Events of 1980
| February 22: | Miracle on Ice Mike Eruzione, on the U.S. hockey team scores the winning goal against the heavily favored Soviet team in the 1980 Winter Olympics. |
| March 21: | U.S. boycotts Moscow Summer Olympics The United States refuses to participate in 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. |
| April 24: | Iran hostage crisis A U.S. air raid fails to rescue the hostages when a rescue plane and a helicopter collide in the Iranian desert. |
| May 18: | Mount St. Helens erupts Long-dormant volcano erupts after a week of smaller volcanoes and earthquakes. |
| November 4: | Ronald Reagan elected as 40th U.S. president Ronald Reagan (R) defeats incumbent Jimmy Carter (D) in a landslide victory. Reagan wins 489 electoral votes, vs. Carter's 49 electoral votes. |
| November 20: | Who Shot J.R.? 83 million viewers tune in to Dallas learn who shot J.R. Ewing. It's audience size is second only to the final episode of M*A*S*H. (By the way, Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin shot him) |
| December 8: | John Lennon is assassinated Lennon is shot to death outside his New York City apartment by deranged fan, Mark Chapman. |