Overview of 1984

World Events
World Population: 4.769 Billion

• US and Vatican exchange diplomats after 116-year hiatus (Jan. 10).
  
• Reagan orders US Marines withdrawn from Beirut international peacekeeping force (Feb. 7).
  

U.S. Events

• Thirty-ninth Democratic National Convention, nominates Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine A. Ferraro (July 16–19).
  
• Thirty-third Republican National Convention renominates President Reagan and Vice President Bush (Aug. 20-25).

  

• President Reagan re-elected in landslide with 59% of vote (Nov. 7).

U.S. Statistics
President: Ronald W. Reagan
Vice President: George Bush
Population: 235,824,902
Life expectancy: 74.7 years
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000): 50.3
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000): 44.9
Economics
US GDP (1998 dollars): $3,902.40 billion
Federal spending: $851.85 billion
Federal debt: $1564.7 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars): $22,415
Consumer Price Index: 103.9
Unemployment: 7.5%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.20

Sports

Super Bowl

LA Raiders d. Washington (38-9)

World Series

Detroit d. San Diego (4-1)

NBA Championship

Boston d. LA Lakers (4-3)

Stanley Cup

Edmonton d. NY Islanders (4-1)

Wimbledon

Women: Martina Navratilova d. C. Evert Lloyd (7-6 6-2)
Men: John McEnroe d. J. Connors (6-1 6-1 6-2)

Kentucky Derby Champion

Swale

NCAA Basketball Championship

Georgetown d. Houston (84-75)

NCAA Football Champions

BYU (13-0-0)

1984 Summer Olympics 1984 Winter

Entertainment

• Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac, Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs

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Grammys awarded in 1984
Record of the Year: "Beat It," Michael Jackson
Album of the Year: Thriller, Michael Jackson (Epic/CBS)
Song of the Year: "Every Breath You Take," Sting, songwriter
Science

• Joe W. Kittinger makes the first solo transatlantic balloon flight in the helium-filled Rosie O'Grady's Balloon of Peace. He travels 3,535 miles from Caribou, Maine to Savona, Italy. Background: Famous Firsts in Aviation
• Apple introduces the user-friendly Macintosh personal computer. Background: Computers and Internet

References
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1984.html
Images courtesy of Google