Milestones: 1980

-- Hua Guofeng resigns post as premier in August.

-- In May, first Chinese carrier rocket reaches destination in the Pacific Ocean.

-- Starting November, the "Gang of Four" or "Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique" is tried with the "Lin Biao counter-revolutionary clique". Both "Gangs" wielded significant power during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and are accused of causing disasters across China during that decade.