{"id":292626,"date":"2024-03-02T04:29:10","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T09:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/revisiting-24-iconic-news-events-from-the-80s-and-90s"},"modified":"2024-03-02T04:29:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T09:29:31","slug":"revisiting-24-iconic-news-events-from-the-80s-and-90s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/revisiting-24-iconic-news-events-from-the-80s-and-90s","title":{"rendered":"Revisiting 24 Iconic Information Occasions from the 80s and 90s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div readability=\"243.518727862\">\n<p>In terms of mind-boggling, era-defining news stories, the 2020s have been tough to contend with. However, are we suffering from recency bias? Were past eras, including the 1980s and 1990s, more chaotic than we recall? Let&#8217;s take a trip back to these two decades and review some of the most headline-dominating events Americans couldn&#8217;t stop talking about.<\/p>\n<h2>1. The Lewinsky Affair Brings Tabloid News to the White House (Late 1990s)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1023154\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1023154\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1023154 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 2\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/F896CA8D-A502-4D1B-839F-54C153BDDA90-scaled-e1697684942871.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1023154\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/F896CA8D-A502-4D1B-839F-54C153BDDA90-scaled-e1697684942871.jpeg\" alt=\"Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 2\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1023154\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Clinton White House \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Monica Lewinsky scandal had everything that scandal-loving headline hawks love: A president, a 21-year-old intern, allegations of infidelity, a high-profile First Lady thrust into the spotlight (not for the first time), allegations of perjury,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/1990s\/monica-lewinsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">taped admissions of the tryst<\/a>, and the famed \u201cblue dress.\u201d A party-loving president&#8217;s raucous (and, some might say, reckless) ways finally caught up to him in scandalous fashion.<\/p>\n<h2>2. The Challenger Disaster Shocks a Nation (January 28, 1986)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1153946\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1153946\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153946 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The Challenger Explosion \" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2617-scaled-e1700175569189.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153946\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2617-scaled-e1700175569189.jpeg\" alt=\"The Challenger Explosion \" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 3\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1153946\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Kennedy Space Center \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger was a collective national tragedy aired live on broadcast television.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/1980s\/challenger-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Defective seals on the shuttle caused the explosion<\/a>, and NASA temporarily halted its missions as the American public tried to make sense of the fatal accident.<\/p>\n<h2>3. The Mariel Boatlift Catches U.S. Off-Guard (April-October, 1980)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1153984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1153984\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153984 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The Mariel Boatlift\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 4\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2618-e1700175891673.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153984\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2618-e1700175891673.jpeg\" alt=\"The Mariel Boatlift\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 4\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1153984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Florida Keys\u2013Public Libraries from Key West, Fla., USA \u2013 CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We are content to ignore our neighbors until their business comes knocking on our door. That was the case with the Mariel boatlift, when Americans could not ignore the extent of suffering, chaos, and Machiavellian policy that gripped its Caribbean neighbor, Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>For a brief period, dictator Fidel Castro opened the Mariel port west of Havana,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Mariel-boatlift\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">allowing approximately 125,000 refugees to escape to the United States<\/a>. Some portion of those who arrived on America&#8217;s southern shores had been imprisoned or in asylums in Cuba, making the Mariel boatlift a highly controversial purge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>4. The AIDS Epidemic (1980s)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1017984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1017984\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1017984 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"HIV test tube\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 5\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/HIVAIDS-e1700176053894.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1017984\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/HIVAIDS-e1700176053894.jpg\" alt=\"HIV test tube\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 5\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1017984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The roots of the AIDS epidemic lie in 1981, but the crisis would be front-page news throughout much of the decade. This has proven to be one of the most unmitigated public health failures in American history. One former cancer drug promoted by authorities to treat AIDS, azidothymidine (AZT),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/7744255\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">showed the potential for life-threatening toxicity<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The public felt justifiably outraged at the lack of answers regarding the illness, including who was most likely to get it and what treatments were available for those who did.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Columbine (April 20, 1999)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1153991\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1153991\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153991 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The Columbine High School Memorial at Clement Park in Littleton, Colorado\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2619-scaled-e1700176222872.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153991\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2619-scaled-e1700176222872.jpeg\" alt=\"The Columbine High School Memorial at Clement Park in Littleton, Colorado\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 6\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1153991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Seraphimblade \u2013 CC BY-SA 4.