A quest to discover her roots inspired a Tyrrell County native to organize a homecoming for the descendants of the men and women once enslaved at Somerset Place Plantation.
decades series
The 1980s: City of Stars
A major film production finds its principal location in southeastern North Carolina, setting the stage for Wilmington’s new role as “Hollywood East.”
The 1980s: The Challenger Seven
One of the worst accidents of the American space program shapes a generation: In 1986, the nation mourns the heroes aboard the space shuttle Challenger, including two astronauts with deep ties to North Carolina.
The 1980s: Dream Weavers
In 1980s North Carolina, immigrants from Asia and around the world find refuge from war, freedom from persecution, and fresh opportunities. In return, they weave new strands of art and culture into the tapestry of our state.
The 1980s: Pioneers of the Piedmont
When two scientists from Research Triangle Park win a Nobel Prize, their victory represents the fulfillment of the park’s original mission: to make world-class science part of North Carolina’s DNA.
The 1980s: Michael Jordan Changes the Game
Before he was the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan was an athletic kid from Wilmington. In 1981, he heads to Chapel Hill to hone the skills and competitive spirit that launch him to superstardom.
The 1970s: A Seat on the Bench
From her roots in Reidsville, Susie Sharp blazes a trail to the North Carolina Supreme Court, becoming the first female chief justice in state history.
The 1970s: The Modern Pioneers
For environmentalists and “Back to the Land” homesteaders seeking a new way of life, a magazine published in Hendersonville guides that way.
The Courage to Fly
On September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 went down near Charlotte, becoming one of the worst plane crashes in state history. Colette Watson, then a 26-year-old flight attendant, told writer Philip Gerard her account of the accident and its aftermath.
