1. A yellow, round arcade character that eats dots arrives in American arcades.
2. A cable channel launches that plays music videos around the clock.
3. Portable cassette players with foam headphones become the must-have gadget.
4. A colorful twisty cube puzzle becomes a nationwide craze.
💡 Hint
The music video channel’s first video was famously about radio stars.
Reveal answer
The 1980s.
Pac-Man reached American arcades in 1980. MTV launched on August 1, 1981, and its first video was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. The Sony Walkman arrived in the United States in 1980 and defined portable music for the decade. The Rubik’s Cube was invented in the 1970s in Hungary, but the American craze exploded in 1980 and 1981. Put together, the clues point squarely at the early 1980s.
Did you get it?
About This Puzzle
Close your eyes and picture a mall on a Saturday afternoon. Kids line up at the arcade, a new music channel is on every TV in the electronics store, and everyone wants a portable tape player. Can you name the decade?
How to Think About It
Each clue on its own could cover a few years, so look for the decade where all four overlap. Start with the clue you’re most sure about. The music video channel is a strong anchor, because its launch date is well known.
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