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Major Events of December 1987: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from December 1987 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of December 1987: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Dec 1987 NASA Space Station Freedom Contracts: NASA announces contracts with four major aerospace companies to collaborate on the development of Space Station Freedom: Boeing Aerospace, General Electric's Astro-Space Division, McDonnell Douglas, and the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell. This marks a significant milestone in the space exploration and commercial aerospace industry.
  • 02 Dec 1987 Hustler Magazine v. Falwell Supreme Court Case: The landmark First Amendment case 'Hustler Magazine v. Falwell' was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, addressing issues of free speech and media satire.
  • 03 Dec 1987 Bhopal Gas Tragedy: On December 3, 1984, a catastrophic gas leak occurred at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. Toxic methyl isocyanate gas spread over densely populated areas, causing one of the world's worst industrial disasters. The incident resulted in approximately 15,000 to 20,000 immediate and long-term deaths, and left around half a million survivors suffering from chronic medical conditions, including respiratory problems, cancer, and genetic disorders.
  • 04 Dec 1987 IBM Launches OS/2 Standard Edition: IBM releases the first copies of OS/2 Standard Edition 1.0, a significant milestone in personal computing operating systems during the late 1980s technology landscape.
  • 05 Dec 1987 Tim Brown Wins Heisman Trophy: Tim Brown from Notre Dame University was awarded the 53rd Heisman Trophy, a prestigious college football honor.
  • 06 Dec 1987 World Record Speed Skating Performance: Christa Rothenburger sets a female world record in the 500-meter speed skating event, completing the distance in an impressive 39.39 seconds.
  • 07 Dec 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Signed: U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the historic Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in Washington, D.C., marking a significant milestone in Cold War arms reduction and diplomatic relations between the United States and Soviet Union.
  • 08 Dec 1987 INF Treaty Signed: A landmark Cold War moment where U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at the White House, agreeing to eliminate medium-range nuclear missiles and significantly reducing Cold War tensions.
  • 09 Dec 1987 First Intifada Begins in West Bank: The Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation officially commences in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, marking a significant moment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This grassroots resistance movement would become a pivotal period of civil unrest and confrontation.
  • 10 Dec 1987 Death of Jascha Heifetz, Renowned Violinist: Jascha Heifetz, a legendary Lithuanian-born American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violin virtuosos of the 20th century, passed away at the age of 86. Known for his extraordinary technical precision and expressive performances, Heifetz revolutionized violin playing and set new standards for classical music performance.
  • 11 Dec 1987 Carl Hooper's Test Cricket Debut: Carl Hooper made his Test cricket debut for the West Indies national cricket team in a match against India at Bombay (now Mumbai). This marked the beginning of his international cricket career, representing the West Indies in the prestigious Test format.
  • 12 Dec 1987 Mookie Blaylock's NBA Steals Record: NBA player Mookie Blaylock achieved a remarkable individual performance by setting an NBA record with 13 steals in a single game, showcasing extraordinary defensive skills.
  • 13 Dec 1987 USSR Nuclear Test in Kazakhstan: The Soviet Union conducted a nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Eastern Kazakhstan, continuing its nuclear weapons development program during the late Cold War period.
  • 14 Dec 1987 Devastating West Memphis-Shelby County Tornado: A powerful tornado tracked 25 miles across Crittenden County, Arkansas, and Shelby County, Tennessee, causing extensive destruction. The tornado resulted in six fatalities, 121 injuries, and massive property damage, destroying 235 homes and 35 businesses, and leaving 1,500 people homeless.
  • 15 Dec 1987 Production I.G Animation Studio Founded: Production I.G, a renowned Japanese animation studio, was established by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Takayuki Goto. The studio would go on to become a major influential force in anime, producing critically acclaimed works like 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Attack on Titan'.
  • 16 Dec 1987 Roh Tae Woo Wins South Korean Presidential Election: On December 16, 1987, Roh Tae Woo was democratically elected as the President of South Korea, marking a significant moment in the country's transition from military rule to democratic governance. Roh, a former military general, represented the Democratic Justice Party and won the election during a pivotal period of political reform in South Korea.
