Year 1989 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

What Happened During the Year 1989?

What are some fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1989? What were the top news stories in the U.S. and around the world, and what major events took place in the business and financial sectors? How much did a gallon of gas cost, and what happened in science, technology, sports, and in the entertainment industry?

Back in 1989, what were the biggest food and fashion trends, and what were the most popular baby names and Christmas gifts? Likewise, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, and how much did a first-class stamp or a gallon of milk cost? What about famous birthdays and deaths that year, and what were the best-selling books?

From world leaders to pioneers to innovators, who were the most influential people in 1989? What was the median household income, the average life expectancy, and how much did a new house or car cost? Finally, what was 1989 best known for, and was it a good or bad year overall? Let's find out.

Here is a summary of the top news stories and history events that happened in 1989:

1. President Ronald Reagan left office alive, even though he was elected in a year that ended in zero. For nearly 150 years, every U.S. president who was elected in a year divisible by 20⁠—from William Henry Harrison to John F. Kennedy⁠—had died in office. (Twenty years later, George W. Bush, who was elected in 2000, also lived out his two presidential terms. He left office on January 20, 2009.)
2. The Cold War ended, and the Berlin Wall came down.
3. The World Series earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Exxon Valdez disaster changed the oil industry forever.
4. Temperatures plunged to record lows from Pittsburgh to Denver, and Phoenix had the highest overnight low on record.
5. Back in the year 1989, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was founded, Eastern Airlines filed for bankruptcy, and AT&T announced that it had suffered its first loss in 102 years.
6. The FDA approved the fat substitute Simplesse, and Hershey's reduced the size of the Hershey bar to 1.55 ounces.
7. On December 22, the temperature plunged to -4°F in Oklahoma City, -6°F in Tulsa, -12°F in Pittsburgh, -18°F in Denver, -23°F in Kansas City, -42°F in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, -47°F in Hardin, Montana, and -60°F in Black Hills, South Dakota.
8. Michael and Ashley were favorite baby names, Club sandwiches and sugar cookies were food trends, and perms and spandex were all the rage.
9. Evangelist Billy Graham received the 1,900th star on Hollywood Boulevard.
10. The Cosby Show (NBC) was the most popular TV series, Batman was the highest-grossing film, and Look Away was the top song on the charts.
11. The pilot episode of Seinfeld aired on NBC, The Simpsons premiered on Fox, and the Broadway musical Oh! Calcutta! closed after 5,959 performances.
12. Jane Pauley bid farewell to NBC’s Today Show.
13. The I Love Lucy Christmas episode was shown for the first time in 30 years.
14. The Wizard of Oz (1939) was entered into the National Film Registry.
15. Unemployment averaged 5.4%, inflation was 4.82%, and the minimum wage was $3.35 an hour.
16. The retail price for a gallon of gas averaged $1.00.
17. In the year 1989, a loaf of white bread cost 61 cents, strawberries were 99 cents a pint, and eggs were 79 cents a dozen.
18. Here are some sports facts from 1989: The San Francisco 49ers were the Super Bowl champs, the Oakland Athletics won the World Series, and the Calgary Flames clinched the Stanley Cup.
19. Pete Rozelle announced that he was retiring from football, and Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life for gambling.
20. Basketball star Michael Jordan married Juanita Vanoy.

Here are the five most popular TV shows from 1989-90:

1. The Cosby Show (NBC)
2. Roseanne (ABC)
3. Cheers (NBC)
4. A Different World (NBC)
5. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

Here are ten cool food and beverage trends for the year:

1. Bagel Bites
2. Club sandwiches
3. Crystal Light
4. Diet Coke
5. Fondue
6. Fruit Wrinkles
7. Planters Cheez Balls
8. Shrimp cocktails
9. SpaghettiOs
10. Sugar cookies

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1989. Find out about popular TV shows and movies, best-selling books, food and fashion trends, sports facts, pop music artists and songs, famous birthdays, economic and tech news, as well as unusual news events to get the right mix of questions and answers for your 1980s-themed trivia quiz.

Table of Contents

Here is a sneak preview of what this article is about:

1. Grocery Prices in the Year 1989
2. History Facts and Events From the USA and World
3. Sports Facts and Trivia
4. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends
5. Nobel Prize Winners
6. Best-Selling Books
7. Most Popular Television Shows From 1989-90
8. Highest-Grossing Films
9. Horror Movies From the Year 1989
10. Entries Into the National Film Registry
11. Biggest Pop Music Artists
12. Top 100 Songs for the Year
13. Favorite Video Games
14. Food and Beverage Trivia
15. Weddings and Divorces
16. Famous People Who Died in 1989
17. America’s Largest Corporations
18. Retailers and Brands From 1989 That No Longer Exist

1. Grocery Prices in the Year 1989

These 1989 grocery prices have been made available courtesy of the Morris County Public Library in Whippany, NJ.

