1980 Education & Knowledge Events — Verified Historical Highlights
1980 Education & Knowledge Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 29 May Jacques Bailly wins 1980 National Spelling Bee: Jacques Bailly, a 14-year-old from Denver, Colorado, won the 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 29, 1980, by correctly spelling "elucubrate." He later became the Bee's official pronouncer in 2003. source: uvm.edu
- 12 Jun Iranian Cultural Revolution disrupts higher education: On June 12, 1980, Ayatollah Khomeini initiated the Cultural Revolution in Iran, leading to the closure of universities for over two years. This period aimed to 'Islamize' higher education by removing Western and non-Islamic influences, resulting in the expulsion of thousands of students and faculty, and the banning of numerous books. The upheaval significantly disrupted the academic landscape and led to a substantial brain drain as many scholars left the country. source: pbs.org
What happened in 1980?
Discover what the world looked like in 1980: