What happened in May 1984?
The top front-page story of each day in May 1984, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- May 1🔬 Dense Matter Created – Scientists observed an unusually dense form of matter in an accelerator, believed to exist only in collapsed stars.
- May 2🌏 Pope Starts Asia Trip – Pope John Paul II begins a significant journey to Alaska, Asia, and Pacific islands, covering 25,000 air miles over 11 days.
- May 3🗽 Reagan Meets Pope – President Reagan joined 5,000 Alaskans to greet Pope John Paul II, who appealed for openness and acceptance of differences.
- May 4🏆 Filly Favored Derby – For the first time in 49 years, a filly is the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, marking a significant milestone in horse racing history.
- May 5🎷 Kool Jazz Festival – The Kool Jazz Festival program featuring Count Basie was altered following his recent death.
- May 6🔬 NASA Solves Rocket Issues – NASA engineers report they have resolved rocket motor problems that previously caused the loss of two satellites and delayed shuttle flights.
- May 7🏆 Pope Canonizes Martyrs – Pope John Paul II canonized 103 martyrs in Seoul, marking the first canonization outside Rome since the Middle Ages.
- May 8🏅 Olympic Flame Relay – The 1984 Olympic Summer Games torch relay begins at the United Nations, starting a 9,000-mile journey to Los Angeles.
- May 9🏅 Soviet Olympic Withdrawal – The Soviet Union announced it would not participate in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, citing political reasons and security concerns.
- May 10💰 Diaghilev Memorabilia Auctioned – Serge Lifar sold his collection of Diaghilev-era manuscripts and artworks for $1.1 million at auction.
- May 11🎨 Calder Sculpture Auctioned – Alexander Calder's ''Big Crinkly'' sold for $852,500, setting auction records for the artist and American sculpture.
- May 12🏛️ Duarte Declared Winner – Jose Napoleon Duarte is declared the winner of El Salvador's presidential election with nearly 54% of the vote.
- May 13🏛️ Museum Explosion Injures – Two explosions at Florence's Pitti Palace museum injured at least 10 people, but no artworks were harmed.
- May 14🏛️ Trumans' Home Dedicated – The home of Harry S. Truman and Bess Truman is dedicated as the 334th unit of the National Park Service.
- May 15🌋 Volcano Erupts – Mount St. Helens shot a plume of ash and steam four miles high today, and a small mudflow poured down its flanks.
- May 16🎨 Gauguin Painting Sold – Paul Gauguin's 'Mata Mua,' a rare 1892 painting, was auctioned to Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza for an undisclosed sum.
- May 17🌊 Bangladesh Hit by Floods – Over 40 people died due to rainstorms, floods, and landslides in Bangladesh and northeast India, displacing over 100,000 individuals.
- May 18⚓ Freighter Freed – Salvagers successfully pulled the Greek freighter Eldia off a Cape Cod beach after being stranded for seven weeks.
- May 19🔬 Reagan's Benign Polyp – Doctors found and partially removed a benign polyp from President Reagan's colon during a routine examination.
- May 20🏛️ France Settles Debt – France repaid a debt incurred by Napoleon to a Swiss village, settling for 80 unreturned pots and pans and uprooted trees.
- May 21🏔️ Women Conquer Cho Oyu – Vera Komarkova and Margita Dina Sterbova became the first women to summit Cho Oyu, one of the world's highest mountains, on May 13.
- May 22🌒 Rare Solar Eclipse – A rare solar eclipse will cast its shadow across the U.S., offering a dramatic view not seen for a decade.
- May 23🏺 Untouched Mayan Tomb – Archeologists discovered a 1,500-year-old painted Mayan tomb in Guatemala, untouched by looters and in nearly perfect condition.
- May 24🌍 Wenders Wins Cannes – Wim Wenders' film 'Paris, Texas' won the grand prize at the 37th Cannes Film Festival, highlighting its emotional depth and storytelling.
- May 25🌊 Fiber Optic Project – The FCC authorized eight U.S. companies to build the world's first fiber optic undersea telephone cable, marking a significant technological advancement.
- May 26🎨 Sotheby's New Chief – Michael L. Ainslie, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, appointed as president of Sotheby's Holdings Inc.
- May 27🌋 Mount St. Helens Erupts – Mount St. Helens erupted, releasing a steam and ash plume 22,000 feet high, causing a small mudflow into Spirit Lake.
- May 28🏆 Mears Wins Indianapolis 500 – Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500 for the second time, setting a record with an average speed of 163.612 mph, leaving his nearest rival two laps behind.
- May 29🕊️ Colombia Cease-Fire Begins – Thousands celebrated a yearlong truce between the Colombian government and the largest guerrilla force, waving white handkerchiefs for peace.
- May 30💵 U.S.-Japan Financial Accord – The U.S. and Japan announced a significant agreement to enhance the yen's international role and open new business opportunities for American financiers.
- May 31🌒 Solar Eclipse Viewed – Millions in the southern U.S. experienced a rare near-total solar eclipse, creating an eerie twilight effect across several states.
Happy Birthday! 1984 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1984 in real headlines. See the 1984 book →