[Sister Havana]

Fashion: Neon clothes, wearing two pairs of socks in two different colors, Swatches, Frankie Say and Choose Life T-shirts, OP shorts, friendship pins you wore on your shoes, friendship bracelets, charm bracelets, ribbon barrettes

Entertainment: MTV showing VIDEOS!, Silver Spoons, Diff'rent Strokes, Cheers, E.T., Live Aid, Duran Duran, Prince, Degrassi Junior High, Miami Vice, Head of the Class, Goonies, INXS, U2 became HUGE, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany (the Britney and Christina of their day), Menudo, New Kids on the Block, the Brat Pack, the novels of Bret Easton Ellis and Jim Carroll, New Wave, hair metal, Vanna-mania, the Bangles, the Go-Gos, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, Back To The Future, Max Headroom, and a low-rated local morning talk show in Chicago becomes the hottest show in the city thanks to its new host...some woman named Oprah Winfrey.

Politics: Ronald Reagan: "My fellow Americans, I have signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes," George H.W. Bush: "Read my lips: No new taxes!" supply-side economics, No Nukes, ACT-UP, Harold Washington and Council Wars (in Chicago), Lloyd Bentsen: "Senator, I knew Jack Kennedy. I served with Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

Pop Culture Sayings: Frankie Say Relax, Grody To The Max, Like Omigod!

Science: Apple Macintosh, Commodore 64, the Challenger explosion (Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space, was on that mission), AIDS is given a name, Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space,

Toys: Barbie (of course!), Cabbage Patch Kids, Dolly Pops, Glamour Gals, Dazzle Dolls, Pound Puppies

Fad: Garbage Pail Kids, Cabbage Patch Kids, Sticker collections, Pac-Man, break dancing, Deely Boppers, calling 867-5309 to see if Jenny picked up

Sports: The 1985 Bears: The Fridge, Walter Payton, Jim "the punky QB" McMahon, and the Super Bowl Shuffle, Mary Lou Retton, Greg Louganis, the Miracle on Ice, Flo-Jo, Bob Knight throws a chair, Phi Slamma Jamma

School: DITTOS! It is sad that there is an entire generation that will not know the joy of smelling fresh ditto ink.