1980 facts Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1950s  1960s  1970s  – 1980s –  1990s  2000s  2010s
Years:	1977 1978 1979 – 1980 – 1981 1982 1983

1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was also the first year of the 1980s.

Events

• January 20 – The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Los Angeles Rams to win their 4th Super Bowl championship. They hold the record for most wins by one team until 1995.
• April 12 – Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope in Canada.
• April 30 – Beatrix of the Netherlands crowned
• May 18 – Mount St. Helens erupts.
• August 1 – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes the 4th President of Iceland. She is the first female ever elected as a head of state in a democratic election.
• August – Rising Solidarity a Polish trade union which make for fallen communism in East Europe
• September 1 – Terry Fox ends his Marathon of Hope, after his cancer resurfaces.
• September 22 – War begins between Iran and Iraq.
• November 4 – Ronald Reagan defeats Jimmy Carter during the presidential elections.
• December 8 – John Lennon of The Beatles is shot and killed outside of his apartment in New York City by Mark David Chapman.
• Pictures taken by the Voyager 1 probe lead to the discovery of Saturn's moon, Atlas.

Births

• January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American actress
• January 18 – Robert Green, English footballer
• January 19 – Jenson Button, British racecar driver
• February 12 – Christina Ricci, American actress
• March 7 – Laura Prepon, American actress
• March 21 – Deryck Whibley, Canadian guitarist and singer, Ex-husband of Avril Lavigne
• April 21 – Tony Romo, American NFL quarterback
• May 14 – Tilde Fröling, Swedish actress
• May 30 – Steven Gerrard, English footballer
• June 17 – Venus Williams, American tennis player and Olympic gold medalist
• July 7 – Michelle Kwan, American figure skating champion
• July 10 – Jessica Simpson, American singer
• July 12 – Amerie, American singer
• July 13 – Kousuke Atari, Japanese singer
• July 15 – Mike Zambidis, Greek kick boxer
• July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer (Destiny's Child)
• August 29 – David Desrosiers, Canadian Musician- Simple Plan
• September 6 – Kerry Katona, English television presenter and singer
• September 9 – Michelle Williams, American actress (Brokeback Mountain)
• September 25 – T.I., American rapper
• September 30 – Martina Hingis, Swiss tennis champion
• October 8 – The Miz, American professional wrestler
• October 21 – Kim Kardashian, American socialite and model
• November 5 – Christoph Metzelder, German footballer
• November 24 – Beth Pheonix, American wrestler
• December 7 – Clemens Fritz German footballer
• December 7 – John Terry, English footballer
• December 14 – Tata Young, Thai-American singer, actress and model
• December 18 – Christina Aguilera, American singer
• December 30 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
• December 31 – Fumie Suguri, figure skater

Deaths

• January 10 – Charles Drummond Ellis, English physicist (b. 1895)
• March 18 – Erich Fromm, German-American psychologist (b. 1900)
• April 14 – Gianni Rodari, Italian writer (b. 1920)
• April 15 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher (b. 1905)
• April 21 – Sohrab Sepehri, Iranian poet and painter (b. 1928)
• April 29 – Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director (b. 1899)
• May 5 – President Tito dies
• May 30 – Carl Radle, American musician (b. 1932)
• July 27 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah of Iran (b. 1919)
• August 10 – Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Last President of United Pakistan.
• August 26 – Tex Avery, American cartoonist (Bugs Bunny) (b. 1908)
• September 25 - John Bonham, English drummer (Led Zeppelin) (b. 1948)
• November 20 – Sir John McEwen, 18th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1900)
• November 22 – Mae West, American actress (b, 1893)
• December 8 – John Lennon, English singer/songwriter (The Beatles) (b. 1940)
• December 24 – Karl Dönitz, German naval leader (b. 1891)
• December 29 – Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian writer (b. 1899)

Movies Released

• The Blues Brothers
• The Gods Must Be Crazy
• Popeye
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

TV Series

• Gumby Adventures – The first Gumby in 1980's. Gumby episode is "The Music Ball", "Shrink-a-Dink" and "Hatching Out" in November 1, 1980 first aired.

Hit Songs

• "A Forest" – The Cure
• "All Out of Love" – Air Supply
• "Any Way You Want It" – Journey
• "Another One Bites The Dust"-Queen
• "Ashes To Ashes" – David Bowie
• "Babe" – Styx
• "Back Together Again" – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
• "Borrowed Time" – Styx
• "Breaking the Law" – Judas Priest
• "Cheap Wine" – Cold Chisel
• "Fool in the Rain" – Led Zeppelin
• "Freewill" – Rush
• "Good Morning Girl" – Journey
• "Hungry Heart" – Bruce Springsteen
• "I Can't Tell You Why" – The Eagles
• "I Hope I Never – Split Enz
• "Living After Midnight" – Judas Priest
• "London Calling" – The Clash
• "Love The World Away" – Kenny Rogers
• "Metal Gods" – Judas Priest
• "On And On And On" – ABBA
• "People – Mi-Sex
• "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" – Aerosmith
• "Sexy Eyes" – Dr. Hook
• "Stay Awhile" – Journey
• "Suddenly" – Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard
• "Super Trouper" – ABBA
• "The Winner Takes It All" – ABBA
• "Too Late" – Journey
• "Train in Vain" – The Clash
• "Tulsa Time" – Eric Clapton
• "Turn It On Again" – Genesis
• "Why Me" – Styx
• "You May Be Right" – Billy Joel
• (Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon
• Another Brick In The Wall, Part II – Pink Floyd
• Another One Bites The Dust- Queen
• Call Me – Blondie
• Coming Up – Paul McCartney & Wings
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
• It's Still Rock And Roll To Me – Billy Joel
• Lady – Kenny Rogers
• Magic -Olivia Newton-John
• Rock With You – Michael Jackson
• Upside Down – Diana Ross
• Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand

New books

• Naming and Necessity – Saul Kripke