1980 – Religious revivalism. Beginning in the 1970s and through the 1980s and into the 1990s, America experienced a major religious revival. Religious enthusiasm found expression in the rise of cults and pseudo-faiths (Church of Scientology, Unification Church of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon) and televangelists (Reverend Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker). Beginning with the Reverend Jerry Falwell, who formed the Moral Majority in 1979, televangelists and fundamentalists frequently involved themselves in conservative political activism.

Czeslaw Milosz wins Nobel Prize for literature.

1981 – Economic Recovery Tax Act passed. President Reagan pushed the 25 percent across-the-board tax reduction for all taxpayers, while also cutting federal spending.

Reagan fires striking air traffic controllers. Citing understaffing and long hours, the air traffic controllers went on strike. The strike was illegal, however, since the air controllers were civil service employees. When they refused to return to work, Reagan fired all strikers.

Assassination attempt wounds Reagan. Shot in the chest on March 30, Reagan required surgery to remove a bullet from his left lung, but recovered with remarkable swiftness.

United States military buildup begins. Reagan called for a huge increase in military spending. His goal was to create an American military presence so strong that it could respond swiftly and forcefully to any new Communist threats around the world. This was a departure from the Nixon Doctrine of 1969.

U.S. begins aiding the Nicaraguan Contras. After the Sandinistas overthrew the pro-American dictatorship, the administration gave rhetorical and material support to the Contras, a guerrilla movement formed from several antigovernment factions.

Sandra Day O'Connor becomes the first woman Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

AIDS first reported in the United States.

1982 – Severe recession pushes unemployment above 10 percent. In 1983, the economy rebounded to begin an economic prosperity that, with only an occasional lapse, lasted through Reagan's presidency.

A terrorist bombing of a military barracks kills approximately 240 U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon. On a peace-keeping mission, the Marines became embroiled in the complex world of political and religious sects that characterized Lebanon's situation. Terrorists bombed the barracks when they thought the Americans were favoring one sect over the other. Rather than become more involved in the Lebanese struggle, Reagan withdrew all American troops.

1983 – United States invades Granada. When the government of the small Caribbean nation was threatened by pro-Castro rebels, U.S. forces invaded to crush the rebels and protect several hundred American medical students.

The Supreme Court declares antiabortion laws unconstitutional.

1984 – Boland Amendment passed. Many senators and members of Congress were upset to learn that the CIA had helped the Contras mine Nicaraguan harbors and that those mines resulted in the destruction of foreign ships – a violation of international law. Representative Edward Boland of Massachusetts introduced an amendment that forbade the CIA or "any other agency or entity involved in intelligence activities" from spending money to support the Contras either "directly or indirectly." The president reluctantly signed the bill.

President Reagan reelected in a landslide victory over Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota and his vice presidential candidate Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first female candidate ever to appear on a major-party national ticket.

1985 – Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) or "Star Wars" funded. Reagan claimed that SDI, using satellites and lazers, would create a shield around the United States that would make the country impervious to attack by missiles. Most scientists thought the effort as outlandish as the famous movie.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. This act established a limit on the federal budget that was growing substantially each year. The law was intended to force the president and Congress to make difficult choices rather than let the budget and its deficit proliferate. The law mandated automatic budget cuts should the president and Congress not agree on reductions.

United States begins secret arms-for-hostages negotiations with Iran. Although Reagan publicly announced that he would never sanction ransom for hostages, the White House agreed to sell arms to the government of Iran in exchange for Iran's promise to pressure Arab extremists in Lebanon to release U.S. hostages. After four shipments of weapons only one hostage was freed. Perhaps more damaging to Reagan was the revelation that the money from the arms sale had been covertly and illegally used to fund the Contras – a direct violation of the Boland Amendment. A central figure in the negotiations was Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council. Hearings on the Iran-Contra affair were held in the summer of 1987 and revealed that North was acting in concert with more powerful figures in the administration, like National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and his successor Admiral John Poindexter. No evidence, however, decisively tied the president to the most serious violations of the law.

1986 – United States bombs targets in Libya. In 1985, terrorists took hostages in Lebanon, hijacked planes, bombed a nightclub in West Germany where American soldiers socialized, and killed an American hostage on a Mediterranean cruise ship. Frustrated by the attacks and the uncertainty of the identity of the terrorists, Reagan was not sure how to retaliate. He decided to bomb Libya since its leader Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi had links to terrorists.

In October, Reagan and Gorbachev hold a summit in Rejkjavík, Iceland. Gorbachev proposed reducing the nuclear arsenals of both sides by about 50 percent, but Reagan's commitment to SDI blocked any agreement. The meeting, however, was friendly and promising.

