Ronald Reagan takes oath as 40th President (Jan. 20).

March 30 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.

April 12 – The Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia launches

Pope John Paul II wounded by gunman (May 14).

Super Bowl XV: The Oakland Raiders defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 27–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A worldwide television audience of over 700 million people watched the Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

August 1 – MTV (Music Television) is launched on cable television in the United States.

Reagan nominates Judge Sandra Day O'Connor, 51, of Arizona, as first woman on US Supreme Court (July 7).

December 28 – The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in Norfolk, Virginia.

Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists during a military parade in Cairo (Oct. 6).

AIDS is first identified. Background: Understanding AIDS IBM introduces its first personal computer, running the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS). Background: Computers and Internet

The FDA approves the use of the artificial sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet). Background: Health & Nutrition

US-Iran agreement frees 52 hostages held in Teheran since 1979 (Jan. 20); hostages welcomed back in US (Jan. 25).

Federal debt: $994.8 billion

Median Household Income (current dollars): $19,074

Consumer Price Index: 90.9

Unemployment: 7.6%

Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.15 ($0.18 as of 3/22/81; $0.20 as of 11/1/81)