How Well Do You Know 1984?

By: Elizabeth Wilson
Published: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
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For those who lived through it,1984 was an an eventful year, when stuff happened, things changed, and legendary pop culture icons got their start. Luckily 1984 didn’t turn out to be the totalitarian dystopia George Orwell imagined it might be in his famous book of the same title, but hey, they’re working on it.

Coming out of the mellow and somewhat strange decade of the 70s, 1984 was an important year in a lot of ways. President Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term that year, and the space shuttle Discovery rocketed into space on her maiden voyage. In another space-based achievement, astronauts made the first space walk without being tethered to their craft, risking being lost in space forever. 1984 also saw the release of the first Apple Macintosh computer, and crack cocaine was introduced in on Los Angeles, the beginning of what would become a national epidemic. The virus that causes AIDS was identified, and DNA profiling was developed into a useable technology. Basketball LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio, as was actress America Ferrera in Los Angeles.

Although the recession that began in the previous decade was lingering on, the cost of living seems almost quaint compared to today, with a ticket to the movies costing $2.50, a gallon of gas $1.50, and a pound of bacon $1.69.

And it was a great year for music, movies, and TV shows, despite the fact that Michael Jackson caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial. A lot that were introduced that year are still favorites today, so you might do pretty good on the quiz even if you weren’t around in 1984. Give it a shot and find out. We dare you.