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Historical Context for May 25, 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 May 25, 1980

JAPANESE JOIN U.S. IN OLYMPIC BOYCOTT AS DEADLINE PASSES; CAMPAIGN OUTCOME DISPUTED Americans Say 71 Countries Plan to Go to Games but Russians Put the Total at 102 Final Count Due Tuesday Soviet See U.S. Failure JAPANESE JOIN U.S. IN OLYMPIC BOYCOTT Uganda Changes Its Mind

By Robert D. McFadden

The Japanese Olympic Committee decided yesterday not to send a team to the Summer Games in Moscow, and the United States and the Soviet Union both claimed victory in their tug-of-war over participation.

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Doubt Is Raised About Dispersal Of the Captives; 'Not a Factor Outside Teheran' U.S. DOUBTS A SHIFT OF HOSTAGES IN IRAN Area Is Easy to Defend Some Signs of Dispersal Reported

By Philip Taubman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 24--The Carter Administration believes that most of the American hostages in Iran have not been dispersed as their captors report and that those removed from Teheran after the unsuccessful rescue attempt last month are being returned to that city.

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STAGE VIEW; Comedy, Tragedy and Mystical Fantasy' From Peter Brook

By Unknown Author

Peter Brook's season at the La Mama Annex, consisting of four plays in repertory, represents the culmination of his years of experimentation with his Paris-based company, the International Center for Theater Research. The plays, drawn from widely divergent sources, are essential experiences for anyone concerned with the progress of innovative theater.

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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.