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Other Notable Birthdays
Alan Hale Jr. (Actor)
March 8, 1921 - January 2, 1990
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Passed Away at Age 68 From Thymus Cancer
* The Primary Lymphoid Organ of the Immune System
Played the “Skipper” on Gilligan’s Island
Randy Meisner (Bassist)
March 8, 1946 - July 25, 2023
Birthplace: Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Passed Away at Age 77 From Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
* COPD
A Founding Member of the Eagles
Clive Burr (Drummer)
March 8, 1957 - March 13, 2013
Birthplace: East Ham, Essex, England
Passed Away at Age 56 From MS
* Multiple Sclerosis
The Drummer For Iron Maiden
James Van Der Beek (Actor)
March 8, 1977 - February 11, 2026
Birthplace: Cheshire, Connecticut
Passed Away at Age 48 From Colorectal Cancer
* Diagnosed With Stage III Colorectal Cancer on August 31, 2023
Best Known For Playing Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Millard Fillmore (Former U.S President)
January 7, 1800 - March 8, 1874
Birthplace: Moravio, New York
Passed Away at Age 74 From a Stroke
* The Last President to be Part of the Whig Party
The 13th President of the United States
Term: 1850 - 1853
Political Party: Whig
William Howard Taft (Former U.S. President)
September 15, 1857 - March 8, 1930
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 72 From Heart Disease, Inflammation of the Liver, and High Blood Pressure
* Taft Was the Heaviest President of Al–Time Weight Nearly 340 Pounds
The 27th President of the United States
Term: 1909 - 1913
Political Party: Republican
Ray Nitsche (Football)
December 29, 1936 - March 8, 1998
Birthplace: Elmwood Park, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 61 From a Heart Attack
NFL Seasons: 15 (Green Bay Packers)
Position: Linebacker
First Team All-Pro: 2 (1964, 1966)
NFL Champion: 5
Super Bowl Champion: 2 (I,II)
All Anniversary Team: 75th. 100th
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 (First Ballot)
Joe DiMaggio (Baseball)
November 25, 1914 - March 8, 1999
Birthplace: Martinez, CA
Passed Away at Age 84 From Lung Cancer
MLB Seasons: 13 (New York Yankees)
Position: Centerfield
All-Star: 13
AL MVP: 3 (1939, 1941, 1947)
World Series Champion: 9
Nickname: “The Yankee Clipper”
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 (4th Ballot)
Fun Fact!
Joe DiMaggio Holds the Major League Record in 1941 With 56-Consecutive Games With a Hit
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1985 - Mask
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Starring: Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott, and Laura Dern
Budget: $7.5 Million
Box Office: $48.2 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - The 100th Episode of Saturday Night Live Aired
Host: Rodney Dangerfield
Musical Guest: J. Geils Band
1980 - The 7th People’s Choice Awards Aired on CBS
Hosts: Army Archerd and Lee Remick
Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer: Carol Burnett
Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer: Alan Alda
1983 - Fandango, I 40 Paradise and Nashville Now Premiered on TNN
1987 - Final Episode of the A-Team
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 98
Network: NBC
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80s Music
(On This Day)
1982 - Hex Enduction Hour
The Fall (4th Album)
* Reached #71 in the UK and #2 in UK Indie
1985 - The Night I Fell in Love
Luther Vandross (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #19
* #1 in R&B
1988 - Racing After Midnight
Honeymoon Suite (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #86
* #6 in Canada
In Other 80s Music News
1980 - The Tbilisi Rock Festival Began
* The First state-Sanctioned Rock Music Festival in the Soviet Union
1986 - The Young Ones and Cliff Richard Released a New Version of "Living Doll" For a Comic Relief Charity
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1983 - The Wild Samoans Beat Jules and Chief Jay Strongbow For the WWF Tag Team Championship
* Lost the Title to Soul Patrol (Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson) on November 15, 1983
The Wild Somoans Won the WWF Tag Team Championship 3 Times
1986 - Martina Navratilova Became the First Woman to Win $10 Million Dollars in Prize Money
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Other Notable Dates
(On March 8th)
1924 - A Mine Disaster Killed 172 Mine Workers in Castle Gate, Utah
1936 - Daytona Beach and Road Course Held Its First Oval Stock Car Race
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On March 8, 1980 The Tbilisi Rock Festival Began in the Soviet Union
* First State-Sanctioned Rock Music Festival in the Soviet Union
Headlines
(March 8th)
1980 - The 100th Episode of Saturday Night Live Aired on NBC
Host: Rodney Dangerfield
Happy 80s Birthdays
1943 - Susan Clark (Actress) Webster
Birthplace: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
1945 - Micky Dolenz (Drummer) The Monkees
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1953 - Jim Rice (Baseball)
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina
1956 - John Kapelos (Actor) The Breakfast Club (Janitor)
Birthplace: London, Canada
1959 - Aidan Quinn (Actor) Stakeout
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
1962 - Leon Robinson (Actor) All the Right Moves, Colors
Birthplace: New York City
1965 - Kenny “The Jet” Smith (Basketball)
Birthplace: New York City
Fun Fact!
Jim Rice Played His Entire 16-Year Career with the Boston Red Sox
Position: Left Field
All-Star: 8
Career Home Runs: 398
All-Star: 8
Home Run Leader: 3 (1977, 1978, 1983)
AL MVP: 1 (1978)
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 (15th Ballot)
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Fun Fact!
The A-Team Drove a 1983 GMC Vandura Van With a Red Stripe, Black and Red Turbine Mag Wheels, and a Rooftop Spoiler
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1983 - President Reagan Labeled the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire" While Giving a Speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida
* This Was the Height of The Cold War
#1 Songs in America
(March 8th)
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
1987 - The Final Episode of the A-Team Aired
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 98
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March 8th in 80s History
The Tibilisi Music Festival
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The A-Team Premiered on NBC
1985 - Mask Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Cher and Eric Stoltz
Fun Fact!
In the Movie Mask, Rocky Dennis' Character (Eric Stoltz) Helps a Blind Girl See the World When in Fact Rocky Dennis Was Blind in Real Life