1987
Hermann Lang, German race car driver (born 1909)
Hermann Albert Lang was a German racing driver who raced motorcycles, Grand Prix cars, and sports cars.
Hermann Lang, German race car driver (born 1909)
The 1980s
Explore 6636 historical events from 1980–1989.
1987
Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (born 1903)
Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov was a Soviet mathematician who played a central role in the creation of modern probability theory. He also gave fundamental contributions to the mathe…
Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (born 1903)
1987
Abdul Malek Ukil, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician (born 1925)
Abdul Malek Ukil was a Bangladeshi politician and lawyer. He served as president of Bangladesh Awami League, speaker of parliament, home minister, health minister, a member of parl…
Abdul Malek Ukil, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician (born 1925)
1987
Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist and educator (born 1945)
Jacqueline Mary du Pré was a British cellist, widely regarded as one of the preeminent cellists of the 20th century. Born in Oxford, she began studying at the Guildhall School of M…
Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist and educator (born 1945)
1987
Lino Ventura, Italian-French actor (born 1919)
Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura, known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor, philanthropist, and professional wrestler, who lived and worked for most of his life in Franc…
Lino Ventura, Italian-French actor (born 1919)
1987
D. Djajakusuma, Indonesian filmmaker (born 1918)
Djadoeg Djajakusuma was an Indonesian film director and promoter of traditional art forms. Born to a nobleman and his wife in Temanggung, Central Java, Djajakusuma became intereste…
D. Djajakusuma, Indonesian filmmaker (born 1918)
1987
André Masson, French soldier and painter (born 1896)
André-Aimé-René Masson was a French artist. He was a leading figure in the Surrealist movement and an influence on Abstract Expressionism. He served in the French Army from 1914 to…
André Masson, French soldier and painter (born 1896)
1987
Woody Herman, American singer, clarinet player, saxophonist, and bandleader (born 1913)
Woodrow Charles Herman was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and…
Woody Herman, American singer, clarinet player, saxophonist, and bandleader (born 1913)
1987
An Iraqi jet fired two Exocet missiles at the American frigate USS Stark, killing 37 personnel and injuring 21 others
The USS Stark incident occurred during the Iran–Iraq War in the Persian Gulf on 17 May 1987, when an Iraqi jet aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the U.S. frigate USS Stark. A t…
An Iraqi jet fired two Exocet missiles at the American frigate USS Stark, killing 37 personnel and injuring 21 others
1987
American intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard pleaded guilty to charges of spying for Israel
Intelligence assessment is a specific phase of the intelligence cycle which oversees the development of behavior forecasts or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an …
American intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard pleaded guilty to charges of spying for Israel
1987
While he was abroad, Burundian president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was deposed in a military coup d'état by Pierre Buyoya.
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was a Burundian army officer and politician who ruled Burundi as president and de facto military dictator from November 1976 to September 1987.
While he was abroad, Burundian president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was deposed in a military coup d'état by Pierre Buyoya.
1987
John Adams' (pictured) opera Nixon in China premiered.
John Coolidge Adams is an American composer and conductor. Among the most regularly performed composers of contemporary classical music, he is particularly noted for his operas, ma…
John Adams' (pictured) opera Nixon in China premiered.
1987
Joseph Campbell, American mythologist, scholar, and author (born 1904)
Joseph John Campbell was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work cover…
Joseph Campbell, American mythologist, scholar, and author (born 1904)
1987
The fictional Simpson family made their first appearance in the short "Good Night", aired in a segment of the The Tracey
The Simpson family are the titular main characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear, dysfunctional family consisting of married c…
The fictional Simpson family made their first appearance in the short "Good Night", aired in a segment of the The Tracey
1987
A British Special Air Service unit ambushed a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit in Loughgall, Northern Irelan
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The…
A British Special Air Service unit ambushed a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit in Loughgall, Northern Irelan
1987
During Hindu–Muslim rioting in Meerut, India, 19 members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary allegedly massacred 42 Mus
Religious violence in India includes acts of violence by followers of one religious group against followers and institutions of another religious group, often in the form of ri…
During Hindu–Muslim rioting in Meerut, India, 19 members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary allegedly massacred 42 Mus
1987
Mathias Rust, a West German aviator, flew his Cessna 172 from Helsinki, Finland, through Soviet air defences, landing il
Mathias Rust is a German aviator. In 1987, as a teenage amateur pilot, he flew from Helsinki, Finland, to Moscow, without authorization. According to Russian claims, he was tracked…
Mathias Rust, a West German aviator, flew his Cessna 172 from Helsinki, Finland, through Soviet air defences, landing il
1987
Mass protests demanding direct presidential elections broke out across South Korea
The June Democratic Struggle, also known as the June Democracy Movement and the June Uprising, was a nationwide pro-democracy movement in South Korea that generated mass protests f…
Mass protests demanding direct presidential elections broke out across South Korea
1987
Cold War: During a speech at the Brandenburg Gate by the Berlin Wall, US president Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leade
The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc …
Cold War: During a speech at the Brandenburg Gate by the Berlin Wall, US president Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leade
1987
The Basque separatist group ETA detonated a car bomb at a Hipercor shopping centre in Barcelona, killing 21 people and i
Basque nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the political unity of the Basq…
The Basque separatist group ETA detonated a car bomb at a Hipercor shopping centre in Barcelona, killing 21 people and i
1987
More than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain fell in a two-and-a-half-hour period in parts of Montreal, causing severe flooding.
The Montreal flood of 1987 happened on July 14 of that year when a series of strong thunderstorms crossed the island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between the noon hour and 2:30 p.m…
More than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain fell in a two-and-a-half-hour period in parts of Montreal, causing severe flooding.
1987
Iran–Iraq War: In opposition to the American plan to protect Kuwaiti tankers, Iran laid mines and damaged the…
The Iran–Iraq War, also referred to as the First Imposed War, began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran in September 1980. After eight years of conflict, both countries accepted a ceas…
Iran–Iraq War: In opposition to the American plan to protect Kuwaiti tankers, Iran laid mines and damaged the…
1987
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, crossing from Little Diomede to Big…
Lynne Cox is an American long-distance open water swimmer, writer, and speaker. She is best known for being the first person to swim between the United States and the Soviet Union,…
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, crossing from Little Diomede to Big…
1987
Construction began on the Ryugyong Hotel (pictured) in Pyongyang, the tallest building in North Korea.
The Ryugyong Hotel (Korean: 류경호텔), sometimes spelled as Ryu-Gyong Hotel or Yu-Kyung Hotel, is a 330 m (1,080 ft) tall unfinished pyramid-shaped skyscraper in Pyongyang, North Korea…
Construction began on the Ryugyong Hotel (pictured) in Pyongyang, the tallest building in North Korea.