#1 Songs in America
(August 15th)
1980 - "Magic"
Olivia Newton-John
8/2 - 8/29
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Eye of the Tiger"
Survivor
7/24 - 9/3
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 "Ghostbusters"
Ray Parker, Jr.
8/11 - 8/31
1985 - "Shout"
Tears for Fears
8/3 - 8/23
1986 - "Glory of Love"
Peter Cetera
8/2 - 8/15
1987 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
U2
8/8 - 8/21
1988 - "Roll With It"
Steve Winwood
7/30 - 8/26
1989 - "Right Here Waiting"
Richard Marx
8/12 - 9/1
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
Dave Dravecky Broke His Arm While Pitching in a Game
1989 - San Francisco Pitcher, Dave Dravecky Broke His Arm While Pitching to Montreal Expos’ Tim Raines
* Had a “Desmoid Tumor” in the Bicep of His Pitching Arm
His Arm Was Amputated to Stop the Spread of Cancer
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1986 - The Fly Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis
Did You Know?
The Fly's Vomit Was Made From Honey, Milk and Eggs
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August 15th in 80s History
Fun Fact!
My Bodyguard Was Played in Many Schools to Help Prevent Bullying
1981 - "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from August 15 - October 16
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Australia and South Africa
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1946 - Jimmy Webb (Singer)
1948 - Patsy Gallant (Singer)
1948 - Tom Johnston (Guitarist) The Doobie Brothers
1950 - Tommy Aldridge (Drummer) Ozzy Osbourne
1950 - Tom Kelly (Baseball)
1951 - Bobby Caldwell (Singer)
1952 - Chuck Burgi (Drummer)
1958 - Craig MacTavish (Hockey)
1961 - Gary Kubiak (Football)
1972 - Demian Slade (Actor) Better Off Dead
Fun Fact!
Tom Kelly Managed the Minnesota Twins to 2 World Series Titles
* 1987 and 1991
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Other Notable Birthdays
Julia Child (Chef)
August 15, 1912 - August 13, 2004
Passed Away at Age 91 from Kidney Failure
Abby Dalton
August 15, 1932 - November 23, 2020
Passed Away at Age 88 after Battling a Long Illness
Played Julia Cumson on the 80s TV Show, Falcon Crest
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Sam Pollock (Hockey)
Passed Away on August 15, 2007 at Age 81 (Unknown Causes)
Won 9 Stanley Cup Finals as General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - Smokey and the Bandit II
Director: Hal Needham
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason and Dom DeLuise
Budget: $17 Million
Box Office: $66.1 Million
1980 - My Bodyguard
Director: Tony Bill
Starring: Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull and Ruth Gordon
Budget: $3 Million
Box Office: $22.5 Million
1980 - The Kidnapping of the President
Director: George Mendeluck
Starring: William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Van Johnson and Ava Gardner
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1980 - Those Lips, Those Eyes
Director: Michael Pressman
Starring: Frank Langella, Glynnis O'Connor, Tom Hulce and Jerry Stiller
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $840,000
1983 - Prisoners of the Lost Universe
Director: Terry Marcel
Starring: Richard Hatch, Kay Lenz and John Saxon
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1983 - Escape from the Bronx
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Mark Gregory, Henry Silva, Valeria D'Obici and Timothy Brent
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1984 - The Woman in Red
Director: Gene Wilder
Starring: Gene Wilder, Kelly LeBrock, Gilda Radner, Charles Grodin, Joseph Bologna, Judith Ivey and Michael Zorek
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $25.3 Million
1984 - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Director: W.D. Richter
Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Clancy Brown, Pepe Serna, Lewis Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Billy Vera, Christopher Lloyd, Rosalind Cash and Carl Lumbly
Budget: $17 million
Box Office: $6.3 Million
1986 - The Fly
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $60.6 Million
1986 - Armed and Dangerous
Director: Mark L. Lester
Starring: John Candy, Eugene Levy, Robert Loggia, Kenneth McMillan, Meg Ryan, Brion James, Jonathan Banks, Tom Lister Jr. and James Tolkan
Budget: $12 Million
Box Office: $15.9 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
Fun Fact!
The Cosby Show Was the #1 Show in America 4 Years in a Row (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Alibi
America (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #142
* #2 in Italy
1980 - Panorama
The Cars (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
1981 - Give the People What They Want
The Kinks (19th Album)
Billboard Charts: #15
1981 - Pretenders II
The Pretenders (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #10
1983 - Flick of the Switch
AC/DC (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #15
* #4 in the UK
1983 - Next Position Please
Cheap Trick (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #61
1983 - Rant N' Rave with the Stray Cats
The Stray Cats (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #27
1985 - Sacred Heart
Dio (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #29
* #4 in the UK
1988 - Short Sharp Shocked
Michelle Shocked (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #73
1988 - Soul Searchin'
Glenn Frey (3rd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #36
1988 - The Eight Legged Groove Machine
The Wonder Stuff (Debut Album)
* Reached #18 in the UK
1989 - Love Among the Cannibals
Starship (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #64
1989 - No Blue Thing
Ray Lynch (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #179
* #1 in “Top New Age Albums”
Singles Released
1983 - “Islands in the Stream”
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
#1 Song in America from October 29 - November 11
* Also Hit #1 in Canada, Austria and Australia
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1987 - Every Minnesota Twins Starter Recorded a Hit in a 14 - 4 Victory Over the Seattle Mariners on a Saturday Night at the Metrodome
Attendance: 31,154
1989 - San Francisco Giants Pitcher, Dave Dravecky Broke His Arm While Pitching to Montreal Expos Outfielder, Tim Raines
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Other Notable Dates
(On August 15th)
1914 - The Panama Canal Opened to Traffic
* The SS Ancon Cargo Ship Was the First Ship to Go Through the Canal
1935 - Actor, Will Rogers and Aviator, Wiley Post Were Killed in a Plane Crash in Barrow, Alaska
* Developed Engine Problems During Takeoff
1939 - The Wizard of Oz Premiered at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles
* Opened Nationwide on August 25
1963 - Henry John Burnett Became the Last Man to be Hung in Scotland
1965 - The Beatles Played in Front of 60,000 Fans at Shea Stadium in New York
* Known as the Birth of Stadium Rock
1969 - The Woodstock Festival Began in Upstate New York
1970 - Patricia Palinkas Became the First Woman to Play in a Professional American Football Game
* Was a Placekick Holder For Her Husband in a Minor League Football Game
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Headlines
(August 15th)
1980 - My Bodyguard Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin and Matt Dillon
The Film Debut For Adam Baldwin, Joan Cusack and Jennifer Beals