What happened in December 1987?
The top front-page story of each day in December 1987, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Dec 1🌍 Strong Earthquake Jolts Alaska – A major offshore earthquake jolted south-central Alaska, prompting evacuations from low-lying coastal areas for the second time in two weeks.
- Dec 2🎨 Picasso Work Sells – Picasso's ''Souvenir of Havre'' auctioned for $7.6 million, setting a record for the artist at Sotheby's in London.
- Dec 3📜 Einstein Manuscript Auctioned – An unpublished manuscript by Albert Einstein sold for $1.2 million at Sotheby's, setting a record for any manuscript auctioned in the U.S.
- Dec 4🔬 Ultra-Fast Chemical Reactions – Scientists at Caltech invented an instrument to detect sequences in ultra-fast chemical reactions using light pulses.
- Dec 5🖼️ Chernobyl Reactor Reopens – The third reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station has been repaired and put back into operation after the 1986 disaster.
- Dec 6🔬 Largest Nuclear Plant Dedicated – The largest commercial nuclear power plant in the U.S. was dedicated by Energy Secretary John S. Herrington, with full operations expected next year.
- Dec 7🌍 Gorbachev Visits U.S – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev makes his first visit to the United States, aiming to foster goodwill and discuss arms control.
- Dec 8🌍 Gorbachev Summit Trip – Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Washington, urging President Reagan for new commitments to reduce nuclear arsenals.
- Dec 9🏛️ Gorbachev's Vision Presented – Mikhail Gorbachev addressed prominent Americans at the Soviet Embassy, outlining his vision for a new world order.
- Dec 10🕊️ Nuclear Arms Treaty – Reagan and Gorbachev signed a historic treaty to reduce nuclear arsenals, marking a significant step in U.S.-Soviet relations.
- Dec 11🌍 Arias Accepts Nobel – Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, urging superpowers to cease interference in Central America.
- Dec 12🏟️ Disneyland-Style Park – A fantasy-theme park similar to Disneyland is to be built outside a city on Italy's northeast Adriatic coast.
- Dec 13🌍 King Hussein Visits Kuwait – King Hussein of Jordan begins a Persian Gulf tour, visiting Kuwait and other Gulf states to follow up on the recent Arab summit in Amman.
- Dec 14🎶 Massive 'Messiah' Performance – 3,000 people sang Handel's 'Messiah' together in a grand auditorium, creating a unique musical experience.
- Dec 15🔬 Key to Superconductors – Scientists focus on solitons, indestructible waves, to explain high-temperature superconductivity in theoretical physics.
- Dec 16🗳️ South Korean Vote – Millions of South Koreans voted today, marking their first chance in 16 years to elect a president independently.
- Dec 17🌌 Exploding Stars Yield Elements – NASA reported direct evidence that exploding stars create heavy elements essential for life on Earth.
- Dec 18🔬 New AIDS Technique – Scientists developed a novel technique that may prevent the AIDS virus from reaching its target cells in the body.
- Dec 19🚀 Shuttle Rocket Test Today – The U.S. manned space flight program faces a crucial test as Morton Thiokol conducts a full-scale firing of its redesigned shuttle rocket booster.
- Dec 20🚀 Space Shuttle Test Delayed – The second test firing of the redesigned space shuttle booster rocket was postponed due to circuit problems at a Utah site.
- Dec 21🌌 Supernova Offers Clue – An exploding star observed in the Southern Hemisphere provides insights into the universe's matter composition, particularly antimatter.
- Dec 22🔭 European Telescope Planned – A consortium of West European nations has committed to building a powerful telescope, expected to dominate astronomical research into the 21st century.
- Dec 23🧬 Gene Determines Sex – Scientists discovered a gene that may dictate whether a human embryo develops as male or female.
- Dec 24🚀 Shuttle Booster Test – Engineers successfully conducted the second full-scale test firing of the redesigned rocket booster for the space shuttle.
- Dec 25🌍 Children Support Space Mission – American schoolchildren overwhelmingly support a joint Soviet-U.S. space mission to Mars, reflecting a spirit of cooperation from recent political summits.
- Dec 26🏭 Turkey Opens Silver Mine – Turkey has opened its first silver mine, expecting to earn about $30 million annually from exports, contributing 1% of global silver output.
- Dec 27🌍 Ferry Disaster Recovery – Coast guard reports recovering 133 bodies from a ferry collision, with over 1,600 people still missing.
- Dec 28🏛️ Museum Displays Aztec Treasures – A new museum overlooking the ruins of Tenochtitlan showcases treasures from the 14th-century Aztec ceremonial center.
- Dec 29🌌 New Theory on Venus – Scientists propose a new theory about Venus, once thought ocean-covered, revealing its extreme temperatures and dense atmosphere.
- Dec 30🚀 Soviet Astronaut Returns – Col. Yuri V. Romanenko returned from the Mir space station after a record-breaking 326-day mission, providing insights on human endurance in space.
- Dec 31🚆 Electric Service Expanded – Long Island Rail Road begins replacing diesel trains with electric ones, enhancing service for thousands of commuters.
Happy Birthday! 1987 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1987 in real headlines. See the 1987 book →
Born in December? Pick the day
Every birthday in December has its own On This Day in Headlines book: