| Entertainment: The movies offer us a trip back in time this year with Milos Forman's Amadeus and E.M. Forster's A Passage to India. They also offer us a glimpse into the future with our introduction to The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Top music hits include Break My Stride and I Just Called to Say I Love You, and the number one song of the year was Say, Say, Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. In January, Michael Jackson's hair caught fire during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial, and Run-D.M.C. are the first ever rap group to have an albulm certified gold. |
| Cost of Living*: In 1984, a gallon of milk sold for $.94, a loaf of bread was $.71, a new car sold for $6,294.00, a gallon of gas was $1.27, and a new house for $110,610.00. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was about 1,211.57. *These figures are based on National Averages (and obviously are a little higher than what we saw in our little village of Milford Center)! |
| Politics: November 6, 1984, Ronald Reagan is reelected President and George Bush was reelected Vice-President. Reagan beat Walter Mondale, his Democratic opponent, 54 million votes to 38 million votes. The Republicans also gained two seats in the U.S. Senate, upping their majority to 53 to 47. Democrats remained in control of the lower house, keeping 253 seats to the Republicans' 182. In North Carolina, the first woman to be executed in 22 years was 52-year-old Margie Velma Varfield who had been convicted of murder. American bankers agree to loan Argentina another $500 million so the country will not default on it's loans. |
| Events of September: As we were beginning our Senior year in September 1984, Joe Kittlinger took four days to complete the first solo transatlantic ballon flight and cover the 3, 535 miles from Caribou, Maine to Savona, Italy. His ballon was called Rosie O'Grady's Balloon of Peace. The U.S. Open tennis championships were won by John McEnroe in the men's singles division and Martina Navratilova in the women's singles division. The American Kennel Club celebrates it's 100th anniverary on the 17th. |
| Religion: The Supreme Court rules that cities can display nativity scenes as part of their Christmas display. The court split 5-4 on the ruling. The U.S. Senate has an equally hard time debating whether to allow silent or vocal prayer in the country's public schools. Eventually, the senators elect to table the decision, delaying a vote for later in the session. |
| 1984 |
| The Year in Review |