Red and black text on white background with an illustration of the outline of the United States in red, white and blue

"Hands Across America" was a massive publicity campaign conducted by USA (United Support of Artists) for Africa in tandem with the Coca-Cola Company on May 25, 1986. Approximately 6.5 million people formed a human chain along an established path across the continental United States. Proceeds raised were donated to local charities to fight hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Although the event was intended as a charitable act, protests were held in cities that were excluded, including Portland, Seattle, and several throughout New England. Actor Tom Selleck helped lead the counter "Hands Across Hawaii" event to protest that Hawaii was not considered, even though Hawaiians are American citizens. 

Black text on an outer white edge and a color illustration of the Golden Gate Bridge in the center

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 28, 1987. Part of the festivities featured "Bridgewalk '87," meant to reenact "Pedestrian Day '37," which took place the day the bridge was deemed open for use. Due to the weight of the estimated 300,000 people who made it onto the bridge, the normally convex shape was temporarily flattened. Further celebrations included a vintage car parade, a concert, and a fireworks display. 

White text on a red banner over a yellow background with an American Flags on either side and eagle at the bottom ad two color photographs of Carter and Mondale with black text

On January 20, 1977, James "Jimmy" E. Carter Jr. and Walter F. Mondale were sworn in as the 39th President of the United States and the 42nd Vice President of the United States. The inauguration was conducted by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill and featured performances from notable musicians Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn became the first President and First Lady to forgo riding in a limo from the Capitol to the White House, instead choosing to walk the post-ceremony parade, despite the cold January weather. 

Blue text above and below an illustration of an elephant in an orange sweater with a brown football

During the 1986 NCAA Division I Big West Conference football season the Cal State Fullerton Titians played the Utah State Aggies at the Santa Ana Stadium. It was Fullerton’s homecoming game and the second win of their season. The Titans beat the Aggies 33-0 under head coach Gene Murphy. The Fullerton Titans completed the season with three wins and nine losses.

Blue text under an illustration of a building in red on a white background

The British Museum in London, England opened to the public on January 15, 1759. It began in the Montagu House mansion and has grown to include the King's Library, the Reading Room, the Natural History Museum, the Duveen Gallery, the British Library, and the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. The Museum houses many unique and high profile items, including the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures. In order to accommodate the 6 million the museum sees each year, the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre recently opened. 

Black text on a pink background

A Book Fair is a collection of books for sale from a group of publishers or book dealers. They are held by local bookshops and through major publications like the Los Angeles Times. Items sold can be a collection of rare books or brand new titles from the publisher. The Scholastic Book Fair is a week-long event held in most elementary and middle schools across the country. They work with staff, parents, and school librarians to provide students and teachers access to thousands of affordable books. Scholastic was established in 1920 and has always been a part of educational publishing. In 1981, they launched their first in-school book fair in California. Currently, they host over 75,000 book fairs a year.

Black text on red and white striped banners with blue ends with white stars over a white outer edge with red text and an illustration of George Washington in the middle.

The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading to the creation of the United States. The Bicentennial culminated on July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and was the country’s most broadly celebrated anniversary.

The planning for the event began as early as 1966, when Congress established the American Revolutionary Bicentennial Commission (ARBC). In 1972, when ties between the agency and the administration of Richard Nixon came to light, many called to replace the commission leading Congress to establish the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) in 1973.

With no grand event, the national committee focused on supporting local celebration. Communities registered their projects and, if approved, could display the official tricolored star logo that represented the bicentennial. ARBA catalogued over 66,000 events. Corporate sponsorship made possible for two American Freedom Trains containing artifacts of American History, a covered-wagon train would make stops in all fifty states. Souvenirs such as ashtrays, belt buckles and teddy bears that recited the Pledge of Allegiance were sold to commemorate the event.

The national celebrations culminated during the Fourth of July weekend in 1976. Sixteen tall-masted ships traveled to New York harbor for a naval review. In Washington, D.C., participants ate from the world’s largest birthday cake. Other local celebrations held parades, rang bells, or covered water towers and fire hydrants with red, white, and blue. Bicentennial events continued after the fourth of July and even after 1976. World leaders and royalty visited the United States and gave bicentennial gifts.

Black text and a black musical note on a white background

Radio station WGHP first went on the air in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. After being purchased by Kunsky-Trendle Broadcasting in 1930, it was renamed to WXYZ. The station, playing at a frequency of 1270 kHz, mostly played local network programming, but made the transition to the Top 40 format in 1958, instead featuring a wide variety of music genres. Although the Top 40 model was successful for a decade, rating began to decline in the mid 1970s, so the station completely ceased playing music in favor of an all-talk format in 1978. This led to the station changing names to WXYT, with the "T" standing for "talk." Maintaining the all-talk format, WXYT underwent yet another change in 2000, when it switched focus to become a sports radio network and acquired the broadcast rights for the Detroit Tigers baseball and Detroit Red Wings hockey teams. The station briefly reverted back to talk radio format in September 2011, but returned to sports talk in January of 2013, which they continue today. 

Black text and an illustration of a character on a white background

Ick, a lonely monster composed of the pollution on a desolate beach, befriends a boy that he meets there and takes him home to meet his family. The Story of Ick by Fred Gwynne  uses the Ick character to raise awareness of beach pollution. The author Fred Gwynne was also an American actor best known for roles in Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters as well as later acting roles. The Story of Ick was published by Windmill Books in 1971 and is currently out of print.

Illustration of a person's head poking up out of blue water on a white background

Swimming to Cambodia is a 1987 American film written and starring Spalding Gray. Originally developed as an autobiographical monologue for the theater, the film focuses on a role Gray had in the 1984 film “The Killing Fields” where memories of political unrest and turmoil in Southeast Asia are uncovered. Spalding Gray began his theater career in the 1960s and continued his success through similar autobiographical monologues that were adapted to film such as Monster in a Box and Gray’s Anatomy.