1983 - An Assassination Attempt Was Made on Pope John Paul II
* Shot Twice at St. Peter’s Square at Vatican City by by Mehmet Ali Ağca
Did You Know?
Mehmet Ali Ağca Was Sentenced to Life in Prison But Pardoned by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope's Request and Deported to Turkey in June 2000
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Headlines
(May 13th)
1980 - Fred Lynn (Boston Red Sox) Hit For the Cycle Against the Minnesota Twins
* At Fenway Park in Boston
Fun Fact!
Fred Lynn Hit the First Grand Slam in an All-Star Game (1983)
#1 Songs in America
(May 13th)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Morning Train
Sheena Easton
5/2 - 5/15
1982 - "Chariots of Fire"
Vangelis
5/8 - 5/14
1983 - "Beat It"
Michael Jackson
4/30 - 5/20
1984 - "Hello"
Lionel Richie
5/12 - 5/25
1985 - "Crazy For You"
Madonna
5/11 - 5/17
1986 - "West End Girls"
Pet Shop Boys
5/10 - 5/16
1987 - "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"
Cutting Crew
5/2 - 5/15
1988 - "Wishing Well"
Terrence Trent D'Arby
5/7 - 5/13
1989 - "I'll Be There For You"
Bon Jovi
5/13 - 5/19
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
Other Notable Birthdays
Georgios Papanikolaou (Greek Physician)
May 13, 1883 - February 19, 1962
Birthplace: Kymi, Eoboea, Greece
Passed Away at Age 78
* Unknown Cause of Death
Invented The “Pap Smear” in 1928
Joe Louis (Boxer)
May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981
Birthplace: LaFayette, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 66 From Cardiac Arrest
* Considered the Greatest and Most Influential Boxers of All-Time
Fun Fact!
Joe Louis Holds the Record For Longest Reign as a Champion (1937 - 1949)
* Also Holds the Record With 25 Title Defenses
Bea Arthur (Actress)
May 13, 1922 - April 25, 2009
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away on April 25, 2002 at Age 86 From Lung Cancer
* Died in Her Los Angeles Home
A 2x Emmy Award Winner For Most Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series
Maude (1977)
The Golden Girls (1988)
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Margot Kidder (Actress)
October 17, 1948 - May 13, 2018
Birthplace: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Passed Away at Age 69 From an Alcohol and Drug Overdose
* Ruled a Suicied
Played Louis Lane in the Superman Movies
Doris Day (Actress and Singer)
April 3, 1922 - May 13, 2019
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 97 From Pneumonia
* Co-Starred With Rock Hudson in the 1959 Film Pillow Talk
Fun Fact!
Doris Day Had Two #1 Songs as a Member of Les Brown and His Band of Renown
"Sentimental Journey" (1944)
"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" (1945)
Jason Miller (Playwright and Actor)
April 22, 1939 - May 13, 2001
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 62 From a Heart Attack
* Nominated For an Academy Award in 1973 For His Role as Father Damien in the Exorcist
Fun Fact!
