empire to the United States
December 15, 1976, The Argo Merchant Spills Oil off the New England Coast
1977
1977, Berry Publishes The Unsettling of America
1977, Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents and New Life-Forms Are Discovered
1977, Heeger and MacDiarmid Discover Conducting Polymers
1977, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Pioneers the Leveraged Buyout
1977, Researchers Develop an Integrated Solar Energy System
1977-1981, Carter Makes Human Rights a Central Theme of Foreign Policy
1977-1981, Soviet Citizen Group Investigates Political Abuses of Psychiatry
1977-2000, Fiber-Optics Revolution
January 1, 1977, Means Is Ordained by the American Episcopal Church
January 23-30, 1977, Roots Dramatizes the African American Experience
January 31, 1977, Pompidou Center Opens in Paris
February-March, 1977, Soviets Crack Down on Moscow's Helsinki Watch Group
March 8, 1977, and May 11, 1978, Angolan Rebels Invade Shaba Province
March 10-11, 1977, Astronomers Discover the Rings of Uranus
March 24, 1977, Desai Unseats Gandhi as Prime Minister of India
April, 1977, Apple II Becomes the First Successful Preassembled Personal Computer
April 20, 1977, Allen's Annie Hall Captures Complexities of 1970's Life
May, 1977, World Health Organization Sets a Goal of Health for All
May 11, 1977, First Commercial Test of Fiber-Optic Telecommunications
May 25, 1977-May 25, 1983, Star Wars Trilogy Redefines Special Effects
June 15, 1977, Spain Holds Its First Free Elections Since the Civil War
July 5, 1977, Zia Establishes Martial Law in Pakistan
July 23, 1977-March 15, 1978, Ogaden War Between Somalia and Ethiopia
July 28, 1977, Alaskan Oil Pipeline Opens
August, 1977, Watson Founds the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
August 3, 1977, U.S. Government Regulates Strip Mining
August 4, 1977, U.S. Congress Creates the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
August 7, 1977, Clean Air Act Is Revised
August 10, 1977, Canada's Human Rights Act
August 20, 1977-October 2, 1989, Voyagers 1 and 2 Explore the Outer Planets
August 31, 1977, Declaration of Hawaii Addresses the Misuse of Psychiatry
September, 1977, South African Government Kills Biko
September 16, 1977, Gruentzig Uses Angioplasty to Unclog Diseased Arteries
October, 1977, Last Natural Case of Smallpox Occurs
November 4, 1977, United Nations Imposes an Arms Embargo on South Africa
November 19-21, 1977, Sadat Becomes the First Arab Leader to Visit Israel
November 24, 1977, Dissident Writer Mihajlov Is Released from Yugoslavian Prison
December 10, 1977, Amnesty International Is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
December 10, 1977, Two Founders of Peace People Receive the Nobel Peace Prize
December 16, 1977, Saturday Night Fever Depicts the Disco Craze
1978
1978, AT&T Building Exemplifies Postmodernism
1978, Volkswagen Opens the First Foreign-Owned U.S. Auto Plant
1978-1980, Syrian Bar Association Demands Political Reform in Syria
1978-1981, Rohrer and Binnig Invent the Scanning Tunneling Microscope
1978-1985, Guatemalan Death Squads Target Indigenous Indians
January, 1978-1980, Iranian Revolution
January 1, 1978, Consumer Product Safety Commission Bans Lead Paints
January 18, 1978, European Court of Human Rights Rules on Mistreatment of Prisoners
January 24, 1978, Radioactive Satellite Fragments Land in Canada
January 26, 1978, International Ultraviolet Explorer Is Launched
February, 1978, Global Positioning System Becomes Operational
February, 1978, Trigger Prices Protect the U.S. Steel Industry
March 14, 1978, Israel Invades Southern Lebanon
March 16, 1978, The Amoco Cadiz Runs Aground
March 16 and April 18, 1978, Panama Canal Treaties
March 16-May 9, 1978, Terrorists Kidnap and Murder Former Italian Prime Minister
March 17, 1978, Chlorofluorocarbons Are Banned in the United States
Spring, 1978, China Promises to Correct Human Rights Abuses
April 2, 1978-May 3, 1991, Dallas Popularizes the Prime-Time Soap Opera
April 10, 1978, Canada's Immigration Act of 1976
May 3, 1978, Sun Day Celebration Promotes Solar Energy
May 22, 1978, Italy Legalizes Abortion
June 8, 1978, Mormons Approve Ordination of Black Men of African Descent
June 15, 1978, U.S. Supreme Court Protects the Snail Darter
June 27, 1978-1979, Shepard's Buried Child Promotes Off-Broadway Theater
June 28, 1978, U.S. Supreme Court Bans Racial Quotas in College Admissions
July 25, 1978, Brown Gives Birth to the First "Test-Tube Baby"
August-December, 1978, World Conference Condemns Racial Discrimination
August 7, 1978, Toxic Waste Is Discovered at Love Canal
August 11, 1978, U.S. Congress Protects Native American Religious Practices
September 5-17, 1978, Camp David Accords
September 6-12, 1978, International Health Conference Adopts the Declaration of Alma-Ata
October, 1978, Eisner's A Contract with God Is the First Graphic Novel
October 16, 1978, John Paul II Becomes Pope
October 17, 1978, U.S. Congress Requires Ships to Safeguard Marine Environment
October 24, 1978, Deregulation of the U.S. Airline Industry
October 31, 1978, U.S. Congress Protects Pregnant Employees
November, 1978, FTC Conducts Hearings on Ads Aimed at Children
November 9, 1978, U.S. Congress Lifts Regulations from Public Utilities
November 18, 1978, People's Temple Members Commit Mass Suicide
December 10, 1978, Sadat and Begin Receive the Nobel Peace Prize
December 10, 1978, Singer Is Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature
1979
1979, Lovelock Publishes Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth
1979-1985, Iran Uses Executions to Establish New Order
January 1, 1979, United States and China Establish Full Diplomatic Relations
February 17-March 16, 1979, China Invades Vietnam
March, 1979, Scientists Correlate Lead Exposure with Intelligence
March 1, 1979, Sondheim Uses Operatic Techniques in Sweeney Todd
March 4-7, 1979, First Ring Around Jupiter Is Discovered
March 28, 1979, Three Mile Island Accident
April 4, 1979, Pakistan Hangs Former Prime Minister Bhutto
April 5, 1979, Carter Orders Deregulation of Oil Prices
April 11, 1979, Idi Amin Flees Uganda
May, 1979, U.N. Declaration Condemns Apartheid
May 4, 1979, Thatcher Becomes First Woman to Serve as British Prime Minister
May 23, 1979, Clark Is Elected Canada's Prime Minister
June 2, 1979, Sagebrush Rebellion Begins
June 18, 1979, SALT II Is Signed
June 27, 1979, U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Affirmative Action Programs
