Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Warren Berlinger (Actor) The Cannonball Run
1940 - Larry Hankin (Actor) Running Scared
1945 - Van Morrison (Singer)
1946 - Tom Coughlin (Football)
1948 - Lowell Ganz (Screenwriter) Parenthood
1949 - Richard Gere (Actor) American Gigolo
1949 - Rick Roberts (Singer)
1954 - Julie Brown (Actress) Earth Girls are Easy
1957 - Gina Schock (Drummer) The Go-Go’s
1957 - Glenn Tilbrook (Singer)
1963 - Reb Beach (Guitarist) Winger
1963 - Egyptian Lover (DJ and Producer)
1970 - Debbie Gibson (Singer)
1970 - Zack Ward (Actor) A Christmas Story
Fun Fact!
Richard Gere Earned a Gymnastics Scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst
* Dropped Out to Pursue Acting
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Other Notable Birthdays
Frank Robinson (Baseball)
August 31, 1935 - February 7, 2019
Passed Away at Age of 83 from Bone Cancer
* 14x All-Star
Career Home Runs: 586
Triple Crown (1966)
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 (First Ballot)
Fun Fact!
Frank Robinson is Only Player to Win the MVP Award in Both Leagues
1961 (Cincinatti Reds)
1966 (Baltimore Orioles)
Did You Know?
Frank Robinson Became the First African-American Manager in Major League Baseball, When He Was Hired by the Cleveland Indians in 1974
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Princess Diana
Passed Away on August 31, 1997 at Age 36 from a Car Crash
Tom Seaver (Baseball)
Passed Away on August 31, 2020 at Age 75 from Dementia and Covid-19
* 12x All-Star
3x National League Cy Young Award Winner (1969, 1973, 1975)
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, the Highest Vote Getter at the Time
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Microwave Massacre
Director: Wayne Berwick
Starring: Jackie Vernon
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1984 - Bolero
Director: John Derek
Starring: Bo Derek, George Kennedy, Andrea Occhipinti and Ana Obregón
Budget: $7 Million
Box Office: $8.9 Million
1984 - C.H.U.D.
Director: Douglas Cheek
Starring: John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry and John Goodman
Budget: $1.2 Million
Box Office: $4.7 Million
1984 - Flashpoint
Director: William Tannen
Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Treat Williams, Rip Torn, Jean Smart, Kurtwood Smith and Tess Harper
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $3.8 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1987 - CBS Aired Michael Jackson: The Magic Returns (Short Film)
* Premiered the "Bad" Video
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released nOn This Day)
1981 - Fire of Love
The Gun Club (Debut Album)
1983 - Hello Big Man
Carly Simon (12th Album)
Billboard Charts: #140
1987 - Bad
Michael Jackson (7th Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand and Japan
Over 35 Million Copies Sold Worldwide
1987 - Document
R.E.M. (15th Album)
Billboard Charts: #10
1987 - Wonderful
Life Black (Debut Album)
* Reached #3 in the UK
1987 - Darklands
The Jesus and Mary Chain (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #161
* #5 in the UK
Singles Released
1983 - “All Night Long”
Lionel Richie
#1 Song in America from November 12 - December 9
* Also Hit #1 in Canada, Netherlands, Australia and South Africa
In Other 80s Music News
1982 - Ronnie James (Singer) Dio Played His Final Show With Black Sabbath
* Returned in 1992
1989 - The Rolling Stones Opened Their Steel Wheels North American Tour in Philadelphia
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1984 - Pinklon Thomas Beat Tim Witherspoon in 12 Rounds by Majority Decision to Win the WBC Heavyweight Championship
Location: The Riviera in Las Vegas
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Other Notable Dates
(On August 31st)
1897 - Thomas Edison Received a Patent For the First Movie Projector, Called the Kinetoscope
1943 - Leonard Roy Harmon Became the First African-American to Have a Navy Ship, The USS Harmon Named After Him
* Leonard Roy Harmon Died in Action During World War II
Awarded The Navy Cross
1997 - Diana, Princess of Wales Died in a Car Crash in Paris
* Friend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul Also Died
The BBC Reported That Erratic Behaviour From the Paparazzi Contributed to the Car Crash
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<- August 31st September 1st ->
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#1 Songs in America
(August 31st)
1980 - "Sailing"
Christopher Cross
8/30 - 9/5
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 - "The Power of Love"
Huey Lewis and the News
8/24 - 9/6
1986 - "Higher Love"
Steve Winwood
8/30 - 9/5
1987 - "La Bamba"
Los Lobos
8/29 - 9/18
1988 - "Monkey"
George Michael
8/27 - 9/9
1989 - "Right Here Waiting"
Richard Marx
8/12 - 9/1
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Unfortunately Karen Carpenter Passed Away in 1983 From Anorexia at Age 32
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The Bad Album Was Released
1988 - Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 Crashed During Takeoff From Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
* 14 People Killed and 108 Injured
Bolero
1987 - Michael Jackson Released His 7th Album, Bad
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also #1 in the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand and Japan
Over 35 Million Copies Sold Worldwide
August 31st in 80s History
Headlines
(August 31st)
1980 - Singer, Karen Carpenter Married Real Estate Agent, Thomas Burris
* Divorced in September 1981
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1984 - The Canadian Music Video Channel, MuchMusic Premiered
* "The Enemy Within" by Rush Was the First Video Played
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On August 31, 1984 Bolero, Starring Bo Derek Premiered in Theaters
* Won the Raspberry Award For Worst Picture of 1984