Jason Miller Won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award For Best Play For That Championship Season
Johnnie Wilder Jr. (Singer)
July 3, 1949 - May 13, 2006
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio
Passed Away in His Sleep at Age 56 From Paralysis
* Became Paralyzed From the Neck Down After a Car Accident in 1979
The Lead Singer For Heatwave
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Blue Thunder
Director: John Badham
Starring: Roy Scheider, Daniel Stern and Malcolm McDowell
Budget: $11 Million
Box Office: $42.3 Million
1988 - Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Director: John Carl Buechler
Starring: Lar Park Lincoln, Terry Kiser, Kevin Blair and Kane Hodder
Budget: $2.8 Million
Box Office: $19.1 Million
1988 - Maniac Cop
Director: William Lustig
Starring: Robert Z'Dar, Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell and Richard Roundtree
Budget: $1.1 Million
Box Office: $671,000
1988 - The Nest
Director: Terrance H. Winkless
Starring: Robert King and Robert Lansing
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1987 - Final Episode of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 51
Network: CBS
1988 -Season 11 Finale of Dallas Aired
* J.R. Ewing Pushed Nicholas Pierce Over the Railing Off His High Rise Office Building and Sue Ellen Was So Mad She Fired 3 Shots at Him
Episode: “The Fat Lady Singeth”
1989 - Wayne Gretzky Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Fine Young Cannibals
* Wayne Gretzky’s Wife, Janet Jones Appeared on the “Wayne’s World” Skit
1989 - Final Episode of the Snorks (Animation)
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 65 (108 Segments)
Network: NBC (1984 - 1986)
Syndication (1987 - 1989)
1989 - Final Episode of A Man Called Hawk
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: ABC
Starring Avery Brooks and Moses Brown
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - 21 at 33
Elton John (14th Album)
Billboard Charts: #13
1982 - Throwin’ Down
Rick James (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #13
* #2 in R&B
1985 - Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits (5th Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand
1985 - Low-Life
New Order (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #94
1985 - On a Storyteller’s Night
Magnum (5th Album)
1986 - Top Gun (Soundtrack)
Various Artists
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
* Also #1 in Germany and Switzerland
Featuring “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away"
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Boston Red Sox Outfielder, Fred Lynn Hit For the Cycle Against the Minnesota Twins
* The Red Sox Beat the Twins 10 - 5 at Fenway Park in Boston
Attendance: 19,032
1980 - Cincinnati Reds 3rd Baseman, Ray Knight Hit 2 Home Runs in a 15 - 4 Victory Over the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati
Attendance: 18,732
1982 - The Chicago Cubs Won Their 8000th Game in Franchise History
1983 - Reggie Jackson Became the First Player to Strikeout 2000 Times in a Career
*Holds the Major League Record with 2,597 Career Strikeouts
1985 - Magic Johnson Was on the Cover of Sports Illustrated
Title: "THE MAGIC MAN"
1985 - Carlton Fist Became the 5th Catcher to Steal 100 Bases
1989 - Kirby Puckett Hit 4 Doubles to Help the Minnesota Twins Beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10 - 8 at the Metrodome in Minnesota
Attendance: 29,712
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1980 - President Jimmy Carter Announced Kalamazoo County, Michigan a Federal Disaster Area After a Big Tornado
1985 - In Philadelphia, 6 Adults and 5 Children Were Killed and 250 Left Homeless When Police Bombed the Black Liberation Group, MOVE to End a Standoff With the Police
* MOVE Was Protesting All The Trash That Was Constantly Around Their Building
1989 - Large Groups of Students Occupied Tiananmen Square in Beijing to Begin a Hunger Strike
1989 - "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from May 13 - 19
In Other News
(On May 13th)
1912 - The Royal Flying Corps (Later The Royal Air Force) Was Established in the United Kingdom
* Re-Named The Royal Air Force in 1918
1960 - University of California, Berkeley Students Protested Against a Visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities
Did You Know?
In 1960 UC Berkeley's Enrollment (Undergraduate) Was 16,000
* Now Over 30,000
UC Berkeley Has 4x More Nobel Prize Winners (110) Than Any Other UC School
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1939 - Harvey Keitel (Actor)
Birthplace: New York City
1950 - Stevie Wonder (Singer)
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
1950 - Bobby Valentine (Baseball)
Birthplace: Stamford, Connecticut
1961 - Dennis Rodman (Basketball)
Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey
1965 - Jose Rijo (Baseball)
Birthplace: San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
1966 - Darius Rucker (Singer) Hootie & the Blowfish
Birthplace: Charlestown, South Carolina
Fun Fact!
Darius Rucker Formed the Hootie & the Blowfish in 1986 While Attending the University of South Carolina
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May 13th in 80s History
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1985 - Dire Straits Released Their 5th Album Brothers in Arms
Billboard Charts: #1
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand
* Featuring "Money For Nothing"
Fun Fact!
Brothers in Arms is One of the Best Selling Albums of All Time With Over 30 Million Copies Sold Worldwide
"I'll Be There For You" Became the #1 Song in America
Fun Fact!
At Age 79 Brenda Lee is the Oldest Singer to Have the #1 Song in America With Her 1958 Song “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”
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