- January 9
- The Star Tours attraction opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. It cost US$32 million to create. [6]
- January 13
- Seven top New York Mafia bosses including Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno and Carmine Peruccia are sentenced to 100 years in prison each. [1] [83]
- January 17
- US President Ronald Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran. [1]
- January 19
- Guy Hunt becomes Alabama's first Republican governor since 1874. [1]
- January 21
- BB King donates his 7,000 record collection to University of Mississippi. [1]
- January 22
- 27-year old Glen Tremml pedals the ultralight aircraft Eagle over Edwards Air Force Base, California, for a human-powered flight record of 37.2 miles. [5]
- R Budd Dwyer, Pennsylvania State Treasurer, facing prison for conspiracy and perjury, shoots himself to death at a televised news conference. [1] [83] [467]
- January 26
- 14th American Music Awards: Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Alabama. [1]
- January 28
- US Foreign minister George Shultz meets African National Congress-leader Oliver Tambo. [1]
- January 29
- William J Casey ends term as 13th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1] [83]
- January 31
- 44th Golden Globes: Platoon, Marlee Matlin win. [1]
- United Steelworkers union ratify a concessionary contract with USX Corp. [1]
- The last Ohrbach's department store closes in New York City after 64 years of operation. [83]
- February 1
- 163 day strike against Deere and Company ends, workers accept wage freeze. [1]
- Terry Williams of Los Gatos, California wins US$5 million at Harrah's Reno playing the MegaBuck slot machine, after spending US$47. [87.19]
- February 4
- US President Ronald Reagan's veto of Clean Water Act is overridden by US Congress. [1]
- February 6
- No-smoking rules take effect in US federal buildings. [1]
- February 9
- Former US national security adviser Robert McFarlane attempts suicide. [1]
- Brownsville, Texas is deluged with seven inches of rain in just two hours; flooding in some parts of the city is worse than that caused by Hurricane Beulah in 1967. [83]
- February 11
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1] [83]
- February 12
- Survivors of a black man murdered by KKK members awarded US$7 million damages. [1]
- February
- The US Supreme Court rules in the landmark case, California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. The Court upholds the right under federal law for Indians to run gambling operations without state regulation in states where such gaming is legal for any purpose. [39] [187.435]
- February 17
- Michelle Renee Royer, age 21, of Texas, crowned 36th Miss USA. [1]
- February 19
- Anti-smoking ad airs for first time on TV in the USA, featuring Yul Brynner. [1]
- Minnesota sheriff's office arrests Thomas G Harrelson, on FBI's most wanted list. [1]
- Reagan lifts trade boycott against Poland. [1]
- February 20
- Bomb blamed on Unabomber explodes by computer store in Salt Lake City, Utah. [1] [83]
- February 24
- 29th Grammy Awards: "Higher Love", Graceland, Bruce Hornsby win. [1]
- February 26
- NASA launches GEOS-H. [1]
- The Tower Commission rebukes U.S. President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his National Security staff. [1] [83]
- February 27
- Donald Regan resigns as White House chief of staff. [1]
- March 2
- Apple Computer introduces the expandable Macintosh SE, and open architecture Macintosh II with color graphics. [4]
- American Motors Corporation is acquired by the Chrysler Corporation. [83]
- March 4
- U.S. President Ronald Reagan addresses the American people on the Iran-Contra Affair, acknowledging that his overtures to Iran had 'deteriorated' into an arms-for-hostages deal. [83]
- March 8
- 17th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$35,184,425. [1]
- FBI apprehends most wanted Claude L Dallas, Jr in California. [1]
- March 12
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average removes Owens-Illinois Glass and Inco from its index, replacing them with Coca-Cola and Boeing Company. [227] [228]
- Les Miserables opens at Broadway/Imperial theater in New York City for 4000+ performances. [1] [5]
- US Federal judge dismisses lawsuits sought by Oliver North. [1]
- March 13
- John Gotti is acquitted of racketeering. [1]
- March 15
- 13th People's Choice Awards: Bill Cosby. [1]
- March 17
- IBM releases PC-DOS version 3.3. [1]
- March 18
