1980-1989

The 1980s were a decadent, disastrous, and innovative time in United States history. Beginning under the shadow of the Iran hostage crisis, and ending with the symbolic fall of communism with the Berlin Wall, the ’80s hosted an impressive gamut of environmental, political, and pop-cultural events. The ’80s saw the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court and unprecedented international cooperation to combat the disappearing ozone layer. Ronald Reagan, a two-term president, re-worked American economic policy and challenged the Soviet Union to help topple the Berlin Wall. Americans celebrated the Miracle on Ice, sang along with Madonna on their Walkmans, and looked forward to the larger implementations of the World Wide Web and Starbucks coffee shops.

Developed by Guest Curator, James Hanley

Scroll through the timeline below