Happy 80s Birthdays
1944 - Roscoe Orman (Actor) Sesame Street (Gordon)
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York
1945 - Adrienne Barbeau (Actress) Back to School
Birthplace: Sacramento, California
1949 - Frank Beard (Drummer) ZZ Top
Birthplace: Frankston, Texas
1950 - Graham Russell (English Guitarist) Air Supply
Birthplace: Arnold, Nottinghamshire, England
1952 - Donnie Van Zant (Singer) 38 Specials
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida
1956 - Joe Montana (Football)
Birthplace: New Eagle, Pennsylvania
1959 - Magnum T.A. (Wrestler)
Birthplace: Chesapeake, Virginia
1963 - Gioia Bruno (Singer) Exposé
Birthplace: Bari, Italy
Fun Fact!
Adrienne Barbeau Made Her TV Debut in 1972 as Carol Traynor on the TV Series Maude
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Other Notable Birthdays
Kichiro Toyoda (Japanese Businessman)
June 11, 1894 - March 27, 1952
Birthplace: Kosai, Shizuoka, Japan
Passed Away on March 27, 1952 at Age 57 From a Cerebral Hemorrhage
* The Hemorrhage Was Caused by a Fall
The Founder and CEO of Toyota
Jacques Cousteau (French Oceanographer)
June 11, 1910 - June 25, 1997
Birthplace: Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, France
Passed Away at Age 87 From a Heart Attack
* Produced the First Underwater Documentaries
Won an Academy Award For Best Documentary in 1957
Fun Fact!
Jacques CousteauCo-Invented the First Open-Circuit SCUBA Set
Vince Lombardi (Football Coach)
June 11, 1913 - September 3, 1970
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Passed Away at Age 57 From Colon Cancer
* Considered One of the Greatest Coaches and Leaders in NFL History
Coached the Green Bay Packer to 5 NFL Championships and the Winner of the First 2 Super Bowls
Gene Wilder (Actor)
June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Passed Away at Age 83 From Complications of Alzheimer's Disease
* Died in His Samford, Connecticut Home
Best Known For the 1971 Film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Henry Hill (American Mobster)
June 11, 1943 - June 12, 2012
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 69 From Heart Disease
* Part of the New York Lucchese Crime Family From 1955 to 1980
Portrayed by Ray Liotta in the 1990 Film Goodfellas
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
John Wayne (Actor)
May 26, 1907 - June 11, 1979
Birthplace: Winterset, Iowa
Passed Away at Age 72 From Stomach Cancer at the UCLA Medical Center
* Best Known For His Roles as a Cowboy and War Hero
Won an Academy Award For Best Actor For His Role as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn in the 1970 Film True Grit
Ruby Dee (Actress)
October 27, 1922 - June 11, 2014
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 91 From Natural Causes
* Won an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award
Nominated For an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Her Role as Mama Lucas in the 2008 Film American Gangster
Dusty Rhodes (Wrestler)
October 12, 1945 - June 11, 2015
Birthplace: Austin, Texas
Passed Away at Age 69 From Kidney Failure
* Nicknamed "The American Dream"
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007
Fun Fact!
Dusty Rhodes is Considered One of the Greatest and Most Popular Wrestlers of All-TIme
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - Bronco Billy
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke
Budget: $6.5 Million
Box Office: $24.2 Million
1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Henry Thomas, C. Thomas Howell and Drew Barrymore
Budget: $10.5 Million
Box Office: $792.9 Million ($359 Million Domestic)
1982 - Grease 2
Director: Patricia Birch
Starring: Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer
Budget: $11.2 Million
Box Office: $15.2 Million
1986 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen
Budget: $5.8 Million
Box Office: $70.1 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
Fun Fact!
