1984 in history
Here are some light-hearted facts about 1984, designed to serve as a prep sheet for a radio feature on 1984.
I created this page because when I needed some notes to create a few talking points about 1984 in Ireland I couldn't find any suitable sources, so I thought I'd share what I did find. It applies to 1984 in Britain too.
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1984
Coverage of the Miners Strike dominated British news throughout the year.
Colonel Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to complete a solo transatlantic flight in a helium balloon.
5% of the British adult population bought shares in British Telecom when they went up for sale.
The Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles.
At the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics, Torvill and Dean became the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time, receiving twelve perfect 6.0s after skating to Maurice Ravel's Boléro.
This was the year comedian Tommy Cooper collapsed and died live on stage, having suffered a heart attack. The audience thought it was part of the show: some laughed and others were confused. He was lying on stage for well over a minute before the TV credits rolled.
The Dublin telephone system collapsed due to network overload as a result of a phone-in competition on an illegal radio station.
Ronald Reagan visited Ireland. 10,000 people protested against the visit in Dublin.
1984 Launches
Michael Dell started selling Dell Computers, targeting small businesses and households instead of the high-end consumers that his competitors were after.
Cirque du Soleil was founded as a Canadian entertainment company.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was launched as comic book characters.
Tetris was released in this year.
The medicine bottle safety cap was patented.
The HP LaserJet was created, the first low-cost laser printer.
Richard Branson suffered a delayed flight, so in this year he launched Virgin Atlantic.
Jet Set Willy was the best-selling home video game.
The Jeep Cherokee was launched, whihc is now considered to be the first SUV.
The DART from Howth to Bray was opened in this year. Many critics said it was going to make a loss and be a white elephant.
1984 in Film
Ghostbusters was the biggest film of the year, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver.
Other big films include Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Karate Kid, Police Academy, Footloose and Beverly Hills Cop.
1984 in TV
Big TV shows of the year (not premiers): Porridge, Bullseye, Minder and Dallas.
Murder She Wrote, Spitting Image, Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, The Price Is Right, Surprise Surprise, Crimewatch and Kate and Allie were shown on TV for the first time.
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends is shown on children's TV for the first time. It was narrated by Ringo Starr, the first episode was known as 'Thomas Gets Tricked'.
Sky Channel launched in the UK.
While these facts about 1984 have been checked against third-party sources (and have been used on air before!), they are provided in good faith to inspire your research and no guarantee is made about their accuracy or their uniqueness. You can use the facts however you wish: most people just take a couple of points they remember and talk around then.
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