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1)A very popular console for video games2)A game for little kids that is about what hippo eats more balls3)Very interesting puzzle

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1)A very popular console for video games2)A game for little kids that is about what hippo eats more balls3)Very interesting puzzle

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toys

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For children of the 1980s, buying toys wasn't as simple as the click of the mouse. It usually required hours of begging your parents, who then had to venture to the toy store and hope they still had it in stock.

While buying toys has undergone a tremendous transformation over the past few decades, the nostalgia 30-somethings get from seeing their favorite childhood plaything remains. Stacker used historical and retail websites to compile a list of 30 toys that were popular in 1980s America.

Some of the toys that defined the time have crazy stories about them. Take, for example, shopping for a Cabbage Patch Kids doll around Christmas in 1983, which meant parents were putting their safety at risk with the many riots that ensued, which went to inspire an HBO documentary. When it came to Teddy Ruxpin, by the time the toy company Worlds of Wonder realized what it had with its new talking bear, demand had skyrocketed to the point the company was leasing jets to fill them with the plush toys and flying them stateside.

Some '80s toys started as American Greetings card series, including the Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, while its competitor Hallmark kept pace with Rainbow Bright. Safety wasn't necessarily paramount in the '80s, as a number of these toys resulted in trips to the hospital, but not a decline in popularity.

Children of the 1980s, read on to see if any of your favorites made Stacker's list of 30 toys that defined the decade.
You may also like: '90s toys every kid wanted

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For children of the 1980s, buying toys wasn't as simple as the click of the mouse. It usually required hours of begging your parents, who then had to venture to the toy store and hope they still had it in stock.

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1) It was the first production car with vertically scissor doors2) it can go to 0- 100kmph in less than 2.8 seconds3)it had the engine Lp400 with the horse power of 370.https://www.google.com/search?

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1) It was the first production car with vertically scissor doors2) it can go to 0- 100kmph in less than 2.8 seconds3)it had the engine Lp400 with the horse power of 370.https://www.google.com/search?

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transportation

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When Lamborghini unveiled the Countach in 1974, it had been three years since Project LP112 wowed the world with its radical design and unabashed style. One of those breath-taken people was a staffer hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy, who exclaimed, "contacc," which roughly translates into a swear word one would use after being pleasantly surprised by something breathtaking, and he was right. The Countach came to become the benchmark for Italian exotic supercars.

Before the Countach, Lamborghini's main weapon to fight cars like the Porsche 911, De Tomaso Pantera, and the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 had been the beautiful, yet slowly-becoming-outdated Miura. The Countach, built from 1974-1990, and with each generation became more and more of a literal poster child for kids fantasies all over the world.

The Ultimate Poster Child

The Countach had five distinct generations, but are generally divided up into two main eras: the four liter and five liter iterations.

The first of which was the LP400, built from 1974-1978 and amounting to just 150 total production units. This first generation was nicknamed "Periscopio," a nod to the literal periscope-style rearview mirror used to deal with the near-zero rearward visibility of the futuristic car. Headed up by Chief Engineer Paolo Stanzani, the Countach set a new standard for Lamborghini. The tubular chassis got mounted to double-wishbone suspension and made to be lightweight and strong enough to handle the 3.9-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine's 375 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and 260 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM. Power was then funneled through the longitudinally-mounted mid-engine through a 5-speed manual transmission that was actually located in the front of the car for better weight distribution. Stanzani creatively utilized a driveshaft he ran through the dry sump case to get back to the rear wheels.

Related: Classic Supercars: BMW M1 Vs Lamborghini Countach

In 1978 the Countach got its first major update, which revolved around cleaner lines, better design flow, and massive 205/50 VR-15 front and 345/35 VR-14 rear Pirelli P7 tires that required a total redesign of the suspension setup to accommodate the steamroller-sized rubber and wheels. The Periscopio roof was also put out to pasture, the large rear wing and big air scoops were added for downforce, cooling and dramatic effect, which would come to define the Countach in later iterations.

The LP400 S was produced from 1978-1982 for a total of 235 units, which collectors divide up into three separate, yet hard to delineate series. Series I produced from 1978-1979, while Series II and Series III came off the line between 1980-1982. The differences between each Series are minor, but each took a step further away from the first-gen cars. Power came from the same naturally-aspirated 3.9-liter V12, now at 353 horsepower thanks to increasingly tougher emissions restrictions, but it still made the same 270 lb-ft of torque.

New Ownership, New Countach

In 1982, Lamborghini was under new ownership and finally allowed in the US. The new LP500 S came with a larger 4754cc V12 engine that pumped out 375 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 302 lb-ft at 4,500 RPM. The rest of the car remained largely unchanged from the LP400 S, but thanks to a bigger sales market, Lamborghini managed to sell a total of 323 units worldwide.

Three years later in 1985, the Countach found itself in a major battle with cross-town Ferrari and their spectacular Testarossa. Lamborghini upped the Countach's V12 to 5.2-liters and reworked the cylinder heads to have four valves per cylinder (or quattrovalvole in Italian) as well as employing six downdraft Weber carburetors. The result of all this work was a new, more powerful engine that created a Ferrari-topping 455 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 340 lb-ft of torque. All that helped Lambo sell 610 units of their newest masterpiece.

Related: Supercar Icons: Ferrari F40 Vs Lamborghini Countach

Saving The Best For Last

In 1988, for its final version, Lamborghini unveiled the 25th Anniversary Countach, which got its power from the same 455-horsepower V12 as the Quattrovalvole. This version was created as an homage to the original LP400. The revamped Countach came with a much more advanced suspension setup, as well as bigger, better flowing louvered air-ducts that were more contoured and incorporated into the body than the previous "ears". There were also strakes used along the side of the car to help channel air to the rear brakes. The 25th Anniversary was the best-selling generation, totaling 667 units in all. That was the most units solid in the entire chronology of the Countach's illustrious career.

In terms of performance, the Countach was always at the forefront of the exotic car segment. At its best, the LP5000 QV could accelerate from 0-60 mph in a scant 4.6-seconds, 0-100 mph in 10-seconds flat, and through the quarter mile in just 12.8-seconds at 114 mph, on its way to a top speed of 185 mph. Around the skidpad the Countach could post 0.85g. These numbers might pale in comparison to some of the more modern Lamborghinis like the Aventador, but for the late 1980s, the Countach's performance was nothing short of heroic.

Related: Designed By Pagani: 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition

The interior of the Countach remained a bit tight for the entirety of its lifetime. While not as Spartan as the purpose-built Ferrari F40, the Countach made do with finely-stitched leather upholstery and a dashboard that featured five analog gauges in total, with the two largest displaying the most important information to the driver -- RPMs and speed. But beyond the finely appointed material, there wasn't much else to distract the driver.

In fact, it wasn't until the final 25th Anniversary Edition that Lamborghini even offered things like power seat adjustment and power windows. Air conditioning was also made standard, while optional, thinner sport seats were available, which gave the driver and passenger a bit more leg room than the normal tight fit.

Thanks to the Countach being the quintessential dream car of so many men and women growing up, as well as just recently celebrating its 50th birthday, resale value on the Countach has climbed steadily over the years, averaging out to almost $450,000 according to Classic.com. Collectors and purists will vie for the very limited early LP400 model, while some will just be trying to find the poster car they had as a child, which was typically the more bombastic LP500 and later models.

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1974-1990 Lamborghini Countach: Costs, Facts, And Figures

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When Lamborghini unveiled the Countach in 1974, it had been three years since Project LP112 wowed the world with its radical design and unabashed style. One of those breath-taken people was a staffer hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy, who exclaimed, "contacc," which roughly translates into a swear word one would use after being pleasantly surprised by something breathtaking, and he was right.

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1)One of the very first machines to play video games2)Many kids wanted to have it since it was almost practically a video game in your hands3)It costed much money so not many people had it ($89.99)

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1)One of the very first machines to play video games2)Many kids wanted to have it since it was almost practically a video game in your hands3)It costed much money so not many people had it ($89.99)

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technology

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The Game Boy is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same team that developed the Game & Watch series of handheld electronic games and several Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games: Satoru Okada, Gunpei Yokoi, and Nintendo Research & Development 1.

It is Nintendo's second handheld game console and combines features from both the Game & Watch handheld and NES home system. The console features a dot-matrix screen with adjustable contrast dial, five game control buttons (a directional pad, two game buttons, and "START" and "SELECT"), a single speaker with adjustable volume dial and, like its rivals, uses cartridges as physical media for games. The color scheme is made from two tones of grey with accents of black, blue, and dark magenta. All the corners of the portrait-oriented rectangular unit are softly rounded, except for the bottom right, which is curved. At launch, it was sold either as a standalone unit, or bundled with one of several games, among them Super Mario Land and . Several accessories were also developed, including a carrying pouch, a camera, and a printer.

The Game Boy received mixed reviews from critics and was deemed technologically inferior to its fourth-generation competitors ( Sega's Game Gear, Atari's Lynx, and NEC's TurboExpress). Its lack of a backlight, graphics, bulky design and price were met with criticism, but it also received praise for its battery life, library of games and durability in its construction. It quickly outsold the competition, selling one million units in the United States within a few weeks. An estimated 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and its successor, the Game Boy Color, have been sold worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling video game console of all time. It is one of the most recognizable devices from the 1990s, becoming a cultural icon in the years following its release. Several redesigns were released during the console's lifetime, including the Game Boy Pocket in 1996 and the Game Boy Light in 1998 (Japan only). Production of the Game Boy continued until 2003,[failed verification ] well after the release of its second successor, the Game Boy Advance, in 2001.

The Game Boy was designed by Nintendo's chief engineer Gunpei Yokoi and its Nintendo R&D1 team. Following the popularity of the Nintendo Entertainment System, he held a meeting with Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi, saying that he could do a handheld system with interchangeable games. The original internal code name for the Game Boy is Dot Matrix Game, referring to its dot-matrix display in contrast to the preceding Game & Watch series (which Yokoi had created in 1980) that has segmented LCDs pre-printed with an overlay, limiting each model to only play one game. The initials DMG came to be featured on the final product's model number: "DMG-01". Satoru Okada and Yokoi led the development of the console, which led to disagreements. Yokoi felt that the console could be small, light, durable and successful and have a recognizable library of games. Shigesato Itoi visited Nintendo and conceived the name "Game Boy" for the console Yokoi was designing. The internal reaction to the Game Boy at Nintendo was initially very poor, earning it the derogatory nickname " DameGame" from Nintendo employees, in which dame (だめ) means "hopeless" or "useless".

Game Boy was unveiled as a prototype in 1987 and later exhibited at multiple industry trade shows. The device incorporated a key design element from its predecessor, the Game & Watch: the 8-way directional control pad, often referred to as the " D-pad". The concept was developed by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. Yokoi recognized that traditional joysticks might hinder the portability of handheld devices. As a result, he designed the D-pad - a flat controller that would not extend beyond the handheld device's casing. Hiroshi Yamauchi estimated that the console would achieve sales exceeding 25 million units in its initial three years, a claim that was regarded as bold for that period.

