From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. It is equivalent to 2733 a.U.c., and to 1400 AH.
[edit] Events
[edit] January
- January 1-April 1 - A national steel strike is called in the United Kingdom.
- January 1 - Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession make Victoria of Sweden Crown Princess over her younger brother.
- January 4 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
- January 6 - The president of Sicily, Piersanti Mattarella, is assassinated by the Mafia.
- January 7 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.
- January 9 - In Saudi Arabia, 63 Muslim fanatics are beheaded for their part in the siege of the Great Mosque in Mecca in November, 1979.
- January 11 - Nigel Short, 14, is the youngest chess player to be awarded the degree of International Master.
- January 22 - Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet scientist and human rights activist, is arrested in Moscow.
- January 26 - Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
- January 27 - Six American diplomats, posing as Canadians, manage to escape from Tehran, Iran as they board a flight to Zürich, Switzerland and thereby end the Canadian caper operation.
- January 31 - The Spanish Embassy in Guatemala is taken down and set on fire, killing 36 people.
[edit] February
- April 1 - The Mariel boatlift from Cuba begins.
- April 1 - New York City's Transport Works Union Local 100 goes on strike, which continues for 11 days.
- April 2 - The St. Pauls riot breaks out in Bristol.
- April 7 - The United States severs diplomatic relations with Iran and imposes economic sanctions, following the taking of American hostages on Sunday, November 4, 1979.
- April 10 - Spain and the United Kingdom agree to reopen the border between Gibraltar and Spain, closed since 1969.
- April 12 - Samuel Doe takes over Liberia in a coup d'etat, ending over 130 years of democratic presidential succession in that country.
- April 18 - Zimbabwe gains independence from the United Kingdom; Robert Mugabe becomes Prime Minister.
- April 19 - Johnny Logan wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 with the song, What's Another Year.
- April 21 - Rosie Ruiz wins the Boston Marathon, but is later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award.
- April 24 - Pennsylvania Lottery Scheme: the state lottery is rigged by 6 men including the host of the live TV drawing, Nick Perry.
- April 24-April 25 - Operation Eagle Claw, a commando mission in Iran to rescue American embassy hostages, is aborted after mechanical problems ground the rescue helicopters. Eight United States troops are killed in a mid-air collision during the failed operation.
- April 27 - The Dominican embassy siege ends with all hostages released and the guerrillas flying to Cuba.
- April 30 - Iranian Embassy Siege - Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in London, UK. SAS retakes the Embassy on May 5; 1 terrorist survives.
- April 30 - Luis Muñoz Marín, the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico, dies at the age of 82.
- April 30 - Queen Juliana of the Netherlands abdicates, and her daughter Beatrix ascends to the throne.
- May 4 - Yugoslav president Tito dies. The funeral ceremony later becomes the world's biggest diplomatic meeting and media event ever, with more than 140 state delegations in Belgrade from all over the world (only the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 will have more news coverage and a higher number of delegations).
- May 7 - Paul Geidel, convicted of second-degree murder in 1911, is released from prison in Beacon, New York, after 68 years and 245 days - the longest-ever time served by an inmate.
- May 9 - In Florida, a Liberian freighter named the Summit Venture hits the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, sending 35 people (most of whom were in a bus) to a watery death as a 1,400-foot section of the bridge collapses.
- May 17 - A Miami, Florida court acquits 4 White police officers of killing Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance executive, provoking 3 days of race riots.
- May 18 - Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage.
- May 18 - May 27 - Gwangju Massacre: Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
- May 20 - Referendum: Voters in Quebec reject by a vote of 60% a proposal to seek independence from Canada.
- May 24 - The International Court of Justice calls for the release of U.S. Embassy hostages in Tehran.
- May 25 - Indianapolis 500-Mile Race: Johnny Rutherford wins for a third time in car owner Jim Hall's revolutionary ground effect Chaparral car; the victory is Hall's second as an owner.
- May 26 - John Frum supporters in Vanuatu storm government offices on the island of Tanna. Vanuatu government troops land the next day and drive them away.
