Nathan Hale High School

1986 Following a number of trouble free years in Space Exploration the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after take off watched by people live on TV around the world. The Internet Mail Access Protocol defined which opens the way for E-Mail and the same year the Human Genome Project is launched to understand the Human Makeup , this will open the way for great advances in the treatment of many illnesses. The worst ever Nuclear Disaster occurs as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station Explodes causing the release of radioactive material across much of Europe. In the UK (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease is identified which causes many deaths over the next few years and a major reform in farming practices.

Our President: Ronald Reagan

How Much things cost in 1986
Yearly Inflation Rate USA1.91%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1895
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 7.50%
Average Cost of new house $89,430.00
Average Income per year $22,400.00
Average Monthly Rent $385.00
Average Price for new car $9,255.00
1 gallon of gas 89 cents
Casio Portable Color Television $249.99
Tandy 600 Portable Computer $1599.00
Bacon per pound $1.75

National Debt
12/31/86 under President Reagan, the national debt was $2,214,835,000,000 (in current dollars)
12/31/10 under President Obama, the national debt was $14,025,215,218,709 (in current dollars)

What Events Happened in 1986
* Breakthrough in US - USSR Arms Talks between Reagan and Gorbachev leads to commitment to disarm thus ending a long period of instability caused by the Cold War

* Approximately Seven million Americans join hands in "Hands Across America"

* Iran-Contra Affair President Ronald Reagan's administration sold arms to Iran, an avowed enemy. At the time, Americans were being held hostage in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a militant Shi'a organization loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini.

* Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history

* Smoking is banned on all public transport including trains, planes, busses and coaches

Technology
The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel.

Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after launch, killing all on board

The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station

IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer.

British Surgeons perform the worlds first triple transplant ( Heart, Lung and Liver )

Internet Mail Access Protocol defined for e-mail transfer

The 386 series of microprocessor introduced by Intel.

Human Genome Project launched with the object to understand the human genome and therefore provide the continuing progress of medicine, It was announced in 2000 to be completed by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair

Popular Films
Top Gun
Crocodile Dundee
Platoon
The Karate Kid, Part II
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Aliens
Ruthless People
The Color of Money
The Money Pit

Popular Musicians
Billy Joel
Robert Palmer
Lionel Richie
Van Halen
The Police
Debbie Harry
Simply Red
Whitney Houston with " the greatest love of all "
The Pretenders
Genesis
The Bangles with " Walk Like and Egyption "
Chris de Burgh
Madonna with " Papa Don't Preach "
Prince
Culture Club
Bruce Springsteen
Pet Shop Boys

Popular TV Programs
Magnum, P.I.
Dynasty
Falcon Crest
Hill Street Blues
Cagney and Lacey
Cheers
Fame
Family Ties
Remington Steele
The A-Team
Highway to Heaven
Murder, She Wrote
The Cosby Show
EastEnders
Growing Pains
Neighbours
The Twilight Zone

You know you grew up in the 80's if......

· You've ever ended a sentence with the word "SIKE".

· You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and can do the "Carlton."

· Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.

· Two words: Hammer Pants.

· You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

· You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

· You wore stone washed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

· L.A.Gear....need I say more?

· You remember reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and all the Ramona Quimby books.

· You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF."

· You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe).

· You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.

· You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.

· You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes (and probably in neon colors, too).

· After you saw "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" you kept saying "I know what you are, but what am I?

· You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up."

· You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

· You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.

· You have played with a Skip-It.

· You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.

· "Don't worry, be happy."

· You wore, like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.

· You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do).

· You remember boom boxes.

· You remember Alf, the li'l furry brown alien from Melmac.

· You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool.

· You know all the words to Bon Jovi's "SHOT THROUGH THE HEART."

· (You just sang those words to yourself.)

· You remember watching Magic vs. Bird. Oh yeah............it will never be that good again

· Homemade Levi shorts... (The shorter the better.)

· You remember when mullets were cool!

· You had a mullet!

· You still sing "We are the World."

· You tight rolled your jeans. (french cuffed)

· You owned a banana clip.

· You remember "Where's the Beef?

· You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

· You had big hair and you knew how to use it.