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While most would not use the word \u201clegendary\u201d to speak of this high-profile event that would spark a disturbing trend, Columbine was undoubtedly infamous.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/1990s\/columbine-high-school-shootings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">13 victims at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, lost their lives<\/a>\u00a0at the hands of two armed, deranged teenagers. The event revealed that the kids were not alright and sparked a wave of copycat events that continue today.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Failed Extraction of Hostages in Iran Prolongs a Crisis (April 24, 1980)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1153997\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1153997\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1153997\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 7\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Man holding sign during Iranian hostage crisis protest\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620.jpeg\" alt=\"Man holding sign during Iranian hostage crisis protest\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2620-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1153997\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Marion S. Trikosko \u2013 United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Iran hostage crisis was the great shame of the Carter administration. After failing to negotiate the release of 52 American hostages held by rogue students in Tehran, the administration approved a military extraction mission. The mission failed when three of eight deployed helicopters failed. The mission was scuttled, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/hostage-rescue-mission-ends-in-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the hostage crisis would continue for 270 days longer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>7. U.S. Forces Forcefully Remove Manuel Noriega from Power (January 4, 1990)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154003\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154003\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 8\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Gen. Manuel Noriega is escorted onto a U.S. Air Force MC-130E Combat Talon I by agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The former Panamanian leader will be flown to the United States, where he will be held for trial on drug charges\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622.jpeg\" alt=\"Gen. Manuel Noriega is escorted onto a U.S. Air Force MC-130E Combat Talon I by agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The former Panamanian leader will be flown to the United States, where he will be held for trial on drug charges\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2622-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: United States Air Force \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When it became clear that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-panama-noriega-obituary-idUSKBN18Q0NW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">former CIA spy turned Panamanian dictator<\/a> Manuel Noriega had outlived his usefulness, he did not leave his post quietly. It took a land, sea, and air campaign by thousands of American forces to arrest and deport the former general.\u00a0Panama City became a war zone\u00a0as many Americans watched aghast at the shocking invasion of the territorially valuable South American nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>8. Chernobyl Melts Down (April 25-26, 1986)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154018\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154018\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154018 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Chernobyl 4th reactor core after the explosion\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 9\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2623-e1700178021634.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154018\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2623-e1700178021634.jpeg\" alt=\"Chernobyl 4th reactor core after the explosion\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 9\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154018\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Joker345 \u2013 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An event masterfully dramatized in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/best-hbo-shows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HBO&#8217;s epic<\/a>\u00a0<em>Chernobyl<\/em>,\u00a0the real-world nuclear disaster was truly of epic proportions. A miscalculation by the massive power plant&#8217;s operators\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Chernobyl-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">triggered a chain reaction explosion<\/a>. Chernobyl remains the most catastrophic nuclear disaster to date and has much of the general public believing that nuclear power is less safe than other energy-producing alternatives.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Ozzy Bites the Bat (January 20, 1982)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154022\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154022\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154022\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 10\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Ozzy Osbourne during the Diary of a Madman Tour (1982)\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625.jpeg\" alt=\"Ozzy Osbourne during the Diary of a Madman Tour (1982)\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2625-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154022\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Ted Van Pelt \u2013 CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ozzy Osbourne has always been known for his rebellious ways, and nothing screams \u201crebel\u201d like biting the head off a live bat. During his lengthy tour, Osbourne created a tradition of tossing chunks of raw meat into the crowd in exchange for whatever the crowd chose to throw back.<\/p>\n<p>On January 20th in Des Moines, Iowa, one fan threw back a bat. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/ozzy-osbourne-bites-head-off-bat-anniversary-1287867\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ozzy claims to have thought it was a rubber bat<\/a>, but it was, in fact, a live bat. Osbourne went to the hospital, took a regimen of rabies shots, and lived on in infamy as the bat-biting rocker.<\/p>\n<h2>10. O.J. Simpson Acquitted (October 3, 1995)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154031\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154031\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154031\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 11\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627.jpeg.webp 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='721'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20721'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The O.J. Simpson Trial\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627.jpeg\" alt=\"The O.J. Simpson Trial\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2627-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Skyhorse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Arguably the most headline-worthy crime saga in American history,\u00a0the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/o-j-simpson-acquitted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">O.J. Simpson trial<\/a> came to a shocking close on October 3, 1995. To this day, the \u201cnot guilty\u201d verdict is not enough to convince most Americans of O.J.&#8217;s innocence, though plenty of alternate theories about the crime exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>11. 1980 Olympic Boycott (1980)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1022899\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1022899\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1022899 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Olympic Rings\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 12\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/shutterstock_1304334244-scaled-e1695050246145.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1022899\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/shutterstock_1304334244-scaled-e1695050246145.jpg\" alt=\"Olympic Rings\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 12\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1022899\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jimmy Carter&#8217;s tenure as president was marked by chaos, and the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow is just one example of the constant unease. The United States and 65 other nations declined to participate,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/olympic-boycotts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">citing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan<\/a> in December 1979. Unlike athletes in some other boycotting nations, American competitors were told they would lose their passports if they chose to compete as individuals.<\/p>\n<h2>12. Charges Finally Stick to the Teflon Don (June 23, 1992)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154059\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154059\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154059\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 13\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630.jpeg.webp 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='721'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20721'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"John Gotti\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630.jpeg\" alt=\"John Gotti\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2630-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154059\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: By FBI New York \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After successfully eluding criminal sanctions for years, flashy Mafia boss John Gotti was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/john-gotti-long-prison-did-091350166.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">convicted of several serious criminal offenses<\/a> and sentenced to life in prison. The head of the Gambino crime family had become a media sensation due to his braggadocio, luxurious lifestyle, and Machiavellian rise to power. The high life came crashing down on June 23, 1992, when the feds finally got their man.<\/p>\n<h2>13. &#8217;92 LA Riots (April 29-May 4, 1992)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154070\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154070\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154070\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 14\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"LA Riots Aftermath\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632.jpeg\" alt=\"LA Riots Aftermath\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2632-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Mick Taylor \u2013 CC BY-SA 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers on charges related to the police chase and assault of Rodney King, LA melted down. Droves of rioters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/1990s\/the-los-angeles-riots#the-rodney-king-beating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">took to the streets<\/a>, beating up civilians, looting stores, and channeling their anger in the least productive ways imaginable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The riots eventually ended after thousands of National Guardsmen retook the streets of\u00a0South Central <a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/best-la-not-hollywood-movies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles<\/a>, but not before mass property destruction, injuries, and fatalities occurred.<\/p>\n<h2>14. ABSCAM Exposes Political Corruption (February 20, 1980)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154076\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154076\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 15\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"ABSCAM\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634.jpeg\" alt=\"ABSCAM\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2634-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: FBI \u2013 Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The FBI investigation known as \u201cABSCAM\u201d was one of the first televised sting operations. The American public learned that their elected officials were not above taking a hefty bribe, even when\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/history\/famous-cases\/abscam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the bribe came from federal agents<\/a> posing as Middle Eastern sheiks. Money and politics have always gone hand in hand. ABSCAM left no doubt that the American voters&#8217; interests often come second to the almighty dollar.<\/p>\n<h2>15. Reagan Survives the Hit (March 30, 1981)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1221311\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1221311\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1221311 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"President Ronald Reagan moments before he was shot in an assassination attempt 1981\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 16\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-50x28.jpg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-150x84.