An explosion at a Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union leaves a radioactive cloud over much of Europe.

1987 – Stock market fails. On October 17, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 508 points, cutting the value of securities by more than half a trillion dollars. The total fall of the Dow Jones Average for the month was 769 points.

In December, President Reagan travels to Moscow to sign the Intermediate Nuclear Force treaty (INF). The treaty eliminated an entire class of intermediate-range nuclear missiles with ranges of between 600 to 3400 miles. Both sides agreed to allow on-site inspections to facilities where missiles would be destroyed. Earlier in the year Gorbachev had visited the United States.

Joseph Brodsky wins Nobel Prize for literature.

August Wilson's Fences wins Pulitzer Prize for drama.

1988 – Vice President George Bush defeats Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis for the presidency. Although early in the campaign Bush trailed Dukakis by a wide margin, he won a substantial victory: 54 percent to 46 percent in the popular vote, and 426 to 112 in the electoral vote.

1989 – Chinese army crushes student rebellion in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. A still unknown number of students were killed.

Berlin Wall dismantled. On November 9, East German guards were ordered not to report to their posts at the Berlin Wall. Within hours, citizens began tearing down the wall and many swarmed over it. Within weeks, bulldozers were knocking it down, and within a year, East and West Germany were reunited after having been divided for forty-five years.

Communist regimes collapse. In the space of a few months, every communist state in Europe – Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, Yugoslavia, and Albania – either overthrew its government or forced it to transform itself into an essentially noncommunist regime. The Communist Parties of Eastern Europe essentially collapsed.

American troops invade Panama. Dictator Manuel Noriega, who was once supported by the United States, had turned Panama into a key transfer point for drugs and drug money. In December, 12,000 U.S. troops entered Panama and arrested Noriega, who was tired and convicted of drug crimes in an American court.

Earthquake strikes San Francisco. In October, with a World Series baseball game just underway in Candlestick Park, a powerful earthquake hit San Francisco. Fires resulted from broken gas mains and many were killed in shattered buildings and under collapsed roadways.

1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait. Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq, invaded and quickly took over oil-rich Kuwait. President Bush organized just about every major country in the world (including the Soviet Union and Arab nations) to join the U.S. in a United Nations-sanctioned trade embargo of Iraq. The coalition threatened military action against Iraq if it did not withdraw from Kuwait. An international force of some 700,000 troops was deployed to the area along with the most sophisticated collection of military technology ever developed.

The census reports the United States population at almost 250 million.

1991 – Persian Gulf War. On January 17, planes from several countries began bombing Baghdad. Operation Desert Storm and the lopsided war were underway. By the end of February, Kuwait was liberated; Baghdad was in easy reach of capture and Saddam Hussein was vulnerable to overthrow. Bush and the coalition decided not to topple Hussein, as they were not certain who would replace him. As of this writing, harsh economic sanctions have still not driven Hussein from power.

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Presidents Bush and Gorbachev agreed to sharp reductions in the their country's stockpiles of nuclear weapons, far surpassing the limits negotiated in the SALT talks.

Soviet Union collapses. Gorbachev struggled to keep the fifteen republics that made up the Soviet Union together. However, forces of nationalism and reform proved too strong and the Soviet Union fell apart. When Gorbachev resigned as president, there was no Soviet Union to preside over. The dominant politician was Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia.

Judge Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. Thomas was confirmed, but not before one of his assistants, Anita Hill, testified in the nationally-televised hearings that Thomas had sexually harassed her.

1992 – Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In its decision, the Supreme Court granted states the right to impose some restrictions on abortions.

Los Angeles race riots. The decision of an all-white jury to acquit Los Angeles police officers accused of brutalizing Rodney King, a black suspect, provoked outrage in African-American communities, especially since a bystander captured the beating of King on tape and networks televised it throughout the nation. In Los Angeles following the acquittal, more than fifty persons died in several days of looting and arson.

William Jefferson Clinton elected president. As the economy faltered, Bill Clinton defeated President Bush and third-party candidate Ross Perot. Clinton had only 43 percent of the vote, but 370 electoral votes, to Bush's 38 percent and 168 electoral votes, and Perot's 19 percent and 0 electoral votes.

Bush sends U.S. troops to Somalia. President Clinton supported Bush's December 1992 decision to send U.S. troops to Somalia to aid famine-relief efforts. Attempts to install a stable government proved unsuccessful however.

