All About The 80s: The Gnarly News

by Leslie

Here are the milestones and major events in the news and my life in the 1980s, in timeline form. Sort of.

1980 - Ronald Reagan is elected president, the U.S. boycotts the Moscow Olympics, Mount Saint Helen Erupts, and John Lennon is shot to death.

My parents were convinced I was a genius when I solved my Rubik’s cube…until I admitted that I hadn’t really solved it. I had cheated.

1981 - President Ronald Reagan survives an assassination attempt, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer are married, Sandra Day O’Conner becomes the first female Supreme Court Justice and the first test tube baby is born.

I was really into Star Wars. I carried a Yoda book bag and often insisted that my mom do my hair like Princess Lea’s ear muff do.

1982 - Seven people die from poisoned Tylenol, “Cats” opens on Broadway, Epcot Center opens at DisneyWorld and the first artificial heart is implanted.

E.T. phoned home and I was never the same.

1983 - U.S. troops invade Grenada, the Star Wars plan is proposed, Sally Ride becomes the first woman in space, and President Reagan signs a bill creating a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

McDonalds introduces the McNugget and I find there is no happier meal.

1984 - Indira Ghandi is assassinated, a man opens fire killing four in a New York subway, Marvin Gaye is killed by his father, Michael Jackson is burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial and Vanessa Williams resigns as Miss America.

I was all about fashion. I had my ears pierced and cut off my long hair, keeping only a totally awesome rat tail in the back.

1985 - Earthquakes devastate Mexico City, Live Aid raises funds for famine relief, New Coke is debuted and disliked, and the Nintendo Entertainment System is released in the U.S.

I was all about Madonna and frequently wore a pair of yellow lace fingerless gloves. I spent hours choreographing dance routines to every song on the Like A Virgin album.

1986 - Space shuttle Challenger explodes, a nuclear accident at Chernobyl spreads radiation, Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone’s secret vault, and a human chain is formed for Hands Across America to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.

Puberty hit me. It wasn’t kind. I suddenly had zits and boobs (and I didn’t want either of them). It was possibly the worst year of my life.

1987 - The DOW suffers the worst one day fall in history, Aretha Franklin is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, baby Jessica is rescued from a well, and Prozac is approved by the FDA.

I learned that you should never, NEVER allow someone to give you a home perm as a gift.

1988 - George H.W. Bush is elected president, the PLO declares an indepedent State of Palestine, Sonny Bono is elected the mayor of Palm Springs, and televangelist Jimmy Swaggart confesses to an affair with a prostitute.

I was finally allowed to wear make-up. I attended my first homecoming dance where I had my first kiss with Brock Mason.

1989 - The tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history, the Berlin Wall falls, Seinfeld premieres, Hurricane Hugo tears through the Carolinas and the Menendez brothers kill their parents.

My awkward stage came to an end and I finally hit the 5 foot mark in height. 5 foot 2 inches if you count my hair.

Be sure to visit Grimm, Faith and Josh for more gnarly 80s news!

Posted in Mommy's Stuff, Photos, Lists |

Comments

6 Cool Kids Came To Play

kelley on February 2, 2007 8:42 am
I had the exact same childhood haircut: long and straight, with bangs that started on the top of my head. I also had the ill-advised perm. It made my hair curly for about two days, and then it was just a wild frizz ball. And did you ever sport the side ponytail? That was my favorite look for about a year.
Toni on February 2, 2007 5:04 pm
I cheated on the rubik’s cube too - to fool my brother who thought he was all that and more. Did you take it apart or just move the stickers around?
Laurie on February 2, 2007 6:31 pm
I recently bought a Rubik’s Cube and I still can’t do it. Love the pics.
Joshua Xalpharis on February 2, 2007 7:23 pm
I think the comments section may be broken.

Damn the man!
Faith on February 3, 2007 12:50 am
I love that you posted pictures to go along with this! Great post
Daddy Forever on February 3, 2007 1:20 am
I still remember Mt St Helen. It sent ash all over our city of Portland to the south. We were stupid back then because we didn’t realize it was bad to breathe in all that ash into our lungs.