January 3
January 3
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman
In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its first group of inductees: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard,…
A Year In History: 1987
This Year in History:
1987
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 13
January 13
Connecticut man arrested for wood‑chipper murder
Richard Crafts, a Connecticut man accused and later found guilty of murdering his wife and disposing of her body in a wood‑chipper, is arrested on January 13, 1987. Helle Crafts, a…
February 13
February 13
Wall Street informer, Martin Siegel pleads guilty to insider trading scheme
On February 13, 1987, Wall Street professional Martin Siegel pleads guilty to tax and securities law violations related to a lucrative insider trading scheme. He had netted $700,000 over four years for…
February 25
February 25
NCAA suspends SMU football program for 1987 season
On February 25, 1987, the NCAA suspends the Southern Methodist University football program for 1987 season for repeated rules violations but stops short of imposing the so‑called “death penalty.” Still,…
February 28
February 28
Gorbachev calls for nuclear weapons treaty
In a surprising announcement, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev indicates that his nation is ready to sign “without delay” a treaty designed to eliminate U.S. and Soviet medium‑range nuclear missiles from…
March 6
March 6
Ferry sinks in Belgium, 188 people drown
A British ferry leaving Zeebrugge, Belgium, capsizes, drowning 188 people, on March 6, 1987. Shockingly poor safety procedures led directly to this deadly disaster. Lord Justice Barry Sheen, an investigator…
March 24
March 24
ACT UP holds its first action on Wall Street
On March 24, 1987, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) holds its first‑ever demonstration on Wall Street—the world’s financial center—targeting pharmaceutical companies that were profiting off the AIDS…
March 25
March 25
Torture chamber uncovered in Philadelphia
Responding to a 911 call, police raid the Philadelphia home of Gary Heidnik and find an appalling crime scene. In the basement of Heidnik’s dilapidated house is a veritable torture…
April 8
April 8
U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz condemns Soviet spying
Just days before he is to travel to Moscow for talks on arms control and other issues, U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz states that he is “damned upset” about…
May 11
May 11
“Butcher of Lyon,” former Nazi Gestapo chief, charged with war crimes
Klaus Barbie, the former Nazi Gestapo chief of German‑occupied Lyon, France, goes on trial in Lyon more than four decades after the end of World War II. He was charged…
June 12
June 12
President Reagan challenges Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall”
On June 12, 1987, in one of his most famous Cold War speeches, President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down” the Berlin Wall, a symbol of…
July 22
July 22
Gorbachev accepts ban on intermediate‑range nuclear missiles
In a dramatic turnaround, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev indicates that he is willing to negotiate a ban on intermediate‑range nuclear missiles without conditions. Gorbachev’s decision paved the way for the…
August 7
August 7
Lynne Cox swims into communist territory
On August 7, 1987, Lynne Cox braves the freezing waters of the Bering Strait to make the first recorded swim from the United States to the Soviet Union. Lynne Cox’s…
August 16
August 16
Plane crashes into highway, killing 156
A plane crash at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan kills 156 people on August 16, 1987. A four‑year‑old girl was the sole survivor of the accident, which was caused by…
August 17
August 17
Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s last living henchman, dies
Rudolf Hess, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s former deputy, is found strangled to death in Spandau Prison in Berlin at the age of 93, apparently the victim of suicide. Hess was…
August 28
August 28
HIV‑positive Ray brothers’ home burned down
On August 28, 1987, the home of the Ray brothers—three HIV‑positive Florida boys—burns down in what was almost certainly a case of arson. The three brothers, who are not in…
September 18
September 18
Hundreds are accidentally poisoned in Brazil
On September 18, 1987, cesium‑137 is removed from an abandoned cancer‑therapy machine in Brazil. Hundreds of people were eventually poisoned by radiation from the substance, highlighting the danger that even…
September 18
September 18
“Fatal Attraction” opens in the U.S.
On September 18, 1987, the thriller Fatal Attraction, about a married man who has a fling with a woman who then becomes obsessed with him and stalks his family, opens…
October 1
October 1
Earthquake rocks Southern California
An earthquake in Whittier, California, kills 6 people and injures 100 more on October 1, 1987. The quake was the largest to hit Southern California since 1971, but not nearly…
October 10
October 10
Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” tops the charts
On October 10, 1987, the song “Here I Go Again” by English hard‑rock group Whitesnake tops the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States. Today, what most people remember…
