1980 President Jimmy Carter withdraws the United States from the SALT II
treaty with the Soviet Union in response to their invasion of Afghan
istan. The president would also prevent the U.S. Olympic team from
competing in the Summer Olympics held in Moscow that year.
Ronald Reagan is elected president of the United States.
Broadway receipts top $200 million.
Heaven’s Gate, by Michael Cimino, opens and generates $40 million,
far less than its breakeven point (its budget was a staggering $44 mil-
lion). The sheer immensity of this flop made the film industry much
more cautious of large-budget films by directors with total control.
The Broadway production of Grease closes, becoming the longest-
running show in Broadway history at that time.
Important American albums released: Bruce Springsteen’s The River,
Prince’s Dirty Mind, Pat Benatar’s Crimes of Passion, Billy Joel’s Glass
Houses, and Barbra Streisand’s Guilty.
Important films released: Airplane! American Gigolo, Blues Brothers, The
Empire Strikes Back, Ordinary People, and The Shining.
1981 Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as president. On the same day, 52
American hostages that had been taken in Iran in 1979 are freed.
Important American albums released: Van Halen’s Fair Warning, Jour-
ney’s Escape, Stevie Nicks’s Bella Donna, Styx’s Paradise Theater, and
Kim Carnes’s Mistaken Identity.
Important films released: Chariots of Fire, Body Heat, Raiders of the Lost
Ark, and On Golden Pond.
1982 The United States and the Soviet Union begin the START discussions
to negotiate a reduction in nuclear weapons by each country.
Timeline
