I am 29 years old, born in 1975.
For myself and many, many people my age that I’ve talked to, when world events of childhood are mentioned, the year that comes back again and again and again is 1986.
Sprol (a blog dedicated to using Google Satellite Maps and Google Earth to exploring environmental disasters and such) today has a feature on the Chernobyl meltdown. You saw this coming, the year? 1986.
Let me outline the real common memories that come up:
- Space Shuttle Challenger explodes. I can’t overstate the affect this had on us as kids. Many of us were watching the launch live.
- Mets win the world series of baseball, Bears win Super Bowl XX. Both released singles on the radio!
- Hands Across America
- The Statue of Liberty is reopened to the public, also it’s centennial
- Paul Simon’s Graceland released
- Top Gun, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Stand By Me come out.
Wikipedia has a pretty good list, but I’m more interested to hear yours.