July 24, 1984

A Big Mac cost $1.35 that summer of 1984, and the Dow Jones sat at 1,212 — the U.S. and Soviet Union were locked in a diplomatic standoff over arms negotiations, with Washington expressing regret at Moscow's refusal to return to the bargaining table. On movie screens, "Ghostbusters" was packing theaters across the country, while on the radio, Prince's "When Doves Cry" sat at number one for weeks running. The Summer Olympics in Los Angeles brought an outsized American performance on home soil, with U.S. athletes capturing 83 gold, 61 silver, and 30 bronze medals for a total of 174, the most any country had won in a single Games up to that point.