July 1, 1979, Sony Introduces the Walkman
July 16, 1979, Saddam Hussein Takes Power in Iraq
July 17, 1979, Somoza Is Forced Out of Power in Nicaragua
July 19, 1979, Oil Tankers Collide near Tobago
August, 1979, Ancient Sanctuary Is Discovered in El Juyo Cave
August 11, 1979, China Announces Birthrate Reduction Plans
August 15, 1979, Apocalypse Now Expresses Antiwar Cynicism
September 12, 1979, United Nations Issues a Conduct Code for Law-Enforcement Officials
October, 1979, VisiCalc Spreadsheet Software Is Marketed
October 14, 1979, Gay Rights March in Washington
October 26, 1979, South Korean President Is Assassinated
November 4, 1979-January 20, 1981, Iranian Revolutionaries Hold Americans Hostage
December 10, 1979, Mother Teresa Is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
December 18, 1979, U.N. Convention Condemns Discrimination Against Women
December 24-27, 1979, Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
1980
1980's, American Firms Adopt Japanese Manufacturing Strategies
1980's, CAD/CAM Revolutionizes Engineering and Manufacturing
1980's, Decline of the Big Three Networks
1980's, Electronic Technology Creates the Possibility of Telecommuting
1980's, Female Directors Attain Prominence
1980's, Madonna Revolutionizes Popular Fashion
1980's, Marsalis Revives Acoustic Jazz
1980's, Radon Is Recognized as an Indoor Air Hazard
1980's, Schnabel Emerges as a Celebrity Artist
1980's, U.S. Regional Branch Banking Is Approved
1980's, Video Rental Outlets Gain Popularity
1980's-early 1990's, Multiculturalism Dominates the Dance World
1980's-1990's, Innovative Black Filmmakers Achieve Success
1980's-1990's, Rise of Video and Computer Games
1980, Basques Are Granted Home Rule but Continue to Fight for Independence
1980, Berg, Gilbert, and Sanger Develop Techniques for Genetic Engineering
1980, Four Modern Masters Affirm Germany's Place in the Art World
1980, Inflationary Theory Explains the Early Universe
1980, Japan Becomes the World's Largest Automobile Producer
1980, Mediterranean Nations Sign Antipollution Pact
1980, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Is Founded
January, 1980-March, 1983, Presidential Advisory Commission Studies Medical and Research
Ethics
January 1, 1980-January 1, 1995, Larson's The Far Side Comic Strip Is Published
January 7, 1980, U.S. Government Bails Out Chrysler Corporation
January 9, 1980, Saudi Arabia Beheads Sixty-Three Persons for Attack on Mecca
January 14, 1980, Griess Constructs "the Monster," the Last Sporadic Group
February, 1980-March 11, 1982, Abscam Affair
February 5, 1980, Von Klitzing Discovers the Quantized Hall Effect
February 22, 1980, U.S. Hockey Team Upsets Soviets
March 4, 1980, Zimbabwe Gains Independence
March 21, 1980, and May 8, 1984, Olympic Boycotts
March 22, 1980, Mexico Controls Huge Leak in Offshore Oil Well
March 24, 1980, Archbishop Romero Is Assassinated
March 31, 1980, and October 15, 1982, U.S. Congress Deregulates Banks and Savings and
Loans
April, 1980, Foreman Founds Earth First!
April 1-September 25, 1980, Mariel Boatlift
May, 1980, Pluto's Atmosphere Is Discovered
May 4, 1980, Death of Tito
May 17-19, 1980, Rioters Protest Miami Police Brutality
May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Erupts
June, 1980, Radar Reveals Canals at Mayan Agricultural Centers
June 1, 1980, Cable News Network Debuts
June 6, 1980, Scientists Find Evidence of an Asteroid Impact at the End of the Cretaceous Period
June 16, 1980, U.S. Supreme Court Grants a Patent for a Living Organism
June 16, 1980, U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Water Rights
June 24, 1980, Soviet Union Passes Environmental Legislation
June 30, 1980, Paraguayan Torturer Is Convicted of Violating the Law of Nations
July 24, 1980, The Global 2000 Report Is Issued
August, 1980, Solidarity Leads Striking Polish Workers
Fall, 1980, Baryshnikov Becomes Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre
September 22, 1980-August 8, 1988, Iran-Iraq War
October 16, 1980, China Conducts Atmospheric Nuclear Test
November 4, 1980, Reagan Is Elected President
December 2, 1980, U.S. Congress Protects Alaskan Lands and Wildlife
December 8, 1980, Assassination of John Lennon
December 11, 1980, Superfund Is Established to Pay for Hazardous-Waste Cleanup
December 22, 1980, U.S. Congress Addresses "Low-Level" Nuclear Waste
1981
1981, Activists Oppose Deployment of the MX Missile
1981, Citizens' Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste Is Founded
1981, Missouri Program Promotes Parental Involvement in Education
1981, The Ultimate Resource Argues in Favor of Population Growth
1981-1982, Geneticists Create Giant Mice
January 15, 1981-May 19, 1987, Hill Street Blues Defines Hard-Reality Television
January 21, 1981, The Group of Ten Meets for the First Time
February, 1981, Watt Announces Expansion of Energy Leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf
March, 1981, Federal Regulators Authorize Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
March 1, 1981, Sands Begins Hunger Strike
March 30, 1981, Hinckley Attempts to Assassinate President Reagan
April 13, 1981, Mahathir Begins Rule in Malaysia
May, 1981-June, 1981, Bell Labs Improves Solar Cells
May 10, 1981, Mitterrand Is Elected to the French Presidency
May 21, 1981, World Health Organization Adopts a Code on Breast-Milk Substitutes
May 25, 1981, Saudi Arabia Establishes Gulf Cooperation Council
June, 1981, Cassinelli and Associates Discover the Most Massive Star Known
June, 1981, Organization of African Unity Adopts the African Charter on Human and Peoples'
Rights
June 5, 1981, U.S. Centers for Disease Control Recognizes AIDS
June 7, 1981, Israel Destroys Iraqi Nuclear Reactor
July 10, 1981, Brown Orders Medfly Spraying in California
July 19-September 12, 1981, South African Rugby Team Tour Provokes Protests
July 26, 1981, San Diego Trolley Opens
August 1, 1981, MTV Revolutionizes American Popular Culture
August 3, 1981, Air Traffic Controllers Declare a Strike
August 10, 1981, The United States Announces Production of Neutron Bombs
August 12, 1981, IBM Introduces Its Personal Computer
August 13, 1981, Reagan Promotes Supply-Side Economics
August 15, 1981, EWTN Begins Religious Broadcasting
September, 1981, Clewell Performs Surgery on a Fetus to Correct Hydrocephalus
September 25, 1981, O'Connor Is the First Woman to Serve as Supreme Court Justice
October 4-10, 1981, New Dance U.S.A. Festival
