1981 - “Stars on 45 Medley” by Stars on 45 Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from June 20 - 26
Stars on 45 Were Formed in South Holland in 1980
June 20th in 80s History
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In Other News
(On June 20th)
1840 - Samuel Morse Received a Patent for the Telegraph
1863 - West Virginia Became the 35th US State
Population Was 400,000, Now 1.8 Million
1975 - Jaws Premiered in Theaters
The Highest Grossing Movie of All-Time Until Star Wars in 1977
Fun Fact!
Jaws Started the Phrase “Summer Blockbuster”
1979 - ABC News Correspondent Bill Stewart Was Shot and Killed by a Nicaraguan Soldier Resulting in an International Outcry Against the Regime
* The Murder Was Caught On Tape
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1987 - “Head to Toe” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from June 20 - 26
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam Formed in New York City in 1984
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#1 Songs in America
(June 20th)
1980 - "Funkytown"
Lipps Inc.
5/31 - 6/27
1981 - "Stars on 45 Medley"
Stars on 45 Medley
6/20 - 6/26
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 - "On My Own"
Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
6/14 - 7/4
1987 - "Head to Toe"
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
6/20 - 6/26
1988 - "Together Forever"
Rick Astley
6/18 - 6/24
1989 - "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)"
New Kids on the Block
6/17 - 6/23
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Headlines
(June 20th)
1980 - Blues Brothers Premiered in Theaters
Director: John Landis
Starring: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
The 10th Highest Grossing Movie From 1980
#1 Empire Strikes Back
#2 9 to 5
#3 Stir Crazy
View The Highest Grossing Movies From 1980
Fun Fact!
A Movie Record 103 Cars Were Wrecked During Filming
Did You Know?
Blues Brothers Was the First Saturday Night Live Skit Turned Into a Movie
1988 - Bobby Brown Released His 2nd Solo Album Don’t Be Cruel
Billboard Charts: #1
The Album Went 7x Platinum
* Featuring “My Prerogative”
Fun Fact!
"My Prerogative Was in His Response to the Criticism He Received From the Firing by New Edition
"Head to Toe" Became the #1 Song in America
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1941 - Stephen Frears (Director) Dangerous Liaisons
Birthplace: Leicester, England
1945 - Anne Murray (Country Singer)
Birthplace: Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada
1946 - Bob Vila (TV Personality) This Old House
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
1949 - Lionel Richie (Singer)
Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama
1951 - Tress MacNeille (Voice Actress) Chip ‘n Dale (Chip)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1952 - John Goodman (Actor) Roseanne
Birthplace: Afton, Missouri
1954 - Michael Anthony (Bassist) Van Halen
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
1957 - Koko B. Ware (Wrestling)
Birthplace: Union City, Tennessee
1960 - John Taylor (English Guitarist) Duran Duran
Birthplace: Solihull, Warwickshire, England
Fun Fact!
