Happy 80s Birthdays
1933 - Julie Newmar (Actress)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1953 - Kathie Lee Gifford (Talk Show Host)
Birthplace: Paris, France
1953 - James “J.T.” Taylor (Singer) Kool & the Gang
Birthplace: Laurens, South Carolina
1954 - James Cameron (Director) The Terminator
Birthplace: Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada
1958 - Madonna (Singer)
Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan
1958 - Angels Bassett (Actress)
Birthplace: New York City
1960 - Timothy Hutton (Actor) Ordinary People
Birthplace: Malibu, California
1961 - Christian Okoye (Football)
Birthplace: Enugu, Nigeria
1962 - Steve Carrell
Birthplace: Concord, Massachusetts
Fun Fact!
Christian Okoye Led the NFL in Rushing in 1989 With 1,480 Yards
NFL Seasons: 6 (Kansas City Chiefs)
Pro Bowl: 1989, 1991
First Team All-Pro: 1989
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Other Notable Birthdays
Frank Gifford (Football)
August 16, 1930 - August 9, 2015
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
Passed Away at Age 84 From Natural Causes
NFL Seasons: 12
Position: Halfback, Flanker and Safety
Pro Bowl: 8
First Team All-Pro: 6
MVP: 1956
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977
* The Play-by-Play Announcer For Monday Night Football on ABC For 27 Years
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
John Smith Pemberton (American Chemist and Pharmacist)
July 8, 1831 - August 16, 1888
Birthplace: Knoxville, Georgia
Passed Away at Age 57 From Stomach Cancer
* Addicted to Morphine at the Time
Started the Coca-Cola Company in 1886
Babe Ruth (Baseball)
February 6, 1895 - August 16, 1948
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Passed Away at Age 53 From Throat Cancer
MLB Season: 22
Position: Outfielder
Career Home Runs: 714
AL MVP: 1923
Home Run Leader: 12
World Series Champion: 7
Elected to the First Class of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936
Fun Fact!
Considered One of the Greatest Baseball Players of All-Time
* One of the Best Pitchers in Baseball Before Becoming a Full-Time Outfieder
Elvis Presley (Singer)
January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977
Birthplace: Tupelo, Mississippi
Passed Away at Age 42 From Cardiac Arrest
* Known as the "King of Rock and Roll"
Regarded as One of the Most Significant Cultural Figures of the 20th Century
Earl Averill (Baseball)
May 21, 1902 - August 16, 1983
Birthplace: Snohomish, Washington
Passed Away at Age 81 (Unknown Cause)
MLB Seasons: 13 (10 with the Cleveland Indians)
Position: Centerfield
All-Star: 6
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 (Veterans Committee)
Fun Fact!
Earl Averill Hit the Line Drive That Broke Dizzy Dean's Toe in the 1937 All-Star Game Making Dean Have to Change His Delivery That Eventually Damaged His Arm
* Forced to Retire in 1941 at Age 31
Dick Murdoch (Wrestler)
August 16, 1946 - June 15, 1996
Birthplace: Waxahachie, Texas
Passed Away on June 15, 1996 at Age 49 From a Heart Attack
* Was Known to be a Member of the KKK
Won the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1984 With Partner Adrian Adonis as the North-South Connection
Aretha Franklin (Singer)
March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
Passed Away at Age 76 From a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor
* Best Known For the Hit Song, "Respect"
Rolling Stone Magazine Named Her the Best Singer of All-Time, Twice
Peter Fonda (Actor and Screenwriter)
February 23, 1940 - August 16, 2019
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 79 From Respiratory Failure
* Caused by Lung Cancer
Nominated For an Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay For the 1969 Film Easy Rider and Nominated For Best Actor For Ulee's Gold (1997)
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1985 - Volunteers
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Starring: Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson and Gedde Watanabe
Budget: $10 Million
Box Office: $19.8 Million
1985 - American Flyers
Director: John Badham
Starring: Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul, Luca Bercovici, Janice Rule, Jennifer Grey and John Amos
Budget: $8.5 Million
Box Office: $1.4 Million
1985 - The Return of the Living Dead
Director: Dan O’Bannon
Starring: Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews and Don Calfa
Budget: $4 Million
Box Office: $14.2 Million
1985 - Year of the Dragon
Director: Michael Cimino
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Ariane Koizumi and John Lone
Budget: $24 Million
Box Office: $30.4 Million
1989 - Uncle Buck
Director: John Hughes
Starring: John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Macaulay Culkin, Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Underwood, Laurie Metcalf
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $79.2 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
Fun Fact!
