Robert Mugabe was elected Zimbabwe’s first black Prime Minister on March 4, 1980, following his role as a rebel leader against white minority rule. Mugabe is the leader of Zimbabwe’s African National Union – Patriotic Front, or ZANU-PF. Shortly after coming to power, Mugabe established a one-party state. Mugabe also … Continue reading
Herschel Walker is a former college and professional football player, bobsledder, sprinter and mixed martial artist. On October 12, 1989, the Minnesota Vikings traded to the Dallas Cowboys for Herschel Walker. The trade was the largest player trade in NFL history and involved 18 players and draft picks. The Dallas … Continue reading
On February 25, 1987, Southern Methodist University’s football program became the first college football program to receive the Death Penalty by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions. The punishment came as the result of massive violations on the part of SMU of NCAA rules and regulations. The most serious of these … Continue reading
Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist whose works include Midnight’s Children, Shalimar the Clown and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. In 1988, Rushdie released his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses. The Satanic Verses was considered controversial and sparked protests from Muslims in several countries. On February 14, 1989, … Continue reading
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast who won the all-around gold medal in women’s gymnastics at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Retton was coached by Bela Karolyi, who had coached Nadia Comaneci in Romania before defecting to the United States. In this video, both Retton and Karolyi … Continue reading
On January 10, 1984, The United States and The Vatican reestablished diplomatic relations after almost 117 years. In 1867, the United States Congress had placed a ban on public funding for a diplomatic envoy to the Vatican. The reversal in 1984 was not accepted by all. In this video, arguments … Continue reading
On December 31, 1988, Mario Lemieux became the only player in NHL history to score five goals five different ways in a single game: even-strength, power-play, short handed, penalty shot and empty net. Wayne Gretzky narrates this video of game footage from that night.
On December 30, 1981, Wayne Gretzky became the fastest National Hockey League player to score 50 goals in a season, accomplishing the feat in just 39 games. This clip shows Gretzky scoring the 50th goal, including the crowd’s reaction and the announcer’s coverage.
Chico Mendes was a Brazilian rubber tapper who became a trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon Rainforest as well as for human rights. As part of the Rubber Tappers Union, Mendes asked the Brazilian government to set up reserves to make sure that the forest … Continue reading
The El Mozote Massacre took place in El Mozote, El Salvador, on December 11, 1981. The Salvadorian Army killed more than 800 civilians. Only one person, Rufina Amaya, survived the massacre. In this video, she recalls the day the massacre took place, saying: “They took me at about five in … Continue reading
