1984 - John McEnroe Won the 98th Wimbledon
* Defeated Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
John McEnroe Won 7 Major Championships
Wimbledon: 1981, 1983, 1984
U.S. Open: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984
Fun Fact!
The First Tennis Racquet Was Made in 1874 in London by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield
* Made of Solid Wood and Wrapped With a Leather Grip
#1 Songs in America
(July 8th)
1980 - "Coming Up"
Paul McCartney
6/28 - 7/18
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
6/27 - 7/24
1982 - "Don't You Want Me"
The Human League
7/3 - 7/23
1983 - "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
Michael Sembello
5/28 - 7/8
1984 - "When Doves Cry"
Prince
7/7 - 8/10
1985 - "Sussudio"
Phil Collins
7/6 - 7/12
1986 - "There'll Be Sad Songs"
Billy Ocean
7/5 - 7/11
1987 - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"
Whitney Houston
6/27 - 7/10
1988 - "Dirty Diana"
Michael Jackson
7/2 - 7/8
1989 - "Good Thing"
Fine Young Cannnibals
7/8 - 7/14
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Other Notable Dates
(On July 8th)
1889 - The First Issue of The Wall Street Journal Was Published
1947 - A Reported Sighting of a UFO Crashing in Roswell, New Mexico
* Known as “The Roswell UFO Incident”
1948 - The United States Air Force Accepted Its First Female Recruits
* The Program Was Called WAF (Women in the Air Force)
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1989 - “Good Thing” by the Fine Young Cannibals Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from July 8 - 14
Also Hit #1 in Canada
Fun Fact!
The Fine Young Cannibals Were Formed in Birmingham, England in 1984
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Headlines
(July 8th)
1981 - The Go-Go's Released Their Debut Album Beauty and the Beat
Billboard Charts: #1
* Hit #2 in Canada
Featuring "Our Lips Are Sealed and “We Got the Beat”
Fun Fact!
The Go Go's Are the Most Successful Female Bands of All-Time
* Formed in Los Angeles in 1978
The Go-Go's Released Their Debut Album
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1944 - Jeffrey Tambor (Actor) Mr. Mom
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
1947 - Kim Darby (Actress) Better off Dead
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1949 - Wolfgang Puck (Austrian Chef)
Birthplace: Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria
1951 - Anjelica Houston (Actress) This is Spinal Tap
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1951 - Alan Ashby (Baseball)
Birthplace: Long Beach California
1952 - Jack Lambert (Football)
Birthplace: Mantua, Ohio
1957 - Carlos Cavazo (Guitarist) Quiet Riot
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
1958 - Kevin Bacon (Actor) Footloose
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fun Fact!
Kevin Bacon Made His Big Screen Debut in the 1978 Film Animal House
* Also Played One of Jason's Victims in the Original Friday the 13th
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Other Notable Birthdays
John Smith Pemberton (American Chemist and Pharmacist)
July 8, 1831 - August 16, 1888
Birthplace: Knoxville, Georgia
Passed Away at Age 57 From Stomach Cancer
* Addicted to Morphine at the Time
Started the Coca-Cola Company in 1886
John D. Rockefeller (Philanthropist)
July 8, 1839 - May 23, 1937
Birthplace: Richford, New York
Passed Away at Age 97 From Arteriosclerosis (Clogging of the Arteries)
* Founded Standard Oil in 1870 in Cleveland, Ohio
Considered the Wealthiest Man of All-Time
Hugo Boss (German Businessman)
July 8, 1885 - August 9, 1948
Birthplace: Metzingen, Württemberg, German Empire
Passed Away at Age 63 From a Tooth Abscess
* Founded Hugo Boss in Metzingen, Germany in 1924
Boss Was a Member of the Nazi Party
Andy Fletcher (Keyboardist)
July 8, 1961 - May 26, 2022
Birthplace: Nottingham, England
Passed Away at Age 60 From an Aortic Dissection
* One of the Founding Members of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode Was Founded in Basildon, Essex, England in 1980
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Betty Ford (Former First Lady)
April 8, 1918 - July 8, 2011
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 93 From Natural Causes
* The First Lady From 1974 to 1977
Founded the Betty Ford Center in 1982 For People With Alcohol and Drug Problems After She Recovered From Alcoholism
Kenny Stabler (Football)
December 25, 1945 - July 8, 2015
Birthplace: Foley, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 69 From Colon Cancer
NFL Seasons: 15
Position: Quarterback
Pro Bowl: 4
NFL MVP: 1974
Super Bowl Champion: XI (Oakland Raiders)
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016
Larry Storch (Actor and Comedian)
January 8, 1923 - July 8, 2022
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 99 From Natural Causes
* Died in His Upper West Side Manhattan Home
Played Corporal Randolph Agarn On the TV Series F Troop
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Mortuary
Director: Howard Avedis
Starring: Bill Paxton, Mary Beth McDonough, David Wallace, Lynda Day George and Michael Berryman
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $4.3 Million
1988 - Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Director: Bud Yorkin
Starring: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud and Kathy Bates
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $14.7 Million
1988 - It Couldn't Happen Here
Director: Jack Bond
Starring: Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe, Joss Ackland, Neil Dickson, Gareth Hunt and Barbara Windsor
Budget: $4 Million
Box Office: N/A
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1987 - Final Episode of Sweet Surrender
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
Network: NBC
1989 - Knight & Daye Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 7
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - Beauty and the Beat
The Go-Go's (Debut Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* Hit #2 in Canada
Singles Released
1981 - "Stop Draggin My Heart"
Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
Billboard Charts: #3
In Other 80s Music News
1985 - Playboy and Penthouse Published Nude Photos of Madonna
* Photos Were Taken From 1978 When She Was a Struggling Dancer
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - The National League Beat the American League 4 - 2 in the 51st All-Star Game
Location: Dodger Stadium
Attendance: 56,088
MVP: Ken Griffey
1980 - Queensland Defeated New South Wales 20 - 10 in the First State of Origin Rugby Game
Location: Lang Park in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1984 - John McEnroe Won Wimbledon
Runner Up: Jimmy Connors
Match: 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
1985 - "Magnificent" Don Muraco Won the First WWF King of the Ring Tournament
1985 - Marge Schott Became the CEO of Cincinnati Reds
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1982 - There Was an Assassination Attempt Against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Dujail
1985 - Marge Schott Was Named President and CEO of Cincinnati Reds
* Purchased Controlling Interest on December 21, 1984 Making Her the 2nd Female to Own a Major Sports Franchise in the United States Without Inheriting it After New York Mets Founder Joan Whitney Payson
Banned by Major League Baseball in 1999 For Racism and Bigotry
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July 8th in 80s History