- Gerber survey find most popular names for newborns in USA: Jessica and Matthew. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 19
- Fred Currey acquires Greyhound Bus Company. [1]
- In Charlotte, North Carolina, televangelist Jim Bakker, head of PTL Ministries, resigns after admitting an affair with church secretary Jessica Hahn. [1] [83]
- March 20
- FDA approves sale of AZT (AIDS treatment). [1]
- NASA launches Palapa B2P. [1]
- Soviet filmmakers arrive in Hollywood for an entertainment summit. [1]
- March 23
- US offers military protection to Kuwaiti ships in the Persian Gulf. [1]
- March 24
- First Soul Train Music Awards: Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross win. [1]
- March 25
- US Supreme Court rules women/minorities may get jobs if less qualified. [1]
- March 26
- NASA launches Fltsatcom-6, it fails to reach orbit. [1]
- March 29
- 7th Golden Raspberry Awards: Howard the Duck wins. [1]
- March 30
- 59th Academy Awards: Platoon, Paul Newman and Marlee Matlin win. [1]
- April 2
- IBM announces its new Personal System/2 computers, with VGA 256-color graphics, Micro Channel Architecture, Operating System/2, and 1.44 MB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. [4]
- April 6
- 22nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Randy Travis and Hank Williams Jr. [1]
- April 7
- National Museum of Female Physicians opens in Washington, DC. [1]
- April 12
- Texaco files for bankruptcy. [1]
- April 16
- US Federal Communications Commission imposes a broader definition of indecency over airwaves. [1]
- April 17
- Richard Wilbur appointed as US poet laureate. [1]
- April 18
- US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Maralinga, Australia. [1]
- April 19
- The first TV appearance of The Simpsons on The Tracy Ullman Show. [83]
- April 20
- US deports Karl Linnas, charged with German war crimes, to USSR. [1]
- April 21
- Dow Jones Industrial Average soars 664.7; second biggest one-day gain in history. [1]
- April 23
- 28 construction workers killed in an apartment building collapse in Bridgeport, Connecticut. [1]
- April 27
- US Justice Department bars Austrian Chancellor Kurt Waldheim from entering US, due to his aid of Germany during WWII. [1] [37] [83]
- April 29
- American Can changes its company name to Primerica Corporation. [228]
- Japan's premier Nakasone visits the US. [1]
- May 5
- Disneyland debuts "Disney Dollars". Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty's Castle are on the $1 bill, Goofy and the Mark Twain Riverboat are on the $5 bill. [6]
- US Congress begins Iran-Contra hearings. [1]
- The Assemblies of God defrocks PTL's Jim Bakker. [83]
- May 8
- U.S. Senator Gary Hart drops out of the running for the Democratic presidential nomination, amid allegations of an extramarital affair with Donna Rice. [1] [83]
- May 11
- First heart-lung transplant takes place (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). [1] [83]
- May 14
- Colt revolver (Peacemaker) of 1873 sells for US$242,000. [1]
- May 16
- The Old San Francisco Mint museum opens to the public. [408.32]
- Bobro 400, a barge carrying 3,200 tons of garbage, sets sail from New York, beginning an unsuccesful eight-week search for a dumping site. [1]
- May 17
- USS Stark hit by Iraqi missiles, 37 sailors die. [1]
- May 20
- Tennessee court rules that WWF can not promote Harley Race as the King of Wrestling in Tennessee, upholding Jerry Lawler's claim. [1] [83]
- May 22
- 30 killed in a Texas tornado. [1]
- May 26
- US Supreme Court rules dangerous defendants could be held without bail. [1]
- William H Webster replaces Robert M Gates as 14th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1]
- May 28
- 60th US National Spelling Bee: Stephanie Petit wins spelling "staphylococci". [1]
- Monitor, Civil War warship, is discovered by a deep sea robot. [1]
- May 29
- Twilight Zone director John Landis found innocent in death of actor Vic Morrow. [1]
- May 30
- North American Philips Company unveils compact disc video. [1]
- June 10
- In Illinois, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurs. [53]
- June 12
- During a visit to Berlin, Germany, U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. [37] [83] [129]
- June 13
- Daniel Buettner, Bret Anderson, Martin Engel, and Anne Knabe complete cycling journey of 15,266 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Argentina. [1]
- June 16
- New York subway gunman Bernhard Goetz acquitted on all but gun possession. [1]
- June 19
- Geffen Records sign their first artist (Donna Summer). [1]
