Information for the Year 1984

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  • Syria frees captured US Navy pilot, Lieut. Robert C. Goodman, Jr. (Jan. 3).
  • US and Vatican exchange diplomats after 116-year hiatus (Jan. 10).
  • Reagan orders US Marines withdrawn from Beirut international peacekeeping force (Feb. 7).
  • Yuri V. Andropov dies at 69; Konstantin U. Chernenko, 72, named Soviet leader (Feb. 9).
  • Italy and Vatican agree to end Roman Catholicism as state religion (Feb. 18).
  • Soviet Union withdraws from summer Olympic games in US, and other bloc nations follow (May 7 et seq.).
  • José Napoleón Duarte, moderate, elected president of El Salvador (May 11).
  • Population:   4.769 billion
  • Nobel Peace Prize:  Bishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa)
  • Bell System broken up (Jan. 1).
  • Congress rebukes President Reagan on use of federal funds for mining Nicaraguan harbors (April 10).
  • Thirty-ninth Democratic National Convention, nominates Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine A. Ferraro (July 16–19).
  • Thirty-third Republican National Convention renominates President Reagan and Vice President Bush (Aug. 20-25).
  • President Reagan re-elected in landslide with 59% of vote (Nov. 7).
  • President:  Ronald W. Reagan
  • Vice President:  George Bush
  • Population:  235,824,902
  • Life expectancy:  74.7 years
  • US GDP (1998 dollars):   $3,902.40 billion
  • Federal spending:   $851.85 billion
  • Federal debt:   $1564.7 billion
  • Median Household Income(current dollars): $22,415
  • Consumer Price Index:   103.9
  • Unemployment:   7.5%
  • Cost of a first-class stamp:  $0.20
  • Super Bowl  Los Angeles Raiders defeated Washington Redskins (SCORE 38-9)
  • World Series of Baseball  Detroit defeated San Diego
  • National Basketball Association Championship  Boston defeated LA Lakers
  • National Hockey League Stanley Cup  Edmonton Oilers defeated New York Islanders
  • Women Wimbledon Tennis  Martina Navratilova defeated Chrissy Evert Lloyd (7-6 6-2)
  • Men Wimbledon Tennis   John McEnroe defeated Jimmy Connors (6-1 6-1 6-2)
  • Kentucky Derby Horse Race Champion   Swale
  • National College Athletic Association Basketball Championship  Georgetown defeated Houston (SCORE 84-75)
  • National College Athletic Association Football Champions  BYU (RECORD 13-0-0)
  • 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, California, United States
  • 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
  • The Cosby Show debuts on NBC. The sitcom is widely considered the most popular show of the 1980s.
  • The Supreme Court rules that taping television shows at home on VCRs does not violate copyright law.
  • Led by Bob Geldof, the band Band Aid releases "Do They Know It's Christmas," with proceeds of the single going to feed the starving in Africa.
  • Academy Award, Best Picture:  Terms of Endearment
  • Grammy Award - Record of the Year  Beat It By Michael Jackson
  • Emmy Award - Best Television Comedy  Cheers - NBC
  • Miss America:   Vanessa Williams (New York) gave up her crown to runner up Suzette Charles (New Jersey)
  • Joe W. Kittinger makes the first solo transatlantic balloon flight in the helium-filled Rosie O'Grady's Balloon of Peace. He travels 3,535 miles from Caribou, Maine to Savona, Italy.
  • Apple introduces the user-friendly Macintosh personal computer.

 

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