August 12, 1981★★★★★
IBM launches the IBM Personal Computer
IBM introduces the IBM PC, whose architecture becomes the de facto standard for personal computers for decades.
TechnologyEconomy· United States
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Events this year
Ongoing
c. 1975 – c. 1995★★★★★
Vietnamese boat people
Hundreds of thousands of people flee Vietnam by sea after 1975; many die at sea and others are resettled, mostly in Western countries.
Politics· Vietnam, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
April 13, 1975 – 1990★★★★★
Lebanese Civil War
A multi-sided civil war devastates Lebanon for fifteen years, with intervention by Syria, Israel and other foreign forces.
War· Lebanon
December 25, 1978 – 1989★★★★★
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Following Khmer Rouge border attacks, Vietnam invades Cambodia, takes Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979 and overthrows the Khmer Rouge; Vietnamese troops remain until 1989.
War· Vietnam, Cambodia
September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988★★★★★
Iran–Iraq War
Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills hundreds of thousands.
War· Iran, Iraq