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​​July 23rd in 80s History

Fun Fact!

The World’s First Golf Tournament Was The British Open On October 17, 1860
Location:  Ayrshire, Scotland
Course:  Prestwick Golf Club
* Willie Park, Sr. Defeated Tom Morris Sr. by 2-Strokes

The First 29 British Opens Were Won by Scottish Golfers, Until Englishman, John Ball Won in 1890​


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1988 - The Final Episode of Solid Gold Aired

Seasons:  8
Episodes:  332

Aired on Saturday Evenings

"Hold on to the Nights" Became the #1 Song in America

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​​​​​​​​​Happy 80s Birthdays

1938 - Ronny Cox (Actor)  Beverly Hills Cop (Lte. Bobomil)
Birthplace:  Cloudcroft, New Mexico
1945 - Edie McClurg Actress)  Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Secretary)
Birthplace:  Kansas City, Missouri
1947 - David Essex (English Singer)
Birthplace:  Plaistow, Essex, England
1953 - Lydia Cornell (Actress)  Too Close For Comfort (Sara Rush)
Birthplace:  El Paso, Texas
1961 - Martin Gore (English Guitarist)  Depeche Mode
Birthplace:  London, England
1961 - Woody Harrelson (Actor)  Cheers
Birthplace:  Midland, Texas
1962 - Eriq La Salle (Actor)  Coming to America
Birthplace:  Hartford, Connecticut
1965 - Slash (English Guitarist)  Guns N’ Roses
Birthplace:  London, England
1968 - Stephanie Seymour (Model)
Birthplace:  San Diego, California
1971 - Alison Krauss (Singer)​​​​​
Birthplace:  Decatur, Illinois


Fun Fact!

Slash’s Mom is African-American and His Dad is English


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Other Notable Birthdays


“Pee Wee” Reese (Baseball)
July 23, 1918 - August 14, 1999
Birthplace:  Ekron, Kentucky
Passed Away at Age 81 From Prostate and Lung Cancer
MLB Seasons:  19 (Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Position:  Shortstop
All-Star:  10
World Series Champion:  2 (1955, 1959)
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 (Veterans Committee)


Fun Fact!

“Pee Wee” Reese Got His Nickname From Being a Marble Champion as a Kid
* A Small Marble is Called a “Pee Wee”

Don Drysdale (Baseball)
July 23, 1936 - July 3, 1993
Birthplace:  Van Nuys, California
Passed Away on July 3, 1993 at Age 56 From a Heart Attack
MLB Seasons:  14 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Position:  Pitcher
Career Record:  209 - 166
ERA:  2.95
All-Star:  9
NL Cy Young Award:  1969
World Series Champion:  3 (1959, 1963, 1965)

Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 (10th Ballot)

Don Imus (Radio Host)
July 23, 1940 - December 27, 2019
Birthplace:  Riverside, California
Passed Away at Age of 79 From Lung Disease​​​
* Worked For WNBC From 1977 to 1988 and WFAN From 1988 to 2007
​Inducted to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989


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Passed Away
(On This Day)


Ulysses S. Grant (Former U.S. President)
April 27, 1822 - July 23, 1885
Birthplace:  Point Pleasant, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 63 From Throat Cancer
* A Frequent Cigar Smoker
The 18th President of the United States
Term:  1869 - 1877


Fun Fact!

Ulysses S. Grant Was a Commanding Officer For the Union Army During the Civil War
* Lead the Union to Victory

Vic Morrow (Actor)
February 14, 1929 - July 23, 1982
Birthplace:  The Bronx, New York
Passed Away on July 23, 1982 at Age 53 in a Helicopter Accident on the Set of The Twilight Zone:  The Movie
* Best Known For Playing the Yankees Manager Roy Turner in The Bad News Bears (1976)
Nominated For an Emmy Award in 1963 For His Role as Sgt. "Chip" Saunders in the TV Series Combat!

