The world's worst nuclear accident occurs in the Soviet town of Chernobyl.
Chernobyl
Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc") flees to France, ending 28 years of family rule.
President Reagan freezes Libyan assets in US.
At least 15 people die after United States planes bomb targets in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the Benghazi region as part of Operation El Dorado Canyon.
Portugal and Spain join European Economic Community.
After a 20 year reign, President Ferdinand Marcos flees the Philippines, newly elected Corazon Aquino replaces him.
Georg Bednorz and Karl A. Muller invent first high temperature superconductor.
World Court rules US broke international law by mining Nicaraguan waters.
The first PC virus, Brain, starts to spread.
The French Air Force raids the Libyan Ouadi Doum airbase in northern Chad.
The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station.
Mir space station.
The US space shuttle Challenger, breaks up shortly after lift-off. This sets the US space program back by years.
Challenger
The European Community adopts the European flag.
European flag
1700 die in toxic gas leak in Cameroon.
The public begins to get glimpses of the criminality of the Reagan administration as the Iran-Contra scandal comes to the public's attention.
Reagan's Iran-Contra scandal comes to light
Union Carbide agrees to a settlement with victims of Bhopal gas leak.
VSNL incorporated under the Indian Companies Act.
Mohinder Amarnath becomes the first batsman dismissed for handling the ball in One Day International cricket.
Mohinder Amarnath
Hailstones weighing 2.2 lb (880 g) fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92.
Pan Am Flight 73, with 358 people on board, is hijacked at Karachi International Airport by 4 armed men of the Abu Nidal organisation.
Pan Am Flight 73
The All Jharkhand Students Union is founded, in order to fight for autonomy for tribal peoples in India.
Mehr Jessia is awarded the title "Miss India", in the Femina Miss India Pageant.
Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj is awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour
Anil Biswas wins "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award".
Anil Biswas
Much of the gossip revolves around the relationship between Mithun Chakrabarty and the actress Sridevi.
Juhi Chawla makes her screen debut in the film "Sultanat".
Juhi Chawla
"Ram Teri Ganga Maili" wins Filmfare Award for "Best Picture".
Ravindra Jain wins Filmfare award for "Best Music Director" for his work in "Ram Teri Ganga Maili".
Kishore Kumar wins the Filmfare Award for "Best Male Playback" for the song Saagar Kinare from "Saagar".
Kishore Kumar
Anuradha Paudwal wins the Filmfare Award for "Best Female Playback" for the song Mere Man Bajo Mridang from "Utsav".
V. Shantaram (actor/director/producer) is the recipient of the "Dadasaheb Phalke Award" for lifetime achievement.
Smita Patil dies of complications during childbirth at the age of 31. She was an actress in both mainstream and art films, as well as an outspoken social activist and feminist.
Smita Patil
Kamal Haasan wins the "Filmfare Best Actor Award" for his performance of Raja in "Saagar"
Dimple Kapadia wins the "Filmfare Best Actress Award" for her performance of Mona D'Silva in "Saagar"
Dimple Kapadia