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Historical Context for August 18, 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 August 18, 1980

New England Farming Reawakens After 160 Years; New England Farming Is Reawakening Attaining Self-Sufficiency New Marketing Arrangements Increases Are Forecast Statistics on Farms

By Michael Knight Special To the New York Times

LANESBORO, Mass. Robert and Jennifer Steele did not have to be shown the statistics to know that something startling was happening to agriculture in New England, an economic activity that has been in decline for 160 years and whose doom has seemed obvious and imminent for decades.

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POLISH LABOR CRISIS DEEPENS AS WORKERS LIST THEIR DEMANDS; STRIKE COMMITTEE IS FORMED Panel, Agent for 50,000 in North, Seeks to Tie Pay to Prices Regime Remains Patient Many Workers Went to Mass Polish Crisis Deepens as Workers Draw Up Demands Visit to Express Solidarity Call for Release of Prisoners

By John Darnton Special To the New York Times

WARSAW, Aug. 17 The labor crisis in Poland deepened today as striking workers in three northern cities formed a special organization to consolidate their demands and strengthen their bargaining position with the Government.

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Amid Inquiry, Aides of ABC Tell of Gaps In Their Fiscal Power; ABC Fiscal Officers Get Limited Authority Over TV Contracts Perfunctory Audits Based on Oral Agreements Higher Costs to Advertisers Participants Told Differently No Record of Payment

By Jeff Gerth

Many officials of the American Broadcasting Companies who are responsible for internal cost controls possess limited authority to review multimillion dollar payments to two major independent producers and are forced to rely upon sketchy or ambiguous data when approving payment requests, according to ABC's own documents.

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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.