50 Fun Facts About 1984

Which personal computer did Steve Jobs launch on January 24, 1984?

Its famous commercial had aired nationally two days earlier during the Super Bowl.

Who directed Apple's "1984" commercial?

It aired nationally just once, in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on CBS.

Apple's "1984" ad first aired in a tiny market in which state to qualify for the Clios?

It ran on KMVT in Twin Falls at the last break before midnight on December 31, 1983.

Which Asian sultanate gained full independence from Britain on January 1, 1984?

Six days later it became the sixth member of ASEAN.

Who succeeded Yuri Andropov as Soviet leader in February 1984?

He lasted just 13 months before Gorbachev took over in March 1985.

Which city hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics?

Eight years later the city was under siege in the Bosnian War.

Which two astronauts made the first untethered spacewalk in February 1984?

McCandless floated free of Challenger using a nitrogen-powered backpack.

Which Canadian prime minister announced his retirement on February 29, 1984?

John Turner took over in June, then lost to Brian Mulroney's record majority in September.

A year-long British strike beginning March 12, 1984, involved which workers?

The National Union of Mineworkers walked out over colliery closures.

Who became the first Indian in space in April 1984?

He flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 to the Salyut 7 station.

Which policewoman's shooting outside the Libyan embassy led to an 11-day London siege?

Britain severed diplomatic relations with Libya after the siege.

Which song was proclaimed the national anthem Down Under on April 19, 1984?

Green and gold were made the national colours on the same day.

Which Swedish act won the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley"?

The contest was held in Luxembourg and the song became a top-ten hit in five countries.

The Itaipu Dam, switched on in 1984, sits on Brazil's border with which country?

It was the largest hydroelectric dam in the world at the time, after nine years of construction.

Which denomination did Australia first issue as a coin on May 14, 1984?

The two-dollar coin followed in 1988.

Liverpool beat which club on penalties to win the 1984 European Cup?

The final was played in Rome, in the Italian side's own stadium.

Operation Blue Star, launched June 5, 1984, targeted which site?

The prime minister who ordered it was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards less than five months later.

Which Canadian entertainment company was founded on June 16, 1984?

Virgin Atlantic made its first flight six days later.

France beat which team 2–0 to win Euro 84?

Michel Platini scored nine goals in the tournament, still a record for one edition.

Which was the last European country to grant women the vote, on July 1, 1984?

Switzerland had done so at the federal level in 1971, though one canton held out until 1990.

Diego Maradona was sold to Napoli in 1984 by which club?

The $10.48 million fee was a world record at the time.

Who became the first woman to perform a spacewalk, in July 1984?

Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to do so that October.

How many Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics?

Only one Soviet-aligned state attended, and it finished second in the medal table.

Roughly how much profit did the privately funded 1984 Los Angeles Games make?

Organizers reused existing venues and leaned on corporate sponsors, becoming a model for later Games.

Which barefoot South African runner collided with Mary Decker in the Olympic 3000 m final?

Neither finished as a medallist; the gold went to a runner from Eastern Europe.

Which African country renamed itself Burkina Faso on August 4, 1984?

Thomas Sankara chose a name meaning "land of upright people".

Which carmaker was acquitted of cocaine trafficking charges in August 1984?

He was cleared of all eight charges on entrapment grounds.

Which Space Shuttle made its maiden voyage on August 30, 1984?

It landed at Edwards Air Force Base six days later.

Who became the first person to fly a balloon solo across the Atlantic in September 1984?

Kittinger already held the record for the highest parachute jump, from 1960.

Which children's TV series by Britt Allcroft broadcast its first episodes in October 1984?

Ringo Starr narrated the early British episodes.

The Brighton hotel bombing of October 1984 targeted which leader?

The IRA device had been planted nearly a month earlier; five people died.

Who won the 1984 World Series?

They beat the Padres in five games for the franchise's fourth title.

Which Polish priest linked to Solidarity was murdered by secret police in October 1984?

Up to a million people attended his funeral in Warsaw.

Which BBC reporter's October 1984 broadcast alerted the world to the Ethiopian famine?

Bob Geldof was watching and organized Band Aid within weeks.

Which Indian prime minister was assassinated by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984?

Her son Rajiv succeeded her as anti-Sikh riots swept Delhi.

How many states did Ronald Reagan carry in the 1984 election?

Walter Mondale won only Minnesota, by 3,761 votes, plus the District of Columbia.

Which charity single did Band Aid record on November 25, 1984?

Released December 3, it became the fastest-selling single in UK history.

A Union Carbide gas leak in which Indian city killed thousands in December 1984?

Methyl isocyanate escaped from a pesticide plant in what remains the worst industrial disaster in history.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration of December 1984 concerned which territory?

It set the handover date for 1997 and the "one country, two systems" promise.

Who shot four youths on a New York subway train on December 22, 1984?

The case ignited a national debate about urban crime and vigilantism.

Which carmaker introduced the first vehicles officially labeled "minivans" in 1984?

The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager launched the segment.

Who won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize?

The Anglican bishop was honored for his non-violent opposition to apartheid.

Which 1984 release was the year's top-grossing film in North America in its original run?

Ghostbusters overtook it after a 1985 re-release.

Which new rating did the MPAA introduce on July 1, 1984?

Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom prompted the change.

Which Disney label was founded in February 1984 for more mature films?

Its first release, Splash, starred Tom Hanks and a mermaid.

Which film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1984?

Wim Wenders' road movie starred Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski.

How many Grammys did Michael Jackson win in one night in February 1984?

Seven were for Thriller and one for the E.T. storybook album.

Which soul singer was shot dead by his father on April 1, 1984?

He died the day before his 45th birthday.

Which Bruce Springsteen album was the first CD manufactured in the United States?

The plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, opened in September 1984.

Which band won Video of the Year at the first MTV Video Music Awards?

Madonna's writhing "Like a Virgin" performance stole the headlines that night.