Other Notable Birthdays
Galileo Galilei (Italian Astronomer and Mathematician)
February 15, 1564 - January 8, 1642
Passed Away at Age 77 from Heart Palpitations and Fever
The Father of Modern Physics
Fun Fact!
3 of Galileo’s Fingers Are On Exhibition at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Nat King Cole (Pianist)
Passed Away February 15, 1965 at Age 45 from Lung Cancer (Heavy Smoker)
The First Black Host of a TV Show (1956)
* The Nat King Cole Show
Ethel Merman (Singer)
Passed Away February 15, 1984 at Age 76 from Brain Cancer
"Theres's No Business Like Show Business"
McLean Stevenson (Actor)
Passed Away February 15, 1996 at Age 68 from Bladder Cancer
Played Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on M*A*S*H*
George Gaynes (Actor)
Passed Away on February 15, 2016 at Age 98 (Unknown Cause) in HIs Daughter’s Home
Played Henry on Punky Brewster
* Also Commandant Lassard in Police Academy
Vanity (Singer and Actress)
Passed Away on February 15, 2016 at Age 57 from Kidney Failure
* Suffered from Cocaine Abuse
Played Sydney in the 1988 Film, Action Jackson
Raquel Welch (Actress)
Passed Away on February 15, 2023 at Age 82 from Cardiac Arrest
Ranked #3 in Playboys 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1985 - The Breakfast Club
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Paul Gleason
Budget: $1 Million
Box Office: $51.5 Million
1985 - Vision Quest
Director: Harold Becker
Starring: Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling and Ronny Cox
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $13 Million
1985 - Turk 182
Director: Bob Clark
Starring: Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall, Robert Culp and Peter Boyle
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $1.9 Million
1985 - Fast Forward
Director: Sidney Poitier
Starring: John Scott Clough and Don Franklin
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $2.7 Million
1985 - The Mean Season
Director: Phillip Borsos
Starring: Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway, Joe Pantoliano and Andy García
Budget: $10 Million
Box Office: $4.3 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1986 - Jerry Hall Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
1986 - Fortune Dane Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 5
Starring Carl Weathers
1987 - Amerika (Miniseries) Aired on ABC
* A Science-Fiction Drama Showing Life 10 Years After the United States was Defeated and Occupied by the USSR
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Get Happy!
Elvis Costello (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #11
1980 - ...But the Little Girls Understand
The Knack (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #15
1980 - Earth & Sky
Graham Nash (3rd Album)
1980 - Metal for Muthas (Compilation Album)
Angel Witch and Neal Kay
1981 - Bad Luck Streak
Warren Zevon (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #20
1985 - A Classic Case
Jethro Tull with the London Symphony Orchestra
Billboard Charts: #93
* Hit #1 in Canada and Iceland
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Richard Petty Won the Daytona 500
Number: 43
Starting Position: 8th
Team: Petty Enterprises
Car Manufacturer: Buick
1987 - Bill Elliott Won the Daytona 500
Number: 9
Starting Position: Pole
Team: Melling Racing
Car Manufacturer: Ford
1988 - Elle Macpherson Was on the Cover of the Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for the 3rd Year in a Row
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<- February 14th February 16th ->
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1989 - The Soviet Union Officially Announced That All Their Troops Had Left Afghanistan
* Invaded in 1979
Headlines
(February 15th)
1984 - Singer Ethel Merman Passed Away at Age 76 from Brain Cancer
* Best Known For the Song "There's No Business Like Show Business"
Vision Quest
On February 15, 1982 The Ocean Ranger (Driller Rig) Sank During a Storm Off the Coast of Newfoundland Killing 84 Workers
On February 15, 1985 Vision Quest Starring Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino Premiered in Theaters
The Ocean Ranger Accident
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February 15th in 80s History
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The Mean Season
On February 15, 1985 Mean Season Starring Kurt Russell and Mariel Hemingway Premiered in Theaters
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1944 - Mick Avery (Drummer) The Kinks
1951 - Melissa Manchester (Singer)
1951 - Jane Seymour (Actress)
1954 - Matt Groening (Cartoonist) The Simpsons
1955 - Janice Dickinson (Supermodel)
1955 - Christopher McDonald (Actor) Grease 2
1957 - Jake E. Lee (Guitarist) Ozzy Osbourne
1957 - Jimmy Spencer (Race Car Driver)
1959 - Ali Campbell (Singer) UB40
1960 - Mikey Craig (Musician) Culture Club
1960 - Darrell Green (Football)
1962 - Kurt McKinney (Actor) No Retreat, No Surrender
1964 - Mark Price (Basketball)
Fun Fact!
Mark Price Was Drafted in the 2nd Round (25th Overall) in the 1986 Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers
* 4x All-Star
Member of the Original Dream Team (1992)
Other Notable Dates
(February 15th)
1961 - All 72 People on Board Flight Died in Belgium on Sabena Flight 548
* The United States Figure Skating Team, Coaches and Family Members Were on Board
1992 - Jeffrey Dahmer (Serial Killer) Was Sentenced to Life in Prison
* Murdered in Prison by Christopher Scarver in 1994
#1 Songs in America
(February 15th)
1980 - "Rock With You"
Michael Jackson
1/19 - 2/15
1981 - "Celebration"
Kool and the Gang
2/7 - 2/20
1982 - "Centerfold"
J. Geils Band
2/6 - 3/19
1983 - "Down Under"
Men at Work
2/12 - 2/18
1984 - "Karma Chameleon"
Boy George
2/4 - 2/24
1985 - "I Want To Know What Love Is"
Foreigner
2/1 - 2/15
1986 - "How Will I Know"
Whitney Houston
2/15 - 2/28
1987 - "Livin' on a Prayer"
Bon Jovi
2/14 - 3/13
1988 - "Could've Been"
Tiffany
2/6 - 2/19
1989 - "Straight Up"
Paula Abdul
2/11 - 3/3
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
The Breakfast Club Premiered in Theaters
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1986 - "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from February 15 - 28
Also Hit #1 in Canada and Iceland
1984 - The Breakfast Club Premiered in Theaters
* Directed by John Hughes
Did You Know?
With Only a $1 Million Dollar Budget the Film Grossed Over $50 Million Dollars