Mar 30
Reagan Assassination Attempt
John Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan outside the Washington Hilton. Reagan joked to surgeons: 'I hope you're all Republicans.' He recovered and his approval ratings soared.
🇺🇸United States · 80s
Morning in America Begins
Reagan shot, MTV launches, and the Space Shuttle flies.
What happened
5 milestones of 1981
Aug 1
MTV Launches
'Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.' MTV launched at 12:01 AM with 'Video Killed the Radio Star.' Music would never be the same. The visual era had arrived.
Apr 12
First Space Shuttle Launch (Columbia)
Space Shuttle Columbia launched on the first shuttle mission. A reusable spacecraft — the future of spaceflight. John Young and Robert Crippen flew the maiden voyage.
Sep 25
Sandra Day O'Connor — First Woman on Supreme Court
Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman on the Supreme Court. Reagan fulfilled a campaign promise. The 191-year all-male streak was over.
Aug 3
Air Traffic Controllers' Strike
13,000 air traffic controllers went on strike. Reagan fired them all. It was the most dramatic confrontation between a president and organized labor since the New Deal. The labor movement never fully recovered.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Steven Spielberg — Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. Spielberg and Lucas created the greatest adventure film.
Chariots of Fire
Hugh Hudson — That Vangelis theme. British runners at the 1924 Olympics. Won Best Picture.
An American Werewolf in London
John Landis — The greatest werewolf transformation in cinema history.
The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi — Bruce Campbell in the cabin. Micro-budget horror genius.
On Golden Pond
Mark Rydell — Henry Fonda won his only Oscar. Father and daughter reconciled — on screen and off.
What was on TV
Dynasty
1981-1989 — The Carringtons vs. Dallas's Ewings. Shoulder pads and cat fights.
Hill Street Blues
1981-1987 — 'Let's be careful out there.' Reinvented the cop drama.
MTV
1981-present — Music Television launched and transformed how music was consumed.
Dallas
1978-1991 — 'Who shot J.R.?' was resolved. 83 million watched. Still a record.
M*A*S*H
1972-1983 — Approaching its final seasons. Still beloved.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.60
Gallon of gas$1.31
New house (median)$68,900
New car (average)$7,000
Loaf of bread$0.36
Movie ticket$2.78
Inflation: 10.3%
Volcker's Fed kept interest rates painfully high to crush inflation. Mortgage rates hit 18%. A recession was beginning.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1981 (USD)
$1.60
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1981 (USD)
$1.31
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1981 (USD)
$68,900
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1981 (USD)
$7,000
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1981 (USD)
$0.36
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1981 (USD)
$2.78
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
IBM PC
IBM released its Personal Computer. The PC revolution went mainstream.
Space Shuttle Columbia
The first reusable spacecraft launched, beginning the shuttle era.
MS-DOS
Microsoft's DOS became the operating system for IBM PCs.
DeLorean DMC-12
John DeLorean's gull-wing sports car went on sale. It would become famous in a movie four years later.
Hepatitis B vaccine
The first genetically engineered vaccine was approved.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Preppy look (popped collars, khakis)Leg warmers (Flashdance precursor)Power suits for women
Slang
Totally— Absolutely, completely
Gag me with a spoon— That's disgusting (Valley Girl)
Awesome— Great, amazing
Behavior
- John Lennon's murder (Dec 1980) still reverberated
- MTV created a new kind of celebrity — the music video star
- The preppy handbook became a bestseller
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