1. Bacon (Armour): $1.29 for a one-pound package
2. Bananas: Three pounds for $1.00
3. Beef (bottom round roast): $1.69 per pound
4. Cantaloupes: 99 cents apiece
5. Cereal (Kellogg’s Corn Flakes): 99 cents for a 12-ounce box
6. Cheese (Kraft, American singles): $1.59 for a 12-ounce package
7. Coffee (Chase & Sanborn): $1.29 for an 11.5-ounce can
8. Corn: 10 ears for $1.49
9. Cornish game hens (Perdue): $1.49 a pound
10. Crackers (Keebler, Town House): $1.69 for a one-pound box
11. Eggs: 79 cents per dozen
12. Flour (Pillsbury): 99 cents for a five-pound bag
13. Frankfurters (Ball Park): $1.49 for a one-pound package
14. Ham (Virginia, sliced): $3.49 a pound
15. Ice cream (Sealtest): $1.99 per half gallon
16. Juice (Citrus Hill, orange): $1.69 for a 64-ounce carton
17. Lettuce (Romaine): 69 cents a pound
18. Macaroni and cheese (Kraft): Two 5.5-ounce boxes for 88 cents
19. Margarine (Parkay): 59 cents for a one-pound package
20. Oil (olive, Bertolli): $8.99 for a three-liter can
21. Onions (yellow): 99 cents for a three-pound bag
22. Ovaltine: $2.69 for a 12-ounce jar
23. Peaches: 79 cents a pound
24. Peanut butter (Skippy): $1.69 for a 14-ounce jar
25. Pie (Sara Lee, Bake & Serve): $1.99 for a 27-ounce box
26. Pop Tarts (Kellogg’s): 99 cents for an 11-ounce box
27. Potato chips (Wise): 99 cents for a 6.5-ounce bag
28. Rice (Uncle Ben’s): $1.99 for a two-pound box
29. Salad dressing (Kraft): 99 cents for a 16-ounce bottle
30. Soda (Pepsi): $2.99 for a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans
31. Soup (Campbell’s): 39 cents for a 10-ounce can
32. Strawberries: 99 cents per pint
33. Tomatoes: 89 cents a pound
34. Water (Perrier): 89 cents for a 23-ounce bottle
35. Watermelon: 19 cents a pound
36. Yogurt (Breyers): 88 cents for two eight-ounce containers