October 18, 1981, Greek Socialists Win Parliamentary Majority
November 10, 1981, "Yellow Rain" Hearing
November 12-14, 1981, Columbia's Second Flight Proves the Practicality of the Space Shuttle
November 20, 1981, Soviets Begin Construction of Siberian Gas Pipeline
November 25, 1981, United Nations Votes to Protect Freedom of Religion and Belief
December 13, 1981, Poland Imposes Martial Law and Bans Solidarity
1982
1982, Baulieu Develops a Pill That Induces Abortion
1982, Cech Demonstrates That RNA Can Act as an Enzyme
1982, Peters Gains Prominence as a Writer on Management
1982-1983, Compact Disc Players Are Introduced
1982-1983, Daffos Uses Umbilical Cord Puncture to Diagnose Fetal Disease
1982-1989, Astronomers Discover an Unusual Ring System of Planet Neptune
January 8, 1982, AT&T Undergoes Divestiture
March 12, 1982, "MASTER HAROLD" . . . and the Boys Examines Apartheid
April 2-June 14, 1982, Falkland Islands War
April 12, 1982, Solar One Begins Operation in the Mojave Desert
April 17, 1982, Canada's Constitution Act
April 17, 1982, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Is Enacted
May 12, 1982, Braniff International Suspends Flight Operations
May 14, 1982, Eli Lilly Releases the First Commercial Genetically Engineered Medication
June, 1982, Release of Blade Runner Heralds a Science-Fiction Classic
June 10, 1982, Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy Meets with Unexpected Success
June 11, 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Opens to Great Success
June 15, 1982, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Right of Noncitizens to Social Services
July 19, 1982, Great Britain Announces Plans to Privatize British Telecom
September, 1982, Seven People Die After Taking Cyanide-Laced Tylenol
September 15, 1982, USA Today Is the First National Newspaper
September 16-18, 1982, Palestinians Are Massacred in West Beirut
Fall, 1982, Pro-Iran Radicals Form Hezbollah
October 1, 1982, EPCOT Center Opens
October 1, 1982, Kohl Becomes Chancellor of West Germany
December, 1982, Thriller Marks Jackson's Musical Coming-of-Age
December 2, 1982, DeVries Implants the First Jarvik-7 Artificial Heart
December 18, 1982, United Nations Issues Principles of Medical Ethics
December 20, 1982, United Nations Responds to the Homeless Crisis
December 21, 1982, U.S. Congress Addresses "High-Level" Nuclear Waste
December 23, 1982, Dioxin Contamination Forces Evacuation of Times Beach
1983
1983, Rubbia and van der Meer Isolate the Intermediate Vector Bosons
1983, Sudanese Civil War Resumes
1983-1984, Festivals Mark a Peak in the Dance Created by Black Artists
January, 1983, National Commission Against Torture Studies Human Rights Abuses
January, 1983, Nigeria Expels West African Migrant Workers
January-October, 1983, First Successful Human Embryo Transfer
January 11, 1983, Payment-in-Kind Program Compensates U.S. Farmers to Abstain from
Planting
February 3, 1983, Anderson's United States Popularizes Performance Art
March, 1983, West German Green Party Gains Seats in Parliament
March 16, 1983, Workers Buy Weirton Steel
Spring, 1983-September, 1986, Mullis Develops the Polymerase Chain Reaction
March 23, 1983, Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative
April 4, 1983, Tracking and Data-Relay Satellite System Revolutionizes Space Communications
May 17, 1983, Government Reveals Oak Ridge Mercury Releases
July 21, 1983, Martial Law Ends in Poland
July 23, 1983, Tamil Separatist Violence Erupts in Sri Lanka
August 21, 1983, Assassination of Philippine Opposition Leader Benigno Aquino
September, 1983, Murray and Szostak Create the First Artificial Chromosome
September 1, 1983, Soviet Jets Shoot Down Korean Air Lines Flight 007
September 24, 1983, Continental Airlines Declares Bankruptcy
October, 1983, Amnesty International Works to Prevent Torture
October, 1983, Europeans Demonstrate Against Nuclear Weapons
October 25-November 2, 1983, United States Invades Grenada
November, 1983, Aspartame Is Approved for Use in Carbonated Beverages
November 3, 1983, Jackson Becomes the First Major Black Candidate for U.S. President
November 28, 1983, Spacelab 1 Is Launched Aboard the Space Shuttle
December 28, 1983, United States Announces Its Withdrawal from UNESCO
December 31, 1983, Nigerian Military Topples President Shagari
1984
1984, "Deep Ecology" Platform Is Drafted
1984, Introduction of Optical Discs for Data Storage
1984, Limbaugh Begins Talk Radio in Sacramento
1984, Lovejoy Proposes the Debt-for-Nature Swap
1984, Sibley and Ahlquist Discover Human-Chimpanzee Genetic Relationship
January 24, 1984, Introduction of the Apple Macintosh
February 8, 1984, Pennzoil Sues Texaco for Interfering in Getty Oil Deal
March 10, 1984, Willadsen Clones the First Farm Animal by Nuclear Transfer
March 16, 1984, South Africa and Mozambique Sign Nkomati Accord
April 6-September 9, 1984, Project Displays Hominid Heritage
May 4, 1984, Sixteen Candles Starts a Wave of Teen Films
June 3-6, 1984, Sikhs and Indian Government Clash at the Golden Temple
June 12, 1984, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Seniority Systems
July 12, 1984, New York State Imposes the First Mandatory Seat-Belt Law
July 25 and October 11, 1984, Two Women Walk in Space
July 26, 1984, U.S. Government Bails Out Continental Illinois Bank
August 6-14, 1984, United Nations Holds a Population Conference
August 17, 1984, U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds the Navy's Ban on Homosexuality
August 25, 1984, Radioactive Cargo Sinks in the North Sea
September 14, 1984, Mulroney Era Begins in Canada
September 20, 1984-April 30, 1992, The Cosby Show Makes Television History
September 26, 1984, Britain Signs Agreement to Leave Hong Kong in 1997
Late 1984, Hong Kong's Citizens Prepare for Chinese Takeover
October, 1984, American Psychiatric Association Addresses the Homeless Mentally Ill
October, 1984, Ethiopia Resettles Famine Victims from the North to Southern Ethiopia
October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi Is Assassinated
November 21, 1984-January 5, 1985, Evacuation of Ethiopian Jews to Israel
December 3, 1984, Toxic Gas Leaks from a Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal, India
December 10, 1984, Tutu Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
December 14, 1984, Simon's Biloxi Blues Emphasizes Serious Themes
1985
1985, Construction of the Keck Telescope Begins in Hawaii
1985, Ecodefense Advocates "Monkeywrenching"