Sally Ride (Astronaut)
May 26, 1951 - July 23, 2012
Birthplace:  Los Angeles, California
Passed Away on July 23, 2012 at Age 61 From Pancreatic Cancer
* Fed Ex by the Oakland Airport is Located on 1 Sally Ride Rd.​

The First Woman in Space


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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)​


1982 - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Director:  Colin Higgins
Starring:  Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Dom DeLuise, Charles Durning and Jim Nabors
Budget:  $27 Million

Box Office:  $69.7 Million

1982 - The World According to Garp
Director:  George Roy Hill
Starring:  Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close and John Lithgow
Budget:  $17 Million

Box Office:  $29.1 Million

1982 - Zapped
Director:  Robert J. Rosenthal
Starring:  Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Felice Schachter and Heather Thomas
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  $16.9 Million

1982 - The Challenge​
Director:  John Frankenheimer
Starring:  Scott Glenn and Toshirō Mifune
Budget:  N/A

Box Office:  $3.6 Million


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80s Television
(On This Day)​​​


1984 - MTV Aired the Live WWF Event "The Brawl to End It All"
Location:  Madison Square Garden

1988 - Final Episode of Solid Gold​
Seasons:  8
Episodes:  332

Network:  Syndication


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​​80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)


1982 - Emotions in Motion
Billy Squier (3rd Album)

Billboard Charts:  #5

1984 - Hard to Hold
Rick Springfield (7th Album)

1988 - Now That's What I Call Music 3 (UK series)

* Hit #1 in the UK

1989 - Tender Lover
Babyface (2nd Album)

​Billboard Charts:  #14

*  #1 in R&B


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80s Sports
(On This Day)​


1984 - “The WWF Brawl to Win it All” Aired Live from Madison Square Garden

Hulk Hogan Beat Greg “The Hammer” Valentine to Defend His WWF Heavyweight Championship

Antonio Inoki Eliminated Rene Goulet to Win the 20-Man Battle Royal

Wendi Richter Beat The Fabulous Moolah For the Women’s Heavyweight Championship

* The Fabulous Moolah Had Retained the Belt since 1978

1984 - Dan Quisenberry Recorded His 200th Career Save

1985 - Texas Rangers Rookie, Oddibe McDowell Hit For the Cycle Against the Cleveland Indians
* The Rangers Beat the Indians 8 - 4 at Arlington Stadium on a Tuesday Night
Attendance:  8,985


1987 - The Boston Red Sox Waived First Baseman, Bill Buckner

1989 - Mark Calcavecchia (-13) Won His First and Only Major Winning The British Open
Prize:  $80,000
Runner Up:  Greg Norman and Wayne Grady (-13)
Runner Up Prize:  $55,000
* Mark Calcavecchia Won the 4 Hole Playoff
Location:  Troon, Scotland
Course:  Royal Troon Golf Club


1989 - Greg LeMond (USA) Won the Tour de France
* All 87 Doping Tests From the 1989 Tour de France Came Back Negative


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In Other 80s News

(On This Day)


1980 - Phạm Tuân, From Vietnam Became the First Asian Citizen in Space

* Flew Aboard the Soyuz 37 Mission as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut


1989 - Former Beatle Ringo Starr Formed His Own Band Called Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band


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Other Notable Dates

(On July 23rd)


1829 - William Austin Burt Patented the Typographer
* Precursor to the Typewriter


1903 - The Ford Motor Company Sold Its First Car

* Ford Model A


1962 - Jackie Robinson Became the First African-American Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame


1967 - The Detroit Riots Began in the Predominantly African-American Inner City
* 43 Killed and Over 300 People Injured
1,400 Buildings Burned

One of the Worst Riots in U.S. History


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1989 - Mark Calcavecchia Won a 4-Hole Playoff to Win the 118th British Open
Prize:  $80,000
Runner Up:  Greg Nroman and Wayne Grady
Runner Up Prize:  $55,000
Location:  Troon, Scotland
Course:  Royal Troon Golf Club

Calcavecchia's First and Only Major Win

#1 Songs in America

​(July 23rd)


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 - "Hold On To The Nights"

Richard Marx

7/23 - 7/29

1989 - "Toy Soldiers"

Maltika

7/22 - 8/4


Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards

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1999 - Eileen Collins Became the First Space Shuttle Commander as the Pilot of the Space Shuttle Colombia


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Back To The 80s Home Page


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1988 - "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from July 23 - 29​
Richard Marx is the Only Male Artist to Have His First 7 Singles to Reach the Top 5 On the U.S. Billboard Charts
“Don’t Mean Nothing” (1987)
“Should’ve Known Better” (1987)
“Endless Summer Nights” (1988)
“Hold On to the Nights” (1988)
“Satisfied” (1989)
“Right Here Waiting” (1989)
“Angelia” (1989)

Headlines

(July 23rd)


1982 - Vic Morrow and 2 Children Were Killed On the Set of The Twilight Zone

Movie

* A Helicopter Crashed Onto Them While Shooting a Scene in Santa Clarita​, California