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#1 Songs in America
(September 12th)
1980 - "Upside Down"
Diana Ross
9/6 - 10/3
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"
Chicago
9/11 - 9/24
1983 - "Maniac"
Michael Sembello
9/10 - 9/23
1984 - "What's Love Got To Do With It"
Tina Turner
9/1 - 9/21
1985 - "St. Elmos Fire"
John Parr
9/7 - 9/20
1986 - "Venus"
Bananarama
9/6 - 9/12
1987 - "La Bamba"
Los Lobos
8/29 - 9/18
1988 - “Sweet Child o’ Mine"
Guns N’ Roses
9/10 - 9/23
1989 - "Hangin' Tough"
New Kids on the Block
9/9 - 9/15
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
On September 12, 1987 Michael Jackson Opened the Bad World Tour in Tokyo, Japan
1987 - Showtime at the Apollo Made Its Debut (Syndication)
* Ran 22 Seasons with 1,094 Episodes
Did You Know?
Lauryn Hill, at Age 13 Got Booed During Her Performance at the Apollo in 1987
Captain EO
1982 - Jimmy Connors Defeated Ivan Lendl 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Win U.S. Open
The Smurfs Premiered On NBC
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On September 12, 1986 Captain EO, Starring Michael Jackson Opened at Disneyland
1981 - Tracy Austin Defeated Martina Navratilova 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 to Win the U.S. Open
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September 12th in 80s History
Headlines
(September 12th)
1981 - The Smurfs Premiered on NBC
* Ran 9 Seasons with 256 Episodes
Did You Know?
The Smurfs Began in 1958 as a Belgian Comic Called Les Schtroumpfs
Artist: Peyo
Happy 80s Birthdays
1940 - Linda Gray (Actress) Dallas
1950 - Bruce Mahler (Actor) Police Academy
1951 - Joe Pantoliano (Actor) Risky Business
1955 - Peter Scolari (Actor) Bosum Buddies
1955 - Nina Blackwood (TV Personality) MTV
1956 - Chip Beck (Golf)
1956 - Ricky Rudd (Race Car Driver)
1957 - Rachel Ward (Actress) Against All Odds
1965 - Vernon Maxwell (Basketball)
1968 - Larry LaLonde (Guitarist) Primus
Fun Fact!
Nina Blackwood Was One of the Original MTV VJ's, With Mark Goodman, J.J. Jackson, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn
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Other Notable Birthdays
Jesse Owens (Track)
September 12, 1913 - March 31, 1980
Passed Away at Age 66 from Lung Cancer
Won 4 Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, in Front of German Leader, Adolf Hitler
Barry White (Singer)
September 12, 1944 - July 4, 2003
Passed Away at Age 58 from Kidney Failure
Nominated For 11 Grammy Awards, Winning 2
Road Warrior Animal (Wrestler)
September 12, 1960 - September 22, 2020
Passed Away at Age 60 from a Heart Attack
Animal Was Part of the Popular Tag Team, the Road Warriors With Partner, Hawk
Fun Fact!
