Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: 1980 – 1989

We can tell a lot about a decade by the people (or things in this case) chosen by Time Magazine as their person of the year. It gives us a sense of the important events and societal changes that were going on during the 1980s.
 

1980: Ronald Reagan
1980
Ronald Reagan
(b.1911–d.2004)

1981: Lech Wałęsa
1981
Lech Wałęsa
(b.1943)

1982: The Computer (first non-human "abstract" chosen)
1982
The Computer (first non-human “abstract” chosen)

1983: Ronald Reagan (b.1911–d.2004) (2nd time) and Yuri Andropov (b.1914–d.1984)
1983
Ronald Reagan (b.1911–d.2004) (2nd time)
& Yuri Andropov
(b.1914–d.1984)

1984: Peter Ueberroth (b.1937)
1984
Peter Ueberroth
(b.1937)

1985: Deng Xiaoping (b.1904–d.1997) (2nd time)
1985
Deng Xiaoping
(b.1904–d.1997)
(2nd time)

1986: Corazón Aquino (b.1933-d.2009)
1986
Corazón Aquino
(b.1933-d.2009)

1987: Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (b.1931)
1987
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (b.1931)

1988: Endangered Earth ("Planet of the Year")
1988
Endangered Earth
(“Planet of the Year”)

1989: Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (b.1931) (Man of the Decade)
1989
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (b.1931)
(Man of the Decade)

Author: Pia Sooney

Just a little obsessed with all things 80s, Pia still has her Swatch, her cassette tape collection, and her Converse Chucks. When not making friendship pins or listening to Depeche Mode, she runs a web design business.

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