1987 Fun Facts: Books, Sitcoms, History And Many More!
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1987 was full of interesting events and fun facts in the fields of technology, science, sports, and entertainment.
There were some top news stories from the US and around the globe. Do you want trivia and fun facts on global leaders, actors, sportspersons, and more?
The 100th United States Congress convened after President Ronald Reagan accepted full responsibility for the Iran-Contra incident. Chrysler purchased American Motors, a competitor in the automobile industry.
To gather the perfect mix of questions and answers for any 1980s-themed trivia quiz, learn about prominent TV series, movies, music, books, foods, sports facts, famous birthdays, and other intriguing pop culture trends. From war crimes to fashion icons, 1987 had it all.
If you like discovering 1987 facts, you should keep reading to find out more! There's lots of information available on 1987, and lots of curious questions have been answered for you.
Famous Sitcoms Released In 1987
1987 brought with it sitcoms and back-to-back shows that cracked everybody up. Who doesn't love a good laugh?
Season four of 'Brothers' was aired in 1987. 'Brothers' is an American comedic television series that was first broadcast on Showtime's cable channel. It used an orange font for title and credits for the first two and a half seasons.
One of the most popular TV shows released in 1987 was 'Full House', created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. Danny Tanner, a widowed father, enlists the support of his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and closest friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three kids.
'Out Of This World' is a famous American fantasy sitcom about a teen girl who is half-alien and has superhuman abilities. From Sept 17, 1987, through May 25, 1991, it was broadcast in syndication.
'Out Of This World' began broadcasting on weekends after its first season. Despite generally unfavorable reviews from reviewers, the show was renewed for three more seasons.
Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt created the American television sitcom 'Married... with Children' for Fox.
It is the longest-running live-action sitcom on Fox and one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in television history, having aired from Apr 5, 1987, to Jun 9, 1997. The series is divided into 11 seasons and has a total of 259 episodes.
'Love and Marriage,' written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen and performed by Frank Sinatra in the 1955 television drama 'Our Town', is the show's famous and very memorable theme song.
'My Two Dads' is an American sitcom television series produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and TeleVentures in collaboration with Tri-Star Television (later titled Columbia Pictures Television). Paul Reiser, Greg Evigan, and Staci Keanan starred in the show. On NBC, the show started on Sept 20, 1987 and ran for three seasons until Apr 30, 1990.
'Just the Ten of Us' is a television show about a teacher and the leader of a large Catholic family with eight children residing in Eureka, California. The show stars stand-up comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as the funny Coach Graham Lubbock.
This show was a spin-off of a show called 'Growing Pains', in which Kirchenbauer played the same character multiple times. The four eldest daughters of Coach Lubbock, Marie (Heather Langenkamp), Cindy (Jamie Luner), Wendy (Brooke Theiss), and Connie (JoAnn Willette), were the show's primary emphasis as the season continued.
Historic Facts About 1987
1987 was a year marked by strife and upheaval. Some major events that occurred in 1987, include things in the political arena, the first woman in music inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the sporting arena, and more.
An Amtrak train catastrophe, the Iran-Contra crisis, the Unabomber attacking Salt Lake City, and the Black Monday stock market fall on October 19 were all topical events in 1986. With a typhoon in the Philippines and two separate plane crashes, it's no surprise that this was also the year that Prozac was first introduced to the market.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom, either.
Aretha Franklin was the first-ever woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which she very well deserved. Popular girl group The Bangles released their smash hit 'Walk Like An Egyptian' and we were all 'Living On A Prayer' with Bon Jovi.
On the small screen, we met Johnny Depp in '21 Jump Street', and on the big screen, we saw Patrick Dempsey as he sought to purchase love in the cult film 'Can't Buy Me Love'.
1987 was the year that Zac Efron and Hilary Duff were born and the year we lost Andy Warhol and Jackie Gleason's talents. In the time capsule below, we take a look back to 1987.
With all that was going on in the world at the time, we think Madonna and George Michael had it right; you had to 'Open Your Heart' and 'Have Faith'.
'Platoon' won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, 'Golden Girls' (NBC) won Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys, and 'That's What Friends Are For' won the Song of the Year at the Grammys. You must watch Golden Girls!
Want to know about the US Open (golf)? On the Lake Course, Scott Simpson beat and held off 1982 champ Tom Watson to win his sole major title by one shot.
Bob Thompson, the architect of Matthew Knight Arena, was struggling in 1987 when Nike picked his firm to design their headquarters in Washington.
Jul 11, 1987, was the day when the world population hit five billion.
During the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War, the famous Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was fought.
