Other Notable Birthdays
Stu Hart (Wrestling)
May 3, 1915 - October 16, 2003
Birthplace: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Passed Away at Age 88 From a Stroke
* The Father of Bret and Owen Hart
Founded Stampede Wrestling
Sugar Ray Robinson (Boxing)
May 3, 1921 - April 12, 1989
Birthplace: Ailey, Georgia
Passed Away at Age 67 From Heart Disease
* Was Also Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Disease
Considered Pound for Pound the Greatest Boxer of All-Time
James Brown (Singer)
May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006
Birthplace: Barnwell, South Carolina
Passed Away at Age 73 From Congestive Heart Failure
* Caused by Pneumonia
The Godfather of Soul
Greg Gumbel (Sportscaster)
May 3, 1946 - December 27, 2024
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
Passed Away at Age 78 From Pancreatic Cancer
* Died in His Davie, Florida Home
The First African-American Announcer to Call Play-by-Play of a Major Sports Championship in the United States When He Announced Super Bowl XXXV in 2001
Baltimore Ravens 34
New York Giants 7
_______________________________
Passed Away
(On This Day)
Christine Jorgenson (Singer and Actress)
May 30, 1926 - May 3, 1989
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York
Passed Away at Age 62 From Bladder and Lung Cancer
* Jorgenson Was Born a Male Named George
The First Person in the United States to Have Successful Reassignment Surgery
Jackie Cooper (Actor)
September 15, 1922 - May 3, 2011
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Passed Away at Age 88
* Unknown Cause of Death
The Youngest Person (9) to be Nominated For an Academy Award For His Role in the 1931 Film Skippy
_______________________________
80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1985 - Gotcha!
Director: Jeff Kanew
Starring: Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino
Budget: $12.5 Million
Box Office: $10.8 Million
1985 - Code of Silence
Director: Andrew Davis
Starring: Chuck Norris and Dennis Farina
Budget: $7 Million
Box Office: $20.3 Million
1985 - Gymkata
Director: Robert Clouse
Starring: Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton and Edward Bell
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $5.7 Million
1985 - Private Resort
Director: George Bowers
Starring: Rob Morrow, Johnny Depp, Emily Longstreth, Toni Azito, Dody Goodman, Leslie Easterbrook and Hector Elizondo
Budget: $331,000
Box Office: N/A
_______________________________
80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Ripley’s Believe it or Not Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 76
1987 - Mr. President Premiered on Fox
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 24
* Created by Johnny Carson
Starring George C. Scott and Conrad Bain
_______________________________
80s Music
(On This Day)
1981 - Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports
Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports (Debut Album)
1981 - After the Show
Modern English (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #70
1986 - Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Bonnie Tyler (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #106
* Hit #1 in Norway
1988 - Open and Say… Ahh!
Poison (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #2
* Hit #1 in New Zealand
Featuring “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”
Over 5 Million Copies Sold in the US
1988 - The Madness
The Madness (1st and Only Album)
* Reached #65 in the UK
1988 - Operation: Mindcrime
Queensryche (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #50
1988 - Scenes from the Southside
Bruce Hornsby and the Range (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
1988 - Stay on These Roads
A-ha (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #148
* Hit #1 in Norway
1988 - Vivid
Living Colour (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #6
1988 - In Effect Mode
Al B. Sure (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #20
* #1 in Top Soul Albums
_______________________________
Singles Released
1984 - “Dancing in the Dark”
Bruce Springsteen
Reached #2 on the US Billboard Chart
* The Music Video Features Courtney Cox
1988 - "Hold On to the Nights"
Richard Marx
#1 Song in America from July 23 - 29
_______________________________
80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Willie McCovey Hit His 521st and Final Home Run
Pitcher: Scott Sanderson
1980 - Jacinto Vasquez Won the 106th Kentucky Derby Aboard Genuine Risk
Trainer: LeRoy Jolley
Owner: Diana Firestone
1981 - The Boston Celtics Beat the Philadelphia 76ers 91 - 90 in Game 7 to Advance to the NBA Finals
1982 - Jack Sikma (Supersonics) and Moses Malone (Rockets) Were on the Cover of Sports Illustrated
* Titled “The NBA Playoffs
1986 - Willie Shoemaker Won the 112th Kentucky Derby Aboard Ferdinand
Trainer: Charles E. Whittingham
Owner: Mrs. Elizabeth A. Keck
1986 - Mike Tyson Beat James Tillis in a 10 Round Unanimous Decision to Improve His Record to 20 - 0
1986 - Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela Pitched a Complete Game Shutout to Beat the Cardinals 3 - 0 at Dodger Stadium
Attendance: 47,200
1986 - Ron Cey (Cubs) Hit His 300th and 301st Home Run
1986 - Don Mattingly (Yankees) Became the 6th Player in History to Hit 3 Sac Flies in a One Game
1987 - NASCAR Began Developing the Restrictor Plate For the Following Season After Bobby Allison Crashed at the Beginning of the Race at Talladega Superspeedway
1988 - Mike Marshall (Los Angeles Dodgers) Hit 2 Home Runs Against the Pittsburgh Pirates
* Dodgers Beat the Pirates 14 - 6
Attendance: 26,943
_______________________________
In Other News
(On May 3rd)
1952 - The Kentucky Derby Was Televised Nationally For the First Time
Network: CBS
1986 - "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer Hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from May 3 - 9
Also Hit #1 in Australia
Fun Fact!
