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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 21:39:59 GMT -5
June 22, 1979- Release of The Muppet MovieJim Henson and his muppet creations had incredible success on television, with The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. But he went a step further when he took his iconic characters to the big screen for the first time. Their first outing proved to be a great success, and paved the way for seven more muppet films to be released over the next several decades.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 21:46:27 GMT -5
May 18, 1980: Mt. St. Helens eruptionThe most significant volcanic eruption in the Continental United States since 1915 took the lives of 57 people and caused over 3 billion dollars in damage; reducing hundreds of square miles to wasteland. It's blast was so powerful, it has been calculated that it was 1,600 times stronger than Little Boy (Hiroshima atomic bomb), and Volcanic ash was found all the way in Oklahoma.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 21:51:19 GMT -5
September 25, 1981- Sandra Day O'Connor begins Supreme Court TenureNearly 190 years after its establishment, history was made when O'Connor became the first woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. Since her appointment and retirement, she was followed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 21:56:05 GMT -5
April 2 - June 14, 1982: Falklands WarArgentina and Great Britain found themselves fighting over control of the Falkland Islands for a ten week Period; though Argentina claimed sovereignty over the British dependent islands. The conflict ended with a British victory, and the two countries broke diplomatic relations until 1989.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 22:00:43 GMT -5
February 28, 1983: Finale of M*A*S*H*More than 100 million people tuned in to watch the series finale to one of the most beloved television series in the United States. It remains the most watched television finale in history, and the cultural legacy of the show lives on today.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 22:07:37 GMT -5
October 9, 1984: Debut of Thomas the Tank Engine and FriendsFor decades, the little blue engine was only known for his role in The Railway Series; 26 book by The Reverend W. Awdry. But that all changed on this day, when Britt Allcroft and David Mitton brought the books to life for the small screen. The show went on to have a great cultural impact, being a part of the lives of millions of children and inspiring all sorts of spin offs from toy lines to real life rail events.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 22:23:57 GMT -5
March 7, 1985: Release of We Are the WorldMany of the most talented singers in Hollywood came together to release one of the most famous singles of all time with one goal in mind- raise money for humanitarian aid in Africa. The song went on to raise over 60 million dollars (140 million in today's money) for Africa, and became one of the most acclaimed songs of all time; even going on to have a remake for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 22:44:11 GMT -5
January 28, 1986- Challenger Disaster73 seconds after taking off, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded catastrophically, killing all seven on board. 17 percent of Americans watched the disaster live on television, and within an hour it is estimated that 85 percent of Americans knew about the tragedy. Determined to have been caused by the explosion of an external fuel tank, the loss resulted in a 32 month suspension of the space shuttle program and safety review of the surviving shuttles.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 23:01:14 GMT -5
June 12, 1987- Mr. Gorbachev, Tear down this wallWhile it is technically true that little came of this speech, Ronald Reagan's declaration would go on to have great meaning when the wall finally came down a couple years later. At the time, the speech received little coverage, but as time went on it became remembered as one of Reagan's most memorable moments
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 23:09:25 GMT -5
January 26, 1988: Phantom of the Opera opens on BroadwayBroadway's longest running show, and one of the most acclaimed in history, opened on this day, and continues to enchant the audience even 30 years later. Even it's British counterpart in the West End still holds strong; now the third longest West End production, behind only The Mousetrap and Les Misérables.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 8, 2018 23:16:15 GMT -5
November 9, 1989- Fall of the Berlin WallDue mostly to East Germans becoming fed up with the oppression and the mistake of a German burecrat, the beginning of the end started on this day, when people brought whatever tools they had and began tearing down the Berlin Wall. Long seen as a symbol of the divide between the West and East during the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin wall was seen by many as the beginning of the end of decades of division among the German people.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 2:10:22 GMT -5
October 3, 1990: Germany reunitedAfter more than four decades of being split between East and West, communism and democracy, Germany was officially reunited as one country on this day, bringing an end to the divisions that had lasted since the end of World War II. Even today, Germans still celebrate October 3rd as Reunification Day.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 2:15:31 GMT -5
December 26, 1991: Soviet Union ceases to exist
It was the end of an era when on this day, the countries that once comprised the Soviet Union broke apart and became independent countries. The status quo that had dominated the world for nearly five decades came to an end, and thus the Cold War was officially declared over
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 2:20:56 GMT -5
August 16 - 28, 1992: Hurricane Andrew
When this hurricane devastated the Bahamas and Florida, it caused 65 deaths and more than 27 billion dollars in damages. It was the costliest and most destructive hurricane to hit the United States in the 20th century.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 2:26:04 GMT -5
February 26, 1993: World Trade Center BombingsShockingly, 9/11 wasn't the first time the twin towers were attacked. On this day a bomb was detonated in the underground parking levels of the North tower, and although the tower did not collapse, 6 people were killed and over 1,000 injured. Fortunately, those directly responsible for the attack were caught and brought to justice.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 12:45:18 GMT -5
May 6, 1994: Channel Tunnel opensThis rail tunnel vastly improved transportation between England and France; a single rail trip between the two countries now took as little as 35 minutes. Compared to before, when a trip by sea could take anywhere from 1 and a half to four hours. Even today, the tunnel is celebrated as a modern wonder of engineering.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 12:51:04 GMT -5
April 19, 1995: Oklahoma City BombingInitially conceived as a plan for revenge against the government for the way they handled the Waco Siege and Ruby Ridge incidents, Timothy McVeigh built a bomb in a truck and parked it in front the the Alfred P. Murrah building. When it detonated, the explosion killed 168 people, including 20 children and injured more than 680 others.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 12:57:11 GMT -5
July 5, 1996: Dolly the Sheep is bornA major scientific breakthrough was achieved today when the first cloned mammal was born. Though she would only live six years, Dolly represented a great scientific accomplishment, and though there is still much debate over the ethics of cloning, the work that went into Dolly didn't just leave its mark on cloning, but also stem cell research.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 13:18:32 GMT -5
July 1, 1997- Hong Kong is returned to China
In a move that many interpret as the symbolic end of the British Empire, The UK returned Hong Kong to China on this day, ending more than a century of British rule of the island. It's legacy is still felt though, and even today there are still aspects of Hong Kong's culture that are leftover from the British rule
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 9, 2018 13:24:29 GMT -5
September 4, 1998- Google is foundedWhat started as a small company eventually exploded into one of the biggest companies in the world, with its reach including internet and software. True, it didn't leave much of a mark on the 20th century, but once the 21st century rolled around it became clear that it was going to become a part of not just American culture, but global culture.
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