1980

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Here is what was happening in the world.

January

• January 1-April 1 - National steel strike in the United Kingdom.

• January 1 - Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession creates Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess over her younger brother.

• January 4 - American president Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.

• January 6 - President of Sicily, Piersanti Mattarella, is assassinated by mafia

• January 7 - President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out Chrysler Corporation.

• January 9 - In Saudi Arabia, sixty three Muslim fanatics are beheaded for their part in the siege of the Great Mosque in Mecca in November, 1979.

• January 11 - Nigel Short, fourteen years old, is the youngest chess player to be awarded the degree of International Master.

• January 22 - Andrei Sakharov, a Russian scientist and human right activist, is arrested in Moscow.

• January 26 - Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.

• January 31 - Takedown of the embassy of Spain in Guatemala; the embassy was then set on fire, killing 36 people.

February

• February 2 - Abscam: Reports surface that FBI personnel were targeting members of the U.S. Congress in a sting operation.

• February 4 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini names Abolhassan Banisadr as president of Iran.

• February 13 - The XIII Winter Olympics opening ceremonies are held in Lake Placid, New York.

• February 15 - In Vanuatu, followers of John Frum's cargo cult on the island of Tanna declare secession as the nation of Tafea.

• February 22 - The United States Olympic Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the Winter Olympics in the Miracle on Ice.

• February 23 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran's parliament would decide the fate of the American embassy hostages.

• February 25 - Coup in Surinam ousts government of Henck Arron. Leaders Desi Bouterse and Rou Horb replace it with National Military Council.

• February 27 - M-19 guerrillas begin the Dominican embassy siege in Colombia, holding sixty people hostage, including fourteen ambassadors.

March

• March 1 - Voyager 1 probe confirms the existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn.

• March 3 - Pierre Trudeau returns to office as Prime Minister of Canada.

• March 4 - Robert Mugabe is elected Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

• March 14 - In Poland, a plane crashes during an emergency landing near Warsaw, killing a 14-man American boxing team and 73 others.

• March 18 - Fifty people are killed at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia when a Vostok-2M rocket explodes on its launch pad during a fueling operation.

• March 20 - The pirate radio station Radio Caroline sinks.

• March 21 - President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

• March 21 - Mafioso Angelo Bruno assassinated in Atlantic City.

• March 24 - Australia Olympic Committee announces it will send an Olympic delegation to Moscow, despite objections by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.

• March 24 - Archbishop Óscar Romero is killed by gunmen while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.

• March 26 - A mine lift cage at the Vaal Reef gold mine in South Africa falls 1.2 miles, killing twenty-three.

• March 27 - The Norwegian oil platform Alexander Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.

• March 27 - Silver Thursday market crash

April

• April 1 - The Mariel boatlift 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 broke 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 United Kingdom agree to reopen the border between Gibraltar and Spain, closed since 1969.

• April 12 - Samuel Doe takes control of Liberia in a coup d'etat, ending over 130 years of democratic presidential succession in that country.

• April 18 - Zimbabwe's formal independence from the United Kingdom. Robert Mugabe takes his post as a Prime Minister.

• 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 PA state lottery is rigged by six 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 Iranian embassy in London, UK. SAS retakes the Embassy on May 5 — one terrorist survives.

• April 30 - Luis Muñoz Marín, 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

• May 4 - Yugoslav president Tito dies. The funeral ceremony in later days became the world biggest diplomatic meeting and media event since ever. More than 140 state delegations came in Belgrade from all over the world. (only the funeral of the Pope John Paul II in 2005 had more news coverage and higher number of delegatons).

• 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 collapsed

• May 17 - Miami, Florida court acquits 4 White police officers of killing Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance executive. Three days of race riots follow.

• May 18 - Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage

• May 18 - Gwangju Massacre: Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.

• May 20 - Referendum in Quebec where the population rejects by a vote of 60% the proposal from its government to move towards 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 in 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 - 2000 protesters die

June

• June 1 - 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 five people and injuring over 250.

• 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 - Unabomber bomb injures Percy Wood, president of the United Airlines in Lake Forest, Illinois

• June 19 - Iraqi security forces shoot dead three gunmen who attacked the British embassy in Baghdad. The unknown attackers were killed in the embassy gardens by Iraqi security men, sent at the urgent request of the British ambassador, Alex Stirling.

• June 22 - West Germany beat Belgium 2-1 to win Euro 80

• June 23 - Sanjay Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, dies in an air crash.

• June 23-September 6 - Heat Wave of 1980

• June 25 - 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 dead - a bomb or a missile is suspected to be the cause of the accident but no culprits were ever found.

• June 29 - Vigdis Finnbogadottir becomes the president of Iceland.

July

• July 9 - Pope John Paul II visits Brazil. Seven people are crushed to death in a crowd meeting him.

• July 15 - A severe and destructive thunderstorm strikes four counties in western Wisconsin, including the city of Eau Claire. It caused over $250m in damage, and one person was killed.

• July 16 - Former California Governor and actor Ronald Reagan is nominated for U.S. President, at the Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan. The convention, influenced by the Religious Right, also drops its long standing support for the Equal Rights Amendment, much to the chagrin of moderate Republicans.

• July 19 - Former Turkish Prime Minister Nihat Erim is killed by two gunmen in Istanbul, Turkey.

• July 19-August 3 - Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, USSR.

• July 30 - Vanuatu gains independence

August

• August 2 - A terrorist bombing at the railway station in Bologna, Italy kills 85 people and wounds more than 200.

• August 2 - Hurricane Allen hits landfall on Haiti and Jamaica in a Category 5, it reached Category 3 on Southern Texas on August 9 causing $2.6 billion on damage.

