1986

1986 was a year in the twentieth century, reckoned by the Gregorian calendar (the system most widely used for dating worldwide). It fell during the Cold War, a period when the United States and the Soviet Union remained locked in military and political competition, though new changes were beginning to take shape in Moscow.

The year is remembered for technological and political events of major consequence: the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the loss of the space shuttle Challenger, and government changes in several countries.

Chernobyl

In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power station, located in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), experienced a severe accident when one of its reactors failed and released radioactive material into the atmosphere. The contamination spread across much of Europe. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the surrounding area, particularly from the city of Pripyat, and an exclusion zone was established that remains in place today. The accident changed how many countries assess the safety of nuclear power.

Challenger

In January 1986, the American space shuttle Challenger broke apart minutes after launch, killing all crew members on board. NASA grounded the shuttle fleet for an extended period, and an investigation committee was established to examine the technical failures and decision-making processes that led to the disaster.

Global politics

The Soviet Union, under Mikhail Gorbachev, pursued policies of restructuring (perestroika) and openness in information (glasnost). That year, Gorbachev and American President Ronald Reagan met at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss reductions in nuclear weapons; while no final agreement emerged, the meeting laid groundwork for later negotiations. In the Philippines, a popular uprising (People Power) removed Ferdinand Marcos from power, with Corazon Aquino taking his place. The Duvalier regime in Haiti also ended that same year.

Culture and sport

The FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico and won by Argentina, with Diego Maradona as the tournament's standout player. The year also marked the period of growing development in personal computer technology.