What was going on when I was born?
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Historical Context for May 30, 1980
Headlines from May 30, 1980
Bell Wins Rate Rise; Bell Granted Rate Rise Below What It Sought
WASHINGTON, May 29 The Federal Communications Commission today approved a $600 million increase in long-distance phone rates by the Americam Telephone and Telegraph Company but turned down a larger, two-step, 10.5 percent increase.
Criticism of Fraiman By Court Was Unjust, Lawyers' Panel Says; Conviction Overturned Court of Appeals Rebuke of Fraiman Was Unjust, Lawyers' Panel Says 'Consistent With Fairness' Court Has No Comment
A joint committee of two major lawyers' associations said yesterday that the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, had unjustly criticized Justice Arnold G. Fraiman of State Supreme Court last year.
Summer of Music Anchors at Seaport, Where Past Is New; Summer of Music Anchors at Seaport, Where the Past Is New Schermerhorn Row New Fulton Market Museum Shops Front Street Water Street The Seaport Piers
IT speaks eloquently for the easy social mobility of our times that a unit so informally musical as the Sun Ra Jet Set Universe Arkestra should occupy tonight and tomorrow a pier of the ...
VERNON JORDAN SHOT AT MOTEL IN INDIANA; WOUNDS ARE SEVERE; F.B.I. BEGINS INVESTIGATION The Police Find No Witnesses National Urban League Chier Has 4 Hours of Surgery Motive Unclear, Mayor Says 'Assassination Attempt' to Carter Vernon Jordan Seriously Wounded At Motel After Speech in Indiana Facing Motel Room When Shot Ambulance and Police Arrive 'Knew Nothing and Saw Nothing"
FORT WAYNE, Ind., May 29 Vernon E. Jordan Jr., president of the National Urban League, was shot in the back and severely wounded early this morning in the parking lot of his motel here.
Yeshiva Tries to Void Status as Landmark; Landmark Designation Pits Yeshiva Against Neighbors Mansion Built in 1901 Statements Labeled as Unfair Viewed as Test of Law
On the surface it seemed simple. There was, at the corner of River side Drive and 89th Street on the Upper West Side, a 79-year-old house known as the Isaac L. Rice mansion.
Carter and Reagan 'Debate' in Ohio, Six Blocks Apart; Two Images of the U.S. Carter and Reagan 'Debate' in Ohio, Six Blocks Apart Disagreement on the Budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 29 A mere six blocks away from each other, President Carter and Ronald Reagan today painted two entirely different pictures of the United States and of their own visions for the country at competing noontime rallies here.
Dow Drops 14.07 to End 4-Day Rally; Decline Biggest Since April 7 As Volume Rises Spurred by Drop in Rates Economic Measures a Factor Dow Drops By 14.07, Ending 4-Day Rally Computer Issues Mixed
A four-day rally at the New York Stock Exchange came to an abrupt halt yesterday as the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 14.07 points in active trading. The drop was the biggest since the Dow lost 15.79 points on April 7.
Old Favorites at Guggenheim Get Their Ovwn Permanent Niche; Art: At Guggenheim, Niche for Favorites
THERE is something inherently absorb about an art museum keeping the cream of its permanent collection in fairly continuous storage while its public exhibition space is given over to temporary loan shows not invariably equal in quality or interest to the permanent holdings they displace.
A Turner Sells for Record $6.4 Million; 'Spate of First-Rate Pictures'
J.M.W. Turner's "Juliet and Her Nurse" was sold yesterday for $6.4 million at Sotheby Parke Bernet, becoming the most expensive art work ever sold at auction and probably the most costly painting ever sold in any fashion.
U.S. Linked to Toxic Wastes At Five Niagara Falls Sites; Many Questions Unanswered Release Was Delayed U.S. Linked to Chemical Dumping At Five Sites Around Niagara Falls
ALBANY, May 29 Government documents suggesting that lethal gases, corrosive acids and radioactive waste were dumped by the Federal Government during World War II in at least five sites around Niagara Falls were made public today by a State Assembly task force.
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.