1981: Computers, Music, and Global Fear

In 1981, the world began to reveal the true rhythm of the 1980s: screens, technology, global music, and new forms of fear. This episode explores the launch of the IBM Personal Computer, the birth of MTV, the first flight of the Columbia space shuttle, and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana as a worldwide media event. It also covers the assassination attempts against Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, the first medical reports of the disease later known as AIDS, and the ongoing tensions of the Cold War. A year when the future looked bright, but also deeply vulnerable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.