• August 14 - Lech Wałęsa leads the first of many strikes at the Gdańsk shipyard

• August 17 - In Australia, baby Azaria Chamberlain disappears from a campsite at Ayers Rock (Uluru), reportedly taken by a dingo

September

• September 5 - The St. Gothard Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world's longest highway tunnel at 10.14 miles (16.32 km) stretching from Goschenen to Airolo.

• September 12 - Military coup in Turkey lead by Kenan Evren. It stopped political violence among gangs, but was the beginning of stronger state violence which lead to the execution of many young activists.

• September 17 - After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established.

• September 17 - Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay

• September 22 - The command council of Iraq ordered its army to "deliver its fatal blow on Iranian military targets," initiating the Iran-Iraq War.

• September 26 - The Mariel Boatlift officially ends.

• September 29 - Washington Post publishes Janet Cooke's story of Jimmy, an 8-year-old heroin addict (later proven to be fabricated)

• September 30 - Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel and Xerox introduce the DIX standard for Ethernet, which was the first implementation outside of Xerox, and the first to support 10 Mbit/s speeds.

October

• October 14 - The Staggers Rail Act is enacted, deregulating American railroads.

• October 18 - Fraser Government is re-elected for a third consecutive term in Australia with a reduced majority.

• October 25 - Proceedings on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction conclude at The Hague

• October 27 - Six IRA prisoners in Maze prison refuse food and demand status as political prisoners - hunger strike lasts until December

• October 30 - El Salvador and Honduras sign a peace treaty to put the border dispute fought over in 1969's Football War before the International Court of Justice.

• October 31 - Polish government recognizes Solidarity.

• October 31 - Mohammad Reza Shah, eldest son of the late shah of Iran, proclaimed himself the rightful successor to the Peacock Throne.

November

• November 4 - U.S. presidential election, 1980: Republican challenger former Governor Ronald Reagan of California defeats incumbent Democrat President Jimmy Carter by a wide margin exactly one year after the beginning of the Iran hostage crisis.

• November 12 - Voyager program: The NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn when it flies within 77,000 miles of the planet's cloud-tops and sends the first high resolution images of the world back to scientists on Earth

• November 20 - The trial of the Gang of Four begins in China.

• November 21 - A fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada kills 87 people.

• November 21 - Millions of viewers tune into the US TV soap opera Dallas to learn who shot lead character J.R. Ewing. The event is a national obsession.

• November 23 - A series of earthquakes in southern Italy kills approximately 4,800 people.

December

• December 8 - John Lennon is murdered by gunshot outside his New York apartment, by Mark Chapman.

• December 15 - The Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (Academy of the Asturian Language) is created.

• December 16 - During a summit on the island of Bali, the OPEC decides to raise the price of petroleum by 10%.

• December 26 - Richard Chase, the "Vampire of Sacramento", kills himself by overdose on San Quentin prison death row

Births

January

• January 1 - Elin Nordegren, Swedish model

• January 2 - Rebekah Teasdale, British model and journalist

• January 3 - Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model

• January 6 - Hiromi Oshima, Japanese model

• January 7 - Gabriela Bazan, Peruvian activist

• January 8 - Rachel Nichols, American actress

• January 9 - Sergio García, Spanish golfer

• January 10- Janelle Pierzina, Amercian 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 18 - Julius Peppers, American football player

• January 20 - Jenson Button, British racecar driver

• 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

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 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

March

• March 7 - Laura Prepon, American actress

• March 7 - Anthony Ocana, Dominican composer & guitarist

• 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 31 - Chien-Ming Wang, Taiwanese Major League Baseball player

April

• April 1 - Randy Orton, American professional wrestler

• April 1 - Yūko Takeuchi, Japanese actress

• April 13 - Jana Cova, Czech pornographic actress

• April 14 - Ben Wells, American actor

• 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

May

• May 6 - Danny Im aka Taebin, Korean hip-hop artist (1TYM)

• May 6 - Kate Lawler, Reality TV show star

• May 7 - Johan Kenkhuis, Dutch swimmer

• May 9 - Grant Hackett, Australian swimmer

• May 18 - Matt Long, American actor

• May 24 - Cecilia Cheung, Hong Kong actress

• May 30 - Steven Gerrard, English footballer

June

• June 1 - Oliver James, British actor

• June 10 - Francelino Matuzalem, Brazilian football player

• June 13 - Sarah Connor, German singer

• 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 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

• 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 30 - Diam's, French female rapper

August

• August 3 - Jonathan D. Gordon, American Illustrator

• August 11 - Lee Suggs, American football player

• August 14 - Roy Williams, American football player

• August 16 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer

• 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

September

• September 3 - Jennie Finch, American softball player

• September 7 - Mark Prior, baseball player

• September 7 - Erik Crosier, American author

• September 10 - Mikey Way, American bassist (My Chemical Romance)

• September 12 - Sean Burroughs, baseball player

• September 12 - Yao Ming, Chinese basketball 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

October

• October 4 - Me'Lisa Barber, American athlete

• October 13 - Ashanti, American musician

• October 14 - Terrence McGee, American football player

• October 16 - Sue Bird, American basketball player

• October 16 - Timana Tahu, Australian Rugby League Player

• October 17 - Ekaterina Gamova, Russian volleyball player

• October 28 - Alan Smith, English footballer

• October 28 - Christy Hemme, American professional wrestler

November

• 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 21 - Hank Blalock, American baseball player

December

• December 6 - Steve Lovell, English football player

• December 6 - Kei Yasuda, Japanese singer

• December 7 - John Terry, English football player

• December 10