December 15th in 80s History

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Happy 80s Birthdays

1944 - Jim Leyland (Baseball)
Birthplace: Perrysburg, Ohio
1946 - Art Howe (Baseball)
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1946 - Carmine Appice (Drummer)
Birthplace: New York City
1949 - Don Johnson (Actor) Miami Vice
Birthplace: Flat Creek, Missouri
1955 - Paul Simonon (English Bassist) The Clash
Birthplace: Thornton Heath, England
1963 - David Wingate (Basketball)
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
1963 - Helen Slater (Actress) Supergirl, The Legend of Billie Jean
Birthplace: Bethpage, New York

Fun Fact!

DC Comics Named Helen Slater as One of the “Fifty Who Made DC Great” For Her Role as Supergirl

On December 15, 1989 The Wizard Starring Fred Savage, Beau Bridges and Christian Slater Premiered in Theaters

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1989 - Glory Premiered in Theaters
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman

Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor: Denzel Washington
Best Cinematography: Freddie Francis
Best Sound: Donald O. Mitchell, Gregg Rudloff, Elliot Tyson, Russell Williams II

Other Notable Birthdays

Tim Conway (Comedian)
December 15, 1933 - May 14, 2019
Birthplace: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 85 From Complications of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
* Caused by Dementia
Best Known For the Dorf Character
Dorf on Skiing
Dorf on Golf

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Passed Away
(On This Day)

Walt Disney (Animator and Film Producer)
December 5, 1901 - December 15, 1966
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 65 of Cardiac Failure Caused by Lung Cancer
* Known to be a Heavy Smoker
Founded Disneyland in 1955

Fun Fact!

Brothers Walt and Roy Disney Created Mickey Mouse in 1928 With Artist and Cartoonist Ub Iwerks

Blake Edwards (Film Producer and Director)
July 26, 1922 - December 15, 2010
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Passed Away at Age 88 of Complications From Pneumonia
* Produced and Directed 10 (1979) and Pink Panther (1987)
Best Known For Directing the 1961 Film Breakfast at Tiffany's

Bob Feller (Baseball)
November 3, 1918 - December 15, 2010
Birthplace: Van Meter, Indiana
Passed Away at Age 92 From Leukemia
MLB Seasons: 18 (Cleveland Indians)
Position: Pitcher
Career Wins: 266
Losses: 162
ERA: 3.25
All-Star: 8
AL Wins Leader: 6 (1940, 1946, 1951)
No-Hitters: 3
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 (First Ballot)

Craig Sager (Sports Reporter)
June 29, 1951 - December 15, 2016
Birthplace: Batavia, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 65 From Acute Myeloid Leukemia
* Covered Sports For CNN, TBS and TNT From 1981 to 2016
Elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017

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80s Movies

(Released On This Day)

1982 - Honkytonk Man
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood and Kyle Eastwood
Budget: $2 Million
Box Office: $4.4 Million

1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
Director: Bruce Bereford
Starring: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Esther Roller and Dan Aykroyd
Budget: $7.5 Million
Box Office: $145.8 Million

1989 - Glory (Limited Theaters)
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $27 Million

1989 - We’re No Angels
Director: Neil Jordan
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn, James Russo, John C. Reilly and Demi Moore
Budget: $20 Million
Box Office: $10.5 Million

1989 - The Wizard
Director: Todd Holland
Starring: Fred Savage, Beau Bridges and Christian Slater
Budget: $6 Million
Box Office: $14.3 Million

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80s Television
(On This Day)

1983 - Automan Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Starring Dezi Arnaz, Jr.

1983 - Masquerade Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Starring Kirstie Alley

1984 - Eddie Murphy Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Robert Plant & the Honeydrippers

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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)

No 80s Albums Released On This Day

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80s Sports
(On This Day)

1980 - Dave Winfield Signed a Record Breaking 10-Year $15 Million Contract with the New York Yankees

1982 - Bill Parcells Became the Head Coach of the New York Giants
* Won the Super Bowl in 1986 & 1991

1983 - Kansas City Royals Players Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, Jerry Martin and Former Royal Vida Blue Were Suspended For Cocaine

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Other Notable Dates

(On December 15th)

1791 - The United States Bill of Rights Became Ratified

* Created in 1789

1939 - Gone With the Wind Premiered at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia
* The Highest Grossing Movie of All-Time (Inflation)

1973 - Homosexuality Was Removed From the List of Psychiatric Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association

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Headlines

(December 15th)

1980 - Dave Winfield Signed a Record Breaking 10-Year $15 Million Dollar Contract With the New York Yankees

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