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On the date

Wednesday, March 12, 1980

From the day

Perspective: The Street Photographer · Sound

The rhythmic snap of my shutter competes with Queen’s "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" blaring from a passing Trans Am, while a girl with a neon-pink perm and massive shoulder pads strikes a pose that is totally fresh. I duck into a bodega to escape the biting March wind, grumbling as I toss two quarters on the counter for a single loaf of bread; it’s a crime that lunch is costing me a full $0.50 these days. Outside, the air smells of exhaust and wet pavement as newsies hawk headlines about a multi-million dollar bond heist over in Jersey. Some guy tries to cut the line for the payphone with a "gag me with a spoon" attitude, but I just focus my lens on the gritty, shimmering sequins of the city's hustle.

Memories from that day

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The Headlines

L.I. Man Arrested in Jersey Over Stolen M.A.C. Bonds; Companion Is Discovered With $2.3 Million Taken in Separate Stock Theft Arrests in 2 Cars in Jersey Attempted Sale in December Bank Refused to Resign as Trustee

Read in The New York Times →

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Queen

The must-have

Rubik's Cube

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

16,886 days ago

(46 years, 96 days)