Massachusetts becomes first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Constitution to allow only opposite-sex couples to marry.
United States
Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, the Philippines, Sweden, U.K., and U.S. found the International Coral Reef Initiative
The ICRI is an informal partnership among nations, international organizations and non-government organizations to help protect coral reefs globally. It is now the world’s largest body dedicated to coral conservation.
The United States launches the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit
While it was not the first space telescope, it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy.
“The Simpsons” debuts
Since its debut, 640 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in terms of seasons and number of episodes.
Micronesia signs a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. marking its emergence from trusteeship to independence
The Compact of Free Association is an international agreement establishing and governing the relationships of free association between the United States and the three Pacific Island nations.
Steve Jobs introduces the first Macintosh computer
The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen and mouse.
Chuck Hull invents stereolithography
Stereolithography is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photopolymerization.
Michael Jackson releases “Thriller”, one of the highest selling albums of all time
The critically acclaimed album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards and broke down racial barriers on radio and television networks like MTV.
The first utility-scale solar farm in the U.S. begins operation
The Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) pioneered utility-scale solar power generation in 1982. ARCO opened a 1.1 megawatt operation in Hesperia, California, the first industrial solar power plant in the country. The company later opened a larger, 5.2 MW solar power plant in Carrizo Plain, California. The plant in Carrizo Plain operated from 1983 to 1994 and had one of the largest photovoltaic arrays in the world.
IBM releases Microsoft’s MS-DOS
MS-DOS was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s and the early 1990s.