Barry Sanders Won The Heisman Trophy Award

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On December 3, 1989 President George H. W. Bush and Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Released Statements That the Cold War May be Coming to an End​

1988 - "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" by Will to Power Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from December 3 - 9

Also Hit #1 in Canada and Norway​


Fun Fact!

Will to Power Was Formed in South Florida in 1987 

1985 - Courteney Cox Used the Word "Period" For the First Time on National Television

Headlines

(December 3rd)


1982 - A Soil Sample From Times Beach, Missouri Was Found to Contain 300 Times the Safe Level of Dioxin

December 3rd in 80s History

On December 3, 1984 Nearly 10,000 People Were Killed in The Bhopal Gas Tragedy in Bhopal, India

1988 - Barry Sanders Won the 54th Heisman Trophy Award
College:  Oklahoma State

Position:  Running Back

Runner Up:  Rodney Peete QB (USC)

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Happy 80s Birthdays


1949 - Mickey Thomas (Singer)  Starship
Birthplace:  Cairo, Georgia
1951 - Rick Mears  (Race Car Driver)
Birthplace:  Wichita, Kansas
1952 - Don Barnes  (Singer)  .38 Special
Birthplace:  Peoria, Illinois
1960 - Daryl Hannah  (Actress)  Splash, Wall Street
Birthplace:  Chicago, Illinois
​1964 - Lisanne Falk (Actress)  Heathers (Heather McNamara)
Birthplace:  Long Beach, New York
1965 - Katarina Witt (Figure Skater)
Birthplace:  Falkensee, East Germany
​1981 - Brian Bonsall (Actor)  Family Ties (Andrew)
Birthplace:  Torrance, California


Fun Fact!

Brian Bonsall Formed the Rock Band Late Bloomers in 1988 With His Friends
* Bonsall Was Arrested 3 Times For Assault and Drug Charges

The Bhopal Disaster

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The Cold War

Other Notable Birthdays


Len Lesser (Actor)
December 3, 1922 - February 16, 2011
Birthplace:  The Bronx, New York
Passed Away at Age 88 From Pneumonia
* Caused on by Cancer
Played Uncle Leo on Seinfeld

Bobby Allison (Race Car Driver)
December 3, 1937 - November 9, 2024
Birthplace:  Miami, Florida
Passed Away at Age 86 From Unknown Causes
Winston Cup Series Champion:  1983
Daytona 500 Winner:  3  (1978, 1982, 1988)
* Bobby Allison is the Oldest Driver (50) to Win the Daytona 500
Elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011​

Ozzy Osbourne (Singer)
December 3, 1948 - July 22, 2025
Birthplace:  Marston Green, Warwickshire, England
Passed Away at Age 76 From a Heart Attack
* Suffered From Heart Disease and Parkinson’s
Known as “The Prince of Darkeness”

Terri Schiavo (Medical Patient)
December 3, 1963 - March 31, 2005
Birthplace:  Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania
Passed Away at Age 41 in a Pinellas Park, Florida Hospice Care
* Was Taken Off Her Feeding Tubes
Schiavo Went Into Cardiac Arrest at Age 26 That Left Her in a Vegetive State

Darryl Hamilton (Baseball)
December 3, 1964 - June 21, 2015
Birthplace:  Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Shot and Killed by His Girlfriend at Age 50
* She Killed Herself in a Murder-Suicide
Played 14 Seasons in the Major League's, Mostly With the Milwaukee Brewers​


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Passed Away
(On This Day)

Walter Knott (American Farmer)
December 11, 1889 - December 3, 1981
Birthplace:  San Bernardino, California
Passed Away at Age 91 From Parkinson’s Disease
Founded the Amusement Park Knott’s Berry Farm
* Helped Introduce Boysenberry to the World After Opening His Berry Field in 1920
Founded the Amusement Park Knott’s Berry Farm in 1941