Nintendo's philosophy centered on the belief that the appeal of a gaming system was primarily determined by the quality of its games. With this in mind, Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada developed Super Mario Land, a portable adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. game, intending it to be the flagship title for the Game Boy. However, Henk Rogers brought the Soviet Union-made game, , to the attention of Nintendo of America. Despite its simple graphics and lack of a well-known brand, Tetris suitability for a handheld platform convinced Nintendo president Minoru Arakawa to port and bundle it with the Game Boy. As a result, Tetris was bundled with the Game Boy in every region except Japan on its release, which occurred in Japan in April 1989, followed by North America in July, and Europe in September of the following year.

Nintendo had spent $10 million on marketing the Game Boy. All remaining units were sold by March 23, 2003.

The Game Boy has four operation buttons labeled "A", "B", "SELECT", and "START", and a directional pad (d-pad). There is a volume control dial on the right side of the device and a similar dial on the left side to adjust the contrast. At the top of the Game Boy, a sliding on-off switch and the slot for the Game Boy cartridges are located. The on-off switch includes a physical lockout to prevent users from either inserting or removing a cartridge while the unit is switched on. Nintendo recommends users leave a cartridge in the slot to prevent dust and dirt from entering the system.

The Game Boy contains optional input or output connectors. On the left side of the system is an external 3.5 mm × 1.35 mm DC power supply jack that allows users to use an external rechargeable battery pack or AC adapter (sold separately) instead of four AA batteries. The Game Boy requires 6 V DC of at least 150 mA. A 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack is located on the bottom side of the unit which allows users to listen to the audio with the bundled headphones or external speakers.

The right side of the device offers a port that allows a user to connect to another Game Boy system via a link cable, provided both users are playing games that support connecting to each other (usually only the same copies of the game; the Pokémon games however, are a notable exception, as they can connect to each other between different generations). The port can also be used to connect a Game Boy Printer. The link cable was originally designed for players to play head-to-head two-player games such as in . However, game developer Satoshi Tajiri later used the link cable technology as a method of communication and networking in the popular Pokémon video game series.

Play It Loud! edition

"Play It Loud!" transparent Game Boy, North American edition

On March 20, 1995, Nintendo released several special edition Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the "Play It Loud!" campaign, known in Japan as Game Boy Bros. Play It Loud! units were manufactured in green, red, white, black, yellow, blue, and clear (transparent), also referred to as "x-ray". A rare, limited edition Manchester United Game Boy is red, with the logos of the team emblazoned on it. The Play It Loud's screens also have a darker border than the normal Game Boy.

Size

Approximately 90 mm (3.5 in) x 148 mm (5.8 in) x 32 mm (1.3 in) (WxHxD)

Screen

2.6 inch reflective super-twisted nematic (STN) liquid-crystal display (LCD)
Vertical blank duration: Approximately 1.1 ms

Battery life

Approximately 15 hours of gameplay

Memory

64 KB address space including:

8 KB of built-in working RAM

Up to sixteen 8 KB switchable working RAM pages (in the game cartridge) for a maximum of 128 KB of external RAM (which may be battery-backed to hold save games)

8 KB RAM for LCD display

32 KB external Game Pak ROM, of which 16 KB is switchable

On-CPU-Die 256-byte bootstrap ROM; 32 KB, 64 KB, 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, 4 MB and 8 MB cartridges

Sound

2 pulse wave generators, 1 PCM 4-bit wave sample (64 4-bit samples played in 1×64 bank or 2×32 bank) channel, 1 noise generator, and one audio input from the cartridge. The unit has only one speaker, however the headphone port outputs stereo sound.

Input

Eight-way control pad

Four action buttons (A, B, Start, Select)

Volume potentiometer

Contrast potentiometer

Power switch

Serial I/O ("Link cable"): 512 kbit/s with up to 4 connections in serial

Cartridge I/O

On July 21, 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy Pocket for US$69.99 in Japan and September 3, 1996, in North America: a smaller, lighter unit that required fewer batteries. It has space for two AAA batteries, which provide approximately 10 hours of gameplay. The unit is also fitted with a 3 volt, 2.35 mm x 0.75 mm DC jack which can be used to power the system. The Pocket has a smaller link port, which requires an adapter to link with the older Game Boy. The port design is used on all subsequent Game Boy models, excluding the Game Boy Micro. The screen was changed to an FSTN LCD which included a compensation layer to produce a true black-and-white display, rather than the "pea soup" monochromatic display of the original Game Boy. Also, the Game Boy Pocket (GBP) has a larger screen than the Game Boy Color (GBC) that later superseded it. The GBP's screen has a 65 mm (2.56 in) diagonal, 48.5 mm (1.91 in) width, and 43.5 mm (1.71 in) height, compared to a 59 mm (2.32 in) diagonal for the GBC. Although like its predecessor, the Game Boy Pocket has no backlight to allow play in a darkened area, it did notably improve visibility and pixel response-time (mostly eliminating ghosting). The first version did not have a power LED. This was soon added due to public demand, along with new Game Boy Pocket units of different colors (released on April 28, 1997), some of them new to the Game Boy line. There were several limited-edition Game Boy Pockets, including a gold-metal model exclusive to Japan. Although several publishers took advantage of the surge in new Game Boy users that came with the release of the Game Boy Pocket by re-releasing older Game Boy games, the Game Boy Pocket was not a new software platform and played the same software as the original Game Boy model.

A clear 'skeleton' Model-F edition appeared in 1997, which had only 5,000 units released, and a clear yellow edition.[citation needed ]

The Game Boy Light was released on April 14, 1998, and only available in Japan. Like the Game Boy Pocket, the system was priced at ¥6,800. The GBL is slightly bigger than the GBP and features an electroluminescent backlight for low-light conditions. It uses two AA batteries, which give it approximately 12 gameplay hours with the light on and 20 with it off. It was available in two standard colors: gold and silver. It also received numerous special editions, including a clear 'skeleton' 500 edition (Model-F02) with white buttons. This edition was also limited to 5000 units, like the first Model-F. Astro Boy edition with a clear case and a picture of Astro Boy on it, an Osamu Tezuka World edition with a clear red case and a picture of his characters, and a solid yellow Pokémon Center Tokyo version.

The standard gray cartridge for the original Game Boy games

The Game Boy was released alongside six launch titles, which are listed in the table below:

Various Game Boy and Color games have been re-released on newer Nintendo consoles through its digital distribution services. On June 6, 2011, Nintendo launched the Virtual Console service on the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. All releases (aside from the Pokémon games) do not support multiplayer.[citation needed ]

On February 8, 2023, Nintendo announced the introduction of Game Boy/Color games to its Nintendo Switch Online service.

One of the many criticisms for the original Game Boy was its lack of a backlight, so many third-party accessories were created to make play possible in low-light conditions.

Though it was less technically advanced than Sega's Game Gear, Atari's Lynx and other competitors, notably by not supporting color, the Game Boy's lower price along with longer battery life made it much more successful. In its first two weeks in Japan, from its release on April 21, 1989, the entire stock of 300,000 units was sold; a few months later on July 31, 1989, 40,000 units were sold on its first release day. More than 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined have been sold worldwide, with 32.47 million units in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in other regions. By Japanese fiscal year 1997, before Game Boy Color's release in late 1998, 64.42 million units of the Game Boy had been sold worldwide. At a March 14, 1994, press conference in San Francisco, Nintendo vice president of marketing Peter Main answered queries about when Nintendo was coming out with a color handheld system by stating that sales of the Game Boy were strong enough that it had decided to hold off on developing a successor handheld for the near future.

In 1995, Nintendo of America announced that 46% of Game Boy players were female, which was higher than the percentage of female players for both the Nintendo Entertainment System (29%) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (14%). In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, 20 years after its introduction.

The console received mixed reviews from critics. In a 1997 year-end review, a team of four Electronic Gaming Monthly editors gave the Game Boy scores of 7.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 2.0. Sushi-X (who contributed the 2.0) panned the system due to its black-and-white display and motion blur, while his three co-reviewers praised its long battery life and strong games library, as well as the sleek, conveniently pocket-sized design of the new Game Boy Pocket model.

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The Game Boy is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990.

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1)He was the first elected president to have been divorced2)He was once a life guard that saved 77 people3)He was very supportive to Michael Jackson

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1)He was the first elected president to have been divorced2)He was once a life guard that saved 77 people3)He was very supportive to Michael Jackson

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president

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Ronald Reagan's Childhood and Education

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to Edward "Jack" Reagan (1883-1941), a shoe salesman, and Nelle Wilson Reagan (1883-1962). The family, which included older son Neil Reagan (1908-1996), resided in an apartment that lacked indoor plumbing and running water and was located along the small town's main street. Reagan's father nicknamed him Dutch as a baby, saying he resembled "a fat little Dutchman."

Did you know? Among the items on display at Ronald Reagan's presidential library in California is a 6,000-pound graffiti-covered section of the Berlin Wall, given to him by the people of Berlin.

During Reagan's early childhood, his family lived in a series of Illinois towns as his father switched sales jobs, then settled in Dixon, Illinois, in 1920. In 1928, Reagan graduated from Dixon High School, where he was an athlete and student body president and performed in school plays. During summer vacations, he worked as a lifeguard in Dixon.

Reagan went on to attend Eureka College in Illinois, where he played football, ran track, captained the swim team, served as student council president and acted in school productions. After graduating in 1932, he found work as a radio sports announcer in Iowa.

Ronald Reagan's Movies and Marriages

In 1937, while in Southern California to cover the Chicago Cubs' spring training season, Ronald Reagan did a screen test for the Warner Brothers movie studio. The studio signed him to a contract, and that same year he made his film debut in "Love is on the Air," playing a radio news reporter.

Over the next three decades, he appeared in more than 50 movies. Among his best-known roles was that of Notre Dame football star George Gipp in the 1940 biographical film "Knute Rockne All American." In the movie, Reagan's famous line-which he is still remembered for-was "Win one for the Gipper." Another notable role was in 1942 in "Kings Row," in which Reagan portrayed an accident victim who wakes up to discover his legs have been amputated and cries out, "Where's the rest of me?" (Reagan used this line as the title of his 1965 autobiography.)

In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman, with whom he had daughter Maureen and an adopted son, Michael. The couple divorced in 1948. In 1952, he married actress Nancy Davis. The pair had two children, Patricia and Ronald.

During World War II (1939-1945), Reagan was disqualified from combat duty due to poor eyesight and spent his time in the Army making training films.

From 1947 to 1952, and from 1959 to 1960, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), during which time he testified in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC). From 1954 to 1962, he hosted the weekly television drama series "The General Electric Theater." In this role, he toured the United States as a public relations representative for General Electric, giving pro-business talks in which he spoke out against too much government control and wasteful spending, central themes of his future political career.

