Happy 80s Birthdays
1944 - Tony LaRussa (Baseball)
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida
1945 - Clifton Davis (Actor) That’s My Momma, Amen
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
1946 - Susan Sarandon (Actress) Bull Durham
Birthplace: New York City
1949 - Armand Assante (Actor) I, the Jury (Mike Hammer)
Birthplace: New York City
1956 - Charlie Leibrandt (Baseball)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
1957 - Bill Fagerbakke (Actor) Coach, The Voice of Patrick Star
Birthplace: Fontana, California
1957 - Russell Simmons (Businessman) Def Jam Records
Birthplace: New York City
1959 - Chris Lowe (English Keyboardist) Pet Shop Boys
Birthplace: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
1963 - A. C. Green (Basketball)
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
1965 - Stuttering John (Radio Personality) The Howard Stern Show
Birthplace: Massapequa, New York
1978 - Phillip Glasser (Actor) An American Tail (Voice of Fievel Mousekewitz)
Birthplace: Tarzana, California
Fun Fact!
Tony LaRussa is a 4x Manage of the Year With 3 Different Teams
Chicago White Sox (1983)
Oakland A’s (1988, 1992)
St. Louis Cardinals (2002)
Won 3 World Series Titles (1989, 2006, 2011)
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Other Notable Birthdays
Charlton Heston (Actor)
October 4, 1923 - April 5, 2008
Birthplace: Wilmette, IL
Passed Away at Age 84 From Pneumonia (Had Advanced Alzheimer’s)
* Best Known For Playing George Taylor “Blue Eyes” in the 1968 Film Planet of the Apes
Won an Academy Award For Best Actor For HIs Role as Judah Ben-Hur in the 1959 Film Ben -Hur
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (French Sculptor)
August 2, 1834 - October 4, 1904
Birthplace: Colmar, Alsace, France
Passed Away at Age 70 From Tuberculosis
* Died in Paris, France
Designed the Statue the Liberty
Janis Joplin (Singer)
January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas
Passed Away at Age 27 From a Heroin Overdose
* Best Known For the Song “Me and Bobby McGee”
One of the Most Successful and Widely Known Rock Performers of Her Era
Joan Whitney Payson (American Businesswoman)
February 5, 1903 - October 4, 1975
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 72 From Unknown Causes
* Co-Founded the New York Mets in 1962
The First Woman to Own a Major League Team in the U.S. Without Inheriting It
Gunpei Yokoi (Video Game Designer)
September 10, 1941 - October 4, 1997
Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan
Passed Away at Age 56 in a Car Accident
* After Getting Into a Fender Bender He Got Out of His Car Before Getting Struck by an Oncoming Car
Designed the Nintendo Game Boy
Loretta Lynn (Country Singer)
April 14, 1932 - October 4, 2022
Birthplace: Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
Passed Away at Age 90
* Unknown Cause of Death
A 3x Time Grammy Award Winner
Grammy Nominations: 18
Fun Fact!
Sissy Spacek Won an Academy Award For Her Role as Loretta Lynn in the 1980 Film Coal Miner's Daughter
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1985 - Commando
Director: Mark L. Lester
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong and Alyssa Milano
Budget: $10 Million
Box Office: $57.5 Million
1985 - Jagged Edge
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote and Robert Loggia
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $40.4 Million
1985 - Sweet Dreams
Director: Karel Reisz
Starring: Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth and David Clennon
Budget: $13.5 Million
Box Office: $9 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - Heathcliff (Animation) Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 26
Theme Song Was Sung by Scatman Scrothers
1980 - Thundarr the Barbarian (Animation) Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 21
1985 - Misfits of Science Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 16
Featuring Courtney Cox
1988 - Shirley MacLaine Called David Letterman an "Asshole" on Late Night
1988 - The American Experience Premiered on PBS
Seasons: 32
Episodes: 350
1988 - High Risk (Reality TV) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 5
Presented by Wayne Rogers
1985 - Commando Premiered in Theaters
Director: Mark L. Lester
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong and Alyssa Milano
Fun Fact!
