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1994-02-27
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<text>
<title>
(1980s) Editor's Note
</title>
<history>TIME Almanac--1980s Highlights</history>
<article>
<source> Time Magazine</source>
<hdr>
Editor's Note
</hdr>
<body>
<p> The 1980s, a decade concerned with economy and environment,
ushered in the Information Age; witnessed the fall of Communism;
and endured global terrorism, environmental disaster, and the
AIDS epidemic.
</p>
<p> For Americans, the decade was a boom and bust era--incredible
wealth was accumulated through Wall Street deals and poverty rose
as unemployment climbed and money was lost in the Savings and
Loans Scandal. When Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980,
the economic recession and inflation were foremost in the news.
In his campaign, he asked Americans, "Are you better off now than
you were four years ago?" His administration responded to the
voters hope for a better life by applying supply-side economic
principles. Reagan's recovery plan reformed taxes. Throughout the
decade the federal government reduced its influence in regulation
of business and support of social welfare programs.
</p>
<p> Environmental accidents highlighted growing concerns over the
earth's pollution by current energy sources. TIME named the
Endangered Earth. "Planet of the Year" in 1988. In the Soviet
Union, a nuclear reactor fire at Chernobyl devastated the
surrounding population and landscape. In Alaska, an oil
tanker accident polluted the waters killing wildlife and
upsetting the ecological balance.
</p>
<p> A decade of global terrorism called attention to growing tensions
in the Middle East. Bombings of nightclubs and barracks, and the
hijacking of airplanes and ships threatened the lives of ordinary
travelers.
</p>
<p> As the violence continued, an astounding event closed the decade
in Europe--the Berlin Wall dividing East and West Germany came
down. The map of Europe was redrawn again as Soviet Bloc
countries clamoured for independence and freedom from Soviet
control.
</p>
<p> TIME chronicled the technological revolution brought about by the
personal computer naming it "The Computer of the Year" in 1982.
By decade's end electronic publications were competing with paper
for the distribution of information.
</p>
<p> This section of the TIME Almanac of the 20th Century presents the
complete text of 1980s top stories from TIME, the Weekly
Newsmagazine.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>