What were the 1980s known for?
The 1980s are remembered for moments like these: 1980, Pac-Man arrives in arcades; 1981, MTV launches; 1982, Michael Jackson releases Thriller; 1984, Apple’s Macintosh goes on sale; 1985, The NES launches in North America; and 1985, Back to the Future hits theaters. Scroll the timeline below for more, year by year.
The ’80s, one year at a time.
Swipe through 15 moments we still talk about. Think you know your ’80s? Hide the years and guess.
- Games1980
Pac-Man arrives in arcades, first in Japan as Puck Man.
Waka waka waka.
Read: Classic arcade games → - TVAugust 11981
MTV launches with “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
Music you could watch.
Play the ’80s quiz → - Games1981
Nintendo releases Donkey Kong in arcades.
Jump those barrels.
Play 80s arcade trivia → - Movies1982
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial opens in theaters.
Phone home.
Born in 1982? See your year → - MusicNovember 291982
Michael Jackson releases Thriller.
Moonwalk optional.
Read: Growing up Jackson → - GamesJuly 151983
The Famicom launches in Japan.
Blow on the cartridge first.
Read: Classic arcade games → - Toys1983
The Cabbage Patch Kids craze sweeps the holidays.
Who else stood in that line?
Read: Timeless toys → - GadgetsJanuary 241984
Apple’s Macintosh goes on sale.
Hello, computer.
Read: Vintage gadgets → - Games1984
Alexey Pajitnov creates Tetris.
Just one more line.
Play 80s arcade trivia → - Toys1984
Hasbro launches Transformers.
More than meets the eye.
Read: Timeless toys → - Games1985
Super Mario Bros. launches in Japan on the Famicom.
Down the warp pipe we go.
Shop the Game Over tee → - Cars1985
Back to the Future sends Marty McFly back to 1955.
Great Scott!
Born in 1985? See your year → - GamesFebruary 211986
The Legend of Zelda comes out in Japan.
It’s dangerous to go alone.
Born in 1986? See your year → - TVApril 191987
The Simpsons first appear as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.
D’oh!
Play the ’80s quiz → - GamesApril 211989
The Game Boy launches in Japan.
Four AA batteries and a long car ride.
Born in 1989? See your year → - Every year, 1980 to 1989 →
- Keep the time machine runningNext stop: the ’90sFlip through the ’90s →Or test yourself on the ’80s →
Swipe for more →
Sources: each moment is checked against its Wikipedia article. Costs: US first-class postage history and the US Department of Labor minimum wage chart.
Pick a lane.
Most influential people
Michael Jackson
Released Thriller in 1982.
Madonna
Released Like a Virgin in 1984.
Prince
Purple Rain, the album and the film, came out in 1984.
Whitney Houston
Released her debut album in 1985.
Wayne Gretzky
Won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton in the ’80s.
TV and game shows
MTV
Launched August 1, 1981.
Cheers
Premiered September 30, 1982 on NBC.
Knight Rider
Premiered in 1982 on NBC.
The Golden Girls
Premiered September 14, 1985 on NBC.
Full House
Premiered September 22, 1987 on ABC.
Music and top hits
Billboard year-end No. 1 single for each year.
“Call Me”
Blondie
“Bette Davis Eyes”
Kim Carnes
“Physical”
Olivia Newton-John
“Every Breath You Take”
The Police
“When Doves Cry”
Prince
“Careless Whisper”
Wham! featuring George Michael
“That's What Friends Are For”
Dionne & Friends
“Walk Like an Egyptian”
The Bangles
“Faith”
George Michael
“Look Away”
Chicago
Movies
Rank 1 in each year’s box office list.
The Empire Strikes Back
No. 1 at the box office
Raiders of the Lost Ark
No. 1 at the box office
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
No. 1 at the box office
Return of the Jedi
No. 1 at the box office
Beverly Hills Cop
No. 1 at the box office
Back to the Future
No. 1 at the box office
Top Gun
No. 1 at the box office
Three Men and a Baby
No. 1 at the box office
Rain Man
No. 1 at the box office
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
No. 1 at the box office
Cars
DeLorean DMC-12
Stainless steel and gull-wing doors.
Chrysler minivans
The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager arrived for 1984.
Jeep Cherokee XJ
Arrived for the 1984 model year.
Ford Taurus
Arrived for the 1986 model year.
Toys and games
Trivial Pursuit
First sold in 1981.
Cabbage Patch Kids
The 1983 holiday craze.
Transformers
Hasbro launched them in 1984.
NES
Launched in North America in 1985.
Game Boy
Launched in Japan April 21, 1989.
Fashion
Leg warmers
Straight from the aerobics class.
Shoulder pads
The bigger, the bolder.
Neon everything
Brights you could see from space.
Acid-wash jeans
Pale, speckled and proud of it.
Food and diner
Chicken McNuggets
Available nationwide by 1983.
New Coke
Launched April 23, 1985, and quickly pulled back.
Lunchables
Oscar Mayer introduced them in 1988.
Sports
Miracle on Ice
The US hockey team beat the Soviets on February 22, 1980.
Carl Lewis
Won four gold medals at the 1984 Olympics.
Celtics vs. Lakers
Bird and Magic met in the 1984 NBA Finals.
Kirk Gibson’s home run
The walk-off in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Tech and gadgets
IBM PC
Introduced August 12, 1981.
Compact Disc
The first CD players went on sale in 1982.
DynaTAC 8000X
The first commercial handheld cell phone.
Macintosh
Went on sale January 24, 1984.
What it cost back then
Stamp and wage on January 1 of each year.
| Year | Stamp | Minimum wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15¢ | $3.10 |
| 1981 | 15¢ | $3.35 |
| 1982 | 20¢ | $3.35 |
| 1983 | 20¢ | $3.35 |
| 1984 | 20¢ | $3.35 |
| 1985 | 20¢ | $3.35 |
| 1986 | 22¢ | $3.35 |
| 1987 | 22¢ | $3.35 |
| 1988 | 22¢ | $3.35 |
| 1989 | 25¢ | $3.35 |
Then vs now: a stamp is 82¢ today (since July 12, 2026) and the federal minimum wage is $7.25.
See what everything cost the year you were born →Sources: Wikipedia, Billboard year-end charts, USPS postage history, US Department of Labor and US EIA.
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Arcade Pac-Man in your hands on a 6.8 inch screen.
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The puzzle that beat us all. Time for a rematch.
Shop nowGPX portable cassette player
Dig out the old mixtapes and press play again.
Sample listingPair of 80s arcade cabinets
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