Thirty years ago -- a look back

Seven people died in the Chicago area after taking cyanide-laced Extra-Strength Tylenol over two days in September 1982. Two of the victims were family members of a man who, it was learned later, had died from the poisoned pills. When they gathered to mourn his death, they took pills from the same bottle. Police determined the capsules had been tampered with and drove through neighborhoods with loudspeakers warning residents. Authorities interviewed a few suspects, and even requested DNA samples from “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski as part of the investigation, but the crime remains unsolved. The deaths led to the tamper-proof packaging that is common on medications today.  (Ron Scardacchi / Associated Press)

Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union, died on November 10, 1982. Brezhnev had ruled the Soveit Union for nearly two decades, increasing the global influence of the communist power with the expansion of the Soviet military. His state funeral was attended by many foreign leaders. However, President Reagan refused to attend, sending Vice President George H.W. Bush instead.  (Boris Yurchenko / Associated Press)

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Nov. 13, 1982. Designed by American architect Maya Lin, the memorial is made of two stone walls with the names of servicemen killed or missing in action in the Vietnam War etched into the reflective surface. The wall listed 58,191 names when it was completed. More have been added. Lin was a student at Yale when she entered a contest to design the wall. The stark design drew criticism, but once it was completed it was praised for its simplicity and emotional power. Millions of people visit the memorial every year.  (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)