When This Dropped

December 1, 1986

President
Reagan
Dow (EOY)
1,896
Gas/gal
$0.86
Big Mac
$1.60
Min Wage
$3.35

By the winter of 1986, Reagan was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $3.35/hr — the Iran-Contra affair was beginning to surface, with congressional leaders calling for a special investigation into the White House's secret arms deal with Iran. At the movies, Sydney Pollack's "Out of Africa" was drawing audiences across the country, and on television, "The Golden Girls" had become one of the most-watched comedies in America. The New York Mets had just claimed the 1986 World Series title over the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic seven-game finish, and on January 28th, the nation came to a standstill when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe in a moment that reshaped the future of American space travel.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — December 1, 1986

New York Times
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of December 1, 1986

Children With Children: Coping With A Crisis

Congress Leaders Seek Special Unit On Iran Arms Deal

Bolivia Drug Traffic Builds Again As American Troops Withdraw

Soviet To Abide By Arms Treaty 'For Time Being'

World Events — December 1986

Time Person of the Year — 1986

Deng Xiaoping
Person of the Year
Deng Xiaoping

On the radio

Billboard Charts — December 1, 1986

The Next Time I Fall
Peter Cetera With Amy Grant
Hot 100 #1
"The Next Time I Fall"
Peter Cetera With Amy Grant
Miami Vice
Soundtrack
Billboard 200 #1
"Miami Vice"
Soundtrack

Grammy Awards

Graceland
Paul Simon
Grammy Album of the Year
"Graceland"
Paul Simon
That's What Friends Are For
Dionne Warwick & Friends
Grammy Song of the Year
"That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick & Friends
Higher Love
Steve Winwood
Grammy Record of the Year
"Higher Love"
Steve Winwood
Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Grammy Best New Artist
Bruce Hornsby & The Range

On the bookshelf

It
Stephen King
NYT Fiction #1
"It"
Stephen King
Fatherhood
Bill Cosby
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Fatherhood"
Bill Cosby
Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"Lonesome Dove"
Larry McMurtry
World's Fair
E.L. Doctorow
National Book Award Fiction
"World's Fair"
E.L. Doctorow
Arctic Dreams
Barry Lopez
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Arctic Dreams"
Barry Lopez

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1986–87 Season

The Cosby Show
Nielsen #1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1986–87 Season

Emmy Winners — 1986

L.A. Law
Emmy Drama Series
L.A. Law
The Golden Girls
Emmy Comedy Series
The Golden Girls
Bruce Willis
Moonlighting
Emmy Lead Actor
Bruce Willis
Moonlighting
Sharon Gless
Cagney & Lacey
Emmy Lead Actress
Sharon Gless
Cagney & Lacey

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 1, 1986

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Box Office #1
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Out of Africa
Oscar Best Picture
Out of Africa
Oliver Stone
Platoon
Oscar Best Director
Oliver Stone
Platoon
Paul Newman
The Color of Money
Oscar Best Actor
Paul Newman
The Color of Money
Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God
Oscar Best Actress
Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God

Ebert 4-Star Films — December 1, 1986

28 Up
4-Star Review
28 Up
About Last Night…
4-Star Review
About Last Night…
A Room with a View
4-Star Review
A Room with a View
A Year Of The Quiet Sun
4-Star Review
A Year Of The Quiet Sun
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
4-Star Review
Down and Out in Beverly Hills

On the field

Sports Champions — December 1, 1986

Super Bowl
Chicago Bears
def. New England Patriots
World Series
New York Mets
def. Boston Red Sox
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Houston Rockets
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Calgary Flames

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