Headlines

(August 5th)


​1981 - President Ronald Reagan Fired 11,359 Air-Traffic Control Workers For Ignoring His Order to Stop Striking and Return to Work

_________________________

Risky Business Premiered in Theaters

_________________________

1983 - Risky Business Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay


Did You Know?

In Order to Look Younger, Tom Cruise Worked Out 7 Days a Week to Lose 10 Pounds and Only Ate Fatty Foods to Give Him a Layer of Baby Fat

_________________________

_________________________

#1 Songs in America

(August 5th)


1980 - "Magic"
Olivia Newton-John
8/2 - 8/29

1981 - "Jessie's Girl"
Rick Springfield
8/1 - 8/14

1982 - "Eye of the Tiger"

Survivor

​7/24 - 9/3

1983 - "Every Breath You Take"

The Police

​7/9 - 9/2

1984 - "When Doves Cry"
Prince
7/7 - 8/10

1985 - "Shout"
Tears for Fears
8/3 - 8/23

1986 - "Glory of Love"

Peter Cetera

​8/2 - 8/15

1987 - "Shakedown"
Bob Seger
8/1 - 8/7

1988 - "Roll With It"
Steve Winwood
7/30 - 8/26

1989 - "Batdance"

Prince

8/5 - 8/11


Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards

​​​August 5th in 80s History

1986 - Steve Carlton Recorded His 4,000th Career Strikeout

Career Strikeouts:  4,137


Career Strikeout Leaders

1.  Nolan Ryan  5,714
2.  Randy Johnson  4,875
3.  Roger Clemens  4,672

4.  Steve Carlton 4,137

1989 - "Batdance" by Prince Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from August 5 - 11
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand

​​​​Happy 80s Birthdays

1945 - Loni Anderson (Actress) 
WKRP in Cincinnati
1946 - Erika Slezak (Actress) 
One Life to Live
1948 - David Hungate (Bassist) 
Toto
1955 - Eddie Ojeda (Guitarist) 
Twisted Sister
1962 - Patrick Ewing (Basketball)
1962 - Otis Thorpe (Basketball)
1966 - Jennifer Finch (Bassist) 
L7
1966 - Jonathan Silverman (Actor) 
Weekend at Bernies
1967 - Matthew Caws (Singer)​

Fun Fact!
Patrick Ewing Was the #1 Overall Pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks
* Frozen Envelope Conspiracy


Click Here For More NBA Fun Facts and Awards


_________________________

Other Notable Birthdays

John Saxon
August 5, 1936 - July 25, 2020
Passed Away at Age 83 from Alzheimers and Dementia

Played Roper in the 1973 Film, Enter the Dragon

Neil Armstrong (Astronaut)
August 5, 1930 - August 25, 2012
Passed Away at Age 82 from Coronary Artery Disease

First Man To Walk on the Moon

Herb Brooks (Hockey Coach)
August 5, 1937 - August 11, 2003
Passed Away at Age 66 from a Car Accident

Coached the USA Hockey Team to a Gold Medal in 1980

Rick Mahler (Baseball)
August 5, 1953 - March 2, 2005
Passed Away at Age 51 from a Heart Attack


_________________________

Passed Away
(On this Day)

Chick Hearn (Sportscaster)
Passed Away on August 5, 2002 at Age 85 from a Head Injury After Falling in His Home

Darrell Porter (Baseball)
Passed Away on August 5, 2002 at Age 50 from a Cocaine Overdose


_________________________

80s Movies
(Released On This Day)

1983 - Risky Business
Director:  Paul Brickman
Starring:  Tom Cruise, Rebecca DeMornay, Joe Pantoliano and Curtis Armstrong
Budget:  $6.2 Million

Box Office:  $63.5 Million

Curtis Armstrong's Film Debut

1983 - Get Crazy
Director:  Allan Arkush
Starring:  Malcolm McDowell, Allen Garfield, Daniel Stern, Gail Edwards and Ed Begley Jr.
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  $1.6 Million

1983 - The Star Chamber
Director:  Peter Hyams
Starring:  Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto, Sharon Gless and David Faustino
Budget:  $8 Million

Box Office:  $5.6 Million

1983 - Twice Upon a Time (Animation)
Directors:  John Korty and Charles Swenson
Starring:  Ralph the All Purpose Animal
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  N/A

1983 - Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island (Animation)
Directors:  Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Phil Monroe and Robert McKimson
Starring:  Mel Blanc, June Foray and Les Tremayne
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  N/A

1987 - Stakeout
Director:  John Badham
Starring:  Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe and Forest Whitaker
Budget:  $14.5 Million

Box Office:  $65.6 Million


Fun Fact!