1985, Yugo Begins Selling Cars in the United States
1985-1987, Rainforest Action Network Boycotts Burger King
1985-1991, Minnesota Gives Parents Broader Choices in Public Education
February 4, 1985, New Zealand Closes Ports to U.S. Nuclear Warships
March 6, 1985, Jeffreys Discovers the Technique of Genetic Fingerprinting
March 11, 1985, Gorbachev Initiates a Policy of Glasnost
March 15, 1985, Democracy Returns to Brazil
March 15, 1985, Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge Is Closed
April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola Introduces a New Formula
May 12, 1985, First Woman Conservative Rabbi Is Ordained
May 16, 1985, Researchers Discover a Hole in the Ozone Layer
July 1, 1985, Home Shopping Service Is Offered on Cable Television
July 10, 1985, French Agents Sink the Rainbow Warrior
July 13, 1985, Live Aid Generates Millions for Famine Relief
September 1, 1985, Ballard Discovers the Lost Ship Titanic
September 15, 1985, Europe Takes the Ryder Cup
September 19, 1985, Earthquake Devastates Mexico City
September 22-October 7, 1985, Christo Wraps the Pont Neuf
October, 1985, Tevatron Particle Accelerator Begins Operation at Fermilab
November 15, 1985, Anglo-Irish Agreement Is Signed
November 19-21, 1985, U.S.-Soviet Summit
November 20, 1985, Microsoft Releases the Windows Operating System
December, 1985, European Nations Open Superphénix
December 9, 1985, Argentine Leaders Are Convicted of Human Rights Violations
Winter, 1985, Manville Offers $2.5 Billion to Victims of Asbestos Dust
December 23, 1985, U.S. Congress Revamps Farm Policy
December 27, 1985, Fossey Is Murdered over Efforts to Protect Mountain Gorillas
1986
1986, Kamiokande Neutrino Telescope Begins Operation
1986, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Goals, Not Quotas, to Remedy Discrimination
1986-1987, Tully Discovers the Pisces-Cetus Supercluster Complex
January, 1986, Bednorz and Müller Discover a High-Temperature Superconductor
January, 1986, United States and Canada Issue a Joint Report on Acid Rain
January 1, 1986, International Whaling Ban Goes into Effect
January 1, 1986, Portugal and Spain Enter the European Community
January 1, 1986, U.S. Government Tightens Restrictions on Lead
January 25, 1986, Museveni Captures Kampala
January 28, 1986, Challenger Accident
February 20, 1986, First Permanently Manned Space Station Is Launched
February 25, 1986, Marcos Flees the Philippines
February 26, 1986, Warren Is Named First Poet Laureate of the United States
February 28, 1986, European Economic Community Adopts the Single European Act
February 28, 1986, Palme Is Assassinated
March 8, 1986, Space Probes Begin Examination of Comet Halley
April 26, 1986, Soviet Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Undergoes Meltdown
May 12, 1986, Insider Trading Scandals Mar the Emerging Junk Bond Market
June, 1986, Akalaitis's Green Card Confronts Audiences with Harsh Realities
June 8, 1986, Election of Waldheim as President of Austria Stirs Controversy
July, 1986, FDA Approves a Genetically Engineered Vaccine for Hepatitis B
July, 1986, Rap Goes Platinum with Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell
August 17, 1986, Pixar Studios Creates Its First Virtual Studio Film
August 21, 1986, African Lake Emits Toxic Gas
October, 1986, Discovery of a Gene That Suppresses Retinoblastoma
October 6, 1986, Soviet Nuclear Submarine Sinks in the Atlantic
October 9, 1986, Fox Television Network Goes on the Air
October 17, 1986, U.S. Congress Requires Governments to Inform the Public About Toxic
Pollutants
November 1, 1986, Swiss Warehouse Fire Causes Toxic Spill into the Rhine
November 6, 1986, Chissano Succeeds Machel in Mozambique
November 6, 1986, U.S. Congress Enacts Major Immigration Reform
November 13, 1986-May 4, 1989, Iran-Contra Scandal
November 22, 1986, Tyson Becomes Youngest World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
December 3, 1986, Boston Celtics Sell Shares in the Team
December 9, 1986, Opening of the Musée d'Orsay
December 10, 1986, Soyinka Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
December 10, 1986, Wiesel Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
December 14-23, 1986, Voyager Circumnavigates the Globe Without Refueling
December 17-19, 1986, Kazakhstan Muslims Riot Against Russians
December 24, 1986, Platoon Explores the Vietnam Experience
1987
1987, McToxics Campaign Begins
1987, South African Black Workers Strike
1987-1988, Scientists Date a Homo sapiens Fossil at Ninety-Two Thousand Years
1987-1990, Search for the Gene That Begins Male Development
1987-1991, Government-Supported Death Squads Quash Sri Lanka Insurrection
January 1, 1987, Cann Postulates the African Eve
January 15, 1987, Vons Opens Its First Tianguis Marketplace
January 20, 1987, Waite Is Kidnapped in Lebanon
February 23, 1987, Supernova 1987A Corroborates Theories of Star Formation
March-May, 1987, Garbage Barge Mobro Cruises U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
April, 1987-September, 1988, Iraq Uses Poison Gas Against Kurds
April 22, 1987, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds the Constitutionality of Capital Punishment
April 24, 1987, Genetically Altered Bacteria Are Released into the Environment
April 27, 1987, Our Common Future Is Published
May, 1987, National Museum of Women in the Arts Opens Amid Controversy
May 4, 1987, U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Laws Can Force Groups to Admit Women
May 11, 1987, Barbie Is Tried for Nazi War Crimes
May 14, 1987, Fiji's Elected Government Is Ousted by the Military
June, 1987, Ontario's Pay Equity Act
June 29, 1987, Florida Passes the Surface Water Improvement and Management Act
July 22, 1987, U.S. Congress Appropriates Funds for the Homeless
August 20, 1987, U.S. Government Introduces the Baldrige Award
August 31, 1987, FDA Approves the First Cholesterol-Lowering Drug
September, 1987, Miller Discovers a Dinosaur Egg Containing the Oldest Known Embryo
September 21-October 1, 1987, Radioactive Powder Injures Hundreds of Brazilians
October 19, 1987, U.S. Stock Market Crashes on "Black Monday"
October 22, 1987, Adams's Nixon in China Premieres
November 11, 1987, Van Gogh's Irises Sells for $53.9 Million
December, 1987, Palestinian Intifada Begins
December 8, 1987, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
December 10, 1987, Arias Sánchez Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
