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September 2nd in 80s History
Headlines
(September 2nd)
1985 - The Attitudes (Talk Show) Premiered on The Lifetime Channel
Seasons: 7
Originally Hosted by Linda Dano and Nancy Glass
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#1 Songs in America
(September 2nd)
1980 - "Sailing"
Christopher Cross
8/30 - 9/5
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Eye of the Tiger"
Survivor
7/24 - 9/3
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 - "What's Love Got To Do With It"
Tina Turner
9/1 - 9/21
1985 - "The Power of Love"
Huey Lewis and the News
8/24 - 9/6
1986 - "Higher Love"
Steve Winwood
8/30 - 9/5
1987 - "La Bamba"
Los Lobos
8/29 - 9/18
1988 - "Monkey"
George Michael
8/27 - 9/9
1989 - "Cold Hearted"
Paula Abdul
9/2 - 9/8
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
"Cold Hearted" Became the #1 Song in America
Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Peter Ueberroth (Baseball Commissioner)
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois
1938 - Mary Jo Catlett (Actress) Different Strokes, Pearl
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado
1948 - Nate “Tiny” Archibald (Basketball)
Birthplace: New York City
1948 - Terry Bradshaw (Football)
Birthplace: Shreveport, Louisiana
1950 - Rosanna DeSoto (Actress) La Bamba
Birthplace: San Jose, California
1951 - Mark Harmon (Actor) Summer School
Birthplace: Burbank, California
1952 - Jimmy Connors (Tennis)
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California
1957 - Tony Alva (Skateboarder)
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
1957 - Steve Porcaro (Keyboardist) Toto
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut
1960 - Eric Dickerson (Football)
Birthplace: Sealy, Texas
1960 - Rex Hudler (Baseball)
Birthplace: Tempe, Arizona
1963 - Sam Mitchell (Basketball)
Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia
1964 - Keanu Reeves (Actor) Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
1965 - Lennox Lewis (Boxing)
Birthplace: West Ham, London, England
1969 - K-Ci (Singer)
Birthplace: Charlotte, North Carolina
Fun Fact!
Eric Dickerson Set the NFL Single Season Rushing Record in 1984 With 2,105 Yards as a Member of the Los Angeles Rams
NFL Seasons: 11
Rushing Titles: 4
Pro-Bowl: 6
First Team All-Pro: 6
Offensive Player of the Year: 1986
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999
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Other Notable Birthdays
D. Wayne Lukas (Horse Trainer)
September 2, 1935 - June 28, 2025
Birthplace: Antigo, Wisconsin
Passed Away in His Louisville, Kentucky Home at Age 89 From a Severe MRSA Infection
Kentucky Derby Wins: 4
Preakness Stakes: 7
Belmont Stakes: 4
Breeders Cup: 20
Elected to the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1999
John Thompson (Basketball)
September 2, 1941 - August 30, 2020
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Passed Away in His Arlington, Virginia Home at Age 78 From Unknown Causes
* Became the First African-American Head Coach to Win the NCAA National Championship in 1984 as the Head Coach of Georgetown
Elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999
Fun Fact!
John Thompson Won 2 NBA Titles (1965, 1966) as a Player For the Boston Celtics
Billy Preston (Singer and Keyboardist)
September 2, 1946 - June 6, 2006
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Passed Away at Age 59 From Respiratory Failure
* Preston Was a Top Session Keyboardist For Many Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famers
Sang the Hit 1974 Song “Nothing From Nothing”
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Troy Donahue (Actor and Singer)
January 27, 1936 - September 2, 2001
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 65 From a Heart Attack
* Born as Merle Johnson, Jr.
Considered a Major Sex Symbol in the 1950's and 1960's
Bob Denver (Actor)
January 9, 1935 - September 2, 2005
Birthplace: New Rochelle, New York
Passed Away at Age 70 From Pneumonia Following Throat Cancer Surgery
* Was a Heavy Smoker
Played Gilligan on Gilligan’s Island
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1988 - Eight Men Out
Director: John Sayles
Starring: John Cusack, Clifton James, Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd, Charlie Sheen, David Strathairn and D. B. Sweeney
Budget: $6.1 Million
Box Office: $5.7 Million
1988 - The Deceivers
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Starring: Pierce Brosnan and Saeed Jaffrey
Budget: $6 Million
Box Office: $346,000
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1985 - The Talk Show, Attitudes Premiered on The Lifetime Channel
Seasons: 7
1985 - The Situation Comedy Show, Rocky Road Premiered on WTBS
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 71
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(On This Day)
1980 - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys (Debut Album)
* Reached #2 on the UK Indie Charts
1981 - 1234
Ronnie Wood (4th Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #164
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1987 - Houston Astros Outfielder, Kevin Bass Became the First National League Player to Hit a Home Run From Both Sides of the Plate Twice in a Season
* The Astros Beat the Cubs 10 - 1 at the Astrodome on a Wednesday Night
Attendance: 17,406
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Other Notable Dates
(On September 2nd)
1789 - The United States Department of the Treasury Was Founded in Washington D.C.
* The Department is Responsible For Printing All Paper Currency and Coins
1912 - 16-Year Old Arthur Rose Eldred Received the First Eagle Scout Award For the Boy Scouts of America
* Eldred Went to Cornell University and Studied Agriculture
1945 - Japan Officially Surrendered to the Allies Aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, to Officially End World War II
1963 - The CBS Evening News Became the First U.S. Network to Broadcast a 30-Minute Newscast on a Weekday
* The News Was Only 15-Minutes at the Time
Fun Fact!
The First TV News Broadcast Was in March 1940, a Simulcast For NBC's Radio News
Host: Lowell Thomas
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<- September 1st September 3rd ->
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1985 - The Situational Comedy Show Rocky Road Premiered on WTBS
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 71
Fun Fact!
The British TV Show Pinwright's Progress (1946) is Considered the First Situational Comedy Show
Network: BBC
Starring: James Hayter
1988 - Eight Men Out Premiered in Theaters
Director: John Sayles
Starring: John Cusack, Clifton James, Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd, Charlie Sheen, David Strathairn and D. B. Sweeney
Fun Fact!
Charlie Sheen and John Cusack Were Star Baseball Players as Kids Making it Easy For Them to Shoot the Baseball Scenes
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1989 - “Cold Hearted” by Paula Abdul Hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from September 2 - 8
Also Hit #1 in Canada
Fun Fact!
The “Cold Hearted” Music Video Was Inspired From Bob Fosse's Choreography "Take Off With Us" From the Movie, All That Jazz