1987

On the political front, 1987 was the year that American President Ronald Reagan made a trip to Berlin, giving a speech in which he famously challenged Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, ending the heavily guarded partition between the eastern and western parts of the city.

As Ronald Reagan made his challenge to the Soviet Union, Europe was moving to greater centralization of power. This was the year that the Single European Act was passed by the European Community. The Act, as a revision to the 1957 Treaty of Rome, set out to establish a single market in Europe by 1992, and also put forth language aimed at a single monetary and foreign policy for the Community members.

1987 was a major year for gaming as well. This was the year that Konami released their action-adventure game, Metal Gear for the MSX2 computer system in Japan. The game would eventually be released in North America and Europe through various systems throughout the years, but the innovative stealth aspect of the game was revolutionary and sparked a series of games that have entertained gamers across the world for many years. This was also the year that The Legend of Zelda was released in North America by Nintendo.

In television developments this year, Full Houseaired its first episode. This sitcom would build a devoted fan base, and would eventually inspire a nostalgic sequel series, Fuller House. The second Star Trek series, The Next Generation premiered in syndication this year, as well. In another major development in television history, the iconic animated series, The Simpsons, first appeared on television, albeit these first appearances were in shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

In music, U2 released their famous album, The Joshua Tree. This was also the year that the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, released what was then his first album in five years, Bad. The highly anticipated album was a hit, living up to expectations with songs like “Bad,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.”