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On the date

Monday, January 28, 1980

From the day

Perspective: The Future Historian · Tactile

The rough grit of the arcade cabinet’s joystick grazes my palm as I navigate Pac-Man’s neon maze, a sharp contrast to the slick, synthetic Lycra of my leggings. I pause to adjust my shoulder pads, distracted by the shrill, mechanical screech of the new fax machine in the corner office—a primitive herald of the flash memory age that will eventually digitize our world. The bass from Michael Jackson’s latest hit thumps through the floorboards, vibrating against the oversized sequins on my jacket. This shimmering, high-tech energy is truly bad, a visceral reminder that we are vibrating on the very edge of a total structural shift.

Memories from that day

No memories yet. Add yours if you remember this day.

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Rock with You

Michael Jackson

The must-have

Rubik's Cube

On This Day

  • USCGC Blackthorn collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa, Florida and capsizes, killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers.

    Wikipedia →

Slang

Slang of the decade

General

awesomebodaciouscheesychill

Valley Girl

as ifbarf me outgag me with a spoongrodytotally

Hip Hop

baddefdopeflyfreshword

Yuppie

greed is goodpower lunchnetworking

Catchphrases of 1980

  • Here's Johnny!
  • Who shot J.R.?

Tech Check

Fax Machine Boom, Pac-Man & Flash Memory.

Style of 1980

Silhouette: Oversized inverted triangle

Material: Lycra and sequins

  • Shoulder pads
  • Perms
  • Neon accessories

Cost of Living (1980)

Loaf of Bread

$0.50

Gallon of Gas

$1.19

Average Home

$47,200

New Car

$7,200

Time Elapsed

16,930 days ago

(46 years, 140 days)