1984

Ronald Reagen was reelected President of the United States by a landslide. ha.

On July 20th, 1984, a man in San Ysidro, CA, shot 36 people in a McDonald's, killing 20 of them. Maybe he didn't like his happy meal prize?

The summer Olympic games were held in Los Angeles in 1984. LA was the only city to bid on hosting the Olympics that year. President Reagen officially opened the games. The Olympic torch was carried on foot across the US, from New York to California by a shit-ton of people, most notably, O.J. Simpson. The '84 games set records for most in attendance, 5.8 million people, and most medals award to a single country, 83 for the US. The USSR boycotted the Summer Games in retaliation of the US boycott in 1980.

Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust in Chicago went under, with total assets of $40 billion. Until WaMu dropped trou and shit all over everybody in 2008, this was the biggest bank fail in US history.

Hulk Hogan wins the World Wrestling Federation Championship from the Iron Sheik, in New York's Madison Square Garden. Hulkamania is born.

In Manhattan, Bernhard Goetz, the Subway Vigilante, shot 4 black youths. Goetz fired an unlicensed revolver 5 times at 4 young men who he perceived as having intent to mug him. He seriously wounded three of the men, and left the 4th a paraplegic. Goetz surrendered to the police several days later, and was charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and several gun crimes. A jury of his peers found him not guilty of all charges except illegal firearm possession.

The country of Brunei gains it's independence from Great Britain.

The AIDS virus was first identified in 1984. this isn't very funny.

The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale. 4 months later, Apple Computer unveils its Apple IIc portable computer, beginning Apple's trend of making their own products obsolete with new products immediately after their release. This trend still continues to this day.

Sony and Phillips introduce the first commercial Compact Disc players.

Miss America, Vanessa Williams, surrenders her crown after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse Magazine. Sweet titties.

Margaret Thatcher's Brighton hotel bathroom is torn apart by an IRA bomb two minutes after she left it. Sure, Margaret. Sure.

500 people are killed in a fire and series of explosions at PEMEX petroleum storage facility in Mexico City. Why were there 500 people in a storage facility? They were mexican. maybe they lived there.

The very first MTV VMA's were held, and they still suck today.

Virgin Atlantic is born and Richard Branson became a household name.

a few movies released in 1984:
Ghostbusters
The Terminator
Karate Kid
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Gremlins
Bachelor Party
Children of the Corn
Dune
Johnny Dangerously
Footloose
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Revenge of the Nerds
Purple Rain
Star Trek III:the Search for Spock