Ronald Reagan, Governor of California

In his younger years, Ronald Reagan was a member of the Democratic Party and campaigned for Democratic candidates; however, his views grew more conservative over time, and in the early 1960s he officially became a Republican.

In 1964, Reagan stepped into the national political spotlight when he gave a well-received televised speech for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater (1909-1998), a prominent conservative. Two years later, in his first race for public office, Reagan defeated Democratic incumbent Edmund "Pat" Brown Sr. (1905-1996) by almost 1 million votes to win the governorship of California. Reagan was re-elected to a second term in 1970.

After making unsuccessful bids for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, Reagan received his party's nod in 1980. In that year's general election, he and running mate George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) faced off against President Jimmy Carter (1924-) and Vice President Walter Mondale (1928-2021). Reagan won the election by an electoral margin of 489-49 and captured almost 51 percent of the popular vote. At age 69, he was the oldest person elected to the U.S. presidency.

1981 Inauguration and Assassination Attempt

Ronald Reagan was sworn into office on January 20, 1981. In his inaugural address, Reagan famously said of America's then-troubled economy, "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem."

After the more informal Carter years, Reagan and his wife Nancy ushered in a new era of glamour in the nation's capital, which became known as Hollywood on the Potomac. The first lady wore designer fashions, hosted numerous state dinners and oversaw a major redecoration of the White House.

Just over two months after his inauguration, on March 30, 1981, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr. (1955-), a man with a history of psychiatric problems, outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. The gunman's bullet pierced one of the president's lungs and narrowly missed his heart. Reagan, known for his good-natured humor, later told his wife, "Honey, I forgot to duck." Within several weeks of the shooting, Reagan was back at work.

Ronald Reagan's Domestic Agenda

On the domestic front, President Ronald Reagan implemented policies to reduce the federal government's reach into the daily lives and pocketbooks of Americans, including tax cuts intended to spur growth (known as Reaganomics). He also advocated for increases in military spending, reductions in certain social programs and measures to deregulate business.

By 1983, the nation's economy had started to recover and enter a period of prosperity that would extend through the rest of Reagan's presidency. Critics maintained that his policies led to budget deficits and a more significant national debt; some also held that his economic programs favored the rich.

In 1981, Reagan made history by appointing Sandra Day O'Connor (1930-) as the first woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ronald Reagan and Foreign Affairs

In foreign affairs, Ronald Reagan's first term in office was marked by a massive buildup of U.S. weapons and troops, as well as an escalation of the Cold War (1946-1991) with the Soviet Union, which the president dubbed "the evil empire." Key to his administration's foreign policy initiatives was the Reagan Doctrine, under which America provided aid to anticommunist movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 1983, Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a plan to develop space-based weapons to protect America from attacks by Soviet nuclear missiles.

Also on the foreign affairs front, Reagan sent 800 U.S. Marines to Lebanon as part of an international peacekeeping force after Israel invaded that nation in June 1982. In October 1983, suicide bombers attacked the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans. That same month, Reagan ordered U.S. forces to lead an invasion of Grenada, an island in the Caribbean, after Marxist rebels overthrew the government. In addition to the problems in Lebanon and Grenada, the Reagan administration had to deal with an ongoing contentious relationship between the United States and Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi (1942-).

During his second term, Reagan forged a diplomatic relationship with the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-), who became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. In 1987, the Americans and Soviets signed a historic agreement to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. That same year, Reagan spoke at Germany's Berlin Wall, a symbol of communism, and famously challenged Gorbachev to tear it down. Twenty-nine months later, Gorbachev allowed the people of Berlin to dismantle the wall. After leaving the White House, Reagan returned to Germany in September 1990-just weeks before Germany was officially reunified-and took several symbolic swings with a hammer at a remaining chunk of the wall.

1984 Reelection

In November 1984, Ronald Reagan was reelected in a landslide, defeating Walter Mondale and his running mate Geraldine Ferraro (1935-), the first female vice-presidential candidate from a major U.S. political party. Reagan, who announced it was "morning again in America," carried 49 out of 50 states in the election and received 525 out of 538 electoral votes, the largest number ever won by an American presidential candidate.

Ronald Reagan's Later Years and Death

After leaving the White House in January 1989, Ronald Reagan and his wife returned to California, where they lived in Los Angeles. In 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum opened in Simi Valley, California.

In November 1994, Reagan revealed in a handwritten letter to the American people that he had been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Nearly a decade later, on June 5, 2004, he died at his Los Angeles home at age 93, making him the nation's longest-lived president (in 2006, Gerald Ford surpassed him for this title). Reagan was given a state funeral in Washington, D.C., and later buried on the grounds of his presidential library. Nancy Reagan died of heart failure in 2016 at age 94 and was buried alongside her husband.

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Ronald Reagan: Biography, Facts & Movies

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Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to Edward "Jack" Reagan (1883-1941), a shoe salesman, and Nelle Wilson Reagan (1883-1962). The family, which included older son Neil Reagan (1908-1996), resided in an apartment that lacked indoor plumbing and running water and was located along the small town's main street.

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1)Beetle juice is a mischievous ghost2)He is a trickster that tricks people into doing stuff3)Beetle juice has the power to teleport and shape shift, but can be stopped by fear

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1)Beetle juice is a mischievous ghost2)He is a trickster that tricks people into doing stuff3)Beetle juice has the power to teleport and shape shift, but can be stopped by fear

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movie

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Thanks to its bonkers blend of comedy and horror, Beetlejuice became an instant hit with audiences when it was released on March 30, 1988-and even more so in the 30 years since, as younger viewers have discovered it on television, DVD, and streaming. The movie also helped to establish Tim Burton, who made his feature directorial debut with Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985, as one of Hollywood's most unique new artists. But there were plenty of obstacles that came with bringing this ghost with the most to the big screen, as well as some stellar benefits to its success. As the news continues to spread that a long-talked-about sequel to the film is finally, actually (hopefully) happening, we're looking back at some fun facts about the cult classic that started it all.

Screenwriter Michael McDowell's original script was far darker than the final script, which was rewritten by screenwriters Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren. Originally it imagined Beetlejuice as a winged demon whose human form was that of a small Middle Eastern man, and his plan for the Deetzes was more about rape and murder than mischief and marriage. Also, the Maitlands' car crash was far more gruesome.

The original ending of McDowell's screenplay had Beetlejuice being destroyed by an exorcism and the Maitlands' house shrinking down to the size of Adam's model town. Instead of sharing their home with the Deetz family, they move into the model house and renovate it to look like their full-scale version did before the family arrived. Also, the Deetz parents move back to New York, leaving Lydia to be raised by the Maitlands in Connecticut.

Part of the rewrites by Warren Skaaren included specific music suggestions, like Lydia lip-syncing to Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman." The final film substituted R&B songs for calypso music like Harry Belafonte's hits "Day-O" and "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)."

Tim Burton reportedly wanted Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr.-who was 63 years old at the time-to play Beetlejuice. Producer David Geffen suggested actor Michael Keaton, who was ultimately chosen and would go on to appear in two other Burton films: and Batman Returns.

Makeup artists Ve Neill, Steve LaPorte, and Robert Short won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Makeup.

Anjelica Huston was originally cast to play Delia Deetz, but had to bow out due to an illness. Actress Catherine O'Hara initially declined Burton's offer for the part, but accepted after Burton flew out to meet with her and personally convince her to take it. O'Hara met-and eventually married-production designer Bo Welch while working on Beetlejuice.

Both Geena Davis and Michael Keaton immediately signed on to the film after meeting with Burton, but he allegedly had to beg Golden Age Hollywood star Sylvia Sidney to play the afterlife detective, Juno. Sidney would go on to work with Burton again on her last film, the 1996 alien invasion comedy Mars Attacks!.Sidney passed away in 1999.

Actresses Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Justine Bateman, Molly Ringwald, and Jennifer Connelly are among the young actresses who allegedly turned down the role of Lydia Deetz. Juliette Lewis auditioned, but Winona Ryder won the part once Burton saw her performance in the teen dramedy Lucas.

Warner Bros. executives didn't like the name Beetlejuice and pushed to have it changed to House Ghosts. Burton jokingly suggested Scared Sheetless as an alternate name, and was appalled when Warner Bros. actually considered it.

Beetlejuice was named for Betelgeuse, a star in the constellation Orion.

Harry Belafonte's song "Day-O," which is in the film's memorable song and dance number, was the final song played at the memorial for actor Glenn Shadix (who played Otho in the film), who passed away in 2010.

Beetlejuice only appears in 17.5 minutes of the 92-minute film.

Test audiences responded to Keaton's green-haired ghoul so well that Burton's team went back to create an upbeat epilogue that featured Beetlejuice hassling a sawed-in-half woman before being hexed by a witch doctor. An earlier draft had him stuck in the Maitlands' model town and plagued by sandworms.

A cartoon spinoff of Beetlejuice ran for 94 episodes. The show completely reimagined the relationship between Lydia Deetz and the titular character, with Beetlejuice taking her on wild adventures in the "Neitherworld." The Maitlands don't exist in this spinoff, but Lydia got a cast of classmates as well as ghoulish friends like a skeleton bodybuilder and a tap-dancing spider.

The box office success of Beetlejuice inspired the development of a sequel in 1990 called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. However, Batman Returns became Burton's priority at the time, and the sequel's prospects went cold until 2011, when Warner Bros. hired Dark Shadows scribe Seth Grahame-Smith to produce a new take on Beetlejuice 2, with Keaton, Ryder, and Burton all in talks to become involved in the potential sequel.

But years passed and the project was only teased until December 2014, when the rumor mill started buzzing once again after Tim Burton told IGN: "There is a script, and I would love to work with [Michael Keaton] again. I think there is now a better chance than ever ... I miss that character. There's something that's cathartic and amazing about it. I think it's closer than ever."

In 2015, adding fuel to the excitement, Winona Ryder told Seth Meyers: "I think I can confirm it. It was very hush-hush top secret ... but then [Tim Burton] was doing some press for Big Eyes and and he did an on-camera interview and he said, 'Oh yeah, we're doing it, and Winona's going to be in it.' ... If he said it, I can say it."

As of late 2017, the project was at a bit of a standstill, but had just brought on a new writer to rework the script. Much like its title character, this project may not be quite dead yet.

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15 Things You Might Not Know About Beetlejuice

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Thanks to its bonkers blend of comedy and horror, Beetlejuice became an instant hit with audiences when it was released on March 30, 1988-and even more so in the 30 years since, as younger viewers have discovered it on television, DVD, and streaming.

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1)help to prevent creases and kinks in your hair2)Dancer's use to use this to keep their muscles from cramping after stretching3)Anytime you need your fingers free to do stuff, but want to keep your hand warm

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1)help to prevent creases and kinks in your hair2)Dancer's use to use this to keep their muscles from cramping after stretching3)Anytime you need your fingers free to do stuff, but want to keep your hand warm

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fashion

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Most Iconic Fashion Trends of the Eighties, from Party Costumes to 80s Jeans

The 80s fashion decade holds such a unique place in the world of fashion, trends, and styles.

