1980

1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1980th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 980th year of the 2nd millennium, the 80th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1980s decade.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. In Saudi Arabia, 63 Islamist insurgents are beheaded for their part in the siege of the Great Mosque in Mecca in November, 1979. Andrei Sakharov, Soviet scientist and human rights activist, is arrested in Moscow. Abscam: FBI personnel target members of the Congress of the United States in a sting operation. The Voyager 1 probe confirms the existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn. March 3 U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. April 24 – 25 – Operation Eagle Claw, a commando mission in Iran to rescue American embassy hostages, is aborted after mechanical problems ground the rescue helicopters. Eight United States troops are killed in a mid-air collision during the failed operation. Iranian Embassy siege: Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in London, England. SAS retakes the Embassy on May 5; one terrorist survives. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington (state) kills 57 and causes US$3 billion in damage. The Empire Strikes Back is released in the United States. Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game of all time, is released in Japan.