THE 1980S!

Ronald Reagan elected president

(November 4, 1980)

California's former governor Ronald Reagan won

the election with a huge number of votes. Reagan
had 44 states on his side and got 489 votes to win
the election. Reagan won 50.7% of the popular
votes.
In the 1984 the economy got much better then
what it used to be. While he was in office, the
Soviet Union went from being a superpower bent on
global domination to a third rate power. Most gave
credit to Reagan for the changes that happened.
Reagan met with the Electoral College on
December 15, 1980. Reagan was right behind
Carter in the polls. On October 26 Carter was at
47% and Ronald Reagan at 39%. Reagans votes sky
rocketed and in a week the Associated Press
reported that the race was very close but not close
enough.

First Woman Appointed to the U.S.

Supreme
Court -1981
On July 7, 1981, President Ronald

Reagan nominated Sandra Day

O'Connor to be the first woman on the
U.S. Supreme Court.
On September 21, the Senate said
O'Connor's votes were 99 for and with
non against her.
September 25, 1981, O'Connor was
officially sworn in
For over two decades she served .
On January 31, 2006, Samuel Alito was
sworn in to take O'Connor's seat on the
U.S. Supreme Court.

HISTORICAL
EVENTS

Discovery of the Titanic

The Titanic sunk on April 15, 1912 in the Atlantic
Shipwreck
Ocean

It was there for over 70 years before its wreckage was

discovered
On September 1, 1985, an expedition made by the
Americans and the French found the Titanic over 2
miles below the oceans surface by using a Argo which
is a unmanned submersible.
Only three days after leaving the Titanic struck
because an iceberg cut a hole on the sides on April 14,
1912. It took the ship over two and a half hours to sink
but many died because their wasnt many lifeboats to
hold them. The lifeboats could have held over 1,100
people but only 705 people were saved, 1,500 died
that night.
People around the world were shocked when they
heard that the unsinkable Titanic had sunk. They
wanted to know what happened. Yet, no one was sure
exactly where the Titanic had sunk.

Immigration

In the 1980s immigration policies were changed when the

government granted amnesty to illegal aliens because people
were still going to cross the boarder anyways.
In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was
passed
for the first time people of other racial backgrounds could find
jobs and be hired
IRCA had to give amnesty to about 1,000,000 workers in the
country illegally
amnesty for about 3,000,000 immigrants already in the United
States was granted
(fact) Legal Mexican immigrant family numbers were
2,198,000 in 1980, 4,289,000 in 1990 and 7,841,000 in 2000.
Adding in another 12,000,000 illegal immigrants of which
about 80% are thought to be Mexicans would bring the
Mexican family total to over 16,000,000about 16% of the
Mexican population

Reagan Announces Defense Plan

Called
Wars
On MarchStar
23, 1983,
President Ronald Reagan proposed

the development of the technology to intercept enemy

nuclear missiles. It was called the S.D.I. was dubbed Star
Wars by its critics
The technology President Reagan purposed was
unrealistic to many
The Times said White House officials said the new
program might involve lasers, microwave devices,
particle beams and projectile beams. These devices, most
of which are in a very early stage of development, in
theory could be directed from satellites, airplanes or landbased installations to shoot down missiles in the air.
President Reagans did not clear his speech with the
pentagon. Critics wondered if the government would
really make such technology. It was called Star Wars,
because it sounded like something out of a science fiction
movie, also because the announcement came just weeks
after President Reagans Evil Empire speech
The S.D.I. program was reorganized in the 1990s to focus
on ballistic missile defense
Many Americans believed it could be built, at least the
optimistic ones did

John Lennon Assassinated

(December 8, 1980)

Right after Reagans election a fan named Mark David

Chapman shot and killed John Lennon outside his New
York home. He was dead by time the police got to the
scene
Lennons death spelled the end of the period culturally
The former Beatles wife, Yoko Ono, has continued to
release his material which serves to both satisfy the
desire for more John, but also remind fans what was
lost.
The first media report of Lennon's death to a US
national audience was announced by Howard Cosell,
on ABC's Monday Night Football.
People gathered at the Roosevelt hospital to morn his
death