1984 (place)

• A bomb ripped through the Grand Hotel in Brighton, killing several British MP's.
• Ronald Reagan got four more years in the 1984 U.S. presidential election, despite a passionate effort by Democratic contenders Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.
• Konstantin Chernenko became leader of the Soviet Union.
• The United Kingdom agreed to return Hong Kong to China in 1997.
• Brian Mulroney became prime minister of Canada.
• Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso.
• Brunei gained its independence.
• The United States Marine Corps received orders to withdraw from Lebanon.

• AIDS was discovered.
• The Apple Macintosh introduced millions of computer users to the concepts of the mouse and the graphical user interface. IBM attempted to counter with the PC AT.
• Motorola began selling the first commercial cellular phones.
• The B-1B Lancer supersonic bomber flew for the first time.

• The Communist bloc boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
• Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
• William Gibson's first novel, Neuromancer, hit the shelves.
• Cyndi Lauper released "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and Madonna released "Like A Virgin."
• The Los Angeles Raiders thrashed the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl.
• Miami Vice and The Cosby Show took to the airwaves. They were much better than, say, Punky Brewster.

• North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (maybe)
• Prince Harry of Wales
• Pop tarts Mandy Moore, Kelly Osbourne, and Avril Lavigne
• Actor Adam Wylie
• Basketball phenom LeBron James

• Soviet leader Yuri Andropov
• Indian leader Indira Gandhi
• Comedian Andy Kaufman
• Philosopher Michel Foucault
• Actors Jackie Coogan, Ethel Merman, William Powell, Sam Jaffe, James Mason, Richard Burton, Peter Lawford, Michael Redgrave, and Johnny Weissmuller
• Politician Sir Anthony Berry
• Singer Marvin Gaye
• Author Truman Capote
• Rock star Jackie Wilson
• Photographer Ansel Adams
• Baseball player Waite Hoyt
• Jazz legend Count Basie
• Cartoonist Bob Clampett
• Serial killer Ed Gein
• Director Sam Peckinpah

• Thousands were killed during a gas leak at a Union Carbide plant in India.
• Mad props to kthejoker for contributing to this writeup.

1983 << 1984 >> 1985