2. History Facts and Events From the USA and World

1. In 1989, George H. W. Bush was inaugurated as the 41st President of the United States.
2. The U.S. unemployment rate averaged 5.4%.
3. The rate of inflation was 4.82%. According to In2013Dollars.com, “Purchasing power decreased by 4.82% in 1989 compared to 1988. On average, you would have to spend 4.82% more money in 1989 than in 1988 for the same item. In other words, $1 in 1988 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.05 in 1989.”
4. In 1989, eggs were 79 cents a dozen, bacon cost $1.29 for a one-pound package, and strawberries were 99 cents a pint. Three pounds of bananas cost $1.00, Skippy Peanut Butter was $1.69 for a 14-ounce jar, and a loaf of white bread was 61 cents.
5. Here were the sticker prices for two best-selling 1989 cars: a Chevrolet S10 Blazer cost $15,750.00, and a Ford Escort LX was $10,219.00
6. The average price for a gallon of gas was $1.00.
7. A first-class stamp cost 25 cents.
8. There were 93,347,000 households in the U.S., and the average annual income was $26,440.
9. The average cost of a new home was $148,000.
10. The federal minimum wage was $3.35.
11. The prime rate averaged 10.50%, and an ounce of gold was $371.15 on June 30.
12. On January 1, the Year of the Young Reader began. According to the Los Angeles Times, the YYR was designed “to focus attention on the importance of getting young people familiar with books and reading at the earliest age.”
13. On January 7, Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan.
14. On January 19, President Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, “for convictions connected with illegal contributions to the 1972 campaign of Richard M. Nixon.”
15. On January 20, President Ronald Reagan left office alive, even though he was elected in a year that ended in zero. For nearly 150 years, every U.S. President elected in a year divisible by 20--from William Henry Harrison to John F. Kennedy--had died in office until Reagan. SeanMunger.com remarks that “Anyone who begins to study the history of Presidential death will instantly note a curious fact. Harrison, elected in 1840, was the first of seven chief executives elected in years ending in zero who died in office. Indeed, between 1841 and 1963, not a single President elected in a zero year left office alive. Supposedly the curse was ‘broken’ by Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980, who lived out his two terms; so did George W. Bush, proclaimed the winner of the 2000 election by the U.S. Supreme Court.”
16. On January 24, serial killer Ted Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison.
17. On January 26, AT&T announced that it lost $167 billion during 1988, which was the company’s first loss in 102 years.
18. On February 22, 46-year-old Maryanne Profeta of Brooklyn won $26.9 million in the New York lotto. She chose the numbers 1, 5, 12, 19, 44, and 50.
19. On March 4, machinists at Eastern Airlines went out on strike.
20. On March 9, Eastern Airlines filed for bankruptcy in Federal court “to conserve cash and gain time to persuade striking employees to return to work.” The New York Times adds that “The bankruptcy filing is seen as the centerpiece of a strategy to wear down the 8,500 striking machinists and the 3,500 pilots until they agree to return to work.”
21. On March 22, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced plains to retire after 29 years on the job. ESPN.com points out that “Rozelle initially took the helm as commissioner of the NFL in 1960 when the then-33-year-old general manager of the Los Angeles Rams was selected by league owners after 22 ballots.”
22. On March 24, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. History.com reveals that "The Exxon Valdez oil slick covered 1,300 miles of coastline and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds, otters, seals and whales. Nearly 30 years later, pockets of crude oil remain in some locations. After the spill, Exxon Valdez returned to service under a different name, operating for more than two decades as an oil tanker and ore carrier."
23. On April 21, George W. Bush and Edward W. Rose became joint CEOs of the Texas Rangers.
24. On June 14, Queen Elizabeth II conferred an honorary knighthood on former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, “the highest honor Britain can give a foreigner.”
25. On July 20, Phoenix’s overnight low was 93°F, which was the highest overnight low on record.
26. On August 25, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life. History.com confirms that "It was known in baseball circles since the 1970s that Pete Rose had a gambling problem. Although at first he bet only on horse races and football games, allegations surfaced in early 1989 that Rose was not only betting on baseball, but on his own team. Although Rose continued to proclaim his innocence, he was eventually persuaded to accept a settlement that included a lifetime ban from the game."
27. On September 15, the U.S. Senate voted “to ban smoking on all domestic airline flights, rolling over the objections of tobacco-state lawmakers and illustrating a sweeping change in society's attitudes toward smoking and health.”
28. On September 27, Sony purchased Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion.
29. On October 15, evangelist Billy Graham received the 1,900th star on Hollywood Boulevard for his work “as a minister of the Gospel using radio, television, and film.” He was the first clergyman to be honored with a star.
30. On October 17, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area, killing 67 people and causing over $5 billion in damage. Two of the hard-hit areas were San Francisco’s Marina District and Watsonville, a city located several miles from the quake’s epicenter in Santa Cruz County. Britannica.com tells us that the quake struck “just before the start of the third game of the World Series, which was being held at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.” History.com adds that “The disaster is known as both the San Francisco-Oakland earthquake and the Loma Prieta earthquake because it was centered near Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains.”
31. On November 7, David Dinkins became the first African-American mayor of New York City.
32. On November 11, the Berlin Wall was opened to travel from East to West Berlin. The next day, celebrating Germans began to tear the wall down. History.com explains that “One of the ugliest and most infamous symbols of the Cold War was soon reduced to rubble that was quickly snatched up by souvenir hunters. The East German action followed a decision by Hungarian officials a few weeks earlier to open the border between Hungary and Austria. This effectively ended the purpose of the Berlin Wall, since East German citizens could now circumvent it by going through Hungary, into Austria, and thence into West Germany.”
33. On December 3, President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced that the Cold War was over.
34. On December 22, the temperature plunged to -4°F in Oklahoma City, -6°F in Tulsa, -12°F in Pittsburgh, -18°F in Denver, -23°F in Kansas City, -42°F in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, -47°F in Hardin, Montana, and -60°F in Black Hills, South Dakota.
35. On December 29, Jane Pauley bid farewell to NBC’s Today show, following “a nostalgic review of her 13 years on the early morning NBC news program.”

3. Sports Facts and Trivia

This information has been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us. Generally suitable for all age groups, sports questions are a welcome addition to any trivia quiz.

1. Kentucky Derby: Sunday Silence
2. NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons
3. NCAA Basketball Champions: Michigan
4. NCAA Football Champs: Miami
5. Stanley Cup Champs: Calgary Flames
6. Super Bowl XXVII Champions: San Francisco 49ers
7. U.S. Open Golf: Curtis Strange
8. U.S. Open Tennis (men/women): Boris Becker/Steffi Graf
9. Wimbledon (men/women): Boris Becker/Steffi Graf
10. World Series Champions: Oakland Athletics

4. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends

PBS.org explains that pop culture is that loose blend of books, music, fashion and other daily ephemera that contributes to the identity of a society at a particular point in time. In the 1980s, radio, film, television, and books defined the essence of American pop culture.