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1221311\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981.jpg\" alt=\"President Ronald Reagan moments before he was shot in an assassination attempt 1981\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 16\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-50x28.jpg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/President-Ronald-Reagan-moments-before-he-was-shot-in-an-assassination-attempt-1981-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1221311\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Author Michael Evans, Public Domain via WikiCommons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By the time John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to take down President Ronald Reagan in the early months of 1981, political assassination had seemingly become an American norm. Fortunately, Reagan survived the hit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/story\/mr-gorbachev-tear-down-this-wall-reagans-berlin-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">proceeded to help end the Cold War<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One story that did not make many headlines is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.grunge.com\/1100365\/the-bizarre-connection-between-john-hinckley-jr-and-the-bush-family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Hinckley&#8217;s family connection to the Bush family<\/a>. This was notable because George H.W. Bush was Reagan&#8217;s vice president, fueling theories that there may have been more to the hit than a tried and true \u201cunhinged madman\u201d narrative.<\/p>\n<h2>16. NAFTA Ships American Manufacturing Abroad (December 8, 1993)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154085\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154085\" style=\"width: 1279px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154085\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 17\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636.jpeg.webp 1279w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1279px) 100vw, 1279px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1279'%20height='719'%20viewBox='0%200%201279%20719'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"President Clinton and Former President George H.W. Bush together at NAFTA Kickoff\" width=\"1279\" height=\"719\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636.jpeg 1279w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1279px) 100vw, 1279px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636.jpeg\" alt=\"President Clinton and Former President George H.W. Bush together at NAFTA Kickoff\" width=\"1279\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636.jpeg 1279w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2636-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1279px) 100vw, 1279px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154085\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Ralph Alswang, Clinton Digital Library, Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has forever reshaped American industry. Many\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5468175\/nafta-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">blame NAFTA<\/a> for fueling the export of American manufacturing\u00a0to nations where labor is far cheaper.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Though Americans were promised cheaper goods, critics have asked: At what cost?\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>17. Exxon Valdez Disaster (March 24, 1989)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154086\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154086\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154086 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Exxon Valdez Disaster Oil Spill\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 18\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2637-e1700186961945.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154086\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2637-e1700186961945.jpeg\" alt=\"Exxon Valdez Disaster Oil Spill\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 18\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154086\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Exxon Shipping&#8217;s oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, struck Bligh Reef in Alaska&#8217;s Prince William Sound. The ship&#8217;s hole suffered catastrophic damages, and approximately 11 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil spilled into the water. To the dismay of onlookers, a massive, unconfined oil slick\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/1980s\/exxon-valdez-oil-spill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">covered about 1,300 miles of once-pristine coastline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>18. TWA Flight 800 Explodes (July 17, 1996)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154087\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154087\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154087\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 19\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"TWA flight 800 reconstruction by the National Transportation Safety Board was used as a training aid for about 20 years until 2021 at the NTSB\u2019s Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638.jpeg\" alt=\"TWA flight 800 reconstruction by the National Transportation Safety Board was used as a training aid for about 20 years until 2021 at the NTSB\u2019s Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2638-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154087\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: NTSBgov \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a catastrophe eerily reminiscent of the Challenger explosion, TWA Flight 800 exploded only minutes after departing from New York&#8217;s Kennedy Airport.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/twa-flight-800-crash-investigation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Initially considered a possible extremist attack<\/a>, experts later attributed the aircraft&#8217;s combustion to a mechanical failure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The tragic loss of 230 passengers rightfully earned the attention and hearts of Americans for quite some time.<\/p>\n<h2>19. The Computer Wins Time&#8217;s Man of the Year (December 26, 1982)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154090\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154090\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154090\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 20\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Announcement of Cromemco C-10 personal computer in 1982\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641.jpeg\" alt=\"Announcement of Cromemco C-10 personal computer in 1982\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2641-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154090\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Cromemco \u2013 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We can fondly recall\u00a0the personal computer winning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2012\/12\/dec-26-1982-times-top-man-the-personal-computer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Time Magazine&#8217;s 1982 Man of the Year award<\/a>\u00a0and say, \u201cHow quaint.\u201d Pretty soon, artificial intelligence might be awarding itself the AI Magazine Machine of the Year award, so perhaps we should have heeded\u00a0Time&#8217;s 1982 proclamation as the warning that it was.<\/p>\n<h2>20. The Soviet Union Topples (December 31, 1991)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154093\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154093\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154093\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 21\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"flag of Soviet Union painted on cracked wall\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642.jpeg\" alt=\"flag of Soviet Union painted on cracked wall\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2642-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154093\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: danielo\/Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After years of planned economics, saber-rattling towards the West (and vice versa), and last-ditch attempts to hold the Union together with strongmen, the Soviet Union finally fell on December 31, 1991.