Jane Curtin Won Back to Back Primetime Emmy Awards in 1984 & 85 For Most Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series For Her Role as Allie on the TV Show, Kate & Allie
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1985 - Freaky Styley
Red Hot Chili Peppers (2nd Album)
* Failed to Make the Billboard Charts
1989 - Perfect Symmetry
Fates Warning (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #141
1989 - Mother's Milk
Red Hot Chili Peppers (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #52
In Other 80s Music News
1980 - The First Monsters of Rock Heavy Metal Festival, Took Place at Donington Park in England, Featuring Judas Priest, The Scorpions and Other Band
1980 - Bassist, Jah Wobble Left Public Image Ltd.
1980 - Drummer, Cozy Powell Left Richie Blackmore's Rainbow
1980 - Keyboardist, Jools Holland Left Squeeze
1980 - Drummer, Bill Ward Left Black Sabbath
Singles Released
(On This Day)
1980 - “Woman in Love”
Barbra Streisand
#1 Song in America from October 25 - November 14
* Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, Iceland, South Africa and Zimbabwe
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1987 - The New York Mets Beat the Chicago Cubs 23 - 10 at Wrigley Field on a Sunday Afternoon
Attendance: 32,731
* The Mets Pounded 21 Hits and Every Starter Got a Hit
Darryl Strawberry 4-5
(Home Run, Triple, 2 Doubles and 5 RBI’s)
Greg Maddux Started for the Cubs
(7 runs in 3.2 innings)
1987 - Mike LaCoss (San Francisco Giant) Pitched a 10-Inning Complete Game Shutout Against the Los Angeles Dodgers
* The Giants Beat the Dodgers 1 - 0 at Candlestick Park on a Sunday Afternoon
Attendance: 52,374
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Other Notable Dates
(On August 16th)
1913 - Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan, aka Tohoku University Became the First University in Japan to Allow Female Students
1920 - Ray Chapman (Cleveland Indians) Became the 2nd Major League Baseball Player to Die After Getting Hit in the Head With a Pitch
* The First Was Doc Powers in 1909
1927 - The Dole Air Race Began From Oakland to Honolulu
* 6 of the 8 Planes Crashed or Disappeared
1954 - The First Issue of Sports Illustrated Was Published
* The First Cover Was a Picture of a Game in Milwaukee With Eddie Matthews Taking a Mighty Swing
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Headlines
(August 16th)
1983 - Singer Paul Simon Married Actress Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) at Simon's Central Park Duplex
* Divorced in 1984
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1985 - Sean Penn and Madonna Got Married at a Clifftop Mansion in Malibu, California
* Divorced in 1989
Uncle Buck
On August 16, 1989 Uncle Buck Starring John Candy and Directed by John Hughes Premiered in Theaters
August 16th in 80s History
Did You Know?
The First Commercial Plane Crash With Fatalities Was on December 4, 1920 on a Flight From London to Paris
* 4 of the 8 Passengers Were Killed
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"Papa Don't Preach" Became the #1 Song in America
1987 - Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Crashed After Takeoff in Detroit, Michigan
* 154 of the 155 People Were Killed, Including 6 Flight Crew, Plus 2 People on the Ground
4-Year Old Girl Cecelia Cichan Was the Lone Survivor
1986 - Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from August 16 - 29
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Australia
#1 Songs in America
(August 16th)
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 - "Papa Don't Preach"
Madonna
8/16 - 8/29
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