On This Day

Peru adopts a constitution, and Fernando Belaúnde Terry becomes president

The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path.

The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path. The conflict's main phase began on 17 May 1980 and ended in December 2000. From 1982 to 1997 the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) waged its own insurgency as a Marxist–Leninist rival to the Shining Path.

As fighting intensified in the 1980s, Peru had one of the worst human rights records in the Western Hemisphere and experienced thousands of forced disappearances while both the Peruvian Armed Forces and Shining Path acted with impunity, sometimes massacring entire villages. 50,000 to 70,000 people were killed, making it the bloodiest war in the country's independent history. This includes many civilians who were deliberately targeted by all factions.

Historical Significance

The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path.

Events Before

  1. International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

    International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

  2. Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

    Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

  3. BBC landmark nature series "Life on Earth" presented by David Attenborough first shown on BBC One

    Life on Earth: A Natural History by David Attenborough is a British television natural history series made by the BBC in association with Warner Bros. Television and Reiner Moritz Productions.

  4. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile

    Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Iran on 1 February 1979, after 14 years in exile, was an important event in the Iranian Revolution.

  5. Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

    Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Greece becomes the 10th country to join the European Economic Community

    Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...

  2. Police drama "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC

    "Hill Street Station" is the first episode of the first season of the American serial police drama Hill Street Blues.

  3. Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States

    The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

  4. Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks be

    Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks before age 21, scoring five goals and two assists in a 9-2 Oilers home win against St. Louis

  5. George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ro

    George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ronnie Mack's song "He's So Fine"

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 28, 1980?
The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path. The conflict's main phase began on 17 May 1980 and ended in December 2000. From 1982 to 1997 the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) waged its own insurgency as a Marxist–Leninist rival to the Shining Path.
Why is Peru adopts a constitution, and Fernando Belaúnde Terry becomes president significant?
The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path.

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