THE '80S

A Physicist Weighs In On Whether Scrooge McDuck Could Actually Swim in a Pool of Gold Coins

We asked a physics professor to explain how the loaded duck can swim in a pile of gold. After he was done laughing, he enlightened us.

10 Fun Facts About The Love Boat

For nearly 10 years, TV viewers got to experience a journey aboard a cruise ship nearly every Saturday night as The Love Boat brought the misadventures and romantic escapades of the luxury liner life right into their living rooms.

30 Sweeping Facts About The Karate Kid

You'd better start practicing those crane kicks again! More than 30 years after Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence faced off in one of cinema's most iconic showdowns, The Karate Kid has officially made a comeback.

Masters of the Universe: Looking Back on 1987's He-Man Movie

The studio was so optimistic about their adaptation of the Mattel toy line that they started pre-production on a sequel. Then the movie came out ...

10 Totally Awesome Facts About David Hasselhoff

Actor and pop culture icon David Hasselhoff is beloved in Germany—and everywhere else in the world.

Watch a Rare Video of Nirvana Rocking Out at Radio Shack in 1988

Before Nirvana hit it big, the band gave a rousing performance at their local Radio Shack. In 1988, the band played a set at the electronics store's Aberdeen, Washington outpost, shredding in front of the audio/video section.

10 Fast Facts About Knight Rider

The hit ‘80s show blended classic TV staples and sci-fi future tech to create an unforgettable package.

© Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

14 Things You Might Not Know About Spaceballs

Mel Brooks hadn’t directed a movie in six years when he committed to 1987’s 'Spaceballs,' a joke-saturated spoof of 'Star Wars' and other popular genre films of the era.

14 Memorable Facts About Family Ties

'Family Ties' star—and '80s heartthrob—Michael J. Fox was almost fired because his face wasn’t fit for a lunchbox.

20 Fashionable Facts About Miami Vice

If it weren’t for Crockett and Tubbs, no one would have thought to pair a pink T-shirt with an Armani jacket.

15 Fun Facts About Ferris Bueller's Day Off

In the face of a looming mid-1980s writers strike, John Hughes presented Paramount executive Ned Tanen with a one-sentence pitch: "I want to do this movie about a kid who takes a day off from school and ... that's all I know so far."

Readers who participated in Pizza Hut's Book It! program sometimes got lenticular buttons like this one.

10 Cheesy Facts About Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! Program

Bill Clinton declared an official "BOOK IT! Day" in Arkansas. Here are some other facts about Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! program.

14 Fun Facts About 'Married... with Children'

Former 'Laverne & Shirley' and 'Diff’rent Strokes' writers Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt were tired of the saccharine family sitcoms of the '80s. Clearly!

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80 Totally Awesome Facts About the '80s

The 1980s were a magical time that gave birth to so many things that have become commonplace in our lives, including personal computers, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movies, and two-pound cell phones.

Just a few of the Sweet Valley High books featuring wild plots.

12 of the Sweet Valley High Books’ Most Ridiculous Plotlines

Many of the Wakefield twins' adventures are typical teenage stuff. Sometimes, though, the plotlines of the Sweet Valley High books were, in a word, bizarre.

A Brief History of M.C. Hammer's Pants

A staple of 1990s pop culture, the billowy, harem-style pants have roots in Switzerland sanitariums.

A Deleted Die Hard Scene Explains One Major Plot Hole

In one of Die Hard's most memorable scenes, John McClane stumbles upon criminal mastermind Hans Gruber, who puts on a pretty good American accent and pretends to be a hostage. McClane realizes Gruber is up to no good, though—but how?

An Oral History of Nintendo's Power Glove

On the surface, it seemed like an impossible task. Take an $8800, NASA-approved interface glove running on $250,000 worth of computer hardware, then replicate the performance in a consumer-grade toy with parts costing less than $26.

Deleted Scenes From the Original Ghostbusters Have Been Found

It's hard to imagine that a movie as well known and dissected as 'Ghostbusters' can show us anything new, but according to the film's production company, some previously unreleased footage from the original 1984 film has just been found.

Watch Technologists Get Excited About CDs in 1982

At the time of its release, the CD was an enormous step forward in home recording technology—and nerds were excited.

How Apple's ‘1984’ Super Bowl Ad Was Almost Canceled

The inside story of the commercial that changed advertising, even though Apple's Board of Directors didn't want to run it at all.

10 Stirring Facts About Cocktail

Tom Cruise admitted that the film was not a "crowning jewel" in his career, but—nearly 20 years later—it's still a beloved guilty pleasure.

11 Golden Girls References Explained for Younger Viewers

For those of you who were too young to watch the show when it first aired, many of the topical references might be ancient history.

When Bond Battled Bond at the 1983 Box Office

In 1983, a producer's "bootleg Bond" promised mechanical sharks, Orson Welles, and the return of Sean Connery.

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