- May 26 - In South Korea, military government forces and pro-democracy protesters clash; 2,000 protesters die.
- June 1 - In Los Angeles, comedian Richard Pryor is badly burned trying to freebase cocaine.
- June 3 - A series of deadly tornadoes strikes Grand Island, Nebraska, causing over $300m in damage, killing 5 people and injuring over 250.
- June 3 - U.S. Senator Edward Moore Kennedy wins several primaries, including California, on 'Super Tuesday', but not enough to overtake President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic Party nomination.
- June 10 - Apartheid: The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a statement by their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela, which says in part: 'UNITE! MOBILISE! FIGHT ON! BETWEEN THE ANVIL OF UNITED MASS ACTION AND THE HAMMER OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE WE SHALL CRUSH APARTHEID!'[1]
- June 10 - A Unabomber bomb injures United Airlines president Percy Wood in Lake Forest, Illinois.
- June 19 - Iraqi security forces shoot dead 3 gunmen who attacked the British Embassy in Baghdad. The unknown attackers are killed in the embassy gardens by Iraqi security men, sent at the urgent request of the British ambassador, Alex Stirling.
- June 22 - West Germany beats Belgium 2-1 to win the 1980 European Football Championship.
- June 23 - Sanjay Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, dies in an air crash.
- June 23-September 6 - Heat Wave of 1980
- June 25 - A Muslim Brotherhood assassination attempt against Syrian president Hafez al-Assad fails. Assad retaliates by sending the army against them.
- June 26 - A DC-9 belonging to the Italian Airline Itavia crashes into the sea near Naples after an explosion occurs in the air - 81 people die - a bomb or a missile is suspected to be the cause of the accident but no culprits are ever found.
- June 27 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs a bill requiring 19- and 20-year old males to register for a peacetime military draft, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
- June 29 - Vigdis Finnbogadottir becomes the president of Iceland.
[edit] August
[edit] September
[edit] October
[edit] November
[edit] December
[edit] Unknown dates
[edit] Births
[edit] January
- January 1 - Elin Nordegren, Swedish model
- January 1 - Mark Nichols, Canadian curler
- January 2 - Rebekah Teasdale, British model and journalist
- January 7 - Gabriela Bazan, Peruvian activist
- January 8 - Rachel Nichols, American actress
- January 9 - Sergio García, Spanish golfer
- January 10- Janelle Pierzina, American reality star
- January 11 - Mike Williams, American football player
- January 14 - Cory Gibbs, American soccer player
- January 14 - Sosuke Sumitani, Japanese announcer
- January 16 - Albert Pujols, Dominican Major League Baseball player
- January 16 - Michelle Wild, Hungarian actress
- January 17 - Kimberly Spicer, American model
- January 17 - Zooey Deschanel, American actress
- January 18 - Julius Peppers, American football player
- January 18 - Jason Segel , Actor
- January 20 - Jenson Button, British racecar driver
- January 21 - Kevin McKenna, Canadian footballer
- January 22 - Christopher Masterson, American actor
- January 24 - Nicole Marie Lenz, March 2000 Playboy Playmate, actress, and model
- January 25 - Christian Olsson, Swedish athlete
- January 25 - Alicia Keys, American musician
- January 25 - Michelle McCool-Alexander, American professional wrestler
- January 27 - Marat Safin, Russian tennis player
- January 28 - Nick Carter, American singer, member of Backstreet Boys
- January 30 - Wilmer Valderrama, Venezuelan/Colombian-American comedian
[edit] February
- February 5 - Robin Vik, Czech tennis player
- February 6 - Mamiko Noto, Japanese seiyu (voice actress)
- February 10 - César Izturis, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- February 10 - Steve Tully, English footballer
- February 11 - Natasha Bobo, American actress
- February 11 - Matthew Lawrence, American actor
- February 12 - Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