December 11, 1987, A. H. Robins Must Compensate Women Injured by the Dalkon Shield
December 22, 1987, Yucca Mountain Is Designated a Radioactive Waste Repository
December 29, 1987, FDA Approves Prozac as an Antidepressant
December 29, 1987, U.S. Congress Prohibits Marine Plastics Dumping
1988
1988, Doppler Radar Revolutionizes Weather Forecasting
1988, Erlich Develops DNA Fingerprinting from a Single Hair
1988, Graf Wins Golden Grand Slam
1988, New York Opens "Shock" Incarceration Camp for Female Prisoners
1988, Osama Bin Laden Forms al-Qaeda
1988, Sudanese Civil War Uses Hunger as a Weapon
January 2, 1988, Tank Collapse Releases Fuel into the Monongahela River
February, 1988, Ethnic Riots Erupt in Armenia
March, 1988, Oldest Known Galaxy Is Discovered
March 4, 1988, Pei Creates a New Entrance to the Louvre
March 22, 1988, U.S. Congress Mandates Nondiscriminatory Practices by Recipients of Public
Funds
April 18, 1988, Israel Convicts Demjanjuk of Nazi War Crimes
May, 1988, Patent Is Granted for Genetically Engineered Mice
June, 1988, Canada Passes the Tobacco Products Control Act
June 13, 1988, First Monetary Damages Are Awarded to the Estate of a Cigarette Smoker
Summer, 1988, Fires Burn Much of Yellowstone National Park
June 21, 1988, Who Framed Roger Rabbit Merges Animation with Live Action
June 23-August 30, 1988, Deconstructivists Exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art
June 30, 1988, Excommunication of Archbishop Lefebvre
July, 1988, Medical Waste Washes onto U.S. Atlantic Beaches
July-November, 1988, Ethnic Violence Erupts in Yugoslavian Provinces
July 3, 1988, USS Vincennes Shoots Down Iranian Civilian Plane
August 8, 1988, Auspicious Day of 8/8/88 Turns Deadly in Rangoon
August 10, 1988, U.S. Congress Formally Apologizes to Japanese Internees
September, 1988, Prodigy Introduces Dial-Up Service
October, 1988, Recruit Scandal Surfaces in Japan
October 12, 1988, Brazilian President Announces Plans to Protect Rain Forests
October 12, 1988, Global ReLeaf Program Is Initiated
October 13, 1988, U.S. Welfare Reform Links Assistance to Work
October 14, 1988, U.S. Law Mandates Use of Alternative Fuels
October 17, 1988, U.S. Law Supports Indian Gaming
October 24, 1988, BRAC Commission Is Established to Close U.S. Military Bases
November, 1988, Bhutto Becomes the First Woman Elected to Lead a Muslim Country
November, 1988, Construction Begins on the Superconducting Super Collider
November, 1988, United Nations Creates a Panel to Study Climate Change
November 8, 1988, Bush Is Elected President
December, 1988, Drexel and Michael Milken Are Charged with Insider Trading
December 7, 1988, Armenian Earthquake Leads to Calls for Building Reform
December 10, 1988, Mahfouz Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 Explodes over Lockerbie
December 22, 1988, Namibia Is Liberated from South African Control
1989
1989, Amnesty International Exposes the Cruelty of the Death Penalty
1989, Arnold and Gottlieb Publish The Wise Use Agenda
1989, Hungary Adopts a Multiparty System
1989, Kashmir Separatists Demand an End to Indian Rule
1989, Kenyan Government Cracks Down on Dissent
1989, Oregon Guarantees Basic Health Care for the Uninsured
1989, Robertson Founds the Christian Coalition
1989, Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
1989, U.S. Surgeon General Reports on Tobacco and Health
1989-1990, Colombian Presidential Candidates Are Killed
February 4, 1989, Soviet Farmers Gain Control of Land and Crop Selection
February 14, 1989, Iran Issues a Fatwa Against Salman Rushdie
March 13-April 15, 1989, United States Bans Chilean Fruit After Cyanide Scare
March 24, 1989, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
April 9, 1989, NOW Sponsors a March for Abortion Rights
April 13, 1989, Lincoln Savings and Loan Declares Bankruptcy
May 4, 1989-October 12, 1994, Magellan Probe Maps Venus
June, 1989, Helsinki Watch Proposes Reform of Refugee Laws
June-September, 1989, Poland Forms a Non-Communist Government
June 4, 1989, China Crushes Prodemocracy Demonstration in Tiananmen Square
June 14, 1989, Mapplethorpe's Photographs Provoke Controversy
June 21, 1989, U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Flag Desecration Law
June 26, 1989, U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Execution of the Mentally Retarded and the Young
June 30, 1989, Do the Right Thing Establishes Lee as a World-Class Director
July 2, 1989, Papandreou Leaves Office in Disgrace
July 3, 1989, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds State Restrictions on Abortion
July 18, 1989, Kenyan President Burns a Fortune in Ivory
July 23, 1989, Mexico Renegotiates Debt to U.S. Banks
July 28, 1989, Chinese Top Leadership Changes as Jiang Zemin Takes the Party Chair
September, 1989, Sony Purchases Columbia Pictures
September, 1989, Vietnamese Troops Withdraw from Cambodia
October 2, 1989, Texas's Method of Funding Schools Is Ruled Unconstitutional
October 24, 1989, Bakker Is Sentenced for Fraud and Conspiracy
November, 1989, Ford Buys Jaguar
November 7, 1989, Wilder Becomes the First Elected Black Governor
November 9, 1989, Fall of the Berlin Wall
November 17-December 29, 1989, Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia
November 20, 1989, United Nations Adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child
December 8, 1989, Pope John Paul II Issues an Environmental Message
December 10, 1989, Tibet's Dalai Lama Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
December 14, 1989, Chilean Voters End Pinochet's Military Rule
December 20, 1989, United States Intervenes in Panama
December 24, 1989-July 19, 1997, Liberian Civil War
December 25, 1989, Ceausescu Is Overthrown in Romania
1990
1990's, Algeria and Egypt Crack Down on Islamic Militants
1990's, Disney Emerges as an Architectural Patron
1990's, Libraries Transform into Information Technology Centers
1990, Albania Opens Its Borders to Foreign Nationals
1990, "An Anti-Environmentalist Manifesto" Signals a Backlash
1990, Avon Begins Operations in China
1990-1994, Discovery of Breast Cancer Genes
1990-1994, United Nations Admits Many New Members
January, 1990, Poland Begins Switching to a Market Economy
January 14, 1990, The Simpsons Debuts, Anchoring the Fledgling Fox Network
February 11, 1990, Mandela Is Freed
February 16, 1990, Cisco Systems Goes Public
February 25, 1990, Sandinistas Are Defeated in Nicaraguan Elections
February 26, 1990, Soviet Troops Withdraw from Czechoslovakia