The Road Warriors Were Voted Tag Team Wrestlers of the Year Four Times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1989) by Pro Wrestling Illustrated
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Anthony Perkins
Passed Away on September 12, 1992 at the Age of 60 from AIDS Related Pneumonia
Played Norman Bates in the 1960 Film, Psycho
Johnny Cash (Country Singer)
Passed Away on September 12, 2003 at the Age of 71 from Multiple System Atrophy
One of the Best Selling Artist of All-Time With Over 90 Million Albums Sold
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80s Movies
(On This Day)
1980 - He Knows You're Alone
Director: Armand Mastroianni
Starring: Caitlin O'Heaney, Don Scardino, Elizabeth Kemp, Tom Rolfing, and Tom Hanks
Budget: $250,000
Box Office: $4.9 Million
Tom Hanks' Film Debut
1986 - 'night, Mother
Director: Tom Moore
Starring: Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $441,000
1986 - Avenging Force
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, John P. Ryan, William Wallace, Marc Alaimo
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $4.7 Million
1988 - Miles from Home
Director: Gary Sinise
Starring: Richard Gere, Kevin Anderson, Penelope Ann Miller
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $188,000
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Goldie Gold and Action Jack (Animation) Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1981 - The Smurfs (Animation) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 9
Episodes: 256
1981 - Space Stars (Animation) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 11 (66 segments)
1981 - Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (Animation) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 24
1981 - The Kwicky Koala Show (Animation) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 16
1981 - Trollkins (Animation) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13 (26 Segments)
1981 - Spider-Man (Animation) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 26
1981 - The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! (Animation) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
1982 - Blackstar (Animation) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1983 - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Animation) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 95
1983 - Inspector Gadget (Animation) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 86
1987 - Showtime at the Apollo Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 22
Episodes: 1,094
1987 - My Pet Monster (Animation) Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1987 - I'm Telling! (Game Show) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 26
1987 - The New Archies (Animation) Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1987 - Final Episode of Popeye and Son (Animation)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: CBS
1987 - Final Episode of Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: Fox
1988 - USA Today: The Television Show Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
1988 - Wipeout (Game Show) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 195
1988 - Sweethearts (Game Show) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
1989 - Life Goes On Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 83
1989 - Chicken Soup Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Empires and Dance
Simple Minds (3rd Album)
* Reached #41 in the UK
1980 - Black Sea
XTC (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #41
1980 - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
David Bowie (14th Album)
Billboard Charts: #12
* Hit #1 in the UK, France and Australia
1981 - Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Called (Double LP)
Simple Minds
1983 - Heads or Tales
Saga (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #93
* #3 in Germany
1983 - Labour of Love
UB40 (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #14
* Hit #1 in the UK, Netherlands and New Zealand
Featuring “Red Red Wine”
1984 - Suddenly
Billy Ocean (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #9
Featuring “Caribbean Queen”
1984 - Stop Making Sense (Soundtrack)
Talking Heads
Billboard Charts: #41
Reached #41 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
1984 - Like This
The dB's (3rd Album)
1985 - Asylum
Kiss (13th Album)
Billboard Charts: #20
* Hit #1 in Finland
1987 - VIVIsectVI
Skinny Puppy (4th Album)
* Reached #94 in Canada
1988 - Blow My Fuse
Kix (4th Album)
1989- Pump
Aerosmith (10th Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
* #3 in the UK
Featuring “Love in an Elevator” and “Janie’s Got a Gun”
1989 - Results
Liza Minnelli (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #128
* #6 in the UK
1989 - Bound By the Beauty
Jane Siberry (5th Album)
* Reached #80 in Canada
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Tracy Austin Won the U.S. Open
Runner Up: Martina Navratilova
Match: 1-6, 7-6, 7-6
1982 - Minnesota Twins Pitcher, Terry Felton Dropped His Pitching Record to 0 - 13 After an 18 - 7 Loss to the Kansas City Royals on a Sunday Afternoon at Royals Stadium
Attendance: 32,363
Felton Finished His Career 0 - 16, the Major League Record For the Most Losses Without a Win
1982 - Jimmy Connors Won the U.S. Open
Runner Up: Ivan Lendl
Match: 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
1984 - New York Mets Pitcher, Dwight Gooden Set a Major League Record With 251 Strikeouts as a Rookie
* Finished the Season with 276
1988 - The First NFL Regular-Season Game Played in Phoenix
* The Dallas Cowboys beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-14
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In Other 80s News
1988 -Hurricane Gilbert Tore Through Jamaica
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Other Notable Dates
1953 - John F. Kennedy Married Jacqueline Lee "Jackie" Onassis
1959 - Bonanza Premiered on CBS
* First Full Color TV Series
1962 - President Kennedy Delivered the "We Choose To Go To The Moon" Speech at Rice University
Bad World Tour