space shuttleColumbia. (Aug. 12) IBM begins sell-
ing a personal computer at a base price of $1,565.
Environment and health:(Jun. 5) The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report
that five homosexual men in Los Angeles have a
rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients
with weakened immune systems, the first rec-
ognized cases of acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS). (Dec. 28) The first American
test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in
Norfolk, Virginia.
Arts and literature:Jane Fonda’s Workout Bookis re-
leased and remains number one onThe New York
Timesbest-seller list for more than a year. (May 6)
A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously se-
lects Maya Lin’s design for the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Dec.) A review in
Artforumlaunches the career of artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat.
Popular culture:(Jan. 12)Dynasty, a television soap
opera about wealthy Denver-based oil family the
Carringtons, premieres and becomes a smash hit.
(Apr. 18) The rock band Yes splits up but re-
groups in 1983. (Aug. 1) Music Television (MTV)
goes on the air. (Sept. 19) Simon and Garfunkel
perform “The Concert in New York City’s Central
Park,” a free show attended by almost half a mil-
lion people. (Oct. 15) Heavy metal band Metal-
lica is formed in Los Angeles.
Sports:(Apr. 18) A minor league baseball game be-
tween the Rochester Red Wings and the Paw-
tucket Red Sox becomes the longest professional
baseball game in history, lasting eight hours and
twenty-five minutes; the final one of the game’s
thirty-three innings is played on June 23. (Aug. 9)
Major League Baseball (MLB) players end their
strike as the All-Star Game is held in Cleveland’s
Municipal Stadium. (Sept.) John McEnroe de-
feats Björn Borg in the final game of the U.S.
Open tennis tournament, becoming the first
player since the 1920’s to win three consecutive
U.S. Open men’s singles titles.
Crime:(Jun. 21) Wayne Bertram Williams is ar-
rested and charged with two murders; he is later
convicted of murdering twenty-three of the thirty
children and young adults slain in the Atlanta
child murders. (Aug. 24) Mark David Chapman is
sentenced to twenty years to life imprisonment af-
ter being convicted of murdering John Lennon
in New York City.
1982
International events:(Mar. 10) The United States
places an embargo on Libyan oil imports in re-
sponse to Libya’s alleged support of terrorist
groups. (Apr. 25) Israel completes its withdrawal
from the Sinai Peninsula according to the terms
of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. (Jun. 6) Forces
under the command of Israeli defense minister
Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon; follow-
ing this attack, the United Nations Security Coun-
cil demands that Israel withdraw its troops from
Lebanon. (Nov. 14) Lech Wauòsa, the leader of
Poland’s outlawed Solidarity movement, is re-
leased after eleven months in prison.
Government and politics:(Apr. 17) By proclamation
of Queen Elizabeth II, Canada patriates its consti-
tution and is granted full political independence
from the United Kingdom. (Jun. 8) President
Reagan becomes the first American chief execu-
tive to address a joint session of the British Parlia-
ment. (Jun. 30) The Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA) falls short of the thirty-eight states needed
to pass; Phyllis Schlafly and other leaders of the
Religious Right take credit for its defeat. (Oct. 27)
Dominion Day is officially renamed Canada Day.
Military and war:(Apr. 2) Argentina invades the
British-controlled Falkland Islands. (Apr. 4) The
government of the Falklands surrenders and the
islands are placed under Argentinian control.
(Apr. 5) A British Royal Navy task force sails
to South America to recapture the Falklands.
(Jun. 14) The Falklands War ends, when Argen-
tina agrees to formally surrender to the United
Kingdom.
Society:In response to a Gallup Poll question, 51
percent of Americans say they do not view homo-
sexuality as normal. (Mar. 5) Comedian John
Belushi dies of cocaine and heroin abuse in a Los
Angeles hotel. (May 1) More than 100,000 people
attend the first day of the 1982 World’s Fair in
Knoxville, Tennessee. (Jun. 5) The first Rubik’s
Cube World Championships are held in Buda-
pest, Hungary. (Oct. 1) The Epcot theme park at
Walt Disney World is opened to the public.
Business and economics:(Jan. 8) AT&T agrees to di-
vest itself into more than twenty regional subdivi-
sions, commonly known as Baby Bells. (Feb. 19)
The De Lorean automobile factory in Belfast,
Northern Ireland, is put into receivership; the
company will fold in 1983. (Jul. 23) The Interna-1146 Time Line The Eighties in America