The Eighties

Flip the channel to primetime soaps, adult dramas and family sitcoms. Plus, how the VCR and remote control changed the way we watch TV today.

Ronald Reagan's two-term presidency is defined through landmark legislative achievements and political setbacks.

A mysterious and lethal illness develops into a pandemic with enormous political and cultural consequences.

The USSR's rise to power ignited an astounding chain of events that culminated in the dramatic conclusion of the decades-long Cold War.

The Digital Revolution spurs new innovations and inventions. The personal computer and the internet start to define life as we know it today.

New technology and the rise of MTV dominate the music world as CDs and groundbreaking new videos from artists like Madonna are released.

Junk bonds, bailouts and Wall Street corruption set the tone for a decade of greed and excess.