May 31, 1980
Gas cost $1.19 a gallon in the spring of 1980, and the Dow Jones stood at 964 — the United States was navigating the Iran hostage crisis and rising inflation, with the Carter administration quietly stepping back from treating the standoff as an active emergency. On the cultural front, Blondie's "Call Me" sat at the top of the charts while Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" was the bestselling nonfiction book in the country. The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship over the Philadelphia 76ers, and that same spring the World Health Organization certified the global eradication of smallpox — the first and still only time in history that a human disease had been completely eliminated from the planet.
On the cover
Magazine Covers — May 31, 1980
NY Times Headlines — Week of May 31, 1980
Begin Will Continue As Defense Minister To Avert Showdown; Israeli Coalition Still Split Fight Over Successor To Weizman Seen As Threat To The Regime Cabinet Shift Put Off Shamir And Modai Named Israeli Premier Averts A Showdown In Cabinet By Keeping Defense Post Objection A Matter Of Protocol 2 Arabic Newspapers Curbed
3 West Bank Bombs Maim Two Mayors; Jews Are Suspected; A Third Arab Official Is Safe Grenade Hurts 7 Others In A Crowd As Coordinated Terror Attacks Span 4 Palestinian Towns Vehement Foes Of Occupation Terrorism Denounced By Begin Coordinated Terror Attacks In West Bank Cities Maim Two Arab Mayors 'Room For Only One Nation' Shame And Outrage In Israel One Mayor On Phone To Lawyer P.L.O. Calls For U.N. Session U.S. Condemns Bombings
House And Senate Vote Down Oil Fee By Large Margins; Veto Promised By President But Override Is Expected As Carter And Congress Leaders Lose Support Of Democrats 'Because It Is Right' Oil Fee Voted Down In House And Senate 'Program Without A Constituency' Court Ruling Was Appealed Called 'A Spurious Tax' Postponed Debt-Ceiling Vote
Vance Urges Senate To Back Arms Pact; Says Afghan Crisis Should Be No Bar To Vote On Weapons Curb 4,600 Degrees Are Awarded Vance, At Harvard, Bids Senate Act On Arms Pact Despite Afghanistan Vance Played Major Role Allusion To Rescue Attempt
House, By 335 To 34, Overrides Carter On Oil-Import Fee; Action By Senate Due Today President Defends Measure In His Veto--Other Ways To Raise Gasoline Prices Studied Water Project Vote Was Close House, By 335 To 34, Overrides Carter Veto Of Oil-Fee Rejection White House Sees Humiliation Intervened In Budget Process
U.N. Assails Israelis Over Bomb Attacks That Maimed Arabs; U.S. Abstains In Council Vote Resolution, Passed By 14-0, Terms Population Of The West Bank Inadequately Protected Council Focusing On Mideast U.N. Condemns Israel On Bombings; U.S. Abstains
World Events — May 1980
Time Person of the Year — 1980
On the radio
Billboard Charts — May 31, 1980
Grammy Awards
On the bookshelf
On the television
Nielsen Top 10 — 1979–80 Season
Emmy Winners — 1980
At the movies
Box Office & Oscar Winners — May 31, 1980
Ebert 4-Star Films — May 31, 1980
On the field
Sports Champions — May 31, 1980
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