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Headlines
(March 7th)
1980 - Coal Miner’s Daughter Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek Won an Academy Award For Best Actress For Her Role as Real Life Country Singer, Loretta Lynn
1985 - “We Are the World” by USA for Africa Was Released To Help Raise Money For the Famine in Ethiopia
* Raised Over $65 Million Dollars
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March 7th in 80s History
In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1986 - Divers From the USS Preserver Located the Crew Cabin of the Space Shuttle Challenger on the Ocean Floor
1989 - Iran and the United Kingdom Broke Diplomatic Relations After an Argument Over The Satanic Verses Novel Written by Salman Rushdie’s
Did You Know?
Alan Thicke Wrote and Performed the Theme Song to Diff'rent Strokes
* Also Wrote the Theme Song For The Facts of Life
#1 Songs in America
(March 7th)
1980 - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Queen
2/23 - 3/21
1981 - "I Love a Rainy Night"
Eddie Rabbit
2/28 - 3/13
1982 - "Centerfold"
J. Geils Band
2/6 - 3/19
1983 - "Billie Jean"
Michael Jackson
3/5 - 4/22
1984 - "Jump"
Van Halen
2/25 - 3/30
1985 - "Careless Whisper"
Wham!
2/16 - 3/8
1986 - "Kyrie"
Mister Mister
3/1 - 3/14
1987 - "Livin' on a Prayer"
Bon Jovi
2/14 - 3/13
1988 - "Father Figure"
George Michael
2/27 - 3/11
1989 - "Lost in Your Eyes"
Debbie Gibson
3/4 - 3/24
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Other Notable Birthdays
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (Inventor)
March 7, 1765 - July 5, 1833
Passed Away at Age 68 From a Stroke
Inventor of Photography
Willard Scott (Weatherman)
March 7, 1934 - September 4, 2021
Passed Away at Age 68 From a Stroke
Spent 65 Years as the Weatherman For NBC
Franco Harris (Football)
March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022
Passed Away in His Sleep at Age 72
Best Known For The Immaculate Reception
* 9x Pro Bowl
Won 4 Super Bowls With the Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl IX MVP
Elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1990 (First Ballot)
J.R. Richard (Baseball)
March 7, 1950 - August 4, 2021
Passed Away at Age 71 From Covid-19
Career Was Cut Short After Suffering a Stroke Before a Game in 1980
Fun Fact!
Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Dale Murphy Said J.R. Richard Was the Toughest Pitcher They Had Ever Faced
* Led the League in Strikeouts (1978, 1979)
John Heard (Actor)
March 7, 1946 - July 21, 2017
Passed Away at Age 71 From Cardiac Arrest
Best Known For Playing the Dad (Kevin McAllister) in Home Alone
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
1988 - Divine (Drag Queen)
October 19, 1945 - March 7, 1988
Passed Away at Age 42 of an Enlarged Heart
Divine Means The Act of Creation
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - Coal Miner’s Daughter
Director: Michael Apted
Starring: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm and Beverly D'Angelo
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $67.1 Million
1986 - Highlander
Director: Russell Mulachy
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown and Roxanne Hart
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $12.9 Million
1986 - Nomads
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Lesley-Anne Down and Anna Maria Monticelli
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $2.3 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Bill Murray Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Delbert McClinton
* Hosted for the First Time Since Leaving the Show
1983 - Final Episode of Square Pegs
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 20
Network: CBS
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker
1983 - The Nashville Network (TNN) Was Launched
* Now Paramount Network
1983 - Small & Frye Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
1986 - Final Episode of Diff’rent Strokes
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 189
Network: NBC (Season 1-7)
ABC (Season 8)
1988 - Probe Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
1989 - Anything But Love Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 56
Starring Richard Lewis and Jamie Lee Curtis
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #140
1980 - The Coal Miner’s Daughter (Soundtrack)
Various Artists
Billboard Charts: #40
* #2 on the Country Charts
1980 - Nobody’s Hero
Stiff Little Fingers (2nd Album)
* Reached #8 in the UK
1983 - The Hurting Album
Tears for Fears (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #73
* Hit #1 in the UK
1988 - Past Masters (Compilation Album)
The Beatles
Billboard Charts: #149
1989 - Girl You Know It’s True
Milli Vanilli (2nd Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also Hit #1 in Canada
The Duo's First US Release
Singles Released
1983 - "Blue Monday"
New Order
1985 - “We Are the World”
USA for Africa
#1 Song in America from April 13 - May 10
* Also Hit #1 in Canada, UK, France Italy, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Raised over $63 Million Dollars For the Famine in Ethiopia
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1982 - The NCAA Tournament Selection Was Televised Live For First Time
Network: ESPN
North Carolina and Freshman Michael Jordan Won The National Championship
1986 - Wayne Gretzky Broke His Own Record With His 136th Assist of the Season
1987 - Mike Tyson Beat James “Bonecrusher” Smith by Unanimous Decision (12 Rounds) to Win the WBA Heavyweight Championship and Retain the WBC
1988 - Michigan Wolverine's One Handed Pitcher Jim Abbott Won the 58th James E Sullivan Award
* Given to "The Most Outstanding Amateur Athlete”
Fun Fact!
Jim Abbott (New York Yankees) Pitched a No-Hitter on September 4, 1993 Against the Cleveland Indians
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1986 - The Final Episode of Diff’rent Strokes Aired
* Ran 8 Seasons with 189 Episodes
Other Notable Dates
(On March 7th)
1876 - Alexander Graham Bell Received a Patent for the "Telephone
Fun Fact!
Both of Alexander Graham Bell’s Mom and Wife Were Deaf
* His Research on Hearing and Speech Influenced His Life Work
1965 - Over 600 Civil Rights Marchers Were Brutally Attacked by State and Local Police in Selma, Alabama
* Known as “Bloody Sunday”
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On March 7, 1983 The Final Episode of Square Pegs Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker Aired
Fun Fact!
Sarah Jessica Parker Made Her Film Debut in Somewhere Tomorrow (1983)
Happy 80s Birthdays
1940 - Daniel J. Travanti (Actor) Hill Street Blues
1946 - Peter Wolf (Singer) J. Geils Band
1952 - Ernie Isley (Guitarist) The Isley Brothers
1952 - Lynn Swan (Football)
1956 - Bryan Cranston (Loving) Soap Opera
1959 - Tom Lehman (Golf)
1960 - Joe Carter (Baseball)
1960 - Ivan Lendl (Tennis)
1962 - Taylor Dayne (Singer)
1965 - Steve Beuerlein (Football)
Fun Fact!
Bryan Cranston Won 4 Emmy Awards (2008, 2009, 2010, 2014) For Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for His Role as Walter White on Breaking Bad
* Also Played the Dad (Hal) on Malcolm in the Middle and Tim Whatley on Seinfeld
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Square Pegs
1981 - An 18-Year Old Teen Was Stabbed and Killed at Disneyland's Tomorrowland
* Stabbed by a 28-Year Old Man After the Teen Pinched His Girlfriend
Did You Know?
There Has Been 26 Deaths at Disneyland Since it Opened in 1955
The Final Episode of Different Strokes Aired