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/the-collapse-of-the-Soviet-Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Fifteen independent nations emerged<\/a>, and\u00a0the ensuring pillage of the former Soviet Union&#8217;s remaining assets has become the stuff of legend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If we are to believe the headlines, the Russian empire has since picked itself up and become a formidable force once again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>21. South Africa Repeals Apartheid (June 17, 1991)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154100\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154100\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154100\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 22\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2643-scaled-e1700192782683.jpeg.webp\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The 1928-1994 flag of South Africa\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2643-scaled-e1700192782683.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2643-scaled-e1700192782683.jpeg\" alt=\"The 1928-1994 flag of South Africa\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154100\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Fry1989 \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Legalized racial segregation came to a formal end in South Africa in the early 90s.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/apartheid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Thanks to a series of legislative moves<\/a>\u00a0that eroded the legal basis for differing rights among different ethnic groups, apartheid would be no more in the nation of South Africa. This would pave the way for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/africa\/nelson-mandela\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>22. Oklahoma City Attack (April 19, 1995)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154103\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154103\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154103 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Oklahoma City Attack\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 23\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2644-scaled-e1700193011216.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154103\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2644-scaled-e1700193011216.jpeg\" alt=\"Oklahoma City Attack\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 23\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: usacetulsa \u2013 https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usacetulsa\/17071631109\/, CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The attack on Oklahoma City&#8217;s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building remains one of the most tragic, unexpected events in modern American history.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Oklahoma-City-bombing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">168 victims lost their lives<\/a>, and Americans were introduced to the sort of collective trauma that would become all too familiar in the coming decades.<\/p>\n<p>To this day, unanswered\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2015\/apr\/13\/oklahoma-city-bombing-20-years-later-key-questions-remain-unanswered\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">questions about the details and logistics of the attack remain<\/a>, but we are still waiting to receive answers.<\/p>\n<h2>23. Voyager I Reaches Saturn (November 12, 1980)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1154104\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1154104\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1154104\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 24\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646.jpeg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-300x169.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-1024x576.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-768x432.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-50x28.jpeg.webp 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-180x100.jpeg.webp 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-150x84.jpeg.webp 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Voyager I and image from Saturn\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-150x84.jpeg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646.jpeg\" alt=\"Voyager I and image from Saturn\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-50x28.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-180x100.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_2646-150x84.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/noscript>\n<\/picture><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1154104\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: NASA \u2013 Public Domain\/NASA\/JPL \u2013 Hedman, Matthew M \u2013 Public Domain\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;re inclined to believe in space, NASA&#8217;s Voyager I&#8217;s trip by Saturn on November 12, 1980, is probably a big deal to you. Americans in 1980 were in awe of the progress of space travel, conceiving their dreams of perhaps owning a star-front villa of their own on Saturn&#8217;s outermost ring.<\/p>\n<h2>24. The Euro Becomes a Currency (1999)<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1020833\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1020833\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1020833 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"British Currency, Euro\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 25\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Currency--e1700199755557.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1020833\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Currency--e1700199755557.jpg\" alt=\"British Currency, Euro\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"Revisiting 24 Iconic News Events from the 80s and 90s 25\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1020833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Depending on how you feel about the ongoing unification of Europe into a continent with common laws, values, and currency, you may look back fondly or despondently at the introduction of the Euro currency in 1999. In either case, there is no denying that the minting of this enduring currency was a massive historical event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/revisiting-24-iconic-news-events-from-the-80s-and-90s\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In terms of mind-boggling, era-defining news stories, the 2020s have been tough to contend with. However, are we suffering from recency bias? Were past eras, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-292626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292626\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}