Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Iggy Pop (Singer)
Birthplace: Muskegon, Michigan
1951 - Tony Danza (Actor) Who’s the Boss
Birthplace: New York City
1957 - Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake (Wrestler)
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida
1957 - Jesse Orosco (Baseball)
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California
1958 - Andie MacDowell (Actress) St. Elmo’s Fire
Birthplace: Gaffney, South Carolina
1959 - Robert Smith (Singer) Cure
Birthplace: Blackpool, England
Fun Fact!
Tony Danza Was a Professional Boxer From 1976 - 79
Record: 9 - 3
Knockouts: 9
1986 - Geraldo Rivera Hosted the “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault"
* The Highest Rated Syndicated Show of All-Time With Over 30 Million Viewers
Viewers Were Very Disappointed When Geraldo Found Nothing the Vault
_______________________________
Headlines
(April 21st)
1982 - The Final Episode of WKRP in Cincinnati Aired
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 90
Network: CBS
Game Boy
1989 - Field of Dreams Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones
Fun Fact!
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Played Extras at Fenway Park in Field of Dreams
On April 21, 1989 The Game Boy Was Released in Japan
* Released in the United States in July
_______________________________
_______________________________
"Against All Odds" Became the #1 Song in America
#1 Songs in America
(April 21st)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Kiss on My List"
Hall & Oates
4/11 - 5/1
1982 - "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
3/20 - 5/7
1983 - "Billie Jean"
Michael Jackson
3/5 - 4/22
1984 - "Against All Odds"
Phil Collins
4/21 - 5/11
1985 - "We Are the World"
USA for Africa
4/13 - 5/10
1986 - "Kiss"
Prince
4/19 - 5/2
1987 - "I Knew You Were Waiting"
Aretha Franklin and George Michael
4/18 - 5/1
1988 - "Get Out of Dreams, Get Into My Car"
Billy Ocean
4/9 - 4/22
1989 - "She Drives Me Crazy"
Fine Young Cannibals
Other Notable Birthdays
John Muir (Activist)
April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914
Birthplace: Dunbar, Scotland
Passed Away at Age 76 From Pneumonia
* Muir Was a Naturalist, Author, Environmental Philosopher, Botanist, Zoologist, Glaciologist, and a Big Advocate For the Preservation of the Wilderness in the United States
Known as “The Father of the National Parks
Ivan Combe (Inventor)
April 21, 1911 - January 11, 2000
Birthplace: Fremont, Iowa
Passed Away at Age 88
* Unknown Cause of Death
Invented Clearasil in 1950 and Introduced Odor Eaters in 1974
Reni Santoni (Actor)
April 21, 1938 - August 1, 2020
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 82 in a Los Angeles Hospice
* Had Several Health Problems Including Cancer
Best Known For Playing Poppie on Seinfeld and Tony Gonzales in the 1986 Film Cobra
Ken Caminiti (Baseball)
April 21, 1963 - October 10, 2004
Birthplace: Hanford, CA
Passed Away at Age 41 From a Cocaine and Heroin Overdose
Major League Seasons: 15
Position: 3rd Base
All-Star: 3
Won the National League MVP in 1996
_______________________________
Passed Away
(On This Day)
Prince (Singer)
June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Passed Away at Age 57 From a Fentanyl Overdose
* Best Known For Purple Rain
Albums: 39
Considered One of the Greatest Musician of His Generation
_______________________________
80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1989 - Field of Dreams
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Starring: Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $84.4 Million
1989 - Pet Sematary
Director: Mary Lambert
Starring: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Blaze Berdahl and Miko Hughes
Budget: $11.5 Million
Box Office: $57.5 Million
1989 - Red Scorpion
Director: Joseph Zito
Starring: Dolph Lundgren and M. Emmet Walsh
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $4.2 Million
1989 - Speed Zone
Director: Jim Drake
Starring: Star Studded Cast
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $3 Million
_______________________________
80s Television
(On This Day)
1982 - Final Episode of WKRP in Cincinnati
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 90
Network: CBS
Did You Know?
The New WKRP in Cincinnati (Spinoff) Premiered in 1991
* Ran 2 Seasons with 47 Episodes
_______________________________
80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Empty Glass
Pete Townshend (2nd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
1980 - Hypnotised
The Undertones (2nd Album)
Reached #6 in the UK
1984 - Bananarama
Bananarama (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #30
Featuring “Cruel Summer”
* Made Popular From The Karate Kid
Did You Know?
Bananarama is in The Guiness Book of World Records For Hitting the Billboard Charts More Times Than Any Other Female Band
1986 - Russian Roulette
Accept (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #114
1986 - Tinderbox
Siouxsie and the Banshees (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #88
1987 - The Legacy
Testament (Debut