1993 – Deficit-reduction budget passed. Considered a major victory for Clinton, the budget included a substantial tax increase on the wealthiest Americans, a significant reduction in many areas of government spending, and expanded tax credits to low-income workers. The budget passed by one vote and marked a significant departure from the budgets of the Reagan-Bush years.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ratified. Clinton lobbied heavily for NAFTA, which eliminated most trade barriers among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Health Care reform fails. President Clinton appointed his wife Hilary Rodham Clinton to lead the task force that would make sweeping reforms in America's health care system. The goal was to provide medical coverage for every American and to hold down the costs of medical care. The Clintons met widespread resistance and the plan for reform was abandoned – a major setback for the president.

Toni Morrison wins Nobel Prize for literature.

1994 – Earthquake strikes southern California. Fifty-seven persons die when a powerful earthquake strikes Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Brady Bill passed. The bill required a five-day waiting period on gun purchases. The bill was named after President Reagan's press secretary Jim Brady who was seriously wounded during the attempted assassination of Reagan.

U.S. troops arrive in Haiti. President Clinton helped to arrange an agreement that led to the ouster of the brutal military government in Haiti. American troops helped to preserve order as the elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, returned from exile and established a civilian regime.

Republicans win sweeping victories in midterm election. The extent of Republican House and Senate victories was stunning. For the first time in forty years, Republicans controlled both the Senate and the Congress. Representative Newt Gingrich of Georgia released the Republican "Contract with America." Consistent with the long-time goals of the Republican Party's conservative wing, the "Contract" called for reduced federal spending, a reduction in federal regulatory functions, a transfer of power from the federal government to the states, and more. Surprisingly, the president and the Republicans agreed on several key issues. However, as the presidential election of 1996 approached, cooperation and compromise proved difficult. The public seemed to be turning against the Republicans and, in particular, Newt Gingrich, who was most identified with the "Contract." Clinton's standing in the polls improved.

Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as president of South Africa.

1995 – The bombing of a federal office building in Oklahoma City kills 168 persons.

Special prosecutor Kenneth Starr appointed to investigate President Clinton's role in Whitewater (Arkansas land investment). Starr's investigation leads him to other areas, including the firing of the travel staff at the White House, and, eventually, a possible sexual scandal involving President Clinton and a White House intern. Starr is investigating whether the affair, if it did exist, drove Clinton to a cover-up in which he may have obstructed justice and suborned perjury.

1996 – After a seventeen year-long campaign of mail bombs that killed three persons and injured twenty-three others, unabomber Theodore Kaczynski is apprehended by the FBI.

Nineteen U.S. soldiers are killed when a truck bomb explodes outside their housing complex in Saudi Arabia.

TWA Flight 800 explodes in midair and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. All 230 aboard were killed.

President Clinton reelected president defeating Senator Robert Dole of Kansas.

1997 – In Great Britain, the first mammal was successfully cloned from a cell from an adult animal. The clone was a sheep named Dolly.

After more than 150 years as a British colony, Hong Kong was restored to Chinese rule.

The Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars. The first spacecraft to land on Mars since 1976, the Pathfinder deployed Sojourner, a small twenty-two pound roving vehicle designed to explore and analyze the Martian rocks and soil.

Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed in a Paris car crash.

1998 – Pope John Paul II visits Cuba to meet with Fidel Castro. Greeted by enthusiastic crowds, the Pope criticize communist ideology and the United States embargo of Cuba.

Northern Ireland peace agreement reached between Catholics (who favor independence from England) and Protestants (loyal to England). Terms of the agreement established a North Ireland assembly (a new body of 108 members elected by proportional representation to administer Northern Ireland); set up a North/ South Council (a new body drawn from the Assembly and from the Irish Parliament to deal with common issues like roads and agriculture); called for a referendum in Dublin to amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution to recognize the North as an integral part of the Republic; required the implementation of a plan to get weapons held by Catholics and Protestants off the streets; called for a commission to review the sentences of those imprisoned on terrorist charges; and demanded a Bill of Rights and Police Reform to protect minority rights. Former Senator from Maine George Mitchell was instrumental in the negotiations.

Paula Jones's sexual-harassment lawsuit against President Clinton dismissed.

President Clinton visits China for the first Sino-American Summit since the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin called for a "strategic partnership," and agreed to "detarget" the strategic nuclear missiles each side has aimed at the other. The Chinese agreed to strengthen their efforts to halt the spread of chemical and biological weapons, and they also agreed to allow U.S. monitors to inspect the implementation of trade deals between China and the United States.

Two powerful bombs explode minutes apart outside the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. At this writing, the attacks appeared to be coordinated by anti-American terrorists with no grievances directly related to U.S. activity or presence in Kenya or Tanzania.