Hill Street Blues Won an Emmy For Most Outstanding Drama 4 Years in a Row From 1981 - 84
Click Here For More 80s TV Fun Facts
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive
Joe Jackson (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #42
1982 - Good Trouble
REO Speedwagon (10th Album)
Billboard Charts: #7
Over 2 Million Copies Sold in the US
1982 - No Control
Eddie Money20 (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #123
1986 - The Thin Red Line
Glass Tiger (Debut Album)
* Reached #3 in Canada
Won Album of the Year at the Juno Awards
Singles Released
1986 - Papa Don’t Preach”
Madonna
#1 Song in America from August 16 - 29
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Australia
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1982 - Larry Holmes (40 - 0) TKO’d Gerry Cooney in the 13th Round to Retain the WBC Heavyweight ChampionshiP
* Lost the Belt to Michael Spinks on September 1, 1985
Holmes' Career Record Was 69 - 6 (44 Knockouts)
1983 - Laffit Pincay Jr. Won the Belmont Stakes Aboard Caveat
Trainer: Woody Stevens
Owner: August Belmont IV
Laffit Pincay Jr. and Trainer, Woody Stevens Won 3 Straight Belmont Stakes Together From 1982 to 84
* Stevens Trained 5 Straight Winners From 1982-86
1983 - St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder, Lonnie Smith Checked Into Drug Rehab
1988 - Eddie Delahoussaye Won the Belmont Stakes Aboard Risen Star
Trainer: Louie J. Roussel III
Owner: Louie J. Roussel III
1988 - New York Yankees Pitcher, Rick Rhoden Became the 1st Pitcher to DH
Went 0 for 1 With an RBI (Sac Fly)
* The Yankees Beat the Orioles 8 - 6 at Yankee Stadium on a Saturday
Attendance: 33,826
1989 - Michael Chang (USA) Won the French Open
Runner Up: Stefan Edberg (USA)
Match: 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1981 - A 6.9 Earthquake Hit Golbaf, Iran
* At Least 2,000 People Killed
1987 - Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant Became the First Black Members of Parliament in Great Britain
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June 11th in 80s History
Headlines
(June 11th)
1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Premiered in Theaters
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Henry Thomas, C. Thomas Howell and Drew Barrymore
The Highest Grossing Movie From the 1980's
#2 Return of the Jedi (1983)
#3 Batman (1989)
E.T. Premiered in Theaters
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Fun Fact!
The First French Open Was Won by England’s H. Briggs in 1891
* A Player From France Won the Next 36 Men’s French Open
Don Budge Was the First American to Win the French Open in 1938
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In Other News
(On June 11th)
1895 - The First Automobile Race in History Took Place in Paris
1919 - Johnny Luftus Won the Triple Crown Aboard Sir Barton
* The Triple Crown is a Combination of 3 Races
Kentucky Derby
Preakness Stakes
Belmont Stakes
1855 - 88 People Were Killed in the Deadliest Accident in Motorsports History After a Mercedes-Benz and an Austin-Healey Collided
* Occurred at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Race in France
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1989 - Michael Chang Became the Youngest Male to Win the French Open at Age 17
* Beat Stefan Edberg 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Chang’s First and Only Major
1986 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off Premiered in Theaters
Director: Patricia Birch
Starring: Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer
Fun Fact!
Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward Who Played Ferris Bueller's Parents Got Married in Real Life After Filming the Movie
1982 - Grease 2 Premiered in Theaters
Director: Patricia Birch
Starring: Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer
Fun Fact!
Maxwell Caulfield Was Hailed as the Next Richard Gere and John Travolta But Nobody Wanted to Touch Him After Grease 2
#1 Songs in America
(June 11th)
1980 - "Funkytown"
Lipps Inc.
5/31 - 6/27
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
5/16 - 6/19
1982 - "Ebony and Ivory"
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5/15 - 7/2
1983 - "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
Michael Sembello
5/28 - 7/8
1984 - "Time After Time"
Cyndi Lauper
6/9 - 6/22
1985 - "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Tears for Fears
6/8 - 6/21
1986 - "Live to Tell"
Madonna
6/7 - 6/13
1987 - "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Kim Wilde
6/6 - 6/12
1988 - "One More Try"
George Michael
5/28 - 6/17
1989 - "Wind Beneath My Wings"
Bette Midler
6/10 - 6/16
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards