Chemicals from the Coal Facility of Eastman Chemical Company was the first in the United States to use coal rather than petroleum as a raw material in the commercial production of acetyl chemicals — important building blocks in the synthesis of a wide range of consumer products. The plant, located in Kingsport, Tennessee, began operation in 1983 after more than a decade of planning and construction, prompted by the oil embargoes of the 1970s.
1984

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Image Credit: Courtesy Eastman Chemical Company. Image Caption: Flow diagram for the chemicals from coal facility.
1995

NHK began the world's first direct broadcast satellite service in May, 1984. This was the culmination of eighteen years of research that included the development of an inexpensive low-noise receiver and investigations of rain attenuation in the 12 GHz band. RRL, NASDA, TSCJ, Toshiba Corporation, General Electric Company, and NASA participated with NHK to make satellite broadcasting to the home a practical reality.
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Image Credit: Courtesy Wikicommons/Makro Freak (CC BY-SA 2.5)Image Caption: A modern parabolic satellite communications antenna at Erdfunkstelle RaistingEra_date_from: 1984
2011