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On the date

Wednesday, August 12, 1981

From the day

Perspective: The Teenager · Sight

I’m squinting against the neon glare of the arcade, my eyes stinging from a day of watching the Space Shuttle news on the fuzzy shop-window TVs. My older brother is acting like a total poser, talking about some "power lunch" he had while staring at the sleek, beige casing of the new IBM PC and its cryptic MS-DOS prompts like they’re the keys to the kingdom. I just want to slip into the dark theater to see Indy outrun that boulder again, my collar popped and my hair stiff with spray. Everything feels electric and loud, like the heavy bass of that new Diana Ross tape thumping from a passing Trans Am.

Memories from that day

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

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Endless Love

Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

#1 at the box office

Raiders of the Lost Ark

$5,157,432

The must-have

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

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 1981

  • Take a chill pill

Tech Check

IBM PC, MS-DOS & Space Shuttle.

Cost of Living (1980)

Loaf of Bread

$0.50

Gallon of Gas

$1.19

Average Home

$47,200

New Car

$7,200

Time Elapsed

16,368 days ago

(44 years, 308 days)