2020: 40th

40th Anniversary:

January 26, 1980:  Israel and Egypt established diplomatic relations.

January 27, 1980:  The Canadian Caper ended with the rescue of 6 US Diplomats from the Canadian Embassy in Iran. The Americans had escaped during the Iranian storming of the US Embassy in November 1979.

January 29, 1980:  The Rubik’s Cube, invented in Hungary, was  introduced worldwide.

February 22, 1980:  The Miracle on Ice occurred when the American Hockey team beat the Soviet Hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

April 7, 1980:  The US severed diplomatic relations with Iran for Iran’s role in storming the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and taking 52 American Diplomats and Civilians hostage. 

April 18, 1980: Zimbabwe was created from the internationally-unrecognized Rhodesia (which was created in 1965.)

May 18, 1980: Mt St. Helens erupted. Located in Washington, the eruption (a VEI 5 event) has been declared the most disastrous volcanic eruption in U.S. history. The eruption caused 57 deaths, about $1.1 billion in property damage ($ 3.3 billion today, adjusted for inflation.)

May 20, 1980: Quebec Referendum occurred. The Canadian Province of Quebec rejected independence in its first-ever Independence Referendum with 59.6% voting “No.” A second Independence Referendum was held in Quebec in 1995 with 50.1% voting “No.”

June 1, 1980: First CNN broadcast. Upon its launch, CNN was the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage and was the first all-news television channel in the United States. Today CNN is seen in 212 countries and territories.

July 1, 1980: “O Canada” became the National Anthem of Canada. The French version was created in 1880 and the English version in 1908. “O Canada” served as the de facto National Anthem since 1939. Today the English version, the French version and a Bilingual version are officially allowed. “God Save the King/Queen” continues to be the Royal Anthem of Canada.

July 30, 1980: Vanuatu became independent from France and the United Kingdom (which had been part of both countries since 1906.)

September 5, 1980: The Gotthard Road Tunnel opened in Switzerland.

September 22, 1980: Iraq invaded Iran starting the Iran-Iraq War.