March 6, 1990, Soviet Parliament Allows Private Ownership
March 11, 1990, Lithuania Declares Independence from the Soviet Union
March 20, 1990, McCartney Conceives Promise Keepers
March 31, 1990, British Riot Over the Poll Tax
April 23, 1990, U.S. Government Authorizes Collection of Data on Crime Against Gays
April 24, 1990, NASA Launches the Hubble Space Telescope
May 22, 1990, Merging of the Two Yemens
June 8-July 8, 1990, West Germany Wins a Third FIFA World Cup
June 12, 1990, Algeria Holds Its First Free Multiparty Elections
June 12, 1990, Lawsuits Against Mobil Draw Attention to "Green" Marketing
June 21, 1990, Massive Quake Rocks Iran
June 22, 1990, Meech Lake Accord Dies
June 25, 1990, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds the Right to Refuse Medical Treatment
June 29, 1990, U.N. Agreement Protects Ozone Layer
July 9-19, 1990, General Motors Sponsors a Solar-Powered Car Race
July 16, 1990, Gorbachev Agrees to Membership of a United Germany in NATO
July 23, 1990, Spotted Owl Prompts Old-Growth Timber Controversy
July 25, 1990, Bloc Québécois Forms
July 26, 1990, U.S. Congress Enacts Disability Rights
August, 1990, Genetically Engineered Rabies Vaccine Is Released
August 2, 1990, Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait
August 18, 1990, U.S. Congress Passes Oil Spill Legislation
September 23-27, 1990, The Civil War Rivets the Attention of the United States
October, 1990, "Killer Bees" Invade the United States
October 24, 1990, Debut of Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project
November 5, 1990, United States Makes Pollution Prevention a National Goal
November 15, 1990, U.S. Congress Approves More Clean Air Act Amendments
November 28, 1990, Environmentalists Defeat the Cross-Florida Barge Canal
November 28, 1990, Major Succeeds Thatcher as British Prime Minister
December 16, 1990, Aristide Wins First Democratic Election in Haiti
1991
1991-1992, Captive-Bred Condors and Ferrets Are Reintroduced into the Wild
1991-1993, Development of HTML
January 17-February 28, 1991, Persian Gulf War
January 23, 1991, Seinfeld Takes a Regular Slot on NBC
January 27-November 7, 1991, Iraq Burns Kuwaiti Oil Wells
February 1, 1991, De Klerk Promises to Topple Apartheid Legislation
February 12, 1991, Mongolia Sheds Communism
March, 1991, Medical Researchers Test Promising Drugs for the Treatment of AIDS
March, 1991, Supreme Soviet Declares the Aral Sea a Disaster Area
March 26, 1991, Birth of the Southern Common Market
March 28, 1991, U.S. Courts Restrict Rights to Photocopy Anthologies
May 5, 1991, Swiss Banks End Secret Accounts
June, 1991, CDC Publicizes the Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
June 12-15, 1991, Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
June 25, 1991, Civil War Begins in Yugoslavia
July 1, 1991, Bush Nominates Second African American to the Supreme Court
July 1, 1991, Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact
July 1, 1991, Sweden Applies for Membership in the European Community
July 3, 1991, IBM and Apple Agree to Make Compatible Computers
July 14, 1991, Pesticides Are Released into the Sacramento River
August, 1991, African Countries Begin to Revive Democratization
September, 1991-November, 1992, Immigrants in Germany Become Targets of Violence
September 3, 1991, North Carolina Fire Points to Workplace Hazards
September 27, 1991, Bush Announces Nuclear Arms Reductions
October, 1991, Iijima Reports the Production of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes
October-November, 1991, Yugoslav Army Shells Dubrovnik
November 7, 1991, U.S. Congress Strengthens Equal Opportunity Laws
December, 1991, Dissolution of the Soviet Union
December, 1991-1992, Muslim Refugees Flee Persecution in Myanmar
December 10, 1991, Gordimer Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
1992
1992, Audubon Society Opens Environmentally Responsible Headquarters
January 13, 1992, Japan Admits to Sex Slavery During World War II
February, 1992, Pequots Open Gaming Facility
February, 1992, Yankee Rowe Nuclear Plant Is Shut Down
February 20, 1992, Perot Mounts a Third-Party Bid for the U.S. Presidency
February 21, 1992, United Nations Authorizes Troop Deployment to the Balkans
March 17, 1992, and July 18, 1994, Terrorists Attack Israeli Embassy and Jewish Center in
Argentina
April 12, 1992, Euro Disneyland Opens
April 29-May 1, 1992, Los Angeles Riots
May, 1992, Hariri Begins Reconstruction of Lebanon
May 1, 1992, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Is Established
June 3-14, 1992, Earth Summit Convenes in Rio de Janeiro
June 24, 1992, Tailhook Scandal
June 29, 1992, U.S. Supreme Court Restricts Abortion Rights
August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew Devastates Southern Florida
October 6, 1992, U.S. Government Facilities Must Comply with Environmental Standards
October 12, 1992, Columbus Day Debates Reflect Cultural Diversity
October 26, 1992, Defeat of the Charlottetown Accord
November 3, 1992, Clinton Wins the U.S. Presidency
December 9, 1992, U.S. Marines Enter Somalia
December 16, 1992, U.N. Security Council Brokers Peace in Mozambique
December 31, 1992, United Nations Bans the Use of Drift Nets
1993
1993, Norway Resumes Whaling in Defiance of International Ban
January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia Splits into Two Republics
January 3, 1993, United States and Russia Reach Nuclear Arms Reduction Agreement
January 4, 1993, Trojan Nuclear Plant Is Retired
January 5, 1993, Braer Runs Aground
February 5, 1993, U.S. Congress Guarantees Job Security During Family Emergencies
February 26, 1993, World Trade Center Bombing
March 22, 1993, Intel Introduces the Pentium Processor
April-October, 1993, Mississippi and Missouri Flooding Brings Misery to Middle America
April 3, 1993, Clinton Convenes the Forest Summit
April 19, 1993, Branch Davidians' Compound Burns
April 22, 1993, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Opens
May 4 and November 23, 1993, Kushner's Angels in America Premieres on Broadway
May 9, 1993, Paraguay Embraces Democracy
May 24, 1993, Eritrea Secedes from Ethiopia
May 27, 1993, Bomb Damages the Uffizi Gallery
June 14-25, 1993, World Conference on Human Rights
June 25, 1993, Campbell Becomes Canada's First Woman Prime Minister
July 23-24 and August 29-30, 1993, Brazilian Police Massacre Slum Dwellers
August 19, 1993, Mattel and Fisher-Price Form the World's Biggest Toy Company