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Very Protective of Allyssa on the Set, Even Helping With Her Homework
#1 Songs in America
(October 4th)
1980 - "Another One Bites the Dust"
Queen
10/4 - 10/24
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Jack & Diane
John Cougar Mellencamp
10/2 - 10/29
1983 - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Bonnie Tyler
10/1 - 10/28
1984 - "Let's Go Crazy"
Prince and the Revolution
9/29 - 10/12
1985 - "Money for Nothing"
Dire Straits
9/21 - 10/11
1986 - "Stuck With You"
Huey Lewis and the News
9/20 - 10/10
1987 - "Didn't We Almost Have it All"
Whitney Houston
9/26 - 10/9
1988 - "Don't Worry Be Happy"
Bobby McFerrin
9/24 - 10/7
1989 - "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You"
Millie Vanilli
9/23 - 10/6
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - More Specials
the Specials (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #84
* #4 in the UK
1982 - Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club (Debut Album) UK
Billboard Charts: #14
*#5 in the UK
Released in the US on December 13, 1982
1982 - H2O
Hall & Oates (11th Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Featuring “Maneater”
1982 - Winds of Change
Jefferson Starship (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #26
1988 - Critical Beatdown
Ultramagnetic MCs (Debut Album)
1988 - Silhouette
Kenny G (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #8
Singles Released
1984 - “Out of Touch"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
#1 Song in America from December 8 - 21
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Arnold Schwarzenegger Won the Mr. Olympia Competition
Prize: $25K
Runner Up: Chris Dickerson (USA)
Location: Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia
7th Mr. Olympia Victory
1980 - Willie Wilson (Kansas City Royals) Became the First Major League Player With 700 At-Bats in a Single Season
* Also Set a MLB Record With 184 Singles
1981 - Final Day of the Regular Season in Major League Baseball
* Strike Shortened Season
Batting Title
AL: Carney Lansford (Red Sox) .336
NL: Bill Madlock (Pirates) .341
Home Runs
AL: Tony Armas (Athletics)
Dwight Evans (Red Sox)
Bobby Grich (Angels)
Eddie Murray (Orioles) 22
NL: Mike Schmidt (Phillies) 31
RBI’s
AL: Eddie Murray (Orioles) 78
NL: Mike Schmidt (Phillies) 91
Wins
AL: Dennis Martínez (Orioles)
Steve McCatty (Athletics)
Jack Morris (Tigers)
Pete Vuckovich (Brewers) 14
NL: Tom Seaver (Reds) 14
ERA
AL: Dave Righetti (Yankees) 2.05
NL: Nolan Ryan (Astros) 1.69
Strikeouts
AL: Len Barker (Indians) 127
NL: Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) 180
1982 - The San Francisco Giants Beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5 - 3 on the Last Game of the Season to Eliminate the Dodgers From the Playoffs
* Joe Morgan Hit the Game Winning 3-Run Homer
1987 - “Scab Sunday” in the NFL
* Replacements Players Played in the NFL Games Because of a Players Strike
1986 - Minnesota Twins Shortstop Greg Gagne Hit 2 Inside the Park Home Runs Against the Chicago White Sox
* The Twins Beat the White Sox 7 - 3 at the Metrodome on a Saturday Evening
Attendance: 28,136
1989 - The San Francisco Giants Beat the Chicago Cubs 11 - 3 at Wrigley Field in Game 1 of the NLCS
Attendance: 39,195
* Will Clark 4 - 4 with 2 Home Runs (Grand Slam) 6 RBI’s
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - Richard Noble Set a New Land Speed Record at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada
* 633.468 MPH
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Other Notable Dates
(On October 4th)
1895 - Horace Rawlins (England) Beat Willie Dunn (Scotland) by 2 Strokes to Win the First US Open Men's Golf Tournament
First Place Prize: $150
Runner Up: $100
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
Course: Newport Golf Club
1951 - The First Shopping Mall in the United States Shoppers World Opened in Framingham, Massachusetts
* Demolished and Rebuilt in 1994
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"Another One Bites the Dust" Became the #1 Song in America
1957 - Leave It to Beaver Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 234
ABC Picked Up the Show After CBS Dropped it After 1 Season
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Headlines
(October 4th)
1980 - "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from October 4 - 24
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Spain and Israel
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October 4th in 80s History
1980 - Arnold Schwarzenegger Won His 7th and Final Mr. Olympia Competition
* Won 6 in a Row From 1970 to 1975
Fun Fact!
After the 1980 Contest Many Audience Members Booed Because They Thought Schwarzenegger Won Because of Popularity Instead of Definition
1985 - The Free Software Foundation Was Founded in Boston, Massachusetts
* A Non-Profit Corporation Supporting Free Software Development
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