Four children stand with their colorful vintage bicycles on a suburban street, smiling and barefoot, with houses, trees, and a white car in the background. It appears to be a warm, sunny day.
The early ’80s were a time of transition: On one hand, you still had rotary phones clinging to kitchen walls; on the other, you had CDs and video games offering a glimpse of what modern technology could look like. Reagan had just stepped into the White House, Pac-Man fever was sweeping the nation, and kids rode their bikes until the streetlights flickered on. From mixtapes and boomboxes to backyard parties blasting MTV, here are 32 vintage photos that capture the vibrant spirit of the early ’80s.
1. High Schoolers Goofing Off in 1981
UrbanAchievers6371 / Reddit.com
2. US President Ronald Reagan Moments Before He Survived an Assassination Attempt in Washington D.C. on March 30, 1981
PizzaCrust427/Reddit.com
3. An Aerial View of Mount St. Helens Spewing Ash and Smoke Over Washington on May 18, 1980
stashua123/Reddit.com
4. CNN Launches as the First 24-Hour News Channel on June 1, 1980
jeremykunayak/Reddit.com
5. Big Hair, But Even Bigger Pop
CincoDeMayoFan/Reddit.com
6. ‘My Parents in the Most ’80’s Picture I’ve Ever Seen, 1984’
ry_laplante/Reddit.com
7. ‘A Brave New York City Iron Worker, 1980.’ Hope He Didn’t Lie About Having a Fear of Heights Before Landing the Job
Cosmicreature/Reddit.com
8. John Lennon Agrees to a Photoshoot in His New York City Apartment Just Months Before He Was Shot and Killed By a Deranged Fan, 1980
Zestyclose-Flan-2657/Reddit.com
9. Front Page of the ‘Daily Mirror’ Announcing Lennon’s Death
laura_susan/Reddit.com
10. Lennon and Yoko Ono Strolling Through Central Park
Zestyclose-Flan-2657/Reddit.com
11. ‘1980s Family Vacation Photo’
poppydah/Reddit.com
12. People Strolling Through a Mall
Reogen/Reddit.com
13. ‘I love this picture of my father from 1981. Back when we still repaired things!’
mks113/Reddit.com
14. A Sidewalk Moment That Looks Straight Out of a Movie
Reogen/Reddit.com
15. Baby in Tow, a Stack of Games, and Zero Worries
Reogen/Reddit.com
16. The Way Payphones Are Pure Nostalgia Now
NoahTheAttacker/Reddit.com
17. Times Square, New York City, 1982
NoahTheAttacker/Reddit.com
18. Thick as Thieves at the Roller Rink in ’84
mlotto7/Reddit.com
19. IBM Introduces the Personal Computer, 1981
ROCKY13573/Reddit.com
20. The Quintessential ’80s Outfit
Reogen/Reddit.com
21. 1980s Burger King With a Heavy Side of Nostalgia
NoahTheAttacker/Reddit.com
22. ‘Celebrating the Last Day Recording of ‘Thriller,’ November, 1982′
UserDeleted/Reddit.com
23. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Poses With a Baby Tiger During Outtakes for ‘Thriller,’ 1982
PreDeathRowTupac/Reddit.com
24. … and Here He Is With a Lightsaber
PreDeathRowTupac/Reddit.com
25. British Troops Landing on the Disputed Falkland Islands, 1982
m60patton105mm/Reddit.com
26. ‘My Friend’s Mom as a Teenager Back in the 80’s.’ Something Tell Us She Was Definitely the Life of the Party
le_fembot/Reddit.com
27. Saturday Nights on the Dance Floor Weren’t Complete Without Neon Lights and Fog Machines
Reogen/Reddit.com
28. A Stylish Lady Walking Down the Streets of Manhattan, New York
Reogen/Reddit.com
29. President Reagan Salutes the American Legion While Defending the Costly Arms Buildup of His ‘Star Wars’ Program, 1983
Bettmann/Getty Images
30. Sony Introduces the World’s First CD Player, the CDP-101, in Japan, 1982
ObsoleteSony/Reddit.com
31. A Family Photo in 1980
djtodd242/Reddit.com
32. ‘I Had a Bad Case of Pac-Man Fever in 1982.’ That Hat Rocks Though!