September 16, 1993-May 13, 2004, Frasier Dominates Television Comedy
September 24, 1993, Myst Energizes the Computer Game Market
September 26, 1993, Crew of Biosphere 2 Exits After Two Years
October 13, 1993, Bell Atlantic and TCI Announce Merger Plans
October 21, 1993, Burundian President Is Assassinated
October 26-November 3, 1993, Fires Devastate Southern California
November 1, 1993, Unification of the European Market
November 4, 1993, Chrétien Takes Charge in Canada
November 20, 1993, North American Free Trade Agreement
December 2-13, 1993, Astronauts Repair the Hubble Space Telescope
December 15, 1993, Ulster Peace Accord
1994
January 2, 1994-January 1, 2002, Giuliani Administration Transforms New York City
January 17, 1994, Northridge Quake Rocks Los Angeles
January 22, 1994, Schindler's List Begins Reaping Accolades
March, 1994, Italy's Voters Move Right
March 1, 1994, U.S. Gun Control Legislation Takes Effect
April 6-July, 1994, Rwandan Genocide
April 14-16, 1994, Alexander Fights to Save the National Endowment for the Arts
May, 1994, Genetically Engineered Food Reaches Supermarkets
May 6, 1994, Opening of the Channel Tunnel
May 15, 1994, Andy Warhol Museum Opens
May 23, 1994, Postmodernist Film Pulp Fiction Wins at Cannes
June, 1994, Bald Eagle Is No Longer an Endangered Species
June 12, 1994, Boeing's 777 Takes to the Skies
July 8, 1994, Kim Jong-il Succeeds His Father in North Korea
July 16-22, 1994, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter
July 31, 1994, United Nations Authorizes the Use of Force in Haiti
August 12, 1994-April 2, 1995, Baseball Strike Forces Cancellation of the World Series
September 28, 1994, Ferry Sinks in the Baltic
October 21, 1994, U.S.-North Korea Pact
November 8, 1994, Oregon Voters Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide
November 8, 1994, Republicans Regain Control of Congress
November 16, 1994, Law of the Sea Treaty Enters into Force
December 1, 1994, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
December 10, 1994, Oe Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
December 11, 1994, Russian Troops Invade Chechnya
December 14, 1994, Premier Li Peng Announces the Three Gorges Dam Project
December 15, 1994, Release of Netscape Navigator 1.0
1995
Mid-1990's, Cable Television Challenges Network Television
Mid-1990's, Rise of the Internet and the World Wide Web
1995, South Africa Establishes a Truth and Reconciliation Commission
1995-1998, Famine Strikes North Korea
January 1, 1995-January 1, 2003, Cardoso Brings Prestige to Brazilian Presidency
January 17, 1995, Kobe Earthquake Kills Thousands
January 24-October 3, 1995, O. J. Simpson Trial
January 31, 1995, United States Bails Out Mexico
February 13, 1995, Serbs Face Charges at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia
February 15, 1995, Arrest of Hacker Kevin Mitnick
March 20, 1995, Terrorists Use Sarin Gas in Tokyo Subway Attack
March 30, 1995, National Library of France Opens
April 19, 1995, Bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building
May 14-December 8, 1995, New Panchen Lama Is Named
May 17, 1995, Chirac Takes Office as President of France
May 23, 1995, Sun Microsystems Introduces Java
May 30, 1995, Popular Fiction Addresses the End Times
June 12, 1995, U.S. Supreme Court Limits Racial Preferences in Awarding Government
Contracts
June 26, 1995, U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Random Drug Testing in Schools
June 29, 1995, Space Shuttle Docks with Mir
July, 1995, Amazon.com Sells Its First Book Online
July, 1995, Venona Cables Are Declassified
July 11, 1995, United States Recognizes Vietnam
July 21, 1995-March 23, 1996, Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
September 5, 1995-January 27, 1996, France Resumes Nuclear Testing
September 6, 1995, Ripken Breaks Gehrig's Iron Man Record
September 15, 1995, DVD Technology Is Announced
October 16, 1995, Farrakhan Leads the Million Man March
November 4, 1995, Rabin Is Assassinated
November 10, 1995, Nigeria Hangs Saro-Wiwa and Other Rights Advocates
November 21, 1995, Dayton Negotiations Produce Bosnian Peace Accord
December 2, 1995, NASA Launches the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
December 7, 1995, Galileo Achieves Orbit Around Jupiter
December 10, 1995, Heaney Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
1996
1996, Hopes for Democracy in Bangladesh Rise
January-May, 1996, Meningitis Outbreak Proves Deadly in West Africa
January 3, 1996, U.S. Congress Reforms Law Regulating Telecommunications
January 30, 1996, Comet Hyakutake Is Discovered
February 10, 1996, Deep Blue Beats Kasparov in Chess
March 20, 1996, Britain Announces Human Cases of Mad Cow Disease
May, 1996, Sudan Expels Osama Bin Laden
May 10, 1996, Vietnamese Refugees Riot in Hong Kong
May 20, 1996, U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Colorado Antigay Law
June 10, 1996, Center-Right Government Takes Over in Spain
July 5, 1996, Wilmut Clones the First Large Mammal from an Adult Cell
July 27, 1996, Centennial Olympic Park Bombing
July 28, 1996, Kennewick Man Is Discovered
August 19, 1996, Green Party Nominates Nader for President
August 29, 1996, Dam Burst Contaminates the Pilcomayo River
September 18, 1996, Grand Staircase-Escalante Is Declared a National Monument
September 27, 1996, Taliban Begins Suppression of Human Rights in Afghanistan
October 12, 1996, Clinton Signs Legislation to Help Restore the Everglades
November 29, 1996, Asteroid Toutatis Passes Near Earth
December 8, 1996, Rawlings Wins Reelection to Ghana's Presidency
December 10, 1996, Szymborska Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature
December 29, 1996, FARC Offensive Intensifies the Guerrilla War in Colombia
December 29, 1996, Guatemalan Peace Accords End Civil War
1997
January, 1997, Archaeologists Announce the Discovery of Aristotle's Lyceum
January-March, 1997, Karen Refugee Crisis
March 4, 1997, Clinton Rejects Federal Support for Human Cloning
March 23-25, 1997, Heaven's Gate Cult Members Commit Mass Suicide
May 1, 1997, Labor Party Wins Majority in British National Elections
May 22-June 12, 1997, Globe Theatre Opens in London
May 27, 1997, NATO and Russia Sign Cooperation Pact
June-October, 1997, Indonesian Forest Fires Devastate Southeast Asia
June 15, 1997, Tiger Woods Becomes World's Top-Rated Golfer
June 30, 1997, Harry Potter Resuscitates Reading
July 1, 1997, Hong Kong Becomes Part of the People's Republic of China
