On January 15, 1989 Tag Team Partners Ax and Smash (Demolition) Battled Each Other in the Royal Rumble
January 15th in 80s History
Other Notable Birthdays
Lloyd Bridges (Actor)
January 15, 1913 - March 10, 1998
Birthplace: San Leandro, California
Passed Away at Age 85 (Natural Cause)
* Played Steve McCroskey in Airplane “Picked the Wrong Day to Quit Smoking”
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Ray Bulger (Actor and Dancer)
January 10, 1904 - January 15, 1987
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 83 From Bladder Cancer
* Played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz
Ruth Warrick (Actress)
June 29, 1916 - January 15, 2005
Birthplace: St. Joseph, Missouri
Passed Away at Age 88 From Pneumonia
* Played Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on All My Children From 1970 to 2005
Jimmy Snuka (Wrestler)
May 18, 1943 - January 15, 2017
Birthplace: Suva, Fiji
Passed Away at Age 73 From a Terminal Illness
* Known as the “Superfly”
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996
Rocky Johnson (Wrestler)
August 24, 1944 - January 15, 2020
Birthplace: Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed Away at Age 75 From a Pulmonary Embolism
* Won the Tag Team Championship in 1983 With Partner Tony Atlas to Become the First WWE African-American Champions
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008
Fun Fact!
Rocky Johnson is the Father to The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1987 - Good Morning Vietnam (Worldwide Release)
Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker
Budget: $13 Million
Box Office: $123.9 Million
* Released on December 23rd in Limited Theaters
1988 - For Keeps
Director: John G. Avildson
Starring: Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $17.5 Million
1988 - The Couch Trip
Director: Michael Ritchie
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin and Donna Dixon with a Cameo by Chevy Chase
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $11 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Hill Street Blues Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 146
1988 - The Thorns Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
1988 - Final Episode of Rags to Riches
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 20
Network: NBC
Starring Tisha Cambell
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - In Our Lifetime
Marvin Gaye (16th Album)
Billboard Charts: #32
1982 - All For a Song
Barbara Dickson (9th Album)
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Bob Gibson Was Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
* Induction Ceremony Was Held on August 2, 1981
1983 - The New York Jets Beat the Los Angeles Raiders 17 - 14 in the AFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
* Wesley Walker (Jets) 7 Catches 169 Yards 1 TD
Spread
Raiders -3.5
O/U 48.0
The Jets Lost to the Miami Dolphins 14 - 0 in the AFC Championship Game
1983 - The Washington Redskins Beat the Minnesota Vikings 21 - 7 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: RFK Memorial Stadium
* John Riggins (Redskins) 185 Yards Rushing 1 TD
Spread
Redskins -6
O/U 43.5
The Redskins Beat the Dallas Cowboys 31 - 17 in the NFC Championship Game
Beat the Miami Dolphins 27 - 17 in Super Bowl XVII
1984 - Martina Navratilova Lost to Hana Mandikova to Snap Her 54-Match Winning Streak
1984 - John McEnroe Beat Ivan Lendl to Win the ATP Masters Grand Prix Tennis Championship
1987 - Larry Bird Was Named Sporting News Man of the Year
1989 - Big John Studd Won the 2nd Annual WWF Royal Rumble
* Held at The Summit in Houston, Texas
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1981 - Pope John Paul II Received a Delegation From Solidarity at the Vatican Led by Polish Statesman, Lech Wałęsa
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<- January 14th January 16th ->
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Andrea Martin (Actress) Rude Awakening
Birthplace: Portland, Maine
1953 - Randy White (Football)
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1957 - Mario Van Peebles (Actor) Jaws: The Revenge, New Jack City
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
1966 - Lisa Lisa (Singer)
Birthplace: New York City
1971 - Regina King (Actress) 227
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1972 - Ernie Reyes Jr. (Actor) Sidekicks
Birthplace: San Jose, California
Fun Fact!
Lisa Lisa Grew Up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York With 9 Other Siblings
1987 - Ray Bolger Passed Away at Age 83 From Bladder Cancer
* Played the Scarecow in The Wizard of Oz
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Ax and Smash
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Headlines
(January 15th)
1981 - Hill Street Blues Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 146
Fun Fact
Hill Street Blues Won a Record 4 Primetime Emmy Awards For Most Outstanding Drama Series
* Tied With L.A. Law, Mad Men, The West Wing and Game of Thrones
1983 - “Down Under” by Men at Work Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from January 15 - February 4
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand
Fun Fact!
"Down Under" is Considered a Patriotic Song in Australia and Often Played at Sporting Events
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1987 - Good Morning Vietnam Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker
The 4th Highest Grossing Movie from 1987
#1 Three Men and a Baby
#2 Fatal Attraction
#3 Beverly Hills Cop II
Other Notable Dates
(On January 15th)
1870 - The Democratic Party Was Symbolized With a Donkey For the First Time
* A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" From a Political Cartoon by Thomas Nast For Harper's Weekly
1889 - Coca-Cola Was Incorporated as a Medicine Company
* Founded in 1892
Used Real Cocaine to Help Relieve Headaches
1892 - James Naismith Published the First Rules of Basketball
1908 - The Alpha Kappa Alpha Became the First Sorority Founded and Established by African-American Women
1946 - Construction on The Pentagon Was Completed
* Began on September 11, 1941
1967 - The Green Bay Packers Beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35 - 10 in the First Super Bowl
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
MVP: Bart Starr
Ticket Price: $12
Spread
Packers -14
* The Game Was Shown on Both CBS (NFL Rights) and NBC (AFL Rights)
Fun Fact!
Max McGee WR (Packers) Scored the First Touchdown in Super Bowl History
1974 - Happy Days Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 255
#1 Show in America (1976)
2001 - Wikipedia Went Live
#1 Songs in America
(January 15th)
1980 - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"
Rupert Jones
1/12 - 1/18
1981 - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
John Lennon
12/27 - 1/30
1982 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29
1983 - "Down Under"
Men at Work
1/15 - 2/4
1984 - "Say Say Say"
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
12/10 - 1/20
1985 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
1986 - "Say You Say Me"
Lionel Richie
12/21 - 1/17
1987 - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
The Bangles
12/20 - 1/16
1988 - "So Emotional"
Whitney Houston
1/9 - 1/15
1989 - "My Prerogative"
Bobby Brown
1/14 - 1/20
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
Good Morning Vietnam Premiered In Theaters