The fighting occurred intermittently between Aug 14 1987, and Mar 23, 1988, south and east of Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and advisors and soldiers from Cuba, USSR, Vietnam, ANC and SWAPO against South Africa, and soldiers of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angol.
In March 1987, the Lieyu massacre occurred. The Republic of China Army executed 19 unarmed Vietnamese refugees on the Donggang beach, Lieyu, Kinmen off mainland China.
The Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) applied for formal membership in the European Economic Community on Apr 14, 1987.
On Jun 12, 1987, in West Berlin US President Ronald Reagan famously delivered what is popularly known as the Berlin Wall Speech, saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall".
The 1986–87 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 41st season of the franchise, 39th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and 27th in Los Angeles.
Rob Reiner directed and co-produced 'The Princess Bride', a 1987 cult classic American film.
Stock market values fell drastically on Wall Street and around the world on Black Monday (October 19). Larry Wall invented the Perl programming language.
The Supreme Court of the US declared in Edwards v. Aguillard that a Louisiana legislation mandating creation science to be taught in public schools anytime evolution was taught was unconstitutional.
Klaus Barbie, a German soldier, and member of the Gestapo, stood trial in Lyon for criminal actions committed during World War II. For crimes against humanity, he was sentenced to life in jail.
On Feb 6, 1987, Brownsville, Texas, was drenched with 7 in (18 cm) of rainfall in just two hours, causing flooding in some areas that were much worse than the aftereffects of Hurricane Beulah in 1967.
After being found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, fraud, and racketeering, R. Budd Dwyer, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, shot and killed himself at a press conference.
Famous Food In 1987
Who doesn't love food? 1987 brought with it many trends in food that the world adored.
If you're wondering what life was like back in 1987, let us tell you this much. It was a motionless environment when the stock market crashed in 1987; many Americans sought solace in comfort foods.
Food such as beef pot pies, deviled ribs, barbecued chicken, onion soup, lasagna, chicken satay, and the like also were the favorites of home cooks across the world.
Comfort food included pizza as many people became fans of the tasty tomato and cheese combination.
Even pasta salads started increasing in popularity. Pasta salads appear to have been around for a long time, but they were nonetheless novel and thrilling in the 1980s.
Exotic items such as olives, tri-color pasta, and salad dressing could be included. Salads with poppy seed dressing or raspberry vinaigrette were the symbol of a modern and sophisticated home cook in the 1980s when America was just discovering vinaigrettes and sauces.
The sloppy Joe sandwich, a comfortable all-American favorite, was a mainstay in many 1980s households. It wasn't the prettiest dish on the menu, made of ground beef, onions, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, but the combination of savory meat and onion, sweet ketchup, and umami-rich Worcestershire sauce was simply irresistible.
Sloppy Joes are as popular as ever these days, with many versions such as sloppy Joe fries, sloppy Joe nachos, and sloppy Joe pizza (also known as sloppy Giuseppe).
Frozen yogurt was an instant hit during this time. The 1980s also saw a tremendous fitness craze, so it was ideal for developing a low-calorie ice cream alternative.
Franchises for frozen yogurt popped up all over the country, and the industry was already worth $25 million by 1986. Customers flocked to sample this fat-free ice cream option, and the trend lasted far into the 1990s.
Notable Books Launched In 1987
1987 certainly marked the launch of many notable books that grew popular worldwide.
'World War II' was edited by C. Brian Kelly in 1987.
'Misery' is a psychological thriller-horror novel created by Stephen King that was originally released on Jun 8, 1987, by Viking Press. Stephen King also wrote 'The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three' in 1987, and he was the runner-up (16th place) for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, 1988.
A few other books launched in 1987 include:
Chinua Achebe: 'Anthills Of The Savannah'
Douglas Adams: 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'
Peter Ackroyd:'Chatterton'
Martin Amis: 'Einstein's Monsters'
Gilles Archambault: 'L'Obsédante Obèse Et Autres Agressions'.
Did You Know...
1987 brought with it an exciting set of events and big movies. Read on to find out more!
Guns N' Roses recently announced the release of their new EP, Hard Skool, set to come out in 2022. The album is due to be released on Feb 25, 2022. The vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, and bassist Duff McKagan have worked on new material for the first time in 28 years.
'Three Men and a Baby' was the year's most popular film, with 'Fatal Attraction' and 'Beverly Hills Cop II' coming in second and third, respectively. 'Fatal Attraction' is a 1987 American sensual, psychological thriller film written and directed by Adrian Lyne and based on James Dearden's short film 'Diversion' from 1980.
The film, which stars Michael Douglas, Anne Archer, and Glenn Close, is about a married man who has a weekend affair with a lady who refuses to let him go and becomes obsessive about him.