July 1, 1997, Japan Enacts a Law to Protect the Ainu People
July 3, 1997, Mississippi Settles Lawsuit with Cigarette Makers
July 4, 1997, Pathfinder Lands on Mars
July 15, 1997, Murder of Gianni Versace
August 31, 1997, Princess Diana Dies in a Car Crash
October 15, 1997, Cassini-Huygens Probe Is Launched
November 17, 1997, Temple of Hatshepsut Massacre
December 1-11, 1997, Kyoto Conference on Greenhouse Gases
December 10, 1997, Land Mine Activist Receives Nobel Peace Prize
December 16, 1997, First Cases of Avian Flu Are Reported
December 16, 1997, Mandela Makes Way for Mbeki
December 24, 1997, Japanese Magnetic Train Reaches Record Speed
December 31, 1997, Microsoft Acquires Hotmail
1998
1998, AIDS Devastates Africa
1998, Brokaw Honors the Greatest Generation
1998, Reparations Funds for Holocaust Victims Are Established
1998, Sexual Molestation Scandal Rocks the Catholic Church
January 6, 1998-July 31, 1999, Lunar Prospector Mission
January 14, 1998, Protocol on Antarctic Environmental Protection Enters into Force
February 23, 1998, Osama Bin Laden Declares Jihad Against "Jews and Crusaders"
February 28, 1998-June 9, 1999, Kosovo Conflict Escalates
March 23, 1998, Titanic Ties an Oscar Record
April 5, 1998, Opening of the World's Largest Suspension Bridge
April 10, 1998, Good Friday Agreement
April 25, 1998, Los Frailes Tailings Pond Dam Ruptures in Spain
May 6, 1998, Daimler-Benz Buys Chrysler
May 6, 1998-December 12, 2000, Eritrean-Ethiopian War
May 11 and 13, 1998, India Conducts Nuclear Tests
May 18, 1998, United States Sues Microsoft
May 21, 1998, Suharto Resigns, Making Way for Habibie
May 22-September 30, 1998, World's Exposition 1998
June 21, 1998, Druids Celebrate the Summer Solstice
June 25, 1998, U.S. Supreme Court Rules That "Decency" Can Be Required for Federal Arts
Grants
June 25, 1998, U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down the Line-Item Veto
July 17, 1998, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Is Adopted
July 26, 1998, Hun Sen Wins Cambodian Elections
August 7, 1998, Chang River Breaks Through Its Main Bank
August 7, 1998, Terrorists Bomb U.S. Embassies in East Africa
August 15, 1998, Omagh Car Bombing
September, 1998, U.N. Tribunal Convicts Rwandans of Genocide
September 7, 1998, Google Is Founded
September 8, 1998, McGwire Breaks Maris's Home Run Record
October 15-23, 1998, Wye River Accords
October 19, 1998, Earth Liberation Front Resorts to Arson
October 24, 1998, Deep Space 1 Is Launched
October 27, 1998, Reform of the Copyright Act
October 27, 1998, Schröder Replaces Kohl as German Chancellor
October 29-November 3, 1998, Hurricane Mitch Floods Central America
November 1, 1998, Europe Celebrates the Restructuring of the European Court of Human Rights
November 6, 1998, First Embryonic Stem Cell Line Is Derived
December 6, 1998, Bongo Wins Fair Elections in Gabon
December 10, 1998, First Genetic Map of an Animal Reported
December 11, 1998-January 3, 1999, Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander Are Launched
and Lost
December 16-19, 1998, Iraq Disarmament Crisis Climaxes in Air Strikes
December 19, 1998, Clinton Is Impeached
1999
1999, Rise of the Blogosphere
January 1, 1999, Eleven European Nations Adopt the Euro
March 24-26, 1999, Fire Disaster Closes Mont Blanc Tunnel
March 28, 1999, Williams Sisters Meet in Historic Tennis Final
April 5, 1999, Scientists Announce Discovery of Enzyme Linked to Alzheimer's Disease
April 20, 1999, Columbine High School Massacre
May 17, 1999, Barak Takes Charge in Israel
May 28, 1999, Restored Last Supper Goes on Display
May 29, 1999, Democracy Returns to Nigeria
June 1, 1999, Napster Is Released
July 10, 1999, Six African Nations Sign the Lusaka Peace Accord
July 20, 1999, China Suppresses Falun Gong Religious Group
July 23, 1999, NASA Launches the Chandra X-Ray Observatory
July 23-25, 1999, Woodstock 1999 Ends in Violence
July 25, 1999, Armstrong Wins His First Tour de France
August 7, 1999, Second Chechen War Erupts
August 16, 1999, Putin Becomes Russian Prime Minister
August 28, 1999, Petronas Twin Towers Open
August 30, 1999, Voters in East Timor Vote for Independence
September 7, 1999, Viacom Announces Plans to Buy CBS
October 6, 1999, NFL Franchise Goes to Houston
October 12, 1999, Musharraf Seizes Power in Pakistan Coup
October 12, 1999, World's Six Billionth Person Is Born
November 15, 1999, United States and China Sign Trade Deal
November 30, 1999, Exxon-Mobil Merger Creates the World's Second-Largest Company
November 30, 1999, Rioters Disrupt World Trade Organization Meetings
December, 1999, First Hybrid Car Appears on the U.S. Market
December 24, 1999, Guéï Coup in Ivory Coast
2000
January 1, 2000, Y2K "Crisis"
January 3, 2000, Peanuts Comic Strip Retires
January 14, 2000, Hague Court Convicts Bosnian Croats of 1993 Massacre
February, 2000, Land Reform Sparks Controversy in Zimbabwe
February 11-22, 2000, Endeavour Maps Earth from Space
February 14, 2000, Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Spacecraft Orbits a Small Body
March 12, 2000, FMLN Wins Legislative Elections in El Salvador
March 14, 2000, King Releases the First E-Novel
March 19, 2000, Wade Ends Socialist Dominance in Senegal
March 31, 2000, Survivor Introduces Audiences to "Reality TV"
April 9-14, 2000, NASDAQ Dive Prompts Dot-Com Crash
May 4, 2000, ILOVEYOU Virus Attacks Computers
June 20, 2000, Scientists Release Evidence of Water on Mars
June 26, 2000, Completion of the Sequencing of the Human Genome Is Announced
June 28, 2000, U.S. Supreme Court Protects Restrictions on Membership in Private Groups
June 29, 2000, Canadian Parliament Passes the Clarity Act
July 1, 2000, Vermont's Civil Union Law Takes Effect
July 2, 2000, PRI Rule Ends in Mexico
July 11, 2000, Organization of African Unity Moves to Establish the African Union
July 17-19, 2000, "Blood Diamonds" Attract World Scrutiny
August 9, 2000, Bridgestone/Firestone Announces Massive Recall
August 12, 2000, Russian Submarine Sinks
September 6-8, 2000, United Nations Holds the Millennium Summit
October 12, 2000, Terrorists Attack USS Cole
November 2, 2000, International Space Station Is Manned
November 7, 2000, Bush Election Stirs Political and Legal Controversy
December 11, 2000, U.S. Government Funds Everglades Restoration
Appendixes
Bibliography
Electronic Resources
Chronological List of Entries
Geographical Index
Category Index
Indexes
Personages Index
Subject Index