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Historical Context for January 9, 1980

In 1980, the world population was approximately 4,447,606,236 people[†]

In 1980, the average yearly tuition was $738 for public universities and $3,225 for private universities. Today, these costs have risen to $9,750 and $35,248 respectively[†]

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Headlines from January 9, 1980

Limit on Silver Futures Touches Off Price Drop; Hunt Expresses His View Limit on Silver Leads to Price Decline Trading Pattern Watched

By H.j. Maidenberg

The Commodity Exchange's move to break up large holdings of silver futures caused a sharp sell-off yesterday in all precious metals and copper. The action by Comex officials in New York, taken Monday night, was aimed at preventing their futures market from becoming a relatively inexpensive medium for speculation in metals.

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Carter, Under Pressure of Crises, Tests New Foreign Policy Goals; Crises Seem to Hasten Changes President, Under the Pressure of Crises, Looking to New Foreign Policy Goals Military Strategy Changes Pakistan to Get Arms Soviet Is Top Priority Budget Increase Cited

By Richard Burt Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8--The Carter Administration, under the pressure of events in Iran and Afghanistan, has been forced to abandon many of the foreign policy goals it unveiled with great fanfare three years ago.

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Faking of College Credits for Athletes Is Under Inquiry; Dismissals and Forfeitures The Faking of College Credits for Athletes Is Under Invesgitation 'More Fundamental' Than Rules The Pressure to Win 'Plenty of Courses' Course for School Teachers Damage More Than Lost Games

By Philip Taubman

Every year, hundreds of college athletes, often with help from their coaches, remain in good standing as students by having fraudulent academic credits transferred from a variety of summer and extension programs offered by other schools, according to coaches and university officials.

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U.P.-Mopac Rail Merger Slated; U.P.-Mopac Merger Plan

By Winston Williams

Two of the nation's strongest railroad companies, the Union Pacific Corporation and the Missouri Pacific Corporation, announced a preliminary agreement yesterday for a merger valued at about $900 million. The merger would form the country's largest transportation-based conglomerate.

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U.S. AND EGYPT HOLD JOINT AIR EXERCISES AS A CRISIS REACTION; 300 AMERICANS ARE ASSIGNED Looking to Iran and Afghan Strife, Washington Puts Surveillance Planes in Base by the Nile Report on SR-71's Erroneous Air Defense and Other Operations U.S. and Egypt Conduct Air Test In a Reaction to Crises in Region

By Bernard Gwertzman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8--In response to the crises in Iran and Afghanistan, the United States has quietly undertaken joint air exercises with Egypt using the most costly and advanced United States electronic-surveillance planes.

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U.S. Is Reported Gaining Support For Curb on Iran; Allies Are Said to Agree to Financial Sanctions Left Deliberately Vague U.S. and Other Countries Said to Agree on Iran Financial Sanctions Powell Sees 'a Worsening'

By Steven Rattner Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8--The United States has won agreement from other major industrial countries on new financial sanctions against Iran and plans to include the measures in a forthcoming United Nations resolution, according to diplomatic sources.

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Thousands of Mental Patients Just Walk Out; State Acknowledges Problem Patient Defends Slaying Mental Patients Walk Out of Hospitals Escape Appears Simple

By Robin Herman

Between April and September last year, 3,670 patients walked out of New York State's psychiatric hospitals without being discharged, according to the State Office of Mental Health. Some of them were voluntary patients who were legally free to come and go. Others were committed under civil law, and their departures were illegal.

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I was wondering if anything interesting on the news was going on when I was born, and decided to create this website for fun. The purpose is to show people what was going on when they were born. With this website I've found out that it was a pretty slow news day on my birthday, but I bet it would feel cool to know a historical event happened on your birthday.

The data used in this project is provided by the New York Times API. They have by far the best API I was able to find, with articles dating back to the 1950s. There weren't any other major newspapers that had an API with close to as much data. The closest was the Guardian API, but theirs only went back to the 1990s. I decided to only use articles from the New York Times because their API was by far the best. This tool works if you have a birthday after the 1950s or so.

Some important dates in history I'd recommend looking up on this website are:

  • 9/11/2001: The September 11 Attacks happened on this day, the news articles from this date provide great context to the tragedy our nation suffered and the immediate response from the American people. The headlines capture the shock, confusion, and unity that emerged in the aftermath of this devastating event.
  • 7/20/1969: The historic Apollo 11 moon landing, when humans first set foot on another celestial body. The articles from this date showcase humanity's greatest achievement in space exploration and the culmination of the space race.
  • 11/9/1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War. The coverage provides fascinating insights into this pivotal moment in world history and the emotions of people as decades of division came to an end.
  • 1/20/2009: Barack Obama's inauguration as the first African American President of the United States, a watershed moment in American history that represented a major milestone in the ongoing journey toward racial equality.
  • 8/15/1969: The Woodstock Music Festival began, marking a defining moment in American counterculture and music history. The coverage captures the spirit of the era and the unprecedented gathering of young people.

These historical events are just a few examples of the fascinating moments in history you can explore through this tool. Whether you're interested in your own birthday, significant historical dates, or just curious about what was making headlines on any given day, this website offers a unique window into the past through the lens of contemporary news coverage.

You can read more on our blog.