- February 12 - Christina Ricci, American actress
- February 15 - Conor Oberst, American singer/songwriter
- February 16 - Ashley Lelie, American football player
- February 18 - Regina Spektor, Russian-born American singer-songwriter
- February 20 - Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
- February 20 - Artur Boruc, Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper
- February 27 - Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. president Bill Clinton
- February 28 - Tayshaun Prince, American basketball player
- February 28 - Piotr Giza, Polish footballer
- February 29 - Simon Gagne, Canadian hockey player
- March 2 - Lance Cade, American professional wrestler
- March 7 - Laura Prepon, American actress
- March 7 - Anthony Ocana, Dominican composer & guitarist
- March 9 - Chingy, American rapper
- March 13 - Molly Stanton, American actress
- March 14 - Aaron Brown, English footballer
- March 16 - Todd Heap, American football player
- March 18 - Alexei Yagudin, Russian figure skater
- March 21 - Ronaldinho, Brazilian football player
- March 21 - Marit Bjørgen, Norwegian cross-country skier
- March 30 - Yalin, Turkish pop music singer and songwriter
- March 30 - Paul Wall, American Rapper, Promoter, DJ and Jeweller
- March 31 - Chien-Ming Wang, Taiwanese Major League Baseball player
- April 1 - Randy Orton, American professional wrestler
- April 1 - Yūko Takeuchi, Japanese actress
- April 8 - Ben Freeman, British actor
- April 13 - Jana Cova, Czech pornographic actress
- April 14 - Ben Wells, American actor
- April 26 - Paul London, American professional Wrestler
- April 17 - Brenda Villa, American water polo player
- April 20 - Jasmin Wagner, German singer
- April 20 - Channing Tatum, American actor and model
- April 21 - Vincent Lecavalier, Canadian hockey player
- April 26 - Jordana Brewster, American actress
- June 1 - Oliver James, British actor
- June 10 - Francelino Matuzalem, Brazilian football player
- June 13 - Sarah Connor, German singer
- June 16 - Brad Gushue, Canadian curler
- June 16 - Joey Yung, Hong Kong singer
- June 17 - Kimeru, Japanese singer
- June 17 - Venus Williams, American tennis player
- June 19 - Jason White, American football player
- June 22 - Jade Marcela, American actress
- June 23 - Ramnaresh Sarwan, West Indian cricketer
- June 25 - Nozomi Takeuchi, Japanese actress
- June 26 - Jason Schwartzman, American actor
- June 26 - Michael Vick, American football player
- June 29 - Katherine Jenkins, Welsh soprano
- June 29 - Martin Truex Jr, American race car driver
- July 3 - Roland Mark Schoeman, South African swimmer
- July 5 - Eva Green, French actress and composer
- July 6 - Pau Gasol, Catalan basketball player
- July 7 - Michelle Kwan, American figure skater
- July 8 - Robbie Keane, Irish footballer
- July 10 - Adam Petty, American race car driver (d. 2000)
- July 10 - Jessica Simpson, American singer
- July 18 - Kristen Bell, American actress
- July 20 - Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian supermodel
- July 22 - Kate Ryan, Belgian singer
- July 24 - Gauge, American actress
- July 29 - Fernando González, Chilean tennis player
- July 30 - Diam's, French female rapper
[edit] August
- August 3 - Jonathan D. Gordon, American Illustrator
- August 11 - Lee Suggs, American football player
- August 14 - Roy Williams, American football player
- August 12 - Matt Thiessen, Canadian singer/guitarist
- August 16 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer
- August 19 - Darius Danesh, Scottish singer-songwriter & actor
- August 26 - Macaulay Culkin, American actor
- August 26 - Chris Pine, American actor
- August 27 - Derrick Strait, American football player
- August 28 - Debra Lafave, American teacher
- August 29 - Nicholas Tse, Hong Kong singer
[edit] September
- September 3 - Jennie Finch, American softball player
- September 6 - Samuel Peter, boxer, heavyweight champion
- September 6 - Kerry Katona, English TV presenter and former pop star with Atomic Kitten
- September 7 - Mark Prior, baseball player
