Date in year · 1981 · The 1980s

November 23, 1981

On November 23, 1981, iran–Contra affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua. The year's #1 song was "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes. Antonis Fotsis, Bjørn Einar Romøren, Laura Bell Bundy would arrive in the same year.

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1981

1980s

Around 1981

The year in brief

1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1981st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 981st year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1980s decade.

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What happened

On November 23, 1981

  1. 1981 Iran–Contra affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

    1985–1987 political scandal in the U.S.

    The Iran–Contra affair, also referred to as the Iran–Contra scandal, the Contragate, Iran Initiative, or simply Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States that centered on arms trafficking to Iran between 1981 and 1986, facilitated by senior officials of the Reagan administration. The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras, an anti-Sandinista rebel group in Nicaragua. Under the Boland Amendments, a series of laws passed by Congress and signed by Ronald Reagan, further funding of the Contras by legislative appropriations was prohibited by Congress, but the Reagan administration continued funding them secretly using non-appropriated funds.

Elsewhere that year

Other moments from 1981

The class of 1981

Others born in 1981

Antonis Fotsis 1981– Greek basketball player
Bjørn Einar Romøren 1981– Norwegian ski jumper
Laura Bell Bundy 1981– American actress and singer
Liz McClarnon 1981– English singer and dancer
Michael Pitt 1981– American actor, model and musician
Alexei Semenov 1981– Russian ice hockey player

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