- The Supreme Court of the United States rules that a Louisiana law requiring that creation science be taught in public schools whenever evolution was taught is unconstitutional. [83]
- June 27
- US Supreme Court Justice Powell retires. [1]
- June 28
- An accidental explosion at Hohenfels Training Area in West Germany kills three U.S. troopers. [83]
- July 1
- U.S. President Ronald Reagan nominates former Solicitor General Robert Bork, a controversial conservative judge and legal scholar, to the U.S. Supreme Court (rejected by the Senate in October). [1] [83]
- July 7
- Kiwanis Clubs end men-only tradition, vote to admit women. [1]
- July 8
- Sun Microsystems introduces its first SPARC-based computer system, the Sun-4/260, with 10 MIPS performance. [4]
- July 14
- Greyhound Bus company buys Trailways Bus for US$80 million. [1]
- Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North concludes six days of US Congressional testimony. [1]
- Steve Miller's star is unveiled on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. [1]
- July 17
- Ten teens die in Guadalupe River flood (Comfort, Texas). [1]
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 2,500 mark for the first time, at 2,510.04. [83]
- July 18
- Molly Yard elected new president of US National Organization for Women. [1]
- July 22
- US begins escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in Persian Gulf. [1]
- July 29
- Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlour and Jerry Garcia agree on a new flavor: Cherry Garcia. [1]
- July 31
- Rockwell International awarded contract to build a 5th space shuttle. [1]
- August 4
- The US Federal Communications Commission votes 4-0 to rescind the Fairness Doctrine, which had required radio and television stations to "fairly" present controversial issues. [1] [83]
- August 8
- Lynne Cox becomes first to swim from US to Russia across Bering Strait. [1]
- August 10
- Flight Readiness Firing of Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines is successful. [1]
- August 11
- Economist Alan Greenspan takes office as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. [474.30] [518.70]
- August 16
- Northwest Airlines Flight 255 (a McDonnell Douglas MD-82) crashes on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, killing 155 people on-board. [1] [83]
- August 17
- Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 2,700 for first time (2,700.57). [1]
- August 19
- ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent Charles Glass escapes his Hizballah kidnappers in Beirut, Lebanon, after sixty-two days in captivity. [83]
- August 21
- Clayton Lonetree, first US Marine court-martialed for spying, convicted. [1]
- At the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, the 14th Annual Monterey Historic Automobile Races are held, over three days. About 50,000 people attend. Chevrolet holds its official 75th birthday party. Many historic Corvettes are on display and 34 participate in races, including the 1957 Corvette SS, 1960 Le Mans Corvette, CERV I, CERV II, 1959 Stingray, 1970 Manta Ray, 1977 Aerovette, two 1956 Corvette SR-2s, 1969 Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corvette, 1971 ZR-2 Corvette, 1963 Z06 Corvette, 1956 Sebring Corvette, 1962 Sebring coupe, and two 1963 Grand Sports (#003 and #004). Attending the event are Zora Arkus-Duntov, Ed Cole, Dave McLellan, Dick Thompson, Phil Hill, Jim Hall, Joe Pike, John Fitch, Augie Pabst, Roger Penske, Bill Mitchell, Hap Sharp, and Bob D'Olivio. [8]
- August 22
- Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda for the NES in North America. [83]
- August 31
- Michael Jackson's Bad music album is released, including songs "Bad", "Man in the Mirror", and "Smooth Criminal". The 18-minute music video Bad premieres on US TV. [384.21]
- September 2
- Donald Trump takes out a full page New York Times ad lambasting Japan. [1]
- September 7
- (to September 21) The world's first conference on artificial life is held at Los Alamos National Laboratory. [83]
- September 17
- At a small rally in Harlem, televangelist Marion Robertson announces his candidacy for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination. [83]
- October 1
- In Southern California, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurs. Eight people killed, many injured, about 2,200 homeless and more than 10,400 buildings damaged. Felt strongly in much of southern California. [1] [53]
- October 6
- Microsoft announces Microsoft Windows 2.0, and Microsoft Windows/386, priced at US$195. [4]
