Only 80s - 1981

1981

Major Events
Pope John Paul II shot twice
Mitterand elected French premire
Martial law in Poland
Israel destroys Iraq's nuclear reactor
President proposes $180 billion
President Reagan fires air traffic controllers
Assasination attaempt on President Reagan
Anwar Sadat Assasinated
The space shuttle Columbia launches for the first time.
Sandra Day O'Connor becomes first female Supreme Court Justice.
Prince Charles and Diana Spencer marry July 29.
Luke and Laura of General Hospital most watched wedding next to Charles & Diana.
Dynasty premieres.
The first DeLorean sports cars roll off the assembly line.
August first 1981, the birthday of Music Television.
Rick Springfield takes job as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital.
Pac Mac is introduced in the U.S. and sparks a huge craze.
Poland government crushes the Solidarity movement.
First reports of deaths at the time from disease what we now know to be called AIDS.
52 hostages released after 14 months of captivity in Iran.
John Hinkley attempts assassination on Ronald Regan on March 30.
Nutra Sweet hits the markets.
Pope John Paul II is shot by crazy Turk.
Walter Cronkite steps down from CBS, Dan Rather takes over.
"Physical" by Olivia Newton-John spends 10 weeks at #1 on the charts (half in 81, half in 82.)
Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda both win best actor awards for On Golden Pond.
Porky's released in theaters, introducing us to Kim Catrall. To this day it’s still the highest grossing movie from Canada.
Tom Cruise makes his feature film debut in Endless Love.

Sports
NBA: Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets Series: 4-2
NCAA Football: Clemson Record: 12-0-0
Heisman Trophy: Marcus Allen, usc, RB points: 1,797
Stanley Cup: New York Islanders vs. Minnesota Northstars Series: 4-1
Super Bowl XV: Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles Score: 27-10
US Open Golf: David Graham Score: 273 Course: Merion GC Location: Ardmore, PA
World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees Series: 4-2

Popular Music
1."The Tide is High" ... Blondie
2."Celebration" ... Kool and the Gang
3."9 to 5" ... Dolly Parton
4."I Love a Rainy Night" ... Eddie Rabbit
5."Keep on Loving You" ... REO Speedwagon
6."Rapture" ... Blondie
7."Kiss on My List" ... Daryl Hall & John Oates
8."Morning Train" ... Sheena Easton
9."Bette Davis Eyes" ... Kim Carnes
10."Medley: Stars on 45" ... Stars on 45

Popular Movies
1. Any Which Way You Can
2. Arthur 3. Bustin' Loose
4. Cannonball Run
5. Cheech and Cong's Nice Dream
6. Clash of the Titans
7. Endless Love
8. Excalibur
9. Flash Gordon
10. For Your Eyes Only

Most Popular Television Shows

1. Dallas (CBS)
2. 60 Minutes (CBS)
3. The Jeffersons (CBS)
4. Three's Company (ABC)
5. Alice (CBS)
6. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS)
7. Too Close For Comfort (ABC)
8. ABC Monday Night Movie (ABC)
9. M*A*S*H (CBS)
10. One Day at a Time (CBS)

Academy Awards
Best Picture: "Chariots of Fire"
Best Director: Warren Beatty ... " Reds"
Best Actor: Henry Fonda ... "On Golden Pond"
Best Actress: Katherine Hepburn ... "On Golden Pond"

Grammy Awards
Record of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" ... Kim Carnes
Song of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" ... Donna Weiss & Jackie DeShannon
Album of the Year: "Double Fantasy" ... John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Male Vocalist: Al Jarreau ... "Breakin' Away"
Female Vocalist: Lena Horne ... "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music"

Nobel Prizes
Chemistry
The prize was awarded jointly to: FUKUI, KENICHI, Japan, Kyoto University, Kyoto, b. 1918, d. 1998; and HOFFMANN, ROALD, U.S.A., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, b. 1937 (in Zloczow, Poland): "for their theories, developed independently, concerning the course of chemical reactions"

Literature
CANETTI, ELIAS, Great Britain, b. 1905 (in Rustschuk, Bulgaria), d. 1994: "for writings marked by a broad outlook, a wealth of ideas and artistic power"

Peace
OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES Geneva, Switzerland.

Physiology or Medicine
The prize was awarded one half to: SPERRY, ROGER W., U.S.A., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, b. 1913, d. 1994: "for his discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres" and the other half jointly to: HUBEL, DAVID H., U.S.A., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, b. 1926 (in Canada); and WIESEL, TORSTEN N., Sweden, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, U.S.A., b. 1924: "for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system"

Physics
The prize was awarded by one half jointly to: BLOEMBERGEN, NICOLAAS, U.S.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, b. 1920 (in the Netherlands); and SCHAWLOW, ARTHUR L., U.S.A., Stanford University, Stanford, CA, b. 1921: "for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy"; and the other half to: SIEGBAHN, KAI M., Sweden, Uppsala University, Uppsala, b. 1918: "for his contribution to the development of high-resolution electron spectroscopy"

Pulitzer Prizes
Drama: Beth Henley ... "Crimes of the Heart"
Fiction: John Kennedy Toole ... "A Confederacy of Dunces"
History: Lawrence A. Cremin ... "American Education: The American Experience 1783-1876"
International Reporting: Shirley Christian ... "Miami Herald"
National Reporting: John M. Crewdson ... "New York Times"
Public Service: "Charlotte (NC) Observer"

Tony Awards
Best Play: "Amadeus" ... Peter Shaffer
Best Musical: "42nd Street"
Best Actor in a play: Ian McKellen ... "Amadeus"
Best Actress in a play: Jane Lapotaire ... "Piaf"
Best Actor in a musical: Kevin Kline ... "The Pirates of Penzance"
Best Actress in a musical: Lauren Bacall ... "Woman of the Year"