“The Simpsons” debuts
Since its debut, 640 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in terms of seasons and number of episodes.
1980s C.E.
Activists bring down the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.
The Third Polish Republic is founded, transitioning the country to democracy
With the advent of perestroika in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, the opportunity arose to finally change the system of government, after the harsh period of martial law (1981-83) imposed by General Jaruzelski.
Colombia establishes Chiribiquete National Park
Chiribiquete National Park is the largest national park in Colombia and the largest tropical rainforest national park in the world. It covers about 17,000 square miles and hosts important archaeological evidence in the form of rock art. More than 600,000 traces of around 20,000 petroglyphs and pictographs have been discovered in the mountain chain, the oldest of which may date to 20,000 years BP.
Denmark becomes world’s first country to legally recognize same-sex relationships
The country’s landmark registered partnerships gave those in same-sex relationships most rights of married heterosexuals, but not the right to adopt or obtain joint custody of a child.
Stephen Hawking publishes A Brief History of Time
In A Brief History of Time, Hawking writes in non-technical terms about the structure, origin, development and eventual fate of the universe, which is the object of study of astronomy and modern physics.
46 countries sign the Montreal Protocol in historic move to restore the ozone layer
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. The ozone treaty has since been ratified by 198 parties, making it the first universally ratified treaty in United Nations history.
The June Democracy Movement emerges in South Korea
The June Democracy Movement was a nationwide democracy movement in South Korea that forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms.
New Zealand passes groundbreaking law establishing it as a nuclear and biological weapon-free zone
The significance of the Act lies in its affirmation that New Zealand exists as an independent and proud democracy concerned about the future of the planet.
The Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen in Germany begins research leading to invention of the MP3
By using MPEG audio coding, MP3s shrink down the original sound data from a CD by a factor of 12, without losing sound quality.