1980s: Conservatism, Cold War and Computers | HISTORY 1980s During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture. Featured Overview What Was the Iran-Contra Affair? Learn about the Iran-Contra Affair under President Reagan who secretly supported an anti-Communist group in Nicaragua and funneled weapons to Iranian terrorists in exchange for American hostages. Discover how Lt. Col. Oliver North was found guilty. 4:45m watch Illustration by Eduardo Ramón Trejo. Photos from Getty Images. Featured Overview What Was the Iran-Contra Affair? Learn about the Iran-Contra Affair under President Reagan who secretly supported an anti-Communist group in Nicaragua and funneled weapons to Iranian terrorists in exchange for American hostages. Discover how Lt. Col. Oliver North was found guilty. 4:45m watch Start Here 5 Pop Culture Trends That Helped Shape the 1980s Power dressing. ’Eatertainment.’ Fad toys that sparked near-riots. Which trends did you participate in? How AIDS Remained an Unspoken—But Deadly—Epidemic for Years Health officials first became aware of AIDS in the summer of 1981, but U.S. leaders remained largely silent for four years. Chernobyl Timeline: How a Nuclear Accident Escalated to a Historic Disaster Critical missteps and a poor reactor design resulted in history’s worst nuclear accident. Why Ronald Reagan Had a Record Eight Shutdowns The president and Congress clashed over welfare, crime, defense spending and whether to fund Contras in Nicaragua. Challenger Disaster How the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Unfolded Seventy three seconds after take off the Space Shuttle Challenger encounters unexpected disaster. Find out more in this clip from Season 1, "Challenger Disaster." 6:57m watch 3 Major Events of the 1980s MTV Launches (1981) On August 1, 1981, MTV: Music Television went on the air for the first time, with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The channel went on to revolutionize the music industry and become an influential source of pop culture and entertainment in the U.S. Challenger Disaster (1986) The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven crewmembers, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who would have been the first civilian in space. The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) In an event that symbolized the collapse of communist regimes in Europe, revelers began tearing down the wall that separated East Berlin and West Berlin on November 9, 1989. For the first time since 1945, Germany was unified. Explore All Related Topics AllArticlesVideos 1980s 1980s EventsAIDS CrisisChallenger Explosion1980s Politics Remembering Hands Across America Take a look back at Hands Across America, the charity event in which 5 million people formed a human chain across the United States. The 1980s The 1980s were a decade of political conservatism, such as President Ronald Reagan’s Reaganomics, and of blockbuster movies, pop culture and fashion on MTV. Chernobyl Timeline: How a Nuclear Accident Escalated to a Historic Disaster Critical missteps and a poor reactor design resulted in history’s worst nuclear accident. What Sparked the Satanic Panic of the 1980s? Fear of satanic cults and secret rituals swept the nation across music, media and even day care centers. Advertisement 1980sHow the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Unfolded Seventy three seconds after take off the Space Shuttle Challenger encounters unexpected disaster. Find out more in this clip from Season 1, "Challenger Disaster." 6:57m watch Challenger Explosion The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, claiming the lives of all seven astronauts aboard. When Dungeons & Dragons Cast Its Spell on 1980s America As D&D enchanted imaginative youth, it also became a battleground for parents and pundits who feared its influence. Chernobyl Chernobyl is a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that was the site of the worst nuclear accident in history when a routine test went horribly wrong on April 26, 1986. Advertisement Advertisement The Central Park Five In 1989, five New York teenagers were falsely accused of rape. How Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor Helped Shatter the Silence Around AIDS Hudson’s illness galvanized efforts to confront the AIDS crisis Hollywood had been ignoring. Roy Cohn: From ‘Red Scare’ Prosecutor to Donald Trump’s Mentor The chief architect of McCarthyism prosecuted the Rosenbergs, purged suspected communists and LGBT government workers and was portrayed in 'Angels in America.' AIDS Crisis Timeline HIV and the syndrome it causes, AIDS, was first identified in the United States in 1981. Advertisement How Willie Nelson Helped Build Farm Aid In the mid-1980s American farmers faced a dire future. Willie Nelson and other artists decided to help using what they knew best—music. When 20,000 Asian Americans Demanded Garment Workers’ Rights—And Won The 1982 strike led by immigrant women earned better workplace conditions and benefits for New York City’s garment workers. What Countries Were Part of the Soviet Union? At its height, the USSR comprised of more than a dozen republics stretching across Europe and Asia. After the collapse, each forged a different path. Basquiat and Warhol: Inside Their Unlikely Artistic Collaborations The young New York graffiti artist and Pop Art icon produced more than 150 works together. Critics in the '80s panned them. Now, some sell for millions. Load more Advertisement