The world was a very different place in 1986. Via Satellite the magazine launched into an era where was no internet, no mobile phones, and even though it was only 30 years ago, the world at that point was standing on the verge of tremendous change.
Tragedies in North America and the Soviet Union
There were a number of tragedies in 1986 in terms of major news stories. One was the Challenger Explosion in January 1986. Another tragedy was Chernobyl. Before 1986, not many people had heard of the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl. That all changed on April 25, 1986: one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl power station exploded, leading to a huge radiation issue.
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Cold War Starting to Thaw
The Berlin Wall was still up, but the winds of change were starting to blow. In Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1985. In Reykjavik, Iceland, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev got together for a high-profile summit, as the two sides talked about nuclear disarmament. It actually felt like the world was starting to come together and that the Cold War was starting to thaw.
Sports
Perhaps the most iconic event of the year was when U.S. Boxer Mike Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight Champion of the World in October 1986. The other major sporting event was the 1986 Soccer World Cup held in Mexico, won by Argentina, featuring Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal.
El Salvador
In October 1986, a huge Earthquake hit El Salvador leading to well over 1,000 deaths.
Popular Culture
In popular culture, the biggest grossing movie of the year was “Top Gun.” In terms of music, Paul Simon released “Graceland,” an album highly influenced by African music and sounds.
And Finally
Also that year, there was a royal wedding in the United Kingdom, with Prince Andrew marrying Sarah Ferguson. Unfortunately, unlike Via Satellite, the marriage would not last! VS
