Headlines
(April 29th)
1980 - Oklahoma Running Back, Billy Sims Was the #1 Overall Pick in the NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions
Seasons: 5
Rushing Yards: 5,106
Pro Bowls: 3
All-Pro (1981)
Sims Was the 1978 Heisman Trophy Winner
In Other News
(On April 29th)
1968 - Hair, the Musical Premiered at The Biltmore Theater on Broadway
* The Controversial Musical Was a Product of the Hippie Counter-Culture and Sexual Revolution
Songs Became Anthems For Anti-Vietnam War Movement
1974 - President Richard Nixon Released the Edited Recordings Related to the Watergate Scandal
2011 - Prince William Married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London
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Other Notable Birthdays
William Rondolph Hearst (Newspaper Publisher)
April 29, 1863 - August 14, 1951
Passed Away at Age 88 (Unknown Cause)
Founded Hearst Communications
Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR)
April 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001
Passed Away at Age 49 After Hitting the Wall on the Final Lap of the Daytona 500
Considered One of the Greatest Race Car Driver of All-Time
* 7x Winston Cup Champion
Jake Burton Carpenter (Snowboarder)
April 29, 1954 - November 20, 2019
Passed Away at Age 65 From Cancer
Founded Burton Snowboards
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Alfred Hitchcock (Director)
August 13, 1899 - April 29, 1980
Passed Away at Age 80 From Kidney Failure
Best Known For Psycho (1960) and the Birds (1963)
Bob Hoskins (Actor)
October 26, 1942 - April 29, 2014
Passed Away at Age 71 From Kidney Failure
Played Detective Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Jean Nidetch (American Businesswoman)
October 12, 1923 - April 29, 2015
Passed Away at Age 91 (Natural Causes)
Founded Weight Watchers
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Valley Girl
Director: Martha Collidge
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Meyrink, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye and Michael Bowen
Budget: $350,000
Box Office: $17.3 Million
1983 - The Hunger
Director: Tony Scott
Starring: David Bowie, Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $10.2 Million
1983 - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Director: Jack Clayton
Starring: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd and Pam Grier
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $8.4 Million
1988 - Critters 2: The Main Course
Director: Mick Garris
Starring: Scott Grimes, Liane Curtis, Don Opper, Barry Corbin and Tom Hodges
Budget: $4 Million
Box Office: $3.8 Million
1988 - Powaqqatsi (Documentary)
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $589,244
1988 - Sunset
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: Bruce Willis, James Garner, Mariel Hemingway, Kathleen Quinlan, Jennifer Edwards, Malcolm McDowell and M. Emmet Walsh
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $4.5 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - The NFL Draft Was Televised For the First Time
Network: ESPN
1980 - Final Episode of Hello, Larry
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 38
1983 - Final Episode of Baby Makes Five
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 5
Starring Peter Scolari
1987 - Final Episode of Easy Street
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 2
Starring Loni Anderson and James Cromwell
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - Fair Warning
Van Halen (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
1981 - Zebop!
Carlos Santana (12th Album)
Billboard Charts: #9
1983 - Cargo
Men at Work (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Hit #1 in Australia
Over 3 Million Copies Sold in the US
1983 - Hootenanny
The Replacements (2nd Album)
1985 - Be Yourself Tonight
Eurythmics (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #9
* Hit #1 in Australia
Featuring “Would I Lie To You”
1985 - Mr. Bad Guy
Freddie Mercury (1st and Only Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #159
* #6 in the UK
Singles Released
1986 - "Dead Man's Party"
Oingo Boingo
* Made Popular From the Film, Back to School
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Billy Sims RB (Oklahoma) was the #1 Overall Pick in the NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions
Top 10 Picks
1. Billy Sims RB
Detroit Lions
College: Oklahoma
2. Lam Jones WR
New York Jets
College: Texas
3. Anthony Munoz OT
Cincinnati Bengals
College: USC
4. Bruce Clark DT
Green Bay Packers
College: Penn State
5. Curtis Dickey RB
Baltimore Colts
College: Texas A&M
6. Curtis Greer DE
St. Louis Cardinals
College: Michigan
