the stealth fighter is unveiled in Palmdale, Cali-
fornia.
Society:(Jan. 1) The Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America is founded, creating the largest Lu-
theran denomination in the United States. (Feb.
21) During his program, televangelist Jimmy Swag-
gart admits to committing an unspecified sin; his
sin is later revealed to be an affair with a prosti-
tute. (Mar. 6) Students at Gallaudet University, a
school for the deaf, go on strike to protest the ap-
pointment of a nondeaf university president.
Business and economics:(Jul. 14) Volkswagen closes
its Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, plant—
the first factory built by a foreign automaker in
the United States—after ten years of operation.
(Sept. 5) The Robert M. Bass Group, with two bil-
lion dollars of federal aid, agrees to buy American
Savings and Loan Association, the largest thrift in
the United States. (Oct. 30) Philip Morris pur-
chases Kraft Foods for $13.1 billion. (Nov. 30)
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. buys RJR Nabisco
for $25.07 billion.
Transportation and communications:(Dec. 21) Pan
Am Flight 103 is blown up by Libyan terrorists
over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.
Science and technology:Microsoft passes Lotus to
become the world’s largest software company.
Microsoft begins developing its Windows NT (new
technology). (Sept. 29) The National Aeronau-
tics and Space Administration (NASA), which
had grounded flights after theChallengerdisaster,
resumes space shuttle flights by launching the
space shuttleDiscover y.
Environment and health:Congress bans smoking
on domestic air flights that are less than two
hours long. The FDA approves the marketing of
Viaspan, an isotonic solution used to preserve do-
nated livers in a viable state before transplanta-
tion. (May 16) U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop states in a report that the addictive proper-
ties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and
cocaine. (Jul. 6) The first reported medical waste
on beaches in the New York area, including hypo-
dermic needles and syringes possibly infected
with the AIDS virus, wash ashore on Long Island;
subsequent medical waste discoveries on beaches
in Coney Island and in Monmouth County, New
Jersey, force the closure of numerous New York-
area beaches.
Arts and literature:The Lyre of Orpheus, the third
novel in Robertson Davies’ Cornish Trilogy, is
published amid favorable reviews from critics.
(Jun. 11) A concert at London’s Wembley Sta-
dium, featuring stars from the fields of music,
comedy, and film, celebrates the seventieth birth-
day of imprisoned African National Congress
leader Nelson Mandela.
Popular culture:For the first time ever, compact
discs (CDs) outsell vinyl recordings. Oprah Win-
frey has the highest-rated television talk show in
the United States.Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the
first film to combine live actors and animated
characters, is the top-grossing film of the year.
(Apr. 11)The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo
Bertolucci, wins nine Academy Awards.
Sports:(Jan. 29) The Midwest Classic Conference, a
college athletic organization, is founded. (Feb.
13-28) The 1988 Winter Olympics are held in
Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Aug. 9) The Chicago
Cubs play their first-ever night game at home in
Wrigley Field, defeating the New York Mets, 6-4.
(Sept. 17-Oct. 2) The Summer Olympic Games
are held in Seoul, South Korea. (Oct. 15) An in-
jured Kirk Gibson hits a dramatic home run to
win the first game of the World Series for the Los
Angeles Dodgers, defeating the Oakland A’s by a
score of 5-4; the Dodgers go on to win the series in
five games.
Crime:(Mar. 16) Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North
and Vice Admiral John Poindexter are indicted
on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United
States because of their roles in the Iran-Contra af-
fair. (Nov. 11) Police in Sacramento, California,
find a body buried in the lawn at the boarding-
house of sixty-year-old Dorothea Puente; six more
bodies are eventually found, and Puente is con-
victed of three murders and sentenced to life in
prison.1989
International events:(Jan. 18) The Communist
Party of Poland votes to legalize Solidarity. (Apr.
15) Students from Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and
Nanjing, China, begin protesting in Tiananmen
Square. (May 20) The Chinese government de-
clares martial law in Beijing in response to the
Tiananmen Square protests. (May 30) Student
protesters in Tiananmen Square unveil a statue,
the Goddess of Democracy. (Jun. 4) The final
standoff between student protesters and the mili-1154 Time Line The Eighties in America