In a world of no fashion influencers and no social media, 80s fashion drew inspiration from music and TV shows, creating more style idols than in any previous fashion decade.

'Big,' 'bright,' and 'loud' describe the 80s fashion decade, with eye-straining colors and patterns, power suits, shoulder pads, dramatic earrings, and acid wash jeans.

TOP 10

Most Popular 80s Fashion Trends

The eighties were also a decade of fashion trends that people 'loved to hate,' as you'll see later on, in our gallery of iconic '80s outfits.

Hair was teased and permed to the limits, voluminously styled, and sometimes crimped; make-up was bold with clashing colors, almost like face paint.

1980s fashion styles were also about flaunting money - wearing designer brands, preppy outfits, and loud logos to showcase one's wealth and status.

Nevertheless, the 80s influence has shaped not only the culture and fashion looks of that decade but also the styles we wear nowadays, in 2022.

In this article, I'll take you back down memory lane to experience once again the most beautiful moments of the 80s fashion and styles.

Without further ado, these are the 21 most representative and inspiring 80s fashion pics, images, and moments ever.

Power suits and power dressing was all the rage in the 80s, as a trend created by celebrities and movie stars playing influential, power-hungry career women.

Grace Jones' sharply-tailored suits with broad padded shoulders inspired the 'girl power' and cross-dressing movement of the 1980s - and an inspiration for artists such as Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Solange, and Lorde.

Also, as a sign women were rising through the ranks, Britain was run by Margaret Thatcher, the country's first-ever female Prime Minister.

The shoulder pads were such an influential trend in the 80s fashion that they even started to be adopted by dress designers.

Notable shoulder pads were matched with vaporous dresses with puffed sleeves to create unique geometric shapes and cuts.

The 80s fashion styles were influenced by those times stars and celebrities, promoting fitness and aerobic exercises on TV.

Olivia Newton-John and Jane Fonda's appearances (Flashdance in particular) turned legwarmers into every woman's fashion statement.

Aerobic outfits, leggings, oversized sweaters, and even skinny jeans for women were all garments that required legwarmers as a finishing touch.

Worn by music and movie stars such as Bon Jovi, Madonna, Cher, Tom Cruise (Top Gun), and Morten Harket, leather jackets were a must-have in the 80s.

However, the most popular leather jacket styles had large, padded shoulders and were worn with the sleeves rolled up, and Michael Jackson's Thriller look is the perfect example.

The 80s was also the decade of designers focusing on comfortable and stylish preppy styles.

Brands like Polo, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein launched college-styled jackets, trousers, and shirts in pastel colors with stripes.

Seen as a key 80s trend, preppy shirts (also seen in ' Light Academia ') were worn as either a formal button-down or a casual t-shirt.

Statement tees, also called slogan t-shirts, are another 80s fashion-defining moment, beautifully exemplified by Katharine Hamnett's pieces.

The designer's anti-nuclear-missiles T-shirt, worn while meeting then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984, is now part of 80s fashion history.

The trend of logans printed on t-shirts was quickly adopted by Pepsi, Nike, Adidas, and Guess after realizing the advertising power of their own logos printed on T's.

The 80s is also the decade of mini skirts, skater skirts, and Rah-rah's.

Mini skirts were first seen in the 1960s, often matched with go-go boots.

But the mini-skirt trends peaked in the 80s, worn with legwarmers and/or leggings.

Popular materials were denim and spandex (see Kylie Minogue's high-shine minidresses) or augmented with layers of net and lace, Madonna-style.

Inspired by 1940s - 50s fashion, polka dot dresses, skirts, and tops resurfaced in the 80s with a vengeance.

The style was brought back by the French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro on its SS 1985 ready-to-wear collection, fast adopted by royalty, pop stars, and cinema celebrities alike.

Princess Diana loved sporting polka dots skirts; the Strawberry Switchblade pop duo had them on big PVC belts and Claudia Cardinale on her characteristic dresses with tie necklines.

Even in the 80s wearing natural animal skin was drawn upon.

However, that didn't deter celebrities from wearing over-the-top animal prints on every imaginable outfit and style.

From leggings to handbags, skirts, and sunglasses, bold prints of leopard, zebra, tiger, giraffe, and python were the rage.

Most fashionable sunglasses in the 1980s had giant frames and sported colored or mirror lenses.

Some of the most popular 80s sunglasses frames were oversized Wayfarers and Aviators by Rayban.

Yet, depending on your social circle, you could also spot Gucci, Cartier, and Vuarnet in large frames.

Thierry Mugler's spring 1983 ready-to-wear show is the best example of clothes in which one side is not the same as the other.

The asymmetric style was best exemplified by Molly Ringwald, a famous Hollywood actor of the 80s.

Some key characteristics of asymmetrical style and design feature a one-shoulder bodice, slanted hemlines, or necklines, often seen nowadays in the streetwear pieces of Japanese fashion.

After the influence of drugs and freedom "flower power" of the 70s fashion wore off, 80s started as a self-conscious decade.

Jane Fonda took advantage of women's obsession with dance and exercise with fitness videos showcasing an extensive collection of bright colors bodysuits.

With the help of music divas like Cher, the promotion and selling of sportswear apparel in bold colors became an 80s thing.

What nowadays we call athleisure once started as leotards and bodysuits, a functional form of fashion.

The 80s double denim style craze is the best example of how celebrity power shaped and still shapes the current fashion trends.

Levi's 501 jeans campaign involved top celebs of those times, such as Nick Kamen, who had a top 5 hit single in 1986, written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray.

The trend of pairing double denim jackets with high-waisted jeans continue until the end of the 80s, thanks to Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ben E. King, and Percy Sledge boosting Levi's sales and vinyl records.

In a trend started by fitness celebrities that moved from gyms to 80s catwalks, thick socks, layered socks, and even socks with lace edging were an 80's fashion statement for the girls.

Neon socks paired over the other and worn with trainers were popular in various contexts, at the gym, meeting with friends, and even at the office.

And as the idea of wearing socks everywhere became popular, ankle socks worn with heels started to emerge, from movie clips on MTV to movies and the catwalks.

In the 80s, wearing short skirts to show off your legs was very cool - see Debbie Harry's chic little black dresses accessorized with striking hosiery.

Initially, sheer tights had neutral colors - for a more natural look - like brown during the day and black in the evening

Influenced by the growing fitness craze, sheer colored tights became a thing in the mid-eighties, with many fashion brands creating colored stockings.

The colored sheer tights trend continued into the 90s fashion, worn at the office and even at dinner events.

Stirrups are light metallic frames hanging on each side of a saddle, used to support mounting or riding.

Stirrup pants borrow the concept by having a strap of material at the end of the foot to hold the pants in place.

Given their construct, stirrup pants were trendy in the 80s in sporting activities such as aerobics, ballet, and dancing, eventually permeating into daily fashion looks.

Towards the end of the eighties, women of all ages could be seen wearing leggings and stirrup pants matched with large t-shirts or comfortable oversized sweaters.

After Madonna launched her global hit "Like a Virgin" on MTV in 1984, lace dresses and lace gloves became an instant fashion statement throughout the 80s.

The trend can be seen everywhere, even in movies, and one of the most popular characters spring the style was Alexis Carrington in Dynasty, played by Joan Collins.

Originally known as a harem skirt, these pants were introduced to western fashion circles in 1910 by the Parisian designer Paul Poiret.

Long, baggy, with a very low drop-crotch and fitted at the ankle, harem pants were also known as the MC Hammer pants.

In psychedelic colors and dizzying patterns, harem pants are another look that makes the 80s fashion so unforgettable and unique.

Some of the most popular swimsuits of the 80s had a high-cut one-piece, like the babes on the original Baywatch series used to wear.

The high cut was designed to elongate the legs while the waist tucked everything into a slimmer silhouette, whether there's a bit of weight on the hips or tummy.

Inspired by London's skinhead culture that took the 60s fashion by storm, the 80s punk style version had a milder, more enigmatic look.

The softer variations of post-punk 80s fashion were influenced by a blend of skinhead culture with other cultures and musical trends, from goth rock to glam and psychedelic rock.

Distressed, acid wash jeans were popular from the mid to late 80s and early 90s styles.

Invented by the Rifle Jeans company in Italy, washing denim with chlorine and using a pumice stone to distress the material.

Loved by heavy metal and rock bands, 80s acid-washed jeans were matched with biker jackets or fringe jackets (cowboy/country music style leather jackets with lots of tassels).

The acid-washed denim was so popular that even non-rock acts such as Bros and Salt N' Pepa jumped on it, triggering brands like Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi's, and Gitano to create limited collections and collab pieces.

More on 80s Fashion - People also ask

What kind of clothes were popular in the 80s?

The most popular 80s clothes for women were power suits, legwarmers, dresses with padded shoulders, and spandex and Lycra tights.

For men, some of the most popular clothes in the 80s were leather jackets, polo shirts, Oxford shirts, and turtlenecks.

However, both genders wore linen, velour, corduroy suits, high-waisted acid wash jeans, and animal prints.

What should I wear to an 80s party?

The best 80s theme party outfit depends on the style you want to recreate.

In the eighties, there were several fashion styles, but some of the most popular were power office, street casual, punk, and athletic looks, each with its own shoes and accessories.

Some of the most popular 80s accessories are:

scrunchies;

leg warmers;

fingerless gloves;

plastic bangles;

large earrings in neon shades;

mesh accents;

and pearl necklaces.

How do you dress in 80s fashion?

Dressing a perfect 80s fashion look is simple, as long as you combine some of the most representative clothes of that decade with the relevant accessories to the 80s style you choose to showcase.

For example, if you want to recreate a stylish 80s post-punk look, all you need is a biker-style leather jacket, acid-washed jeans, a loud logo t-shirt with an 80s popular slogan, and a pair of black leather boots.

Then, finish this classic 80s look with relevant punk accessories, such as metallic bracelets, studs, spikes, laces, and chains.

Final Words on 1980s Fashion

The music television channels (MTV launched in 1981) and the first generation of personal computers (1st Apple Computer launched in 1984) significantly influenced the looks of 80s fashion.

Music clips particularly influenced 80s fashion and American TV shows such as Dynasty and Dallas - think power suits and shoulder pads and fine jewelry worn by Alexis and Krystle Carrington.

Madonna, Joan Jett, and Cher's video clips inspired teenagers to wear biker leather jackets, ripped tights, assorted with punk-styled bracelets, studs, spikes, and chains.

Similarly, Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner's polished looks left their marks on 80s women's fashion with asymmetric aesthetics, oversized blazers, and poof skirts.

And let's not forget the influence that Jane Fonda and Olivia Newton-John's fitness clips had on teen girls, even wearing sheer tights and legwarmers everywhere, with anything.

Now it's your turn...

Are you interested in this eighties fashion article as a source of style inspiration or looking for 1980s designers and brands?

Which one of these 80s fashion trends is your favorite and why?

