On December 31, 1989 Bonnie Raitt Played a Concert at the Oakland Coliseum
Headlines
(December 31st)
1982 - Final Episode of The Doctors Aired
Seasons: 20
Episodes: 5,155
Other Notable Birthdays
John Denver (Singer)
December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997
Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico
Passed Away at Age 53 in a Plane Crash Over Monterey Bay in California
* Best Known For the Hit Songs “Take Me Home, Country Roads" and “Rocky Mountain High”
One of the Best Selling Artists From the 1970’s
Donna Summer (Singer)
December 31, 1948 - May 17, 2012
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 63 From Lung Cancer
* Best Known For the Hit Sons "Works Hard For the Money" and Hot Stuff”
Known as the Queen of Disco
Val Kilmer (Actor)
December 31, 1959 - April 1, 2025
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Passed Away at Age 65 From Pneumonia and Respiratory Failure
* Diagnosed With Throat Cancer in 2015
Best Known For Playing Iceman in Top Gun
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Roberto Clemente (Baseball)
August 18, 1934 - December 31, 1972
Birthplace: Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Passed Away at Age 38 in a Plane Accident While On a Humanitarian Trip to Nicaragua to Deliver Emergency Relief
MLB Seasons: 18 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Position: Right Field
Career Hits: 3000
All Star: 15
Gold Gloves: 12
NL MVP: 1966
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973
* The First Latin American Player Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame
Ricky Nelson (Singer)
May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985
Birthplace: Teaneck, New Jersey
Passed Away at Age 45 in an Airplane Accident on His Way to a Concert in Dallas
* Starred on the TV Series, Ozzie and Harriet From 1952 to 1966
Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
James Avery (Actor)
November 27, 1945 - December 31, 2013
Birthplace: Suffolk, VA
Passed Away at Age 68 Following Complications From Open Heart Surgery
* Died at the Memorial Medical Center in Glendale, California
Played Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Natalie Cole (Singer)
February 6, 1950 - December 31, 2015
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Passed Away at Age 65 From Congestive Heart Failure
* Over 30 Million Records Sold Worldwide
In 1975 Cole Became the First African American to Win a Grammy Award For Best New Artist
Wayne Rogers (Actor)
April 7, 1933 - December 31, 2015
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 82 From Pneumonia
* Earned a History Degree From Princeton in 1954
Played “Trapper” on M*A*S*H
William Christopher (Actor)
October 20, 1932 - December 31, 2016
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 84 as the Result of Small-Cell Carcinoma
* William’s Family Were Descendants of Paul Revere
Played Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H
Betty White (Actress)
January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 99 From a Stroke
* Best Known For Playing Rose on Golden Girls
Won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1975, 1976)
The Golden Girls (1986)
The John Larroquette Show (1996)
Saturday Night Live (2010)
Also Won a Daytime Emmy Award as the Host of the Game Show Just Men!
Cale Yarborough (NASCAR Driver)
March 27, 1939 - December 31, 2023
Birthplace: Timmonsville, South Carolina
Passed Away at Age 84 From Complications of a Rare Genetic Disorder
Daytona 500 Winner: 4 (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984)
Elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1986 - Wisdom
Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright and Charlie Sheen
Budget: $6.5 Million
Box Office: $5.7 Million
Emilio Estevez Filmmaking and Directorial Debut
1986 - Witchboard
Director: Kevin Tenney
Starring: Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols and Todd Allen
Budget: $2 Million
Box Office: $7.4 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1982 - Final Episode of Texas (Soap Opera)
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 625
Network: NBC
Spinoff From Another World
1982 - Final Episode of The Doctors
Seasons: 20
Episodes: 5,155
Network: NBC
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood (2nd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
Singles Released
1985 - "Can't Fight This Feeling"
REO Speedwagon
* #1 Song in America from March 9 - 29
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1983 - The San Francisco 49ers Beat the Detroit Lions 24 - 23 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Candlestick Park in San Francisco
Spread
49ers -7.5
O/U 41.0
1983 - The Seattle Seahawks Beat the Miami Dolphins 27 - 20 in the AFC Divisional Round
Location: Orange Bowl in Miami
* Curt Warner (Seahawks) 113 Yards Rushing 3 TD’s
Spread
Dolphins -8
O/U 44.0
Curt Warner (Seahawks) 113 Yards Rushing 3 TD’s
1988 - The Chicago Bears Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20 - 12 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Soldier Field in Chicago
Spread
Bears -5.5
O/U 38.0
Dennis McKinnon (Bears) 4 Receptions 108 Yards 1 TD (64 Yards)
1988 - The Cincinnati Bengals Beat the Seattle Seahawks 21 - 13 in the AFC Divisional Round
Location: Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati
Spread
Bengals 6.5
O/U 46.0
Icky Woods (Bengals) 126 Yards Rushing 1 TD
1989 - The Pittsburgh Steelers Beat the Houston Oilers 26 - 23 (OT) in the AFC Wild Card Game
Location: Houston Astrodome
Spread
Oilers -7
O/U 43.0
Merril Hoge (Steelers) 100 Yards Rushing 1 TD
1989 - The Los Angeles Rams Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21 - 7 in the NFC Wild Card Game
Location: Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia
Spread
Eagles -3
O/U 39.0
Greg Bell (Rams) 124 Yards Rushing 1 TD
1989 - Jockey Kent Desormeaux Set a Thoroughbred Racing Record by Winning 598 Races in a Year
* Still Holds the Record
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Other Notable Dates
(On December 31st)
1759 - Arthur Guinness Began Brewing Guinness Beer
1796 - The City of Baltimore Was Inaugurated
Population: 13,500
Now Over 560,000
1907 - The First New Year's Eve Celebration in Times Square Took Place
* Known as Longacre Square in Manhattan at the Time
1946 - President Harry S. Truman Officially Announced That World War II Ended With an Allies Victory
1955 - General Motors Became the First Corporation to Earn Over a Billion Dollars in a Year
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<- December 30th January 1st ->
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David Hasselhoff
1986 - Wisdom Premiered in Theaters
Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright and Charlie Sheen
Emilio Estevez Made His Debut as Filmmaker and Director
On December 31, 1989 David Hasselhoff Sang "Looking For Freedom" on the Berlin Wall
1984 - Def Leppard Drummer, Rick Allen Lost His Arm in a Car Crash
* After Recovering He Continued Playing With One Arm
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Def Leppard's Drummer Rick Allen Lost His Arm In a Car Accident
1985 - Singer and Actor Ricky Nelson Died in an Airplane Accident On His Way to a Concert in Dallas
December 31st in 80s History
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Bonnie Raitt
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Anthony Hopkins (Actor) The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs
Birthplace: Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
1942 - Andy Summers (Guitarist) The Police
Birthplace: Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
1943 - Ben Kingsley (Actor) Gandhi
Birthplace: Snainton, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
1947 - Tim Matheson (Actor) Fletch (Alan Stanwyck)
Birthplace: Glendale, California
1951 - Tom Hamilton (Bassist) Aerosmith
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado
1953 - James Remar (Actor) 48 Hrs. “Ganz”
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
1958 - Bebe Neuwirth (Actress) Cheers (Lilith)
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
1959 - Val Kilmer (Actor) Top Gun, Top Secret, Real Genius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1959 - Paul Westerberg (Singer) The Replacements
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
1961 - Rick Aguilera (Baseball)
Birthplace: San Gabriel, California
1963 - Scott Ian (Guitarist) Anthrax
Birthplace: New York City
1972 - Joey McIntyre (Singer) New Kids on the Block
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Fun Fact!
Ben Kingsley Won an Academy Award For Best Actor in 1982 For His Role as Gandhi
* Gandhi Also Won Best Picture
#1 Songs in America
(December 31st)
1980 - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
John Lennon
12/27 - 1/30
1981 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29
1982 - "Maneater"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
12/18 - 1/14
1983 - "Say Say Say"
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
12/10 - 1/20
1984 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
1985 - "Say You Say Me"
Lionel Richie
12/21 - 1/17
1986 - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
The Bangles
12/20 - 1/16
1987 - "Faith"
George Michael
12/12 - 1/8
1988 - "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"
Poison
12/24 - 1/13
1989 - "Another Day in Paradise"
Phil Collins
12/23 - 1/19
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