Madeline Kahn (Actress)
September 29, 1942 - December 3, 1999
Birthplace:  Boston, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 57 From Ovarian Cancer
* Played Mrs. White in the 1985 Film Clue​
​Nominated For 2 Academy Awards
Paper Moon (1973)
Blazing Saddles (1974)


Scott Weiland (Singer)
October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015
Birthplace:  San Jose, California
Passed Away at Age 48 From a Drug Overdose
* Cocaine, Alcohol, and Methylenedioxyamphetamine Were Found in His System
The Lead Singer For The Stone Temple Pilots​


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80s Movies

(Released On This Day)

1980 - The Competition
Director:  Joel Oliansky
Starring:  Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving
Budget:  N/A

Box Office $14.3 Million


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80s Television
(On This Day)​​​

1983 - The Smothers Brothers Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest:  Big Country

1985 - Courteney Cox Used the Word "Period" for the First Time on Television
* Commercial for Tampax Tampons

1988 - Final Episode of The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley (Animation)
Seasons:  1

Episodes:  13

Featuring Martin Short's Fictional Character, Ed Grimley

1988 - Danny DeVito Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest:  The Bangles
Arnold Schwarzenegger Appeared on “Hans & Franz”

1989 - True Blue Premiered on NBC
Seasons:  1

Episodes:  12


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80s Music

(Albums Released On This Day)

​​1983 - The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome
Slade (11th Album)
* Hit #1 in Sweden


Fun Fact!

Slade Has 2 Albums That Hit #1 in the UK

​Slade? (1972)

Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974)

1983 - Show No Mercy
Slayer (Debut Album)

1984 - The Killing Fields (Soundtrack)​


Singles Released


1984 - "Do They Know It's Christmas Time"
Band Aid (Various Artists)

Reached #13 on the US Billboard Charts


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80s Sports

(On This Day)​​

1982 - Steve Tambellin Recorded the First Hat Trick (3 Goals) in New Jersey Devil History

1982 - Tommy "Hitman" Hearns Beat Wilfred Benítez by Decision to Win the WBC Welterweight Title

1983 - Nebraska Running Back, Mike Rozier Won the 49th Heisman Trophy Award

Runner Up:  Steve Young QB (BYU)


1985 - The Chicago Bears Released the "Super Bowl Shuffle" Music Video

1988 - Barry Sanders RB (Oklahoma St.) Won the 54th Heisman Trophy Award
Runner Up:  Rodney Peete QB (USC)

1989 - Stefan Edberg (Sweden) Won the ATP Masters Grand Prix Tennis Title

​1989 - Detroit Lions Wide Receiver, Richard Johnson Had 248 Receiving Yards Against the New Orleans Saints
The Lions Beat the Saints 21 - 14 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit
Spread
Saints  -4
O/U  40.0


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Other Notable Dates

(On December 3rd)


1818 - Illinois Became the 21st US State
* Population Was 50,000
Currently Over 12 Million

1910 - Neon Lights Were First Demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show
* Invented by George Claude

1979 - At Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, 11 People Were Trampled and Suffocated to Death at The Who Concert


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Back To The 80s Home Page


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On December 3, 1983 Nebraska Running Back, Mike Rozier Won the 49th Heisman Trophy Award

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Mike Rozier

#1 Songs in America

(December 3rd)


1980 - "Lady"
Kenny Rogers
11/15 - 12/26

1981 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29

1982 - "Truly"
Lionel Richie
11/27 - 12/10

1983 - "All Night Long"
Lionel Richie
11/12 - 12/9

1984 - "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go"
Wham!
11/17 - 12/7

1985 - "Separate Lives"
Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
11/30 - 12/6

1986 - "You Give Love a Bad Name"
Bon Jovi
11/29 - 12/5
1987 - “(I've Had) The Time of My Life”
Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
11/28 - 12/4
1988 - "Baby, I Love Your Way"
Will to Power
12/3 - 12/9

1989 - "Blame It on the Rain"
Milli Vanilli
11/25 - 12/8


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