Are there any other 80s fashion trends, styles, looks, or brands, missing from this list that you'd like to add? Let us know.

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21 Most Popular 80s Fashion Trends To Dress In 2022

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The 80s fashion decade holds such a unique place in the world of fashion, trends, and styles. In a world of no fashion influencers and no social media, 80s fashion drew inspiration from music and TV shows, creating more style idols than in any previous fashion decade.

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1)He was already popular as a child star2)Estimated selling of 65 million dollars for the song thriller alone3)His was nicknamed king of pop and became an international sensation

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1)He was already popular as a child star2)Estimated selling of 65 million dollars for the song thriller alone3)His was nicknamed king of pop and became an international sensation

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music

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15 Surprising Facts About Michael Jackson | About the 80s

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Except for Jackson’s closest followers during the height of his fame, here are 15 facts the majority of the public doesn’t know today.

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1)This baseball player is now worth 3.00 dollars2)His nickname was the all-time iron man3)he led the Orioles to a World Series title

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1)This baseball player is now worth 3.00 dollars2)His nickname was the all-time iron man3)he led the Orioles to a World Series title

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sports figure

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Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001). One of his position's most offensively productive players, Ripken compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in during his career, and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ripken holds the record for consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 that had stood for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. In 2007, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.53% of votes, the sixth-highest election percentage ever.

Born in Maryland, Ripken grew up traveling around the United States as his father, Cal Sr., was a player and coach in the Orioles' organization. After playing at Aberdeen High School, Ripken Jr. was drafted by the Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB draft. He reached the major leagues in 1981 as a shortstop but moved to third base in 1982, but the following year, he was shifted to shortstop, his long-time position for Baltimore. That year, Ripken also won the AL Rookie of the Year Award and began his consecutive games played streak. In 1983, he won a World Series championship over the Philadelphia Phillies and his first AL MVP Award. One of Ripken's best years came in 1991 when he was named an All-Star, won the Home Run Derby, and was recipient of his first All-Star Game MVP Award, his second AL MVP Award, and first Gold Glove Award. He broke the consecutive games played record on September 6, 1995, in his 2,131st consecutive game, which fans voted as the league's "most memorable moment" in the history of the game in an MLB.com poll; Ripken voluntarily ended his 17-year streak at 2,632 games before the final home game of the 1998 season. He switched back to third base for the final five years of his career. In 2001, his final season, Ripken was named the All-Star Game MVP and was honored with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.

Ripken is considered one of the best shortstops in baseball history. At 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 225 lb (102 kg), he pioneered the way for the success of taller, larger shortstops. He holds the record for most home runs hit as a shortstop (345), breaking the record previously held by Ernie Banks, and was selected as the starting shortstop for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Ripken is a best-selling author and the President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc., whose goal is to grow the love of baseball from a grassroots level. Since his retirement, he has purchased three minor league baseball teams. He has been active in charity work throughout his career and is still considered an ambassador of the game. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is married to Laura Ripken, née Kiessling, a judge on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Ripken was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, the son of Violet Roberta "Vi" Ripken (née Gross) and Cal Ripken Sr. He has German, English, and Irish ancestry. Though the Ripkens called Aberdeen, Maryland, their home, they were often on the move because of Cal Sr.'s coaching duties with the Baltimore Orioles organization. Cal Sr., in fact, was in Topeka, Kansas, with one of his teams when his son was born. Cal Jr. grew up around baseball and got started in it at a very young age. He was able to receive instruction from players on his father's teams, notably Doug DeCinces. He also got advice from his father, who once remarked to his mother that his questions were better than the ones reporters had. At the age of three, Ripken knew he wanted to be a ballplayer, and at the age of 10, Ripken "knew the game inside and out". Ripken and his brother Billy attended Aberdeen High School. They both played baseball there; Cal also played soccer. He has two other siblings, Ellen and Fred.

Ripken began his high school career playing second base; his coach, Don Morrison, said, "I was considering moving him to short, but I was unsure if his arm was strong enough." Despite Morrison's concerns, Ripken did move to shortstop as a sophomore, combining strong fielding with a team-leading 10 runs batted in (RBI). Needing pitching help, the Aberdeen Eagles began using Ripken as a pitcher as well in his junior year. He responded by striking out 55 batters in innings pitched with three shutouts while batting .339 with 21 hits and nine RBIs. He was named the Harford County Most Valuable Player (MVP) while helping Aberdeen become county champions for the first time since 1959. During his senior year, Ripken again had a strong season, lifting his batting average to .688 at one point and posting a 0.79 ERA with 45 strikeouts over his first 26 innings. In the playoffs, Ripken pitched the state championship game against Thomas Stone High School. The Eagles trailed 3-1 when Ripken, noting that rain was coming and that the game would be canceled and replayed because the Eagles had not yet played the fourth inning, made nine throws to first base to ensure the game would be replayed. When the game was played the next week, Ripken struck out 17, allowed two hits, and threw a complete game as Aberdeen won the state championship. He threw 102 pitches in the 7-1 victory.

The Baltimore Orioles drafted Ripken in the second round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft 48th overall. Despite a story written by SABR, Ripken was selected with the Orioles' predetermined draft pick, not through a forfeited pick from the Boston Red Sox after the Sox selected Dick Drago in the 1977 re-entry draft. The Orioles would select catcher Cecil Whitehead with the pick they received from Boston two picks after Ripken. On deciding to go straight from high school to the professional level, he said, "When the colleges started coming around, Dad and I talked about mostly whether I was going to pursue a career in baseball. If I had the ability, the feeling was to get on with it, and if it didn't work out, start over again in college at 25 or 26." Ripken played both pitcher and shortstop in high school; in fact, the Orioles were the only team not just interested in his pitching ability. The Orioles decided to start him playing shortstop in the minor leagues, deciding it would be easier for him to transition back to pitching if necessary than it would be for him to start hitting again.

To begin Ripken's minor league career, the Orioles assigned him to the Bluefield Orioles of the rookie Appalachian League. He batted .264 with 63 hits, no home runs, and 24 RBIs, failing to make the league's all-rookie team. In 1979, Ripken moved up to the Single-A Miami Orioles of the Florida State League. Shortly into the season, Miami manager Lance Nichols decided to move Ripken to third base, saying, "Cal was having some problems at short, so naturally I decided to shift him to third ... Third base was a perfect fit for Cal and our team." On July 2, Ripken hit his first professional home run, a game-winner in the 12th inning against Gary Abone of the West Palm Beach Expos. Ripken batted .303, hit five home runs, led the league with 28 doubles, and had 54 RBIs while playing in all 105 of Miami's games. He was named an All-Star after the season. His performance earned him a brief call-up to the Charlotte Orioles of the Double-A Southern League; Ripken batted .180 in a month with them, albeit with three home runs.

Ripken began 1980 with Charlotte. His manager at Charlotte, Jimmy Williams, predicted him to set the team home run record, and Ripken did not disappoint. At season's end, he had 25 home runs, besting the previous record by four. He also had 28 doubles, 78 RBIs, and a .492 slugging percentage. Ripken was named an All-Star while helping Charlotte win the Southern League championship.

In 1981, Ripken was added to Baltimore's 40-man roster. He attended spring training with the Orioles, but was sent to the Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A International League to start the season. At Rochester, Ripken played in the longest professional baseball game. Ripken started at third base and played all 33 innings against the Pawtucket Red Sox (which featured another future Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs) in a game that took parts of three days to complete. Ripken hit 23 home runs for Rochester while batting .288 with 75 RBIs in 114 games. He was named the International League Rookie of the Year.

The Orioles were planning to keep Ripken in Rochester through 1981, but searching for improvement in the second half of the 1981 season, they called him up on August 7. Manager Earl Weaver planned to have Ripken take over the role of utility infielder, in place of Wayne Krenchicki, who had been sent down to make room for Ripken on the roster. He made his debut on August 10 as a pinch runner for Ken Singleton in the 12th inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals. Ripken scored on a hit by John Lowenstein, giving the Orioles the win. His first major league hit came six days later against Dennis Lamp of the Chicago White Sox. Ripken finished the season batting .182 without an extra-base hit as the Orioles finished fourth in the second half of the season.

Ripken received the third base job for the Orioles in 1982 when the team traded DeCinces before the start of the season. He homered in his very first at-bat of the first game of the Orioles' 1982 season against Dennis Leonard of Kansas City as part of a three-hit outing. However, he slumped to begin the season; his batting average was .118 through May 1. Ripken looked for advice from several Orioles players and coaches but was most aided by advice from Reggie Jackson: "Just know what you know you can do, not what everybody else tells you to do." After that, Ripken hit well for the rest of the season. On May 29, Ripken did not play the second game of a doubleheader, the last time he missed a game until 1998. On July 1, Weaver decided to permanently shift Ripken to shortstop, deciding that it was harder to find a shortstop who could hit than it was to find a third baseman who could hit. Weaver said, "You never know. Rip might be a great shortstop." Ripken hit 28 home runs that year en route to winning the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award. Aided by Ripken, the Orioles contended for the playoffs until they lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on the final day of the season.

Ripken advanced even more in 1983, having what would be one of the best years of his career. He played well all season on the way to earning the first of 19 All-Star berths. Roommate Rick Dempsey gave this analysis of Ripken's performance: "Certainly there were pitchers who faced him in 1982 and made or tried to make adjustments against him. But Cal was determined and worked hard to offset their adjustments." At season's end, Ripken had set Orioles' records for RBIs by a shortstop (102) and hits by all players (211). He led the major leagues in hits and doubles (47) while also leading the AL with 121 runs scored. As a shortstop, he led the league in fielding percentage (.970), assists (534), and double plays (111), although he did not win the Gold Glove Award. After the season, he was named the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP), hitting .318 with 27 home runs. Ripken became the first player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in consecutive seasons.

Ripken made the playoffs for the first time as the Orioles won the AL East in 1983. The Orioles defeated the White Sox in the ALCS before beating the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one in the 1983 World Series. In the series, Ripken hit just .167 with no homers and only one RBI. Although not contributing significantly in the World Series with his bat, he made a number of key plays defensively at shortstop, including the final out of the series on a Garry Maddox lineout in Game 5.

Before the 1984 season, Ripken signed a four-year contract for "about" $1 million a year, the largest contract the Orioles had ever given to a player of his age. Again, he was named to the All-Star Game. He racked up another fine season, batting .304 with 27 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 103 runs scored. Although he failed to win a Gold Glove, he set an AL record with 583 assists. The Orioles had a winning record but only managed to finish in fifth place.

Ripken's streak nearly came to an end in 1985. Against the Texas Rangers in the second game of the season, he sprained his ankle on a fielding play. Ripken finished the game, but afterward, Dr. Charles Silverstein ordered him to rest for 24 hours. However, the Orioles had an off day after that game, and Ripken was back for their next game. During the season, Ripken was managed by his father when Cal Sr. filled in between Joe Altobelli and Weaver for one game on June 14. Ripken finished the year batting .282 with 26 home runs and 110 RBIs while also leading the league with 123 double plays and 286 putouts.