"Addicted to Love" Was Originally Intended to be a Duet With Chaka Khan, But Her Record Company Would Not Grant Her Permission to Work With Palmer's Label Island Records
"Addicted to Love" Became the #1 Song in America
Happy 80s Birthdays
1945 - Davey Lopes (Baseball)
Birthplace: East Providence, Rhode Island
1948 - Chris Mulkey (Actor)
Birthplace: Viroqua, Wisconsin
1951 - Christopher Cross (Singer)
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas
1963 - Jeff Hornacek (Basketball)
Birthplace: Elmhurst, Illinois
1964 - Sterling Campbell (Drummer) Duran Duran
Birthplace: New York City
Fun Fact!
At the 1981 Grammy Awards Christopher Cross Became the First Person to Win All 4 Major Awards on the Same Night For His Sailing Album
"Album of the Year"
"Song of the Year"
"Record of the Year"
1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers Owner Walter O'Malley Agreed to Move the Team to Los Angeles
1979 - Margaret Thatcher Became the First British Prime Minister
1991 - The Final Episode of Dallas Aired
* Ran 14 Seasons With 357 Episodes
_______________________________
_______________________________
Headlines
(May 3rd)
1980 - Jacinto Vasquez Won the 106th Kentucky Derby Aboard Genuine Risk
Post Position: 8
Odds: 13 - 1
Trainer: LeRoy Jolley
Owner: Diana Firestone
Attendance: 131,859
Fun Fact!
Genuine Risk Was the 2nd Filly to Win the Kentucky Derby
* Also the First Philly to Run in the Derby in 21 Years
#1 Songs in America
(May 3rd)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Morning Train
Sheena Easton
5/2 - 5/17
1982 - "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
3/20 - 5/7
1983 - "Beat It"
Michael Jackson
4/30 - 5/20
1984 - "Against All Odds"
Phil Collins
4/21 - 5/11
1985 - "We Are the World"
USA for Africa
4/13 - 5/10
1986 - "Addicted to Love"
Robert Palmer
5/3 - 5/9
1987 - "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"
Cutting Crew
5/2 - 5/15
1988 - "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
Whitney Houston
4/23 - 5/6
1989 - "Like a Prayer"
Madonna
4/22 - 5/12
Fun Fact!
The First Kentucky Derby Was Won by African-American Jockey Oliver Lewis Aboard Aristides On May 17, 1875
Trainer: Ansel Williamson
Owner: H. Price McGrath
Winning Purse: $2,850
Second Place: $200
13 out of the 15 Jockeys Were African American
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
1981 - The Boston Celtics Beat the Philadelphia 76ers 91 - 90 in Game 7 to Advanced to the NBA Finals
* The Celtics Beat the Houston Rockets (4 - 2) in the NBA Finals
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
1986 - Bill Shoemaker Won the 112th Kentucky Derby Aboard Ferdinand
Post Position: 1
Odds: 17 - 1
Trainer: Charles E. Whittingham
Owner: Mrs. Elizabeth A. Keck
Attendance: 123,819
May 3rd in 80s History