StarWars.com continues it's look back at the events surrounding the release of the films of the Original Trilogy; this week's focus is
The Empire Strikes Back.
Noteworthy events of the year 1980 include:
* John Lennon is shot and killed outside his New York apartment by Mark Chapman.
* The U.S. Olympic Hockey Team defeats the USSR in the semifinals of the XIII Winter Olympics in the Miracle on Ice. Later in the year, President Jimmy Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
* Millions of viewers tune into the TV soap opera "Dallas" to discover who shot J.R. Ewing.
* Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington causing $3 billion in damage and killing 57 people.
* Cost of a movie ticket was $2.69, while gas is $1.19 a gallon. A first class stamp is .15.
* Top-grossing films:
The Empire Strikes Back,
Superman II and
Nine to Five.
* The Cable News Network (CNN) -- the first 24-hour news TV network debuts.
* The U.S. ends diplomatic relations with Iran and imposes economic sanctions after American hostages are taken on Nov. 4,1979.
* Warner Communications' Atari releases the Centipede, while Namco releases Pac-Man.
Check out the above link for more.
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