Oliver Stone directed and co-wrote 'Wall Street', a 1987 American drama film starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah, and Martin Sheen. In the film 'Wall Street', Bud Fox, a young stockbroker, becomes engaged with Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a rich, ruthless corporate raider.
Richard Donner directed, Joel Silver produced, and Shane Black wrote 'Lethal Weapon', a 1987 American buddy police action film.
A former Green Beret called Martin Riggs who grew suicidal following the loss of his wife, and a 50-year-old veteran of the LAPD called Roger Murtaugh, work together as partners in 'Lethal Weapon' and required a movie stuntman to stand in for some of the action scenes.
Would you like some pop culture history and pop culture news? Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, Robert Palmer, Neal Alexander, Pet Shop Boys, Starship, Stevie Nicks, Van Halen, Stephanie Mills, Steve Winwood, The Whispers, and Whitney Houston were among the most popular pop music performers in 1987 and contributed a lot to the pop culture history.
'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by the epic crooner Whitney Houston was one of the most famous songs of the time.
Whitney Houston's 'Moment Of Truth World Tour' was her second worldwide tour. Her North American leg tour grossed over $20.1 million.
The popular '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. Have you listened to Limp Bizkit's 'Dad Vibes'? They released their cover of the 1987 George Michael song, 'Faith' in 1997.
Unseen Terror's album, 'Human Error', was released in the United Kingdom.
Baroness announced an intimate fall tour in 1987.
Michael Jackson released his seventh studio album, 'Bad'. Epic Records released it on Aug 31, 1987. Guns N' Roses released their hit debut studio album, 'Appetite For Destruction'.
'Dirty Dancing' is a 1987 American romance dance movie directed by Emile Ardolino and scripted by Eleanor Bergstein. 'Dirty Dancing' was produced by Linda Gottlieb.
On National Coffee Day, if you're looking to impress someone with a fact, tell them about how a cup of coffee only cost 12.2 cents in 1987!
The best-selling energy drink in the entire world, Red Bull, was launched in 1987. Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur, was inspired by an existing energy drink, Krating Daeng, which was created in Thailand by Chaleo Yoovidhya in 1976. However, he tweaked the ingredients to appeal to Western palates.
Blake Edwards' film, 'Blind Date', stars Bruce Willis, Kim Basinger, and more.
At the age of 18 months on Oct 14, 1987, Jessica McClure Morales (nicknamed 'Baby Jessica' at the time) fell down a well on her aunt's property in Midland, Texas.
The single of Vera, 'At This Moment', became number one on the charts in 1987.
Barely speaking, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had broken up. It took the demise of Martin's son Dean Paul 'Dino' Martin in a plane accident in 1987 to bring them back together.
The 1987 military scout, Mercedes Benz G240, was popular worldwide.
Steve Guttenberg was the most famous American actor in 1987. In Canada, the Reform Party of Canada was founded in 1987.
Square released 'Final Fantasy' in 1987; a fantasy role-playing video game. Hironobu Sakaguchi designed the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series.
Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe, was re-elected in December 1987.
Pop culture events in 1987 include the launch of the top 25 songs:
- 'Walk Like An Egyptian' by The Bangles
- 'Alone' by Heart
- 'Shake You Down' by Gregory Abbott
- 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by Whitney Houston
- 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship
- 'C'est La Vie' by Robbie Nevil
- 'Here I Go Again' by Whitesnake
- 'The Way It Is' by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
- 'Shakedown' by Bob Seger
- 'Livin' on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi
- 'La Bamba' by Los Lobos
- 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' by Wang Chung
- 'Don't Dream It's Over' by Crowded House
- 'Always' by Atlantic Starr
- 'With Or Without You' by U2
- 'Looking For A New Love' by Jody Watley
- 'Head To Toe' by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
- 'I Think We're Alone Now' by Tiffany
- 'Mony Mony' by Billy Idol
- 'At This Moment' by Billy Vera and the Beaters
- 'The Lady In Red' by Chris de Burgh
- 'Didn't We Almost Have It All' by Whitney Houston
- 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' by U2
- 'I Want Your Sex' by George Michael
- 'Notorious' by Duran Duran
Looking for some sports trivia in 1987? We've got you:
In the NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers won four games to two over the Boston Celtics.
In the National Basketball League (Australia) Finals, Brisbane Bullets defeated the Perth Wildcats 2-0 in the best-of-three final series.
In the 1987 Cricket World Cup, Australia beat England by seven runs.
In baseball, Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The United States Constitution's 200th anniversary was commemorated across the country.
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