During June 1986, Ripken recorded a 17-game hitting streak. It was a tough season for the Orioles, as they finished last for the first time in their tenure in Baltimore. In a speech to the team before the All-Star break, Weaver criticized the healthy players on the team for not hitting, except Ripken. "Do you know the kid hasn't missed an infield practice all year? Now, he's going to the All-Star Game," Weaver said. He batted .282 with 81 RBIs, a drop partly because the Orioles scored 110 fewer runs than the year before. He was the first Oriole other than Eddie Murray since 1979 to lead the team in home runs, with 25.

Cal Ripken Sr. replaced the retired Weaver as manager of the Orioles at the beginning of the 1987 season. That year, Ripken Sr. became the first manager to write two of his sons into the lineup card when both Ripken Jr. and his brother and fellow Oriole, Billy Ripken, played in the same game on July 11. Later in the season, Ripken Sr. decided to take Ripken Jr. out of the game on September 14, in a blow-out loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium. Ron Washington replaced him in the eighth inning, ending Ripken's streak of 8,243 consecutive innings played. Ripken Sr. called the streak a "burden" after the game, saying, "I had to do it sometime." Consecutive innings streaks have not always been recorded, but Ripken's remains unchallenged by historians. Ripken finished the year batting a career-low .252, but he still hit 27 home runs, had 98 RBIs, and walked a career-high 81 times. He also recorded a .982 fielding percentage.

The Orioles considered having Ripken replace Ray Knight at third base in 1988, but they decided to keep him at shortstop. After the Orioles started the season 0-6, Ripken Sr. was fired and replaced by Frank Robinson. The Orioles started the year 0-21, with Ripken slumping as well to open the season. He finished the year batting just .264, although he led major league shortstops with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. He also had a particularly memorable play in the All-Star Game, making a tremendous catch and strong throw to retire Will Clark in the second inning. Ken Rosenthal of The Baltimore Sun called it "the gem of the evening."

During the 1988 season, Ripken had signed a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year, preventing him from being a free agent at season's end. On August 2, 1989, he and Billy combined for seven hits against the Boston Red Sox, with Cal Jr. providing a game-winning hit late in the game. That was an AL record for hits by brothers; the major league record was held by Lloyd and Paul Waner, who had eight on June 25, 1932. Fifteen days later, he passed Steve Garvey by playing in his 1,208th straight game, moving to third on baseball's all-time list behind Lou Gehrig and Everett Scott. Despite this accomplishment, Ray Robinson of The New York Times wrote, "Few regarded Ripken... or anyone else, as the successor to the Iron Horse." The Orioles, after posting three straight losing seasons, contended for the playoffs most of the year before missing out in the final week of the season. Ripken slumped in September, as he had only seven hits in his final 55 at bats. He batted .257 in 1989 but was especially impressive for his fielding; he once went 47 games in a row without an error and finished the year with a .990 fielding percentage.

Ripken slumped offensively in 1990, batting .209 through his first 59 games. However, throughout the year, he impressed players and fans with his fielding. On June 12, he broke Mark Belanger's Baltimore record for most consecutive errorless chances by a shortstop. He went 67 straight games before experiencing what was originally scored an error on June 26. However, official scorer Bill Steka decided the error was really Mike Devereaux's fault and changed the call the next day. Ripken continued the streak to 95 games, breaking the Major League record for shortstops and setting the AL record for infielders other than third basemen. On June 12, he also passed Scott to move into second place all-time for consecutive games played. The milestone came at Memorial Stadium; however, the fans booed him because of his offensive slump. Ripken finished the year batting .250, leading the Orioles with 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, 150 hits, and 78 runs scored. He and Billy tied for the team lead with 28 doubles. Ripken committed only three errors in 1990, shattering the previous record of six in a season. Despite his fielding accomplishments, Ozzie Guillén, who had committed 17 errors, won the Gold Glove Award. Some felt that Ripken should have won the award: Tim Kurkjian called the vote a "crime", and Bobby Valentine stated that he was, "embarrassed by the actions of my peers."

Ripken had a career year in 1991. Through the All-Star break, his batting average was .348, making him the first shortstop to be leading the league in average through that point since Lou Boudreau in 1947. He finished the season by hitting .323 with a career-high 34 home runs and 114 RBIs. In addition, Ripken hit 46 doubles, stole a career-high six bases, and hit five triples while posting his career lowest strikeout rate and fewest strikeouts in a season with 600 or more plate appearances. He became the first Major League shortstop ever to tally 30 home runs and 200 or more hits or 30 home runs and 40 or more doubles.

Ripken won his second AL MVP award, his first Gold Glove Award, the All-Star Game MVP Award (going two for three including a three-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby contest (hitting a then-record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including seven consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver Slugger Award", Associated Press (AP) Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was Maury Wills in 1962. His home run off of former Orioles and then Montreal Expos pitcher Dennis Martínez was the defining moment of American League's 4-2 victory in the 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. As a result, Ripken was the first player to win both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game MVP Award in the same year. As for his regular-season MVP award, he was the first to win the award in the American League while playing with a sub-.500 club; the Orioles finished in sixth place that year with a 67-95 record. Ripken was only the second player to be named league MVP on a team with a losing record; Andre Dawson was the first in 1987, winning the NL MVP with the last-place Chicago Cubs.

At the end of the 1991 season, Memorial Stadium, the Orioles' home since 1954, saw its last MLB game against the Tigers. Ripken was the last Oriole to bat at the stadium, hitting into a double play against Detroit's Frank Tanana on October 6, 1991.

During the 1992 season, Ripken and the Orioles tried to work out a new contract. Several times throughout the season, Ripken endured batting slumps. He said after the season, "I don't like to make excuses for the fact that I wasn't hitting, but I was distracted ... I just felt like the Orioles were playing mind games with me. Whether that was right or wrong, it was bothering me." On August 22, Ripken finally signed a five-year, $30.5 million contract, the largest in baseball history at the time. Ripken's slumps continued, and he was even booed by Orioles' fans late in the season. He finished the year batting .251 with career-lows in home runs (14) and RBIs (72). The Orioles contended for the playoffs much of the year, and were not eliminated until September 27. However, he did win his second Gold Glove Award.

For the first time in Ripken's career, he became the only Ripken in the Orioles' organization, as the Orioles ousted his father as coach and traded Billy to Texas. His slump continued at the start of the 1993 season, but Ripken managed to get out of it in May by adopting a taller batting stance. Because of his early-season struggles, some criticized him for playing every day. Bobby Bonds said of Ripken's playing every day, "That's idiotic. If I were his manager, he'd be out of there." Oriole coach Davey Lopes responded that only Ripken could tell whether or not he needed a day off. On June 6, Ripken injured his knee during a brawl against the Seattle Mariners and was convinced for most of the next day that he would be unable to play. However, the knee felt better at gametime, enabling the streak to continue. Ripken achieved a personal milestone on July 10, when he collected his 2,000th career hit, during a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against Wilson Álvarez of the White Sox. Because of Ripken's struggles, most managers and some sportswriters felt he should be left out of the All-Star Game in Baltimore that year; however, the fans gave him more than two million votes to ensure his spot. Following the All-Star break, Ripken's hitting improved greatly, as he batted .300 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs for the rest of the season. He finished the year batting .257 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs.

Before the 1994 season, the Elias Sports Bureau informed the Orioles that Ripken had surpassed Ernie Banks for most career home runs as a shortstop with his 278th on July 15 against Scott Erickson. Banks met Ripken at a ceremony on February 9 and said, "I'm extremely happy that he broke this record because it give me a chance to come back and be remembered too." Ripken started the season strong, batting .340 with 19 RBIs through April. On May 24, Ripken had six RBIs, including his 300th home run against Teddy Higuera, as the Orioles rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Brewers 13-5. On August 1, he played in his 2,000th consecutive game, a 1-0 victory over the Twins at the Metrodome. Through 112 games, Ripken batted .315 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs before the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike canceled the rest of the season.

Many baseball fans within and outside of the United States tuned into ESPN to watch Ripken surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record for consecutive games played (2,130 games). The game, between the Orioles and the California Angels, still ranks as one of the network's most-watched baseball games (baseball's most-watched game was Game 7 of the 1986 World Series). Cal's children, Rachel and Ryan, threw out the ceremonial first balls. Both President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were at the game; Clinton was with the commentators on ESPN for the Orioles' half of the fourth inning. The Orioles erected special box seats for the game to raise money for the Johns Hopkins University to study Lou Gehrig's disease. When the game became official after the bottom of the fifth inning, the numerical banners that displayed Ripken's streak on the wall of the B&O Warehouse outside the stadium's right-field wall changed from 2130 to 2131.

Ripken received a standing ovation from the crowd, the opposing players, and the umpires that lasted more than 22 minutes, one of the longest standing ovations for any athlete; ESPN did not go to a commercial break during the entire ovation. During the ovation, Ripken did a lap around the entire Camden Yards warning track to shake hands and give high-fives to the fans.

After the game concluded, there was an elaborate ceremony which included a number of speeches from dignitaries including Joe DiMaggio, a teammate of Gehrig. During his speech, Ripken said, "Tonight I stand here, overwhelmed, as my name is linked with the great and courageous Lou Gehrig. I'm truly humbled to have our names spoken in the same breath. This year has been unbelievable. I've been cheered in ballparks all over the country. People not only showed me their kindness, but more importantly, they demonstrated their love of the game of baseball. I give my thanks to baseball fans everywhere. Tonight, I want to make sure you know how I feel. As I grew up here, I not only had dreams of being a big league ballplayer, but also of being a Baltimore Oriole. For all of your support over the years, I want to thank you, the fans of Baltimore, from the bottom of my heart. This is the greatest place to play."

Reflecting on that evening after his election to the Hall of Fame, Ripken said, " Bobby Bonilla and Rafael Palmeiro pushed me out of the dugout and said, 'Hey, if you don't do a lap around this thing, we'll never get the game started.' I thought it was a ridiculous sort of thing ... but as I started to do it, the celebration of 50,000 started to be very one-on-one and very personal. I started seeing people I knew ... Those were the people that had been around the ballpark all those years, and it was really a wonderful human experience."

Ripken hit .262 in 1995 with 17 home runs and had 88 RBIs.

Ripken began the 1996 season slowly, but his playing improved as the season went on. On June 14 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City against the Royals, Ripken broke the world record of consecutive games played by playing in his 2,216th. The record had been held by Sachio Kinugasa of Japan. Kinugasa was at the game to watch Ripken break his record. On July 15, Ripken was moved to third base as an experiment, with Manny Alexander taking the shortstop position. He was told the change would be permanent but was moved back to shortstop after Alexander had one hit in his six games at shortstop. Ripken appeared in 163 games during the regular season in 1996, batting .278 with 26 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .980 fielding percentage at shortstop. He returned to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years as the Orioles won the AL Wild Card. In the AL Division Series, Baltimore defeated Cleveland in four games, with Ripken batting .444 in the series. His average fell to .250 in the ALCS as the Orioles were defeated in five games by the Yankees.