- September 10 - Mikey Way, American bassist (My Chemical Romance)
- September 12 - Sean Burroughs, baseball player
- September 12 - Yao Ming, Chinese basketball player
- September 13 - Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japanese baseball player
- September 19 - Tegan Quin, Canadian singer/songwriter
- September 19 - Sara Quin, Canadian singer/songwriter
- September 21 - Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress
- September 25 - T.I., American Rapper
- September 30 - Martina Hingis, Swiss tennis player
[edit] October
[edit] November
- November 3 - Dan Marsala, American lead vocalist (Story of the Year)
- November 11 - Willie Parker, American football player
- November 12 - Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor
- November 15 - Ace Young, American singer and reality show finalist
- November 16 - Kayte Christensen, American basketball player
- November 17 - Isaac Hanson, American musician
- November 19 - Adele Silva , British Actress
- November 21 - Hank Blalock, American baseball player
- November 25 - Nick Swisher, American baseball player
- November 25 - Josh Mathews, American professional wrestling announcer
[edit] December
- December 6 - Steve Lovell, English football player
- December 6 - Kei Yasuda, Japanese singer
- December 7 - John Terry, English football player
- December 9 - Ryder Hesjedal, Canadian professional cyclist
- December 10 - Sarah Chang, American violinist
- December 18 - Christina Aguilera, American singer
- December 19 - Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
- December 19 - Marla Sokoloff, American actress
- December 20 - Ashley Cole, English football player
- December 22 - Devin Anderson, American composer
- December 25 - Laura Sadler, British TV actress (d. 2003)
- December 30 - Eliza Dushku, American actress
[edit] Deaths
[edit] January
- January 3 - Joy Adamson, Austrian-born conservationist and author (murdered) (b. 1910)
- January 8 - John Mauchly, American physicist and inventor (b. 1907)
- January 10 - George Meany, American labor leader (b. 1894)
- January 18 - Sir Cecil Beaton, English photographer (b. 1904)
- January 25 - Roland Barthes, French literary critic, philosopher. (b. 1915)
- January 28 - Franco Evangelisti, Italian composer (b. 1926)
- January 29 - Jimmy Durante, American actor, singer, and comedian (b. 1893)
- January 30 - Professor Longhair, American musician (b. 1918)
[edit] February
- July - Robert Brackman, American painter (b. 1898)
- July 7 - Dore Schary, American film writer, director, and producer (b. 1905)
- July 17 - Boris Delaunay, Russian mathematician (b. 1890)
- July 24 - Peter Sellers, English actor (b. 1925)
- July 25 - Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian singer-songwriter, poet, actor (b. 1938)
- July 26 - Kenneth Tynan, English theatre critic (b. 1927)
- July 27 - Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (b. 1919)
- July 31 - Pascual Jordan, German physicist (b. 1902)
[edit] August
[edit] September
[edit] October
[edit] November
[edit] December
- December 2 - Romain Gary, Lithuanian-born writer (b. 1914)
- December 4 - Francisco Sá Carneiro, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934)
- December 4 - Stanislawa Walasiewicz, Polish-born runner (b. 1911)
- December 7 - Darby Crash, American songwriter, singer for The Germs (heroin overdose) (b. 1958)
- December 8 - John Lennon, British singer, songwriter, and guitarist (The Beatles) (murdered) (b. 1940)
- December 16 - Harland Sanders, American fast food entrepreneur (b. 1890)
- December 16 - Hellmuth Walter, German engineer and inventor (b. 1900)
- December 24 - Karl Dönitz, President of Germany (b. 1891)
- December 24 - Siggie Nordstrom, model, actress, entertainer, socialite and lead singer of The Nordstrom Sisters (b. 1893)
- December 26 - Richard Chase Serial Killer (b. 1950)
- December 29 - Tim Hardin, American musician (b. 1941)
- December 31 - Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and professor (b. 1911)
[edit] Unknown dates
[edit] Nobel prizes
[edit] Ship events