Sweets
This peanut-buttery candy’s popularity in the early ’80s is attributed to the film E.T.
Reese’s Pieces
Although the candy was introduced in 1978, it wasn’t popular until a beloved on-screen alien munched on them in 1982.
1995: With this U.S. president in attendance, the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia signed the Dayton Peace Agreement in Paris
Bill Clinton
The agreement ended the Bosnian War and established a framework for peace.
Opened in 1988, this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical still holds the record for Broadway’s longest-running show
The Phantom of the Opera
The show ran for nearly 14,000 performances and closed in 2023.
Rumours have it that Lindsey Buckingham played lead guitar for this iconic ’70s band
Fleetwood Mac
Buckingham is known for his unique style of fingerpicking
In 1976, this letter A author published Sleeping Murder, a Miss Marple mystery
Agatha Christie
Christie’s mystery novels include characters like Detective Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, a ghost hunter.
Known for their wafer candies, this company introduced candy conversation hearts in 1866
Necco
Spangler Candy Company bought the Necco and Sweethearts brands in 2018 and continues to produce the wafers and candy hearts.
1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred
George H. W. Bush
The spill and subsequent cleanup affected Prince William Sound.
A long-running Broadway favorite is this tale of the (literal) king of the jungle, which opened in 1997
The Lion King
The Broadway show features original songs from the Disney film, written by Sirs Tim Rice and Elton John.
Billy Gibbons is the lead guitarist of this 1980s end-of-the-alphabet group
ZZ Top
Gibbons also sings lead vocals on many of the band’s blues-influenced tunes.
In the 1980s, her vampire novels, like Queen of the Damned, were popular spooky reads
Anne Rice
One of her most popular works, Interview with the Vampire, was adapted to a recent TV series.
In the early 1970s, this gelatin product brand popularized no-bake cheesecakes.
Jell-O
A 1972 ad featured their no-bake pudding cheesecake as a perfect summer recipe; it became the year’s most popular dessert.
1983: The Strategic Defense Initiative was announced to the American public
Ronald Reagan
In a public address, he asked scientists to create a defense system against nuclear weapons.
In the 1980s, Joe Papp led the campaign to save these
Theaters
The goal was to save theater buildings from demolition, due to slow growth in live theater during the previous two decades.
At the height of his popularity in the ’60s and ’70s, this guitarist played for the Yardbirds, Cream, and Blind Faith
Eric Clapton
Clapton has also had a successful solo career and many hit songs.
Arthur Hailey’s 1971 novel Wheels covers this industry
the Automobile Industry (cars)
Arthur Hailey also wrote about hotels and airports. Many of his works were bestsellers.
The 1970s and ’80s saw a chocolate craze, including a trend toward this flowing chocolate fountain dessert.
Chocolate Fondue
At the same time, cheese fondue gained popularity.
1977: He presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Jonas Salk and posthumously to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jimmy Carter
Carter’s remarks at the time noted Salk’s lifesaving work and King’s humanitarian efforts.
This Broadway musical based on a lengthy book by Victor Hugo opened in 1987
Les Misérables
The first Broadway production of the show, at the Broadway Theatre, ran for 16 years.
Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan collaborated with this musician on ’80s hits like “Modern Love.”
David Bowie
SRV, as he is sometimes known, helped reset Bowie’s image with his bluesy riffs.
This Woodward and Bernstein book has been called “the work that brought down a presidency and launched a thousand reporting careers.”
All the President’s Men
The book details the Watergate scandal and was adapted to a film starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
This retro dessert consisting of layered cake, fruit, and pudding had a resurgence in the 1980s, particularly in Great Britain
A Trifle
The old-fashioned dessert was rebranded as a modern, easy-to-assemble confection.
1970: He was president during the first observance of Earth Day
Richard Nixon
This observance led to the creation of the EPA and OSHA, as well as the Clean Air and Water Acts.
In 1972, The Museum of the City of New York hosted a tribute concert celebrating this composer, whose works include Carousel and Oklahoma!
Richard Rodgers
The tribute was held at the Imperial Theatre and featured performances by alumni of Rodgers’ shows, including Tony Randall, Helen Gallagher, and Celeste Holm.
This incredible, unconventional guitarist is often remembered for his iconic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock
Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix played a right-handed guitar but held it upside-down.
His The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series is popular sci-fi from the 1980s
Douglas Adams
Adams’ books are regarded as great works of satire and science fiction.