Major Events
- January 20, 1985: Ronald Reagan was privately sworn in for a second term as U.S. President (publicly sworn in, January 21).
- January 28, 1986: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster: Destruction of the shuttle and death of the crew shortly after lift-off.
- April 15, 1986: Operation El Dorado Canyon: At least 15 people die after United States planes bomb targets in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the Benghazi region.
- October 21, 1986: The Marshall Islands achieved independence from U.S.-administered UN Trusteeship and became an associated state under the Compact of Free Association.
- November 3, 1986: The Federated States of Micronesia achieved independence from U.S.-administered UN Trusteeship and became an associated state under the Compact of Free Association.
- November 3, 1986: Iran–Contra affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reported that the United States has been selling weapons to Iran in secret to secure the release of American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.
- November 4, 1986: United States general elections, 1986: Congressional Democrats regained (+8) their Senate majority (55-45), and slightly increased (+5) their House majority (258-177).
Read more about this topic: 99th United States Congress
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“Staff has a genius for sitting on its brains and coming up with perfect hindsight.”
—Leo V. Gordon, U.S. screenwriter, and Arthur Hiller. Major Craig (Rock Hudson)
“There is much to be said in favour of modern journalism. By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community. By carefully chronicling the current events of contemporary life, it shows us of what very little importance such events really are. By invariably discussing the unnecessary, it makes us understand what things are requisite for culture, and what are not.”
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