  • 17 Dec 1987 Czechoslovak Communist Party Leadership Change: Gustáv Husák resigns as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, marking a significant moment in the country's political transition during the late Cold War era.
  • 18 Dec 1987 First Perl Programming Language Release: Larry Wall releases the first version of Perl, a dynamic programming language that would become crucial for system administration, web development, and network programming.
  • 19 Dec 1987 Goa Liberation Day: On December 19, 1961, Goa, along with Daman and Diu, was liberated from 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule and officially incorporated into the Republic of India, marking a significant moment in India's post-colonial history.
  • 20 Dec 1987 Doña Paz Ferry Disaster: On December 20, 1987, the passenger ferry Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait of the Philippines, resulting in the worst peacetime maritime disaster in modern history. The catastrophic collision and subsequent fire led to an estimated 4,000 deaths, with official records listing 1,749 confirmed fatalities. The tragedy exposed significant maritime safety failures and led to international maritime safety reforms.
  • 21 Dec 1987 Soyuz TM-4 Space Mission to Mir: The Soyuz TM-4 spacecraft launched three cosmonauts—Vladimir Titov, Musa Manarov, and Anatoli Levchenko—to the space station Mir. Titov and Manarov would go on to set a remarkable spaceflight record by staying in space for nearly 366 days.
  • 22 Dec 1987 Zimbabwe Political Reconciliation: In a significant political development, the rival parties ZANU and ZAPU reached a landmark agreement to end the prolonged violence in the Matabeleland region, known historically as the Gukurahundi conflict. This agreement marked a crucial step towards national unity and peace in Zimbabwe, potentially reducing ethnic tensions and political instability.
  • 23 Dec 1987 First Non-Stop Global Aircraft Flight: Pioneering aviators Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed a historic global circumnavigation in the Voyager aircraft, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Their groundbreaking flight marked the first time an aircraft circumnavigated the globe without aerial or ground refueling, pushing the boundaries of aviation technology and human endurance.
  • 24 Dec 1987 Death of M.G. Ramachandran, Influential Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), a prominent film star turned politician and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, died at age 70 from a heart attack. His death triggered massive public mourning, with hundreds of thousands of people flooding the streets of Chennai to pay respects. Tragically, the intense crowd led to six fatalities and 15 serious injuries during police crowd control efforts.
  • 25 Dec 1987 Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme Recaptured: Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, a former Charles Manson follower and would-be assassin of President Gerald Ford, was recaptured after a brief escape. Fromme, known for her involvement with the Manson Family cult, had been serving a life sentence for her attempted assassination in 1975.
  • 26 Dec 1987 Tragic Theater Fire in Richmond, Virginia: A devastating theater fire in Richmond, Virginia results in the tragic deaths of Governor George William Smith and First National Bank of Virginia president Abraham B., highlighting the severe risks of fire safety in public spaces during this period.
  • 27 Dec 1987 Soviet Nuclear Test in Kazakhstan: The Soviet Union conducted a nuclear weapons test at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Eastern Kazakhstan, continuing its Cold War-era nuclear weapons development program.
  • 28 Dec 1987 R. Gene Simmons Mass Murder in Arkansas: A horrific mass murder occurred in Dover, Arkansas, where R. Gene Simmons killed two individuals, with subsequent investigations revealing the bodies of 14 additional relatives at his home, marking one of the most shocking criminal cases of 1987.
  • 29 Dec 1987 Prozac Introduced in the United States: Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride), a groundbreaking anti-depressant medication developed by Eli Lilly and Company, was first made available in the United States, marking a significant milestone in psychiatric treatment and mental health management.
  • 30 Dec 1987 First Version of Photoshop Developed: Thomas Knoll and John Knoll created the first version of Photoshop, a groundbreaking image editing software that would revolutionize digital graphics.
  • 31 Dec 1987 New Year's Eve 1987: December 31, 1987, marked the final day of a transformative decade. As the world prepared to transition into 1988, people globally celebrated New Year's Eve with typical festivities. The late 1980s were characterized by significant geopolitical changes, including the ongoing reforms in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership and the gradual thawing of Cold War tensions.