On This Day August 21st in 80s History

1987 - Born in East L.A. Premiered in Theaters

Director: Cheech Marin
Starring: Cheech Marin, Daniel Stern and Paul Rodriguez

Fun Fact!

Tommy Chong Turned Down a Cameo Role in the Film Because He Was Upset Cheech Marin Did a Solo Movie

Happy 80s Birthdays

1944 - Peter Weir (Director) Gallipoli
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
1949 - Loretta Devine (Actress) A Different World
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
1954 - Steve Smith (Drummer) Journey
Birthplace: Whitman, Massachusetts
1956 - Kim Cattrall (Actress) Mannequin
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
1959 - Jim McMahon (Football)
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey
1962 - Pete Weber
Birthplace: St Anne, Missouri

Fun Fact!

Kim Cattrall Made Her Film Debut as Joyce Donnovan in the 1975 Film Rosebud

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Other Notable Birthdays

Jack Buck (Sports Announcer)
August 21, 1924 - June 18, 2002
Birthplace: Holyoke, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 77 From Lung Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease
* The St. Louis Cardinals Announcer For 47 Years
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame

Wilt Chamberlain (Basketball)
August 21, 1936 - October 12, 1999
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Passed Away on October 12, 1999 at Age 63 From Congestive Heart Failure
NBA Seasons: 14
Position: Center
All Star: 13
MVP: 4
Scoring Leader: 7
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978

Fun Fact!

Wilt Chamberlain is the Only NBA Player to Score 100 Points in a Game

Kenny Rogers (Country Singer)
August 21, 1938 - March 20, 2020
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Passed Away at Age 81 in Hospice Care
* Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer in 2017
One of the Best Selling Artist of All-Time With Over 100 Million Albums Sold

Clarence Williams III (Actor)
August 21, 1939 - June 4, 2021
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 81 From Colon Cancer
* Played Kalinga in the 1988 Film I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and Sampson in Half Baked (1998)
Best Known For Playing Linc Hayes in The Mod Squad From 1968 to 1972

Hugh Wilson (Director)
August 21, 1943 - January 14, 2018
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Passed Away at Age 74 From Lung Cancer
* Also Had Emphysema
Created the TV Show WKRP in Cincinnati and Directed the 1984 Film Police Academy

Joe Strummer (Singer)
August 21, 1952 - December 22, 2002
Birthplace: Ankara, Turkey
Passed Away at Age 50 From a Congenital Heart Defect
* Found Dead by His Wife in His Broomfield, Somerset, England Home
Co-Founded The Clash in 1976 in London, England

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Passed Away
(On this Day)

Sid Bernstein (Music Promoter)
August 12, 1918 - August 21, 2013
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 95
* Unknown Cause of Death
Best Known For Bringing the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, the Moody Blues, and the Kinks to America

John Amos (Actor)
December 27, 1939 - August 21, 2024
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
Passed Away at Age 84 From Congestive Heart Failure
* Received an Emmy Nomination in 1977 For His Role as Older Kunta Kinte on Roots
Best Known For Playing James Evans on Good Times and Cleo McDowell in Coming to America

Fun Fact!

John Amos Played Running Back at Colorado State
* Signed a Free Agent Contract in 1964 with the Denver Broncos But Was Released Because of a Hamstring Injury

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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)

1981 - An American Werewolf in London
Director: John Landis
Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter and Griffin Dunne
Budget: $5.8 Million

Box Office: $62 Million

1981 - First Monday in October
Director: Ronald Neame
Starring: Walter Matthau, Jill Clayburgh and Barnard Hughes
Budget: N/A

Box Office: $12.4 Million

1981 - Prince of the City
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Bob Balaban and Lindsay Crouse.
Budget: $8.6 Million

Box Office: $8.1 Million

1985 - Agnes of God
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly
Budget: N/A

Box Office: $25.6 Million

1987 - Dirty Dancing
Director: Emile Ardolino
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach and Cynthia Rhodes
Budget: $6 Million

Box Office: $214.6 Million

1987 - Born in East L.A.
Director: Cheech Marin
Starring: Cheech Marin, Daniel Stern and Paul Rodriguez
Budget: N/A

Box Office: $17.3 Million

1987 - The Big Easy
Director: Jim McBride
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Lisa Jane Persky and Tom O'Brien
Budget: N/A

Box Office: $17.6 Million

1987 - The Garbage Pail Kids Movie
Director: Rod Amateau
Starring: Anthony Newley, Mackenzie Astin and Katie Barberi
Budget: $1 Million

Box Office: $1.6 Million

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80s Television
(On This Day)

1980 - The Games People Play (Game Show) Premiered on NBC
Ran 2 Seasons
* Mr T. Won ‘World’s Toughest Bouncer” Twice on the Show

1988 - Final Episode of Werewolf Aired
Seasons: 1

Episodes: 29
Network: Fox

Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards

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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)

1980 - Black Rose
Black Rose (Debut Album)
* Black Rose Was Cher’s New Rock Group, Only Releasing One Album

1981 - Sleep No More
The Comsat Angels (2nd Album)
* Reached #51 in the UK

1984 - Warrior
Scandal (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #17

1989 - Rock Island
Jethro Tull (17th Album)
Billboard Charts: #56

1989 - Conspiracy
King Diamond (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #111

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80s Sports

(On This Day)

1982 - Rollie Fingers Recorded His 300th Career Save

1986 - The Boston Red Sox Scored 11 Runs With 2-Outs in the 6th Inning Against the Cleveland Indians
* The Red Sox Beat the Cleveland Indians 24 - 5 Pounding at Cleveland Stadium on a Thursday Night
Attendance: 26,316
The Red Sox Had 24 Hits

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Other Notable Dates

(On August 21st)

1897 - The Car Company, Oldsmobile Was Founded by Ransom E. Olds

* In 1902, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash Became the First Mass Produced Car in the World

1901 - 600 American School Teachers, The Thomasites Arrived in Manila, Philippines to Help Establish a New Public School System
* Consisted of 346 Men and 180 Women

1911 - The Mona Lisa Was Stolen by a Louvre Employee, Vincenzo Peruggia
* Caught 2 Years Later When He Try to Sale it

1959 - Hawaii Became the 50th U.S. State

1968 - James Anderson Jr. Became the First African-America Marine to Receive the U.S. Medal of Honor