In 1997, the Orioles signed free-agent shortstop Mike Bordick from the Oakland Athletics and moved Ripken back to third base permanently. General manager Pat Gillick said that the move was made not because of problems by Ripken but because more defensive options were available at shortstop than at third base. Had Ripken not wanted to move back to third base, the Orioles likely would have signed Tim Naehring instead.

Ripken was scheduled to become a free agent following the 1997 season, but at the start of the year he agreed to a two-year extension with the Orioles. During the season, he suffered from nerve damage that at times kept him from being able to sit on the bench. However, he did not miss a game and batted .270 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs as the Orioles again made the playoffs-this time by winning the AL East. Ripken batted .438 as the Orioles defeated the Mariners in four games in the ALDS. He batted .348 and hit a home run in the ALCS, but the Orioles fell to Cleveland in six games.

Ripken batted .271 with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs in 1998. On September 20, before the final home game of the season against the Yankees, Ripken decided to end his streak at 2,632 games, having surpassed Gehrig's previous record by 502 games. Rookie third baseman Ryan Minor started in his place, at first thinking it was a rookie prank. Realizing that the streak was coming to an end, the fans, his teammates, and the visiting Yankees (with David Wells being the first to notice that Ripken was not playing during batting practice) gave Ripken an ovation after the game's first out was recorded. Ripken later stated that he decided to end the streak at the end of the season to avoid any offseason controversy about his playing status and to end the streak entirely on his own terms while he still could. Ripken returned to the lineup for the final seven games of the season, on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.

In 1999, Ripken had the highest batting average of his career, at .340. Although he was injured at both the beginning and the end of the 1999 season and also mourned the loss of his father and former coach Cal Ripken Sr. only a few days before 1999's opening game, he hit 18 homers in 332 at-bats (one HR every 18.4 AB's). He had the best individual game of his career, going 6-for-6 with two home runs off John Smoltz and tying a club record with 13 total bases against the Atlanta Braves on June 13. On September 3, he hit the 400th home run of his career against Rolando Arrojo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Ripken's 1999 season ended early due to injury when he was only nine hits away from joining the 3,000 hit club. He achieved the milestone early in the 2000 season in the April 15th game against the Twins at the Metrodome when he singled off reliever Héctor Carrasco; Eddie Murray, another member of the club and the Orioles' first-base coach, was the first to congratulate him. Ripken had a good night at the plate, recording three hits, the third of which was the milestone. Ripken missed all of July and August with a back injury. He was selected to the All-Star Game but sat out because of the injury, marking the first All-Star Game that he missed since his rookie season. In 83 games, Ripken batted .256 (his lowest total since 1992) with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs.

In June 2001, Ripken announced he would retire at the end of the season. He was voted the starting third baseman in the All-Star Game at Seattle's Safeco Field on July 10, 2001. In a tribute to Ripken's achievements and stature in the game, shortstop Alex Rodriguez (unknowingly foreshadowing his own future) insisted on exchanging positions with third baseman Ripken for the first inning, so that Ripken could play shortstop as he had for most of his career. That move allowed Ripken to claim the record of most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop. In the third inning, Ripken made his first plate appearance and was greeted with a standing ovation. Ripken then homered off the first pitch from Chan Ho Park. Ripken ended up with All-Star MVP honors, becoming one of four players in MLB history with multiple All-Star Game MVP Awards (1991 and 2001) and the only player to be named All-Star Game MVP in two different decades.

The Orioles planned to retire Ripken's #8 in a ceremony before the final home game of the 2001 season, in late September. Ripken's final game was originally set to be played at Yankee Stadium; however, the September 11, 2001, attacks led to the postponement of a week's worth of games. The games missed were added onto the end of the season's schedule. Because all the games the Orioles missed were at home, this changed the location of Ripken's final game to Oriole Park, much to the delight of Orioles fans. On October 6, Ripken ended his career in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth inning. Longtime teammate Brady Anderson, also playing in his last game for the Orioles, swung and missed on a fastball high and tight on a 3-2 count to end the game. After the game, Ripken gave a speech thanking the fans for their support over 20 seasons. Ripken was healthier in his final season than he had been over his last two, as he appeared in 128 games. He batted a career-low .239 with 14 home runs and 68 RBIs.

Throughout his career, Ripken has contributed his time and money to numerous charitable organizations. Following the signing of his new contract in 1984, Ripken announced he would distribute 1984 Orioles tickets to underprivileged children in Harford County, donate to the Harford Center, and donate to the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. In 1988, he and wife Kelly founded the Cal Ripken Jr., Lifelong Learning Center, which is dedicated to teaching adults to read. In 1992, MLB recognized him with the Roberto Clemente Award. In 1997, Ripken received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council members and Baltimore Orioles co-owners Peter Angelos and Tom Clancy.

Ripken has made donations to many various charitable causes, including donations supporting research on Lou Gehrig's disease. After he broke Gehrig's record, the Orioles, along with private donors, created the Cal Ripken/Lou Gehrig Fund for Neuromuscular Research at Johns Hopkins University. Along with his brother Billy, he formed the Cal Ripken Sr., Foundation in 2001 to give underprivileged children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and learn the game. The Foundation is a branch of Ripken Baseball. In addition to controlling these camps and Ripken's minor league teams, Ripken Baseball operates for-profit camps and designs ballfields for youth, college, and professional teams. He gives speeches about his time in baseball and some of the lessons he has learned. Between 2001 and 2004, inclusive, Ripken served as commissioner of the White House Tee Ball Initiative of President George W. Bush, in which capacity he worked to promote the value of teamwork amongst players and volunteership amongst the public and helped to teach tee ball fundamentals to teams of children at the White House.

In 2007, Ripken, along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, and Alonzo Mourning founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization, which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community. Ripken also announced a partnership with Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, with the donation of US$ 1 million in cash and equipment from the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

On August 13, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that Ripken had been named Special Sports Envoy for the US State Department and that he would be going to China in October: "... we're just delighted that somebody of Cal Ripken's stature is going to be someone who will go out and represent America so well and represent what we consider to be American values, but universal values; that hard work and diligence and the willingness to really put it all on the line every day is something that kids need to learn", said Rice. "A Shortstop in China" premiered on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network on May 8, 2009, chronicling Ripken's trip to China to share the game of baseball with youth and coaches while nurturing American-Chinese diplomacy. The documentary included footage from the 11 clinics Cal and former Oriole B. J. Surhoff held from Beijing to Guangzhou. The documentary also showed Ripken accepting his appointment from Rice and featured a variety of interviews, from Ripken's wife Kelly to former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Karen Hughes.

On May 31, 2008, Ripken received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the University of Delaware and served as the university's commencement speaker. On May 19, 2013, Ripken received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from the University of Maryland while serving as the university's general commencement speaker.

In an interview with Ray Robinson, Ripken said, "My personal philosophy is to get a feeling of fulfillment through my work. I have a desire to create something. I guess that's why I've long been fascinated by two books, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged [both by Ayn Rand]. The leading figure in 'The Fountainhead,' an architect named Howard Roark, is someone I've thought about a good deal."

At 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 225 lb (102 kg), Ripken was a departure from the prototypical shortstop of the time-small, fleet-of-foot players who played a defensively difficult position but often did not post the home run and batting average totals that an outfielder might. Power hitting shortstops such as Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and Miguel Tejada are often seen by fans to be part of Ripken's legacy.

Nonetheless, Ripken demonstrated the ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position. Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals, and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed. Ripken's legacy as a fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive statistical category-he holds at least one all-time record (for either season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors. Ripken's career range factor was 4.73 (and as high as 5.50 for a single season), a mark few shortstops have reached.

Ripken's power, which led to records such as most home runs by a shortstop and 13th place in career doubles, had consequences. His propensity to drive the ball often led to his grounders getting to fielders quickly for tailor-made double-play balls. In 1999, Ripken passed Hank Aaron as the player who had grounded into the most double plays in his career (a record that was again broken by Albert Pujols in 2017). Ripken is third on the fielding side for double plays by a shortstop (1565, behind Omar Vizquel's 1734 and Ozzie Smith's 1590).

Ripken was also notable for never settling on a signature batting stance during his long career. Sometimes referred to as "the man of 1,000 stances", Ripken would change his stance in response to a slump, or if his current choice "didn't feel good." When asked about his propensity for experimentation during an interview, Ripken responded that a batting stance "was only a starting point".

A poll of fans by ranked Ripken's 2,131st straight game the "Most Memorable Moment" in MLB history, leading such moments as Gehrig's farewell speech in 1939 and Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier in 1947. The write-up in the 1996 Sporting News Baseball Guide, which was written shortly after Ripken set the record, called the streak "what almost everyone considered the high point of the major league season." In 2005, the Orioles honored Ripken on the 10th anniversary of his 2,131st consecutive game. After the top of the fifth inning, the numbers 2130 on the warehouse behind the stadium changed to 2131, just as they did on September 6, 1995.

Ripken has stated that he never felt comfortable being compared to Gehrig.

Lou has monstrous numbers and was like Babe Ruth. How was it possible to compare him to me? But I realized what we did share is playing in consecutive games. It was still uncomfortable for me. When you're mentioned with him, I'm not sure you fully understand what it means.

Billy and Cal Ripken are one of only four two-brother combinations in major league history to play second base/shortstop on the same club. The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945; the twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the mid-1950s, and Frank and Milt Bolling for the Detroit Tigers in 1958.

On January 9, 2007, Ripken was elected to the Hall of Fame, appearing on 537 out of 545 of the ballots cast (98.53%), eight votes short of a unanimous selection. His percentage is the sixth-highest in history, behind Mariano Rivera (100%), Derek Jeter (99.75%), Ken Griffey Jr. (99.32%), Tom Seaver (98.84%), and Nolan Ryan (98.79%). Tony Gwynn, who was appearing on his first ballot as well, was chosen alongside Ripken. Both Hall of Fame-Elects were formally inducted on July 29, 2007. The induction ceremony was attended by a record 75,000 people including special guests of Ripken: John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Steve Geppi, and Ron Shapiro (Ripken's agent during his career).

Ripken has received several tributes outside of baseball. On September 23, 2001, the NASCAR Winston Cup series and MBNA renamed the fall race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, naming the race the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400. The race paid tribute to the legacy of Ripken, who was in attendance greeting the competing drivers as they crossed the stage during driver introductions. Driver Bobby Labonte had a special paint scheme on his #18 Interstate Batteries car featuring Baltimore Orioles colors along with Ripken's retirement seal. The race was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was then driving the #8 car. The race was also the first race held after the September 11, 2001, attacks as the race scheduled for Loudon a week earlier had been postponed in the wake of the attacks. On March 30, 2008, I-395's eastern branch in Baltimore, from I-95 to Conway Street, was named Cal Ripken Way.