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore Met at a Screening For Stakeout

* They Got Married Shortly After

1988 - The Blob
Director:  Chuck Russell
Starring:  Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and Joe Seneca
Budget:  $19 Million

Box Office:  $8.2 Million


Fun Fact!

Chuck Russell Also Directed the 1993 Film, Shawshank Redemption

1988 - Vibes
Director:  Ken Kwapis
Starring:  Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum, Julian Sands, Googy Gress and Peter Falk
Budget:  $18 Million

Box Office:  $1.8 Million

1988 - The Rescue
Director:  Ferdinand Fairfax
Starring:  Kevin Dillon, Ned Vaughn, Marc Price, Charles Haid, Christine Harnos, Ian Giatti and James Cromwell
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  $5.8 Million


_________________________

80s Television
(On This Day)

No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day

Fun Fact!
Michael J. Fox Won 3 Consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards (1986, 1987, 1988) For His Role as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties


Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards


_________________________

80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)

1983 - Cold Blooded
Rick James (7th Album)
Billboard Charts:  #16

* #1 in R&B

1983 - Punch the Clock
Elvis Costello and the Attractions (8th Album)
Billboard Charts:  #24

1985 - Now That's What I Call Music 5 (UK Series)
Various Artists
* Hit #1 in the UK

1985 - Rum Sodomy & the Lash
The Pogues (2nd Album)

* Reached #13 in the UK

1986 - Dancing on the Ceiling
Lionel Richie (3rd Album)​​
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200

* Also Hit #1 in Norway

Featuring “Say You Say Me”
Over 4 Million Copies Sold in the US


_________________________

80s Sports

(On This Day)

1980 - Dick Williams Recorded His 1,000th Career Victory as a Major League Basaeball Manager

1984 - Joan Benoit Became the First American Woman to Win Olympic Gold in the Marathon

1984 - Cliff Johnson Set a MLB Record With His 19th Career Pinch-Hit Home Run
* Matt Stairs Currently Holds the Record With 23

1985 - New York Mets Outfielder, Darryl Strawberry Hit 3 Home Runs Against the Chicago Cubs
* The Mets Beat the Cubs 7 - 2 at Wrigley Field on a Monday Afternoon
Attendance:  34,167


1986 - San Francisco Giants Pitcher, Steve Carlton Struck Out Eric Davis to Record his 4,000th Career Strikeout
* The Reds Beat the Giants 11 - 6 at Candlestick Park on a Tuesday Night
Attendance:  17,303


Carlton is Currently Rranked #4 All-Time with 4,137 Strikeouts
1.  Nolan Ryan  5,714
2.  Randy Johnson  4,875
3.  Roger Clemens  4,672


Click Here For More Baseball Fun Facts and Awards


_________________________

Other Notable Dates

(On August 5th)


1861 - The US Army Abolished Flogging (Whipping)

1914 - The Very First Electric Traffic Light Was Installed in Cleveland, Ohio

* Created by Lester Wire a Salt Lake City Police Man


1926 - Harry Houdini Spent 91 Minutes Underwater in a Sealed Tank Before Escaping

1957 - American Bandstand Premiered on ABC

1962 - Actress Marilyn Monroe Was Found Dead in Her Home From a Drug Overdose

* Ruled a Probable Suicide


1962 - South African Leader Nelson Mandela Went to Jail

* Wasn't Released Until 1990


_________________________


<- August 4th            August 6th ->


Back To The 80s Home Page​​


_________________________