Lionel Richie Has Sold Over 100 Million Albums as a Solo Artist
* One of the World’s Best Selling Artists of All-Time
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Other Notable Birthdays
Olympia Dukakis (Actress)
June 20, 1931 - May 1, 2021
Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts
Passed Away Under Hospice Care in Her Manhattan Home at Age 89
* Played Grandma Rosie in the 1989 Film Look Who’s Talking
Won an Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress For the 1987 Film Moonstruck
Martin Landau (Actor)
June 20, 1928 - July 15, 2017
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 89 From Hypovolemic Shock
* Starred as Rollin Hand on the TV Series Mission: Impossible From 1966 to 1969
Won an Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor For His Role as Bela Lugosi in
the 1989 Film Ed Wood
Danny Aiello (Actor)
June 20, 1933 - December 12, 2019
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at the Age of 86 After Battling a Brief Illness
* Unknown Cause of Death
Nominated For an Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor For His Role as "Sal" in the 1989 Film Do the Right Thing
John Mahoney (Actor)
June 20, 1940 - February 4, 2018
Birthplace: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Passed Away at Age 77 From Throat Cancer
* Played the Dad James Court in the 1989 Film Say Anything…
Mahoney Won 2 Primetime Emmy Awards For His Role as Martin Crane on Frasier
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Bugsy Siegal (Gangster)
February 28, 1906 - June 20, 1947
Birthplace: New York City
Shot and Killed at Age 41
* Bootlegger During Prohibition With Partners Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, and Frank Costello
Bugsy Siegal Was the Driving Force Behind the Development of the Las Vegas Strip
Donald Sutherland (Actor)
July 17, 1935 - June 20, 2024
Birthplace: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Passed Away at Age 88 From a Lengthy Illness
* Unknown Cause of Death
Best Known For the War Films The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H and Kelly's Hero in 1970
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - Blue Brothers
Director: John Landis
Starring: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
Budget: $30 Million
Box Office: $115.2 Million ($57 Million Domestic)
1980 - Brubaker
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Starring: Robert Redford
Budget: $11 Million
Box Office: $37.1 Million
1980 - Can’t Stop the Music
Director: Nancy Walker
Starring: The Village People
Budget: $16 Million
Box Office: $2 Million
1982 - Girls Night Out
Director: Robert Deubel
Starring: Julia Montgomery, Hal Holbrook, Rutanya Alda and James Carroll
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1986 - The Karate Kid Part II
Director: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
Budget: $13 Million
Box Office: $115.1 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1988 - Final Episode of Eisenhower and Lutz
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: CBS
Click Here For More 80s TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Emotional Rescue
The Rolling Stones (17th Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also Hit #1 in the UK and Canada
1980 - The Blues Brothers Soundtrack
Various Artists
1980 - Rise Up (Promotion Album)
Peter Frampton
* Released Later as "Breaking All the Rules"
1985 - World Wide (Live Album)
Scorpions
Billboard Charts: #17
* Hit #1 in the UK and Canada
1988 - Confessions of a Pop Group
The Style Council (4th Album)
1988 - Destiny
Saxon (9th Album)
1988 - Don't Be Cruel
Bobby Brown (2nd Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also Hit #1 in Ireland
1988 - HeartBreak
New Edition (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #12
1988 - Instinct
Iggy Pop (8th Album)
1989 - Anderson Bruford
Wakeman Howe (Debut Album)
First and Only Album
1989 - Batman (Soundtrack)
Prince
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
Also Hit #1 in the UK and The Netherlands
1989 - The Joke's on You
Excel (2nd Album)
1989 - Mr. Big
Mr. Big (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #46
1989 - The Real Thing
Faith No More (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #11
Singles Released
1986 - “Higher Love”
Steve Winwood
* #1 Song in America from August 30 - September 5
Also Hit #1 in Canada
Won Grammy Awards For "Record of the Year" and "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance"
1987 - “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
* #1 Song in America from September 19 - 25
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and Zimbabwe
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - California Angels, Freddie Patek Hit 3 Home Runs Against the Boston Red Sox
* The Angels Pounded 26 Hits in a 20 - 2 Victory Over the Red Sox at Fenway Park on a Friday Night
Attendance: 28,780
Every Angels Starter Had at Least 2 Hits
1980 - Roberto Duran Beat Sugar Ray Leonard by a Unanimous Decision For the WBC Welterweight Title
Rounds: 15
Location: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
1981 - Don Muraco Beat Pedro Morales For the WWF Intercontinental Championship
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1982 - Tom Watson (-6) Won the US Open
Prize: $60,000
Runner Up: Jack Nicklaus (-4)
Runner Up Prize: 34,506
Location: Pebble Beach, California
1982 - Pete Rose Played in His 3000th Career Game
* Went 1-3
1983 - Larry Nelson (-4) Won the US Open
Prize: $72,000
Runner Up: Tom Watson (-3)
Runner Up Prize: $44,000
1986 - Jim Fregosi Replaced Tony LaRussa as Chicago White Sox Manager
1988 - Curtis Strange (-6) Won the US Open
Prize: 180,000
Runner Up: Nick Faldo (-6)
Runner Up Prize: 90,000
Location: The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts
Strange Beat Faldo in the Playoffs