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The War of the Roses
1984 - The Final Episode of Captain Kangaroo Aired
* Ran 29 Seasons
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Sophies Choice
Other Notable Dates
(On December 8th)
1955 - The European Flag Was Adopted
1963 - Pan Am Flight 214 (Boeing 707) was Struck by Lightning and Crashed in Elkton, Maryland
* Killed All 81 People on Board
First Goalie To Score
On December 8, 1987 Philadelphia Flyers Goalie Ron Hextall Became the First Goalie to Shoot and Score a Goal
On December 8, 1989 The War of the Roses Starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito Premiered in Theaters
Happy 80s Birthdays
1944 - Bertie Higgins (Singer) “Key Largo”
Birthplace: Tarpon Springs, FL
1950 - Rick Baker (Makeup Artist) “Thriller”
Birthplace: Binghamton, NY
1953 - Kim Basinger (Actress) Batman
Birthplace: Athens, GA
1953 - Roy Firestone (Sportscaster) ESPN Up Close
Birthplace: Miami, FL
1957 - Slick (Wrestling Manager) WWF
Birthplace: Fort Worth, TX
1957 - Phil Collen (Guitarist) Def Leppard
Birthplace: London, England
1964 - James Blundell (Country Singer) Won Vocalist of the Year (1989)
Birthplace: Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
1964 - Teri Hatcher (Actress) Tango & Cash
Birthplace: Palo Alto, CA
Fun Fact!
James Blundell Won Country Singer of the Year in 1989
2013 - Metallica Performed in Iceland Making Them First Band to Perform in All 7 Continents
2019 - The First Case of Covid-19 Was Found in China
1982 - 48 Hrs. Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy’s Film Debut
#1 Songs in America
(December 8th)
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 - "Out of Touch"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
12/8 - 12/21
1985 - "Broken Wings"
Mister Mister
12/7 - 12/20
1986 - "The Next Time I Fall"
Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
12/6 - 12/12
1987 - "Heaven Is A Place On Earth"
Belinda Carlisle
12/5 - 12/11
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
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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John Lennon Was Murdered
On December 8, 1982 Sophie's Choice, Starring Meryl Streep Premiered in Theaters
1984 - “Out of Touch” by Daryl Hall and John Oates Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from December 8 - 21
Fun Fact!
Hall & Oates is the Most Successful Singing Duo of All-Time With Over 80 Million Albums Sold
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December 8th in 80s History
Headlines
(December 8th)
1980 - Former Beatle, John Lennon Was Murdered by Mark David Chapman in Front of The Dakota Apartment Building in New York City at Age 40 Because Chapman Had a Personal Resentment Against Him
Did You Know?
Mark David Chapman Served Time at Attica Prison In New York From 1981 to 2012
* Currently Serving His Time at Green Haven in Beekman, New York
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Other Notable Birthdays
William C. Durant (American Businessman)
December 8, 1861 - March 18, 1947
Birthplace: Boston, MA
Passed Away at Age 85 From Deteriorating Health
* Had Suffering From a Stroke
Founder of General Motors and Chevrolet
Sammy Davis Jr. (Singer and Actor)
December 8, 1925 - May 16, 1990
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 64 From Throat Cancer
Helped Break the Race Barrier in the Entertainment Industry
Flip Wilson (Actor and Comedian)
December 8, 1933 - November 25, 1998
Birthplace: Jersey City, NJ
Passed Away at Age 64 From Liver Cancer
Hosted The Flip Wilson Variety Show From 1970 to 1974
David Carradine (Actor)
December 8, 1936 - June 3, 2009
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Passed Away at Age 72 From "Accidental Asphyxiation"
* Found Hanging in His Hotel
Star of the 70s TV Show, Kung Fu
Dan Hartman (Singer)
December 8, 1950 - March 22, 1994
Birthplace: West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania
Passed Away at Age 43 From a Brain Tumor
* Contracted AIDS in the Late 1980’s
Best Known For the Songs “Instant Replay” and “I Can Dream About You”
Sam Kinison (Comedian)
December 8, 1953 - April 10, 1992
Birthplace: Yakima, WA
Passed Away at Age 38 in a Car Accident
* Hit by a Truck Driven by a Drunk 17-Year Old in Needles, California
Played the History Teacher, Professor Terguson in the 1985 Film Back to School
Bushwick Bill (Rapper)
December 8, 1966 - June 9, 2019
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Passed Away on December 8, 2019 at Age 52 From Pancreatic Cancer
