The year that was 1980...

"Time may change me. But I can't trace time."-'Changes' David Bowie

In 1980 the world was changed forever. And here's why... 


John Lennon was assassinated on December 8th
"And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude refrain"- 'Hey Jude' The Beatles
At 10:50 pm, as John Lennon and Yoko Ono were returning to their New York apartment in The Dakota, Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times at the entrance to the building. At 11:07 pm Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival at the Roosevelt Hospital. Yoko Ono issued a statement the next day, saying "There is no funeral for John", finishing with the words, " John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him." He was cremated and his ashes scattered over New York Central Park. Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life, he still remains in prison having being denied parole several times.  The Beatles- Hey Jude (with Lyrics) Youtube video


Mount St. Helen's erupted
Mt St Helen's located in Washington US erupted sideways on May 18. Fifty-seven people were killed in this eruption, but if this event was not on a Sunday the death toll would have surely been higher. Harry Truman, who had lived near the mountain for 54 years, became famous when he decided not to evacuate before the eruption, despite pleas from local authorities. His body was never found. President Jimmy Carter surveyed the damage and said, "Someone said this area looked like a moonscape. But the moon looks more like a golf course compared to whats up there." The second eruption occurred May 25. Mount St. Helen's Erupting


CNN was established
Launched June 1st CNN (Cable News Network) is a US cable news channel founded by Ted Turner. CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour news coverage and the first all-news channel in the United States. Husband and wife news anchors David Walker and Lois Hart started their first broadcast just after 5pm EST. CNN also carried the only live television coverage of the launch and explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle which killed the seven crew members in 1986.CNN Logo


The Pacman video game was released
Pacman was developed by Namco and released in the US in October. Pacman can be considered as an icon of 1980's popular culture. Pacman created a genre of video game and appealed to both girls and boys. Pacman caught on immediatly with the public and quickly became far more popular than anything seen in the film industry up to that point. Buy the end of 1980 it was grossing over $1 billion quarters in a year, surpassing the highest grossing film Star Wars. 

Pacman Game Screen


The Rubix Cube became popular
This was the year that the Rubix cube became internationally sold. Before people started to use the Rubix cube they thought it was a simple puzzle but after a couple of hours they realized they were no closer to solving it. Erno Rubik created the Rubix cube to help his students study three-dimensional geometry.Rubix's cubes appealed to everyone and everyone had to have one. By 1982, more than 100 million Rubix cubes have been solved and are yet to be solved. Rubix's Cube

So there you have it the year that was filled with new trends and terrible tragedies. The year that brought about two of the most well known items of pop culture. The year that snatched inspiring peoples lives from them. The year that was 1980!