HomeBlog

What was going on when I was born?

Enter your birthdate to find out.

Historical Context for December 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[†]

Filter by:

Headlines from December 9, 1980

Soviet Armed Services Showing Weaknesses In Several Key Areas; The Soviet Military: Its Power and Limits Last of three articles. Soviet Armed Forces Show Weakness in Many Key Areas Afghanistan Seen as Example Reluctance to Attack Afghans Breakdown of Deployment Soviet Troops Well Trained Maintenance Is Centralized Birth Rate Is Declining Navy and Air Force Problems

By Unknown Author

The Soviet armed forces, like those of the United States, have formidable weaknesses in readiness and manpower. There are ethnic tensions within the ranks; there is a shortage of sophisticated weaponry, and there are deficiencies in battlereadiness in both the army and the navy.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

REAGAN PLANS DRIVE FOR TRANSITION AID; Republicans Need $1 Million More To Cover Record Operations Volumes of Information Reagan Plans Fund-Raising Effort For Record Transition Operations Fund Will Be Audited Doubts on Value Expressed

By David E. Rosenbaum Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8--Presidentelect Ronald Reagan is planning to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in private donations to finance the most elaborate transition operation in history.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

SOVIET ASSAILS UNION; U.S. Aides Say a Move Into Poland May Be Masked as Military Games Groundwork for Intervention Troops Prepared to Move U.S. Officials Report A Callup of Reservists In Soviet Bloc Nations

By Bernard Gwertzman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8--Administration officials said today that some military reservists had been called up in the past few days in the Soviet Union, East Germany and Czechoslovakia, increasing the possibility of joint military intervention in Poland under the guise of Warsaw Pact maneuvers.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

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.