Member of the Rap Group, The Ghetto Boys
Sinéad O'Connor (Irish Singer)
December 8, 1966 - July 26, 2023
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Passed Away at Age 56 From Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Bronchial Asthma
Her 1990 Hit Song "Nothing Compares 2 U" Hit #1 in Numerous Countries
Won the Billboard Song of the Year
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Bob Bell (American Clown)
January 18, 1922 - December 8, 1997
Birthplace: Flint, MI
Passed Away at Age 75
* Unknown Cause
Created the Character, Bozo the Clown
José Uribe (Baseball)
January 21, 1959 - December 8, 2006
Birthplace: San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
Passed Away at Age 47 in a Car Crash
Played 12-Seasons in the Major Leagues
Douglas Tompkins (American Businessman)
March 20, 1943 - December 8, 2015
Birthplace: Conneaut, OH
Passed Away at Age 72 From Hyperthermia
* Had Been in a Kayak Accident
Founder of North Face and Esprit
John Glenn (Astronaut)
July 18, 1921 - December 8, 2016
Birthplace: Cambridge, OH
Passed Away at Age 95 From Unknown Causes
The First American to Orbit the Earth
* The Senator of Ohio From 1974 to 1999
Caroll Spinney (Puppeteer and Cartoonist)
December 26, 1933 - December 8, 2019
Birthplace: Waltham, MA
Passed Away at Age 85
* Unknown Cause
Played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street From 1969 to 2018
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1982 - 48 Hrs.
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte and Annette O’Toole
Budget: $12 Million
Box Office: $78.9 Million
1982 - Sophie’s Choice
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol
Budget: $9 Million
Box Office: $30 Million
Meryl Streep Won an Academy Award For Best Actress
1982 - The Verdict
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea, and Lindsay Crouse
Budget: $16 Million
Box Office: $54 Million
AFI’s #4 Greatest Courtroom Drama Films
* Also AFi’s #75 Most Inspirational Films
1988 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (West Germany)
* United States March 10
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Jonathan Price and Uma Thurman
Budget: $46.6 Million
Box Office: $8.1 Million
1989 - War of the Roses
Director: Danny DeVito
Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito
Budget: $26 Million
Box Office: $160.2 Million
Fun Fact!
The Real War of the Roses Were a Series of Wars in 15th Century England For Control of the Throne Between 2 Rival Branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet
* House of Lancaster Was Represented by a Red Rose and the House of York by a White Rose
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1984 - Ringo Starr Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Herbie Hancock
1984 - Final Episode of Captain Kangaroo
Seasons: 29
Episodes: 6,090
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Flash Gordon
Queen (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #23
1980 - Live
Fleetwood Mac
Billboard Charts: #14
1980 - Replay
Crosby, Stills & Nash (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #122
1986 - Mechanical Resonance
Tesla (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #32
1987 - Inside Information
Foreigner (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #15
Featuring “I Don’t Want to Live Without You and “Say You Will”
1987 - I'm the Man (EP)
Anthrax
Billboard Charts: #53
* #4 In Finland
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Pedro Morales Beat Ken Patera For the WWF Intercontinental Championship
1984 - Chris Evert-Lloyd Won the Australian Open
Runner Up: Helena Suková
Match: 6-7, 6-1, 6-3
1985 - Stefan Edberg Won the Australian Open
Runner Up: Mats Wilander
Match: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Stefan Edberg’s First Major
1985 - Atlanta Falcons Running Back, Gerald Riggs Rushed For 197 Yards Against the Kansas City Chiefs
* The Falcons Lost to the Chiefs 38 - 10 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City
Spread
Chiefs -3.5
O/U 43.0
1986 - The Seattle Seahawks Recorded 11 Sacks Against the Los Angeles Raiders on Monday Night Football
* The Seahawks Beat the Raiders 37 - 0 at the Kingdome in Seattle
Spread
Raiders. -2.5
O/U 41.0
1987 - Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers) Became the First Goalie to Shoot and Score a Goal
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1988 - A United States Aircraft Crashed Into an Apartment Complex in Remscheid, Germany
* Killed 5 People and Injured 50
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