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Historical Context for July 16, 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 July 16, 1980

PRODUCTIVITY GOALS ELUDE CITY TRANSIT; No Progress Despite Contract-- Each Side Blames the Other Conditions Are Worsening Transit Authority Sees No Gain In Productivity Despite Contract A Performance Indicator

By David A. Andelman

Three months after the agreement on a Transport Workers Union contract, the New York City Transit Authority has not realized any of the productivity gains it had predicted when the contract was negotiated, and officials said yesterday there would be no gains for at least two more months.

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Community Groups Thrive on Own; 'The Ombudsman's Role' Community Self-Help Groups on Rise Variety of Ethnic Groups Workers' Course at Columbia A Manual for Volunteers Good Grades Required Sports Complex Favored

By Thomas A. Johnson

Parents and homeowners in Laurelton, Queens, believing that city officials are giving a low priority to the area's problems with drug addiction and crime, have decided to combat the problems on their own. They formed a youth group and are trying to raise money among themselves and through philanthropic and governmental sources.

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Fishmongers Yield To London's Traffic; Fish Market Abandons Billingsgate

By R.w. Apple Jr. London

THERE has been a fish market at the place called Billingsgate for at least 1,100 years, and perhaps since Roman times. It was there by the River Thames in 1666 when the Great Fire of London began only a few blocks away. By that time, the pungent language of its merchants was already so well known that its name had become a synonym for abuse and violent invective.

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Britain to Buy U.S. Trident Missiles For New Atomic Submarine Force; Plans to Spend $12 Billion to Modernize and Maintain Its Own Nuclear Deterrent Into the Next Century Substantial Rise in Firepower Soviet Condemnation Expected Britain to Buy U.S. Tridents for New Submarine Force Trident II Being Developed History of Close Ties

By Richard Burt Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, July 15--The United States has agreed to sell Britain ballistic missiles and support technology to enable it to modernize and maintain its seabased nuclear deterrent force into the 21st century, American and British officials announced today.

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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.