On This Day November 15th in 80s History

Evander Holyfield's Debut

Happy 80s Birthdays

1939 - Yaphet Kotto (Actor) The Running Man
1940 - Sam Waterson (Actor) The Killing Fields
1945 - Bob Gunton (Actor) Glory
1951 - Beverly D’ Angelo (Actress) National Lampoon's Vacation
1953 - James Widdoes (Actor) Charles in Charge
1955 - Joe Leeway (Musician) Thompson Twins
1956 - Michael Hampton (Guitarist)
1961 - Ron Thomas (Actor) The Karate Kid
1963 - Kevin J. O’Connor (Actor) Steel Magnolias
1967 - E-40 (Rapper)

Fun Fact!
E-40 Was Born in Vallejo, California and Graduated from James J. Hogan High School
* Attended Grambling State University For One Year

80s Movies

(Released On This Day)

1985 - Once Bitten
Director: Howard Storm
Starring: Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, Karen Kopins and Cleavon Little
Budget: $3.2 Million

Box Office: $10 Million

1985 - Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (Animation)
Director: Kimio Yabuki
Budget: N/A

Box Office: $4.9 Million

1989 - Steel Magnolias
Director: Herbert Ross
Starring: Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O'Connor and Sam Shepard
Budget: $15 Million

Box Office: $96.8 Million

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80s Television
(On This Day)

1980 - Elliott Gould hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Kid Creole & the Coconuts

1981 - This Week premiered on ABC
* Still on Air

1986 - Sam Kinison hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Lou Reed

1986 - Final Episode of Life with Lucy
Seasons: 1

Episodes: 14
Network: ABC

Starring Lucille Ball

1989 - Final Episode of A Peaceable Kingdom
Seasons: 1

Episodes: 12
Network: CBS

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80s Music

(Albums Released On This Day)

1981 - Renegade
Thin Lizzy (11th Album)

Billboard Charts: #157

1983 - It's About Time
John Denver (17th Album)

Billboard Charts: #61

1983 - Bark at the Moon
Ozzy Osbourne (3rd Album)

Billboard Charts: #19

* #9 in Sweden

1984 - 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe
Barry Manilow (14th Album)

Billboard Charts: #28

1984 - Emergency
Kool & the Gang (16th Album)

Billboard Charts: #13

* #3 in R&B

Featuring “Fresh”

1985 - Tiny Dynamine (EP)
Cocteau Twins

1986 - Licensed to Ill
Beastie Boys (Debut Album)

Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
Over 10 Million Copies Sold in the US

1986 - Jazz from Hell
Frank Zappa (47th Album)

1986 - Live Alive (Live Album)
Stevie Ray Vaughan

Billboard Charts: #52

1988 - Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits (Compilation Album)
Fleetwood Mac

Billboard Charts: #14

* Hit #1 in New Zealand

1988 - Journey’s Greatest Hits (Compilation Album)
Journey

Billboard Charts: #10
Over 15 Million Copies Sold in the US

1988 - Gems (Compilation Album)
Aerosmith

Billboard Charts: #133

1988 - The Live Album
Robert Earl Keen

1988 - Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (Compilation Album)
Kiss

Billboard Charts: #21

1988 - The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies (2nd Album)

Billboard Charts: #26

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80s Sports

(On This Day)

1980 - Dale Earnhardt Won the NASCAR Sprint Cup

1983 - Mike Bossy Recorded His 75th Career Hat Trick

1984 - Evander Holyfield Made His Professional Boxing Debut by Beating Lionel Byarm by Unanimous Decision
Location: Madison Square Garden

1988 - Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles Dodgers) Won the National League MVP
Runner Up: Darryl Strawberry

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Other Notable Dates

(On November 15th)

1914 - Harry Turner Became the First Football Player to Die From Game-Related Injuries (Fractured Back and Spinal Cord)
* Played in the “Ohio League” the Predecessor to the National Football League

1926 - NBC Radio Opened With 24 Stations

1968 - The Cleveland Transit System Became the First Transit System in America to Provide Rapid Transportation From Downtown to a Major Airport

1979 - A Package From Unabomber Ted Kaczynski Began Smoking in the Cargo of a Plane Forcing it to Make an Emergency Landing
* Flight Was Going From Chicago to Washington, D.C.

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Other Notable Birthdays

Ed Asner
November 15, 1929 - August 29, 2021
Passed Away in His Home at Age 91
Won 2 Emmy Awards For His Role as Lou Grant (1977 - 1982)

* Nominated 5 Times

Judge Wapner (American Judge)
November 15, 1919 - February 26, 2017
Passed Away at Age 97 from Respiratory Failure

The Judge For the TV Show, Peoples Court From 1981 to 1993

Randy “Macho Man” Savage (Wrestler)
November 15, 1952 - May 20, 2011
Passed Away at Age 58 from a Heart Attack

Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015

* 2x WWE Heavyweight Champion

4x WCW Heavyweight Champion

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Passed Away
(On This Day)

Lionel Barrymore
Passed Away on November 15, 1954 at Age 76 from a Heart Attack
Won an Academy Award For Best Actor For His Role as Stephen Ashe in 1931 Film, A Free Soul
* Lionel is the Great Uncle of Actress, Drew Barrymore

Once Bitten

Headlines

(November 15th)

1980 - “Lady” by Kenny Rogers Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from November 15 - December 26

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1989 - Steel Magnolias Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine and Daryl Hannah

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#1 Songs in America

(November 15th)

1980 - "Lady"
Kenny Rogers
11/15 - 12/26

1981 - "Private Eyes"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
11/7 - 11/20

1982 - "Up Where We Belong"

Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

11/6 - 11/26

1983 - "All Night Long"

Lionel Richie

11/12 - 12/9

1984 - "Caribbean Queen"
Billy Ocean
11/3 - 11/16

1985 - "Miami Vice Theme"
Jan Hammer
11/9 - 11/15

1986 - "Amanda"

Boston

11/8 - 11/21

1987 - "I Think We're Alone Now"
Tiffany
11/7 - 11/20

1988 - "Wild Wild West"
The Escape Club
11/12 - 11/18

1989 - "When I See You Smile"

Bad english

11/11 - 11/24

Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards

On November 15, 1985 Once Bitten Starring Jim Carrey and Lauren Hutton Premiered in Theaters

1985 - A University of Michigan Research Assistant Was Injured When a Package From the Unabomber Exploded

The Beastie Boys' Released Their Debut Album

1986 - The Beastie Boys Released Their Debut Album, License to Ill”
* Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
Over 10 Million Copies Sold in the U.S.

Featuring “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)”

Joe Nuxhall (Baseball)
Passed Away on November 15, 2007 at Age 79

Did You Know?
On June 10, 1944 Age 15,, Joe Nuxhall Became the Youngest Player to Play in a Major League Baseball Game
* With the Game Out of Reach, Reds Manager Bill McKechnie Put Nuxhall in to Get the Final Out

Stats
5 Walks
2 Hits
1 Wild Pitch
5 Runs
Didn’t Record an Out

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