· You remember Don Johnson when he was "cool"

· You know who shot J.R

· You remember when Michael Jackson was actually considered something of a sex symbol

· You practice getting in and out of your car through the windows

· You owned at least one skinny leather tie.

· Your first Walkman weighed 10 pounds and was the size of a brick.

· You wore L.A. Gear tennis shoes.

· If you can "See Better" with sunglasses that have paint splattered all over the lenses.

· You wore lace gloves with the fingers cut off, bangle bracelets up to your elbows, bright red Reebok high tops and parachute pants to a school dance

· You need a shopping cart to carry your personal stereo with you.

· You go rollerskating every Friday night (not to skate, but to 'hang out')

· You had a poster of Bo, Luke & Daisy Duke

· There was nothing to question about Bert n' Ernie living together

· The feeling in your thumb is only now just returning after holding down the Atari joystick to control the racecar in Enduro Racer

· You went out and purchased the sound track for 'Miami Vice'

· If you think Hulk Hogan is the best wrestler of all time.

· If the best non-slasher movie in your opinion is An American Werewolf In London.

· Two words: The Clapper.

· Six words: "This is your brain on drugs."

· You want to live in 'the Valley'.

· Ferris Bueller was your idol.

· You watched 'Star Search' on a regular basis.

· You can sing all the words to "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head, and now you understand that it is about chess.

· If you had an entire wardrobe of Esprit clothing (or coveted one.)

· If you know the words to the "Oscar Mayer" theme songs

· Your bangs are teased perfectly to 7 inches above the rest of your hair.

· Have multi-colored earrings that touch your shoulders

· Played Upwords, Boggle or Trivial Pursuit (the original) on a rainy afternoon

· You're still bitter that WHAM broke up

· You know whose phone number is 867-5309

· You drink Diet Coke because Max Headroom told you to

· You can feel St. Elmo's fire burnin' in you.

· You still wear a bandana tied around your leg and/or a ponytail off-center on the side of your head.

· You have the tendency to turn up the collar of your polo shirts

· You never go out for a night on the town without frosted blue eye shadow and feathered bangs

· Everything in your wardrobe is either pastel or fluorescent

· People are constantly gagging you with spoons.

· You know all the words to "I'm just a bill, sitting up on Capitol Hill" and "School House Rock."

· You still can't believe that Milli Vanilli was deceiving you all that time

· Every now and then, you blurt out: "Ooh noo, Mr. Bill!!!"

· You still watch things on Beta tapes

· You know who Martha Quinn is.

· You still carry your boom box on your shoulder

· You wanted to be "The Hulk" for halloween

· A piece of folded paper and two hands could tell your fortune.

· Knickers and leg warmers were cool

· If you remember Bruce Willis from Moonlighting, not Die Hard

· You had ringside seats for Luke and Laura's wedding

· You ever had a Dorothy Hammill haircut.

· You thought a Commodore 64 was the highest technology available

· When you saw luging at the Winter Olympics you poured water down your driveway and tried it yourself.

· You want to be "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

· 'A Different World' kicked butt

· Remember "Dancin' to a Big Mac at McDonalds!"

· You know who played Magnum P.I

· One Phrase, "The Plane, The Plane"

· You can name at least three members of the Brat Pack

· Still think banana clips were a godsend

· Still wear Wet n' Wild makeup

· If your idea of hi-tech toys is still the heat-sensitive color-changing sticker on Transformers

· You ever wanted to learn to play "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar and choreographed "Dancing Queen" by yourself in your room.

· You still wear your "Members Only" jacket.

· You still have a couple of those barettes made of woven ribbons.

· You had snap bracelets

· You remember when Pee-Wee wasn't a pervert.

· You had had five pairs of socks on at any given time

· You still think Donkey Kong can beat Mario up

· If you still have your scratch-n-sniff sticker collection

· If you ever used Lee Press-On Nails

· If you remember when you heard that drinking soda and eating Pop Rocks would make your stomach explode

· You still play with that CASIO SK-1 Keyboard

· You're still hoping for a New Kids on the Block reunion tour (guess that one is coming true)

· You still argue over who was better: Tiffany or Debbie Gibson

· Every time you hear the "OH YEAH..." song you think of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

· You still watch tapes of Stingray, McGyver, and Airwolf

· You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.