May 6th in 80s History
Kerry Von Erich Won the NWA Heavyweight Championship
1989 - Pat Valenzuela Won the 115th Kentucky Derby Aboard Sunday Silence
* Post Position #10
Odds: 3 - 1
Trainer: Charlie Whittingham
Owner: Hancock III, Gaillard & Whittingham
Attendance: 122,653
In Other News
(On May 6th)
1889 - The Eiffel Tower Officially Opened at the Universal Exposition in Paris, France
1915 - Babe Ruth Hit His First Major League Home Run
Home Runs: 714
1937 - The Hindenburg Caught Fire and Was Destroyed While Attempting to Dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey
* 36 People Killed
1941 - Bob Hope Performed His First Show For the United States Troops
1954 - Roger Bannister Became the First Person to Run the Mile Under 4 Minutes
* Later Became a Doctor in the Field of Neurology
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Headlines
(May 6th)
1980 - Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham) and Donny Most (Ralph Malph) Left Happy Days After the Season 7 Finale
Episode: "Ralph's Family Problem"
When Happy Days Returned in the Fall Henry Winkler (The Fonz) Was Given Top Billing
Fun Fact!
Happy Days Had 7 Spinoffs
Laverne & Shirley, (1976 - 1983)
Blansky's Beauties (1977)
Mork & Mindy (1978 - 1982)
Out of the Blue (1979)
Joanie Loves Chachi (1982 - 1983)
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (1981 - 1982) Animation
Laverne & Shirley with The Fonz (1982) Animation
#1 Songs in America
(May 6th)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Morning Train
Sheena Easton
5/2 - 5/15
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
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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
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1984 - Kerry Von Erich Beat Ric Flair For the NWA Heavyweight Championship
Location: Irving, Texas
Flair Won the Title Back 18-Days Later in Yokosuka, Japan
Happy 80s Birthdays
1945 - Bob Seger (Singer)
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
1953 - Lynn Whitfield (Actress) Jaws: The Revenge
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1961 - George Clooney (Actor) The Facts of Life
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky
Fun Fact!
Bob Seger Said His Musical Inspirations Were Little Richard and Elvis Presley
* Seger Recorded the Theme Song For Beverly Hills Cop II "Shakedown" (Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts)
Other Notable Birthdays
Sigmund Frued (Neurologist)
May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939
Birthplace: Freiberg in Mähren, Moravia, Austrian Empire
Passed Away at Age 83 From Assisted Suicide (3 Doses of Morphine)
* Frued Was Suffering From Jaw Cancer
The Founder of Clinical Methods For Mental Illness
Orson Welles (Actor and Director)
May 6, 1915 - October 10, 1985
Birthplace: Kenosha, WI
Passed Away at Age 70 From a Heart Attack
* Co-Wrote, Produced, Directed and Starred in the Hit 1941 Film, Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is Considered One of the Greatest Films of All-Time
Willie Mays (Baseball)
May 6, 1931 - June 18, 2024
Birthplace: Westfield, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 93 From Heart Failure
MLB Seasons: 23
Position: Outfield
All-Star: 24
Gold Glove: 12
NL MVP: 2 (1954, 1965)
Career Home Runs: 660
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 (First Ballot)
Fun Fact!
Willie Mays is Considered One of the Greatest Baseball Players of All-Time
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Robin Roberts (Baseball)
September 30, 1926 - May 6, 2010
Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 83 From Natural Causes
MLB Seasons: 19
Position: Pitcher
Wins: 286
Losses: 245
All-Star: 7
Wins Leader: 4
Strikeout Leader: 2
Elected to the Pro Baseball in Hall of Fame 1976 (4th Ballot)
Fun Fact!
Robin Roberts Coached the University of South Florida Baseball Team From 1977 to 1985
* 6x Conference Champion
Vida Blue (Baseball)
July 28, 1949 - May 6, 2023
Birthplace: Mansfield, Louisiana
Passed Away at Age 73 From an Unknown Cancer
MLB Seasons: 18
Position: Pitcher
Wins: 209
Losses: 161
All-Star: 6
AL Cy Young: 1971
AL MVP: 1971
A 3x World Series Champion (Oakland A's 1972, 1973, 1974)
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Still Smokin
Director: Tommy Chong
Starring: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $15.5 Million
1988 - Dead Heat
Director: Mark Goldblatt
Starring: Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo, Darren McGavin, Lindsay Frost, Vincent Price and Martha Quinn
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $3.5 Million
1988 - Shakedown
Director: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Peter Weller, Sam Elliott, Patricia Charbonneau, Antonio Fargas and Blanche Baker
Budget: $6 Million
Box Office: $10 Million
1988 - Jack’s Back
Director: Rowdy Herrington
Starring: James Spader, Cynthia Gibb and Robert Picardo
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $492,000
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1983 - Season 6 Finale of Dallas Aired
Episode: ‘Ewing Inferno”
* A Fire at Southfork Threatened the Lives of the Ewings
1985 - Dumbo’s Circus Premiered on The Disney Channel
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 120
1987 - Mr. Belvedere Was Canceled by ABC After 3 Seasons
* Criticism Caused ABC to Renew the Series For a 4th Season
1988 - Final Episode of The Highwayman
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 10
Network: NBC
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1982 - The Single Factor
Camel (9th Album)
* Reached #57 in the UK
1985 - Nervous Night
The Hooters (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #12
1986 - Standing on a Beach (Compilation Album)
The Cure
Singles Released
1985 - “A View to Kill”
Duran Duran
* #1 Song in America from July 13 - 26
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Spain, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1982 - Seattle Mariners Pitcher Gaylord Perry Recorded His 300th Career Victory
* Mariners Beat the Yankees 7-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle
Attendance: 27,369
1982 - Vancouver Canucks Beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 Games to 1 to Advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
1983 - The Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the St. Louis Cardinals Cardinals 16 - 10 in Los Angeles
* Dusty Baker (Dodgers) 4 - 5 (Home Run) 3 RBI’s
Attendance: 50,993
1984 - Kerry Von Erich Beat Ric Flair For the NWA Heavyweight Championship
Location: Irving, Texas
1984 - Baltimore Orioles Shortstop Cal Ripken Hit For the Cycle Against the Texas Rangers
* The Orioles Beat the Rangers at 6 - 1 at Arlington Stadium in Texas
Attendance: 13,224
1986 - The Oakland A’s Beat the Toronto Blue Jays 17 - 3 at Exhibition Stadium Toronto
* Dave Kingman (A's) 2 Home Runs (5 RBI’s)
Attendance: 22,177
1988 - New Jersey Devils' Coach, Jim Schoenfeld Was Suspended After Telling Referee, Don Koharski to “Eat Another Doughnut You Fat Pig"
1989 - Pat Valenzuela Won the 115th Kentucky Derby Aboard Sunday Silence
Post Position: #10
Trainer: Charlie Whittingham
Owner: Hancock III, Gaillard & Whittingham
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - The Hitler Diaries Were Revealed as a Hoax
* The Hitler Diaries Were a Series of Journals Written by Adolf Hitler
Forged by Konrad Kujau
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1982 - Gaylord Perry Recorded His 300th Major League Win
Career Wins: 314
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 (3rd Ballot)