1 5 ▁– ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁receives ▁a ▁deleg ation ▁led ▁by ▁Polish ▁Sol id ar ity ▁leader ▁Le ch ▁W ał ę sa ▁at ▁the ▁V at ican . ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 6 ▁– ▁Lo yal ists ▁shoot ▁and ▁seriously ▁w ound ▁Irish ▁national ist ▁activ ist ▁Bern ad ette ▁Dev lin ▁Mc Al is key ▁and ▁her ▁husband . ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 7 ▁– ▁Philipp ine ▁President ▁Ferdinand ▁Mar cos ▁lif ts ▁mart ial ▁law . ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 9 ▁– ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Iran ian ▁officials ▁sign ▁an ▁agreement ▁to ▁release ▁ 5 2 ▁American ▁host ages ▁after ▁ 1 4 ▁months ▁of ▁capt ivity . ▁ ▁January ▁ 2 0 ▁– ▁Iran ▁releases ▁the ▁ 5 2 ▁Americans ▁held ▁for ▁ 4 4 4 ▁days ▁minutes ▁after ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ▁is ▁sw orn ▁in ▁as ▁the ▁ 4 0 th ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁ending ▁the ▁Iran ▁host age ▁crisis . ▁ ▁January ▁ 2 1 ▁– ▁The ▁first ▁De L ore an ▁autom obile , ▁a ▁st ain less ▁steel ▁sports ▁car ▁with ▁g ull - wing ▁doors , ▁roll s ▁off ▁the ▁production ▁line ▁in ▁Dun m ur ry , ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁January ▁ 2 3 ▁– ▁An ▁earth qu ake ▁of ▁ ▁magnitude ▁in ▁S ich uan , ▁China ▁k ills ▁ 1 5 0 . ▁ ▁January ▁ 2 5 ▁ ▁Ji ang ▁Q ing ▁(" Mad ame ▁Ma o ") ▁is ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death