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Happy 80s Birthdays
1946 - Jimmy Webb (Singer)
Birthplace: Elk City, Oklahoma
1948 - Tom Johnston (Guitarist) The Doobie Brothers
Birthplace: Visalia, California
1950 - Tommy Aldridge (Drummer) Ozzy Osbourne
Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi
1950 - Tom Kelly (Baseball)
Birthplace: Graceville, Minnesota
1952 - Chuck Burgi (Drummer)
Birthplace: Montclair, New Jersey
1958 - Craig MacTavish (Hockey)
Birthplace: London, Ontario, Canada
1961 - Gary Kubiak (Football)
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
1972 - Ben Affleck (Actor)
Birthplace: Berkeley, California
1972 - Demian Slade (Actor) Better Off Dead “$2 Kid”
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Fun Fact!
Tom Kelly Managed the Minnesota Twins to 2 World Series Titles
* 1987 and 1991
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Other Notable Birthdays
Charles Comiskey (Baseball Owner)
August 15, 1859 - October 26, 1931
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Passed Away at Age 72 From Unknown Causes
* The Founder and Owner of the Chicago White Sox
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939
Julia Child (Chef)
August 15, 1912 - August 13, 2004
Birthplace: Pasadena, California
Passed Away at Age 91 From Kidney Failure
* Starred in Her Own Cooking Show The French Chef, Which Premiered in 1963
Brought the French Cuisine to the American public With Her Cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Sam Pollock (Hockey)
December 15, 1925 - August 15, 2007
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
Passed Away at Age 81 From Unknown Causes
* The General Manager For the Montreal Canadian From 1964 to 1978
Won 9 Stanley Cup Finals
Peter Marshall (Game Show Host)
March 30, 1926 - August 15, 2024
Birthplace: Clarksburg, West Virginia
Passed Away at Age 98 From Kidney Failure
* Passed Away in His Encino, California Home
The Original Host of Hollywood Squares From 1966 to 1981
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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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August 15th in 80s History
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
Fun Fact!
The First Evidence of an Amputation Was Found on a 31,000 Year Old Skeleton From Borneo
* The Skeleton Was Most Likely a Child Who Had the Lower Portion of His Leg Amputated
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Headlines
(August 15th)
1980 - My Bodyguard Premiered in Theaters
Director: Tony Bill
Starring: Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull and Ruth Gordon
The Film Debut For Adam Baldwin, Joan Cusack and Jennifer Beals
Fun Fact!
My Bodyguard Was Played in Many Schools to Help Prevent Bullying During the 80s and 90s
#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
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz
Fun Fact!
The Fly's Vomit Was Made From Honey, Milk and Eggs