7. Junior Miller TE
Atlanta Falcons
College: Nebraska
8. Mark Haynes DB
New York Giants
College: Colorado
9. Doug Martin DE
Minnesota Vikings
College: Washington
10. Jacob Green DE
Seattle Seahawks
College: Texas A&M
1981 - Steve Carlton Struck Out Tim Wallach to Become the First Left-Handed Pitcher to Strikeout 3,000 Hitters
* The Phillies Beat the Expos 6 - 2 at the Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia on a Wednesday Night
Attendance: 30,142
1985 - Hulk Hogan Was on the Cover of Sports Illustrated
1985 - Tony Tubbs Beat Greg Page in a 15-Round Decision to Win the WBA Heavyweight Championship
* Tubbs Lost the Belt in His Next Fight Against Tim Witherspoon
1986 - Boston Red Sox Pitcher Roger Clemens Set a Major League Record by Striking Out 20 Batters
* The Red Sox Beat the Mariners 3 - 1 at Fenway Park in Boston on a Tuesday Night
Attendance: 13,414
1986 - Bo Jackson RB (Auburn) Was the #1 Overall Pick in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Decided to Play Baseball
Top 10 Picks
1. Bo Jackson RB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
College: Auburn
* Won the Heisman
2. Tony Casillas DT
Atlanta Falcons
College: Oklahoma
3. Jim Everett QB
Houston Oilers
College: Purdue
4. Jon Hand DE
Baltimore Colts
College: Alabama
5. Anthony Bell LB
St. Louis Cardinals
College: Michigan State
6. Jim Dombrowski OT
New Orleans Saints
College: Virginia
7. Brian Jozwiak OG
Kansas City Chiefs
College: West Virginia
8. Leslie O’Neal DE
San Diego Chargers
College: Oklahoma State
9. John Rienstra OG
Pittsburgh Steelers
College: Temple
10. Keith Byars RB
Philadelphia Eagles
College: Ohio State
1987 - Chicago Cubs Outfielder Andre Dawson Hit For Cycle Against the San Francisco Giants
* The Cubs Beat the Giants 8 - 4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago on a Wednesday Afternoon
Attendance: 11,120
1988 - The Baltimore Orioles Snapped Their Record Breaking 21-Game Losing Streak to Start the Season
* The Orioles Beat the Chicago White Sox 9 - 0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago on a Friday Night
Attendance: 14,059
Cal Ripken 4 - 5 (Home Run)
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - Dan Aykroyd Married Actress Donna Dixon (Buffy From Bosom Buddies)
* Still Married Today
Shared the Screen in the 1985 Film, Spies Like Us
Billy Simms Was the #1 Overall Pick in the NFL Draft
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April 29th in 80s History
Happy 80s Birthdays
1933 - Willie Nelson (Singer)
1952 - Nora Dunn (Actress) SNL
1952 - Ron Washington (Baseball)
1954 - Jerry Seinfeld (Comedian)
1955 - Kate Mulgrew (Actress) Throw Momma From the Train
1957 - Daniel Day-Lewis (Actor) My Left Foot
1958 - Michelle Pfeiffer (Actress) Grease 2
1958 - Eve Plumb (Actress) The Brady Bunch
1970 - Andre Agassi (Tennis)
1970 - Uma Thurman (Actress) Johnny Be Good
Fun Fact!
Daniel Day-Lewis Won an Academy Award for Best Actor for His Role as Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989)
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#1 Songs in America
(April 29th)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Kiss on My List"
Hall & Oates
4/11 - 5/1
1982 - "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
3/20 - 5/7
1983 - "Come on Eileen"
Dexys Midnight Riders
4/23 - 4/29
1984 - "Against All Odds"
Phil Collins
4/21 - 5/11
1985 - "We Are the World”
USA for Africa
4/13 - 5/10
1986 - "Kiss"
Prince
4/19 - 5/2
1987 - "I Knew You Were Waiting"
Aretha Franklin and George Michael
4/18 - 5/1
1988 - "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
Whitney Houston
4/23 - 5/6
1989 - "Like a Prayer"
Madonna
4/22 - 5/12
1986 - Auburn Running Back, Bo Jackson Was the #1 Overall Pick in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Didn’t Sign With the Bucs (Played Baseball Instead)
Signed With the Los Angeles Raiders the Following Season
Seasons: 4 (Caused by a Career Ending Hip Injury)
Rushing Yards: 2,782
Pro Bowl: 1 (1990)
Jackson Was the 1985 Heisman Trophy Winner
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1986 - Over 400,000 Books were Destroyed During a Fire at the Central Library in Los Angeles
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1983 - Valley Girl Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman
Fun Fact!
Nicolas Cage Said it Was Easy to Play Deborah Foreman's Love Interest Since He Had a Real Life Crush on Her and While They Were on Set He Wrote Her a Poem Titled, "American Girl" Which She Still Has Today
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1986 - Boston Red Sox Pitcher, Roger Clemens Set a Major League Record With 20 Strikeouts in a Game Against the Seattle Mariners