Because of Ripken's success during his career, he became a prominent advertising figure, appearing in advertisements for brands such as Nike, Chevrolet, True Value Hardware, Wheaties, PowerAde, and other companies, some of which were small, Maryland businesses. These advertisements would often stress Ripken's "dependability, durability, and wholesomeness", linking that to their product. Ripken became an emblem to Americans through his hard work, loyalty to the Orioles, and his charity off the field.

Ripken was humble about his success, once saying,

I have talent, no doubt. My advantage is that I know the game well. The reason is that I grew up in it and had a good teacher in my father. I'm sure that whatever I am as a man and a ballplayer comes from the way I was raised. But am I a superstar? Oh, no. I don't think I stack up with the great players in the league.

-  Cal Ripken Jr., Macnow, p. 60

Author Glen Macnow responded to Ripken's comments by writing, "Anyone who has seen Cal Ripken Jr. play knows differently."

Ripken married the former Kelly Geer at Towson United Methodist Church on Friday, November 13, 1987. They have a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Ryan. On April 28, 2016, Ripken and his wife Kelly finalized their divorce after a one-year separation. In 2018, Ripken married Laura S. Kiessling, née Kaufman, at that time an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge. She took his last name.

His son Ryan is also a baseball player, and was drafted by the Orioles in the 20th round of Major League Baseball's 2012 amateur draft. He chose to attend college instead, beginning his first year at the University of South Carolina in 2012. He transferred to Indian River Community College and was drafted in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball's 2014 amateur draft by the Washington Nationals. After being released by the Nationals in March 2017, he signed with the Orioles and was assigned to the Aberdeen Ironbirds, which were owned by his father, and played at a stadium that carries the family name. Ryan advanced to the Delmarva Shorebirds in 2018 and the Frederick Keys in 2019.

Ripken's mother, Violet Ripken, was kidnapped at gunpoint and safely returned on July 24, 2012. She was gone for 12 hours before her disappearance was reported to authorities. On October 15, 2013, she was approached by a man with a handgun in a parking lot at the NBRS Bank in Aberdeen, Maryland. The man demanded her car, but he fled after she activated a key alarm. She was unharmed. A spokesman for the Aberdeen Police said the two incidents appeared unrelated.

Ripken has written nearly thirty books. After the 1996 season, he released an autobiography titled The Only Way I Know, co-written with Mike Bryan, which was a New York Times Best Seller. Following his retirement, he wrote several more, including Play Baseball the Ripken Way: The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Fundamentals, also written by his brother Billy and co-authored by Larry Burke, in 2005. He released the book Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way, co-written with Rick Wolff, in 2006 after seeing too many young athletes who he felt were being pressured unnecessarily by their parents. He said, "I was thinking, 'This just creates too much pressure on kids.' They need to find an environment in which they can explore their game ... without all these kinds of pressures being brought to bear. Once I started thinking about it, I saw we had more than enough to fill a book." Then in 2007, he released three books, starting with Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripken Way, also written by his brother Billy and co-authored by Scott Lowe, which highlights 50 practice drills, topics include coaching responsibly, goal setting for youth, and effective practice planning. Later, in April of that year, he released two more books: Get in the Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference, co-written with Donald T. Phillips, described as a motivational guide to success; and The Longest Season, co-written with Ron Mazellan, a children's book about the Orioles' 1988 season. In 2011, he released Hothead, a children's fiction book co-written with Kevin Cowherd which was also a New York Times bestseller. In addition, he has been writing a weekly youth sports advice newspaper column in the Baltimore Sun since 2005.

In addition to his writing, Ripken has been the subject of several books. In 1995, Harvey Rosenfeld released a biography on him entitled Iron Man: The Cal Ripken Jr., Story. Later, in 2007, Jeff Seidel released a biography on him entitled, Iron Man: Cal Ripken Jr., a Tribute. A children's biography of Ripken, Cal Ripken Jr., Quiet Hero was published in 1993 by Lois Nicholson. In addition, Ripken has been the subject of scholarly publications analyzing the impact of his career.

Ripken owns several minor league baseball teams. In 2002, he purchased the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League and moved them to his hometown of Aberdeen, renaming them the Aberdeen IronBirds. The team is the Short-season Single-A affiliate team in the Orioles' system and plays at Ripken Stadium. On June 28, 2005, he announced that he was purchasing the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League, a Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. At the end of the 2008 season, Ripken purchased the Vero Beach Devil Rays of the Single-A advanced Florida State League and moved them to Port Charlotte, Florida, where they were renamed the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

On January 10, 2007, Ripken expressed interest in purchasing the Baltimore Orioles if current owner Peter Angelos were to sell the team. He had yet to be approached as of 2013 about the potential purchase of the team. Though he had not purchased them, Ripken was quoted in a July 17, 2010, Associated Press article as saying he would consider rejoining the Orioles part-time as an advisor and full-time after his son graduated from high school in 2012.[needs update ]

In October 2007, Ripken began working as a studio analyst for TBS Sports during the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs. He continued to serve in the role as of 2013.

Ripken was on the board of directors of ZeniMax Media until 2021. On February 28, 2008, Ripken announced his venture into the massively multiplayer online sports game market with " Cal Ripken's Real Baseball".

In 2013, Ripken sold the Augusta GreenJackets to Agon Sports & Entertainment.[citation needed ]

In 2015, Ripken sold the Charlotte Stone Crabs to Caribbean Baseball Initiative headed by Lou Schwechheimer.[citation needed ]

The Ripken Experience is a group of sports complexes. The first opened in Aberdeen, Maryland. A second location with nine baseball fields is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Opened in 2006, it cost $26 million with $7 million more spent since then. A third location was set to open in summer 2016 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.[needs update ]

1995: Broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak

1999: Ranked #78 on The Sporting News' list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players"

1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

2001: Uniform #8 retired by the Baltimore Orioles

2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by 98.53% of voters, the highest percentage of votes ever for a position player, as well as third-highest overall.

2007: Inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29 with the San Diego Padres' great Tony Gwynn in front of a record crowd of 75,000 people

Most consecutive games played with 2,632

Most consecutive innings played with 8,243

Most home runs by a shortstop with 345

Most double plays by a shortstop in the American League, with 1,682

All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting (36,123,483)

Most American League MLB All-Star team selections with 19 - 1983-2001

Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop with 15 - 1983-1996, 2001

Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts with 17

Most plate appearances by one player in one game with 15 (Triple-A game tied with Tom Eaton and Dallas Williams).

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Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001).

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1)After the last episode in Dallas someone got shot and started getting popular2)It was known for high concentration of restaurants and shopping centers3)The show was canceled because of declining ratings

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1)After the last episode in Dallas someone got shot and started getting popular2)It was known for high concentration of restaurants and shopping centers3)The show was canceled because of declining ratings

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tv show

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Dallas (TV Series 1978-1991) Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more...

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1)In 1960 she campaigned for racial equality2)Native American rights and opposition to the Iraq war3)Jane Fonda was an anti-war in the 1970s

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1)In 1960 she campaigned for racial equality2)Native American rights and opposition to the Iraq war3)Jane Fonda was an anti-war in the 1970s

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actress

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Read CNN's Fast Facts on Jane Fonda and learn more about the award-winning actress and activist.

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1)After MLK jr speach it was the first day celebrated2)After long studies people could make artificial hearts3)After the giant boat sank they finally found where it is

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1)After MLK jr speach it was the first day celebrated2)After long studies people could make artificial hearts3)After the giant boat sank they finally found where it is

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events

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The fight to make the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday a holiday took 32 years, a lot of campaigning, and guest appearances including Stevie Wonder, Ted Kennedy, and the National Football League.

King's birthday was finally approved as a federal holiday in 1983, and all 50 states made it a state government holiday by 2000.

Officially, King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta. But the King holiday is marked every year on the third Monday in January.

The King Center in Atlanta has a detailed chronology of how the efforts, starting shortly after King's death in 1968, paid off in the long run. It wasn't an easy task for holiday supporters, who had to push hard in Congress to get the federal holiday created.

A second battle took place to get individual states to also recognize the holiday, with often emotional disagreements in two states.

Today, the King holiday serves multiple purposes: It honors the total legacy of King; focuses on the issue of civil rights; highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change; and calls people into public service.

The struggle to get the holiday recognized reflects all these topics, along with some interesting twists and turns along the way.

Representative John Conyers introduced the first motion to make King's birthday a federal holiday in 1968, just four days after King's assassination in Memphis. It took another 11 years to the federal holiday to come up for a vote on the House of Representative's floor in 1979.

The bill needed a two-thirds majority to pass, but it fell five votes short with a 252-133 count, despite a strong organizational effort from the King Center, and support from Congress members and President Jimmy Carter.

The holiday's supporters regrouped and intensified their efforts. Musician Stevie Wonder helped in 1981 by releasing the song "Happy Birthday" to promote the holiday. (He would later sing it at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial dedication in 2011).)

The King Center kept up its efforts. It organized a march on Washington that included an estimated 500,000 people. Coretta Scott King, along with Wonder, presented a petition signed by 6 million people to House leader Tip O'Neill.

The House took up the bill in 1983 and it passed by 53 votes. Democrats O'Neill and Jim Wright, along with Republicans Jack Kemp and Newt Gingrich, gave speeches supporting the King holiday.

But getting the bill passed in the Senate would be contentious. Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina openly opposed it. At first, Helms introduced a filibuster, and then he presented a 400-page file that accused King of being a communist.

Senator Ted Kennedy criticized Helms and Senator Daniel Moynihan called the document "filth" and threw it on the Senate floor.

Despite Helms, the bill passed the Senate by 12 votes-even South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond voted in favor of the King holiday.

President Ronald Reagan signed the bill in November 1983. The first federal King holiday was celebrated in 1986.

It took longer for the 50 states to adopt the holiday. By 1986, 17 states had already adopted it. But there was strong resistance in Arizona to passing a state holiday.

The fight between state legislators came to a head when the King holiday was put up for an Arizona voter referendum in November 1990.

At that point, entertainers had started boycotting the state in protest, and the National Football League threatened to move the 1993 Super Bowl from Tempe if the holiday was defeated at the polls.

The King holiday lost in a two-part voter referendum and the NFL made good on its threat, taking the Super Bowl to Southern California and costing the state an estimated $500 million in revenue.

Arizona voters approved the King holiday two years later.

There was also a fight in South Carolina over the holiday. It was one of the last states to approve a paid King holiday for state employees in 2000.

The state's governor had tried to link the holiday to a commitment to allow the state house to fly the Confederate battle flag. Instead, he signed a bill that approved the King holiday along with a Confederate Memorial Day celebrated in May.

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How the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday became a holiday

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The fight to make the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday a holiday took 32 years, a lot of campaigning, and guest appearances including Stevie Wonder, Ted Kennedy, and the National Football League. King's birthday was finally approved as a federal holiday in 1983, and all 50 states made it a state government holiday by 2000.