Toy Soldiers Became the #1 Song in America
#1 Songs in America
(July 22nd)
1980 - "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
Billy Joel
7/19 - 8/1
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
6/27 - 7/24
1982 - "Don't You Want Me"
The Human League
7/3 - 7/23
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 - "When Doves Cry"
Prince
7/7 - 8/10
1985 - "A View to Kill"
Duran Duran
7/13 - 7/26
1986 - "Invisible Touch"
Genesis
7/19 - 7/25
1987 - "Alone"
Heart
7/11 - 7/31
1988 - "The Flame"
Cheap Trick
7/9 - 7/22
1989 - "Toy Soldiers"
Maltika
7/22 - 8/4
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(July 22nd)
1984 - Seve Ballesteros (-12) Won the 113th British Open
Prize: $55,000
Runner Up: Tom Watson and Bernard Langer (-10)
Runner Up Prize: $31,900
Location: St Andrews, Scotland
Course: Old Course at St Andrews
The British Open is Now Called The Open Championship
Fun Fact!
Seve Ballesteros Won 5 Major Championships During His Career
The Masters: 1980, 1983
The Open Championship: 1979, 1984, 1988
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1987 - Summer School Premiered in Theaters
Director: Carl Reiner
Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Dean Cameron and Gary Riley
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1988 - Caddyshack II Premiered in Theaters
Director: Allan Arkush
Starring: Jackie Mason, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Dina Merrill, Jonathan Silverman, Brian McNamara, Marsha Warfield, Paul Bartel, Randy Quaid, Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd
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1989 - “Toy Soldiers” by Martika Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from July 22 - August 4
Also Hit #1 in New Zealand
Fun Fact!
“Toy Soldiers” Was About Martika’s Friend With a Cocaine Addiction
* The Friend Eventually Kicked the Habit
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1938 - Terrance Stamp (Actor) Wall Street, Young Guns
Birthplace: Stepney, London, England
1941 - George Clinton (Singer)
Birthplace: Kannapolis, North Carolina
1944 - Rick Davies (Singer) Supertramp
Birthplace: Swindon, WIltshire, England
1944 - Sparky Lyle (Baseball)
Birthplace: DuBois, Pennsylvania
1946 - Danny Glover (Actor) Lethal Weapon
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
1947 - Albert Brooks (Actor) Broadcast News
Birthplace: Beverly Hills, California
1947 - Don Henley (Singer)
Birthplace: Gilmer, Texas
1954 - Lonette McKee (Actress) Brewster’s Millions
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
1955 - Willem Dafoe (Actor) Platoon
Birthplace: Appleton, Wisconsin
1957 - Dave Stieb (Baseball)
Birthplace: Santa Ana, California
1961 - Keith Sweat (Singer)
Birthplace: New York City
1963 - Emily Saliers (Singer) Indigo Girls
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut
1964 - Will Calhoun (Drummer) Living Colour
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York
1965 - Shawn Michaels (Wrestler)
Birthplace: Chandler, Arizona
1966 - Tim Brown (Football)
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Fun Fact!
In 1988 Tim Brown (Notre Dame) Became the First Wide Receiver to Win the Heisman Trophy Award
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Other Notable Birthdays
The Fabulous Moolah (Wrestler)
July 22, 1923 - November 2, 2007
Birthplace: Kershaw County, South Carolina
Passed Away on November 2, 2007 at Age 84 From a Heart Attack
* Held the Women's Championship Belt From 1956 to 1984
Considered to the Greatest Lady Wrestler of All-Time
Louise Fletcher (Actress)
July 22, 1934 - September 23, 2022
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 88
* Unknown Cause of Death
Won an Academy Award For Her Role as Nurse Ratched in the 1975 Film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Alex Trabek (Game Show Host)
July 22, 1940 - November 8, 2020
Birthplace: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Passed Away at Age 80 From Pancreatic Cancer
* The Host of Jeopardy For 37 Seasons From 1984 to 2020
Won 8 Daytime Emmy Awards
David Von Erich (Wrestling)
July 22, 1958 - February 10, 1984
Birthplace: Lake Dallas, Texas
Passed Away at Age 25 From a Possible Painkiller Overdose
* Still Unknown the True Cause of Death
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Estelle Getty (Actress)
July 25, 1923 - July 22, 2008
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age of 84 From Lewy Body Dementia
* Died in Her Los Angeles Home
Won an Emmy Award in 1988 For Her Role as Sophia on the TV Series The Golden Girls
Emmy Nominations: 6
Dennis Farina (Actor)
February 29, 1944 - July 22, 2013
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Passed Away at Age of 69 From Pulmonary Embolism
* Played Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order (2004 - 2006)
Best Known For Playing Lt. Mike Torello in Crime Story From 1986 to 1988
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Mr. Mom (Limited Theaters)
Director: Stan Dragoti
Starring: Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Martin Mull, Ann Jillian and Christopher Lloyd
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $64.8 Million
* Released Worldwide on August 19, 1983
1983 - Jaws 3-D
Director: Joe Alves
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, Louis Gossett Jr. and Lea Thompson (Film Debut)
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $88 Million ($45 Million Domestic)
1983 - The Wicked Lady
Director: Michael Winner
Starring: Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, John Gielgud, Denholm Elliott, Hugh Millais
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $700,000
1987 - Summer School
Director: Carl Reiner
Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Dean Cameron and Gary Riley
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $35.7 Million
1988 - Caddyshack II
Director: Allan Arkush
Starring: Jackie Mason, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Dina Merrill, Jonathan Silverman, Brian McNamara, Marsha Warfield, Paul Bartel, Randy Quaid, Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd
Budget: $20 Million
Box Office: $11.8 Million
1988 - Big Top Pee-Wee
Director: Randal Kleiser
Starring: Paul Reubens, Kris Kristofferson, Susan Tyrrell, Penelope Ann Miller and Valeria Golino
Budget: $20 Million
Box Office: $15.1 Million
1988 - Mr. North
Director: Danny Huston
Starring: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Harry Dean Stanton, Anjelica Huston, Mary Stuart Masterson and Virginia Madsen
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $1.2 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1985 - Luxury of Life
Five Star (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #57
1986 - Emerald City
Teena Marie (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #81
1986 - The Collection (Compilation Album)
Amy Grant
Billboard Charts: 66
* #1 in Contemporary Christian
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Val James Signed With the Buffalo Sabres Making Him the First African-American in the NHL
* Played 11 Seasons
1984 - Steve Ballesteros (-12) Won The British Open
Prize: $55,000
Runner Up: Tom Watson and Bernard Langer (-10)
Runner Up Prize: $31,900
Location: St Andrews, Scotland
Course: Old Course at St Andrews
1984 - Laurent Fignon (France) Won the Tour de France
1986 - Ken Griffey (Atlanta Braves) Hit 3 Home Runs Against the Philadelphia Phillies
* The Phillies Beat the Braves 5 - 4 at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta on a Tuesday Night
Attendance: 14,249
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - Martial Law Was Removed in Poland
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Other Notable Dates
(On July 22nd)
1860 - Albany, New York Became an Official City
* Thomas Dongan Was the First Mayor
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July 22nd in 80s History