Britain's Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

The IBM PC is announced. Variants of this computer become the best selling computer family of all time by a very large margin selling over a billion by late 2002 (or roughly one for every six humans).

MTV, the first 24-hour music video channel, is launched in the U.S.

Billboard's #1 hit is The Tide is High, by Blondie.

Space Shuttle Columbia becomes first winged spaceship to orbit Earth and return to airport landing.

Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th U.S. president. George Bush becomes vice-president.

The most popular T.V. show is Dallas.

Walter Cronkite makes his final CBS Evening News broadcast after 19 years as anchorman.

Boxing great Muhammad Ali fights his final bout, a 10-round loss to Trevor Berbick. Ali finished his career with a 56-5 record and 37 knockouts.

The Oakland Raiders win Super Bowl XV.

The L.A. Dodgers win the World Series

The Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship.

The New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup.

Pope John Paul II is struck by two bullets and wounded in the abdomen, right arm and left hand.

Reggae artist Bob Marley, 36, dies of cancer in a Miami hospital.

John Warnock Hinckley shoots President Reagan in the chest outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt is assassinated.