- Microsoft unveils the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software for Microsoft Windows 2.0, the first major application for Windows. [4]
- October 10
- The Reverend Jesse Jackson launches his second campaign for U.S. President. [83]
- October 11
- 200,000 march in second National March on Washington, D.C. for Lesbian and Gay Rights. [1] [83]
- October 13
- First military use of trained dolphins (US Navy in Persian Gulf). [1]
- October 14
- In Midland, Texas, 1.5-year-old Jessica McClure falls 22 feet (7m) down a well. [1] [83]
- October 16
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average for the first time falls more than 100 points. [5]
- October 19
- "Black Monday": stock markets around the world suffer an unexpected dramatic drop, with the American Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 22.6 percent (508 points), the largest one-day drop in recorded stock market history, and first financial crisis of the modern globalized era. [1] [8] [83] [190.96]
- US warships destroy two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf. [1] [83]
- October 20
- Ten die as US Air Force jet crashed into a Ramada Inn near Indianapolis, Indiana. [1]
- New York subway gunman Bernhard Goetz sentenced to six months in jail. [1]
- October 21
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rises 10.15 percent. [227]
- October 23
- On a vote of 58-42, the United States Senate rejects President Ronald Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court. [83] (October 24 [1])
- October 24
- NBC technicians accept pact, end 118 day strike. [1]
- November 5
- US Supreme Court nominee Douglas H Ginsburg admits using marijuana. [1]
- November 11
- Judge Anthony M Kennedy nominated to the US Supreme Court. [1]
- November 12
- Heavy snow closes schools from Washington DC to Maine. [1]
- November 15
- 28 of 82 aboard Continental Airlines DC-9 die in crash at Denver, Colorado, USA. [1]
- November 17
- In the Gulf of Alaska, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurs. [53] [83]
- November 18
- U.S. Senate and House panels release reports charging President Ronald Reagan with 'ultimate responsibility' for the Iran-Contra affair. [83]
- November 24
- In Southern California, magnitude 6.5 and 6.7 earthquakes occur, about 12 hours apart. Felt throughout much of southern California from San Diego and Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada and Tempe, Arizona. Also felt at Tijuana and Ensenada, Mexico. [53]
- November 30
- In the Gulf of Alaska, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurs. [53]
- December 1
- NASA announces the names of four companies who were awarded contracts to help build Space Station Freedom: Boeing Aerospace, General Electric's Astro-Space Division, McDonnell Douglas, and the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell. [83]
- December 2
- Jennifer Steele, age 17, of Colorado becomes Miss Teen America. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- December 4
- IBM ships first copies of OS/2 Standard Edition 1.0. [4]
- December 6
- Three satanist Missouri teenagers bludgeon comrade to death for "fun". [1]
- December 7
- Pacific Southwest Airline Flight 1771 crashes near Paso Robles, California, killing all 43 on board, after a disgruntled passenger shoots his ex-supervisor on the flight, then shoots both pilots and himself. [1] [83]
- Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in the USA for a summit meeting. [1]
- December 8
- US President President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles. [1] [83]
- December 9
- Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows 2.01. It features overlapping windows, and can use protected mode on the 80286 processor. [4]
- December 14
- Chrysler pleads no contest to selling driven vehicles as new. [1]
- December 18
- Larry Wall releases the first version of the Perl programming language. [5] [83]
- Ivan F Boesky sentenced to three years for insider trading. [1]
- December 23
- Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for attempted assassination of US President Gerald R Ford escapes from Alderson Prison. (She is recaptured two days later.) [1]
- December 24
- In the USA, the Illinois State Lottery draw for US$39.5 million is split between four winners. [40.28]
- December 28
- In Arkansas, USA, R Gene Simmons kills two, later bodies of 14 of his relatives are found at his home near Dover. [1]
- December 29
- Prozac anti-depressant drug makes its debut in the United States. [83]
|