1. In 1989, popular baby names were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, David, Ashley, Jessica, Brittany, and Sarah.
2. The average life expectancy at birth in the United States was 71.7 years for males and 78.5 years for females.
3. The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was $675,000.
4. Popular Halloween costumes were Batman and Joker.
5. Favorite holiday gifts included the TurboGrafx-16, Lynx by Atari, Nintendo Game Boy, Polly Pockets, and the Super Mario Land video game.
6. Fashion trends in 1989 included perms, spandex, jeans with ripped knees, lacey shirts, leg warmers, high-waisted jeans, neon colors, mullets, side ponytails, and cut-off sweatshirts.
7. Heartthrobs and fashion icons for the year were Christina Applegate, Jennifer Beals, Candice Bergen, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Cindy Crawford, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Linda Evangelista, Linda Evans, Debbie Gibson, Melanie Griffith, Kathy Ireland, Elle Macpherson, Madonna, Kate Moss, Princess Diana, and Brooke Shields.
8. Hunks included Mel Gibson, John F. Kennedy Jr., Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, and Patrick Swayze.
9. Gretchen Carlson (Minnesota) won the Miss America crown.
10. Gretchen Polhemus (Texas) became Miss USA.
11. Top-grossing Broadway shows were The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Cats, Me and My Girl, Black and Blue, Rumors, Anything Goes, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, The Heidi Chronicles, and Lend Me a Tenor.
12. Broadway shows that opened in 1989 included A Few Good Men, Artist Descending a Staircase, Barry Manilow at the Gershwin, Black and Blue, Born Yesterday, Cafe Crown, Chu Chem, City of Angels, Dangerous Games, and Eastern Standard.
13. At the 61st Academy Awards, which honored the best films of 1988, Rain Man won an Oscar for Best Picture, Barry Levinson (Rain Man) won an Oscar for Best Director, Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Jodie Foster (The Accused) won an Oscar for Best Actress.
14. At the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards, Cheers (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and L.A. Law (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Likewise, Richard Mulligan (Empty Nest) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
15. Mikhail Gorbachev was Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.”
16. Traditional Home and First for Women both began publishing.
17. About 47.4 million tons of commercial fertilizer was used on American farms.
18. U.S. agricultural exports were about 15% of total exports.
19. The FDA approved Simplesse, a low-calorie fat substitute.
20. Iceland lifted the ban on full-strength beer, which had been in effect since 1915 when Iceland banned all alcoholic drinks. BBC.com tells us that a generation later, beer accounts for 62% of the 7.1 liters of pure alcohol consumed each year by the average Icelander. That's higher than in traditional brewing countries such as Germany and the Czech Republic (54% each), and the UK (37%).
21. Hershey's reduced the size of the Hershey bar to 1.55 ounces. (However, the price remained the same.)
22. New York City’s transit fare increased from $1.00 to $1.15.
23. On January 8, the Broadway musical 42nd Street closed after 3,486 performances.
24. On May 11, the 217th and final episode of the TV soap Dynasty was broadcast.
25. On May 14, 36 million people watched the final episode of the sitcom Family Ties (NBC).
26. On July 5, the pilot episode of Seinfeld, originally titled The Seinfeld Chronicles, was aired on NBC. Seinfeld.Fandom.com points out that “The original title of the episode was StandUp, but later changed to Good News, Bad News before reverting to The Seinfeld Chronicles.”
27. On August 6, the Broadway musical Oh! Calcutta! closed after 5,959 performances.
28. On December 17, the animated sitcom The Simpsons premiered on Fox. The first episode was the Christmas episode titled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire."
29. On December 18, the I Love Lucy Christmas episode was shown for the first time in 30 years.
30. On December 31, the Broadway musical Me and My Girl closed after 1,420 performances.

5. Nobel Prize Winners

Beth Rowen tells us that winning a Nobel Prize is a life-changing honor. Whether the laureate is an internationally known figure (such as Mother Teresa) or a scientist from obscurity (like Richard R. Ernst), the award brings worldwide recognition that highlights one's life work and provides the funds to continue the mission.

This Nobel Prize information from 1989 has been made available courtesy of NobelPrize.com.

1. Chemistry: Thomas Cech and Sidney Altman
2. Economics: Trygve Haavelmo
3. Literature: Camilo José Cela
4. Peace: 14th Dalai Lama
5. Physics: Hans Georg Dehmelt, Wolfgang Paul, and Norman Foster Ramsey Jr.
6. Physiology or medicine: J. Michael Bishop and Harold E. Varmus

6. Best-Selling Books

This book trivia has been made available courtesy of PopCultureMadness.com.

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
2. California Gold by John Jakes
3. Caribbean by James A. Michener
4. Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
5. Daddy by Danielle Steel
6. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
7. Midnight by Dean Koontz
8. Polar Star by Martin Cruz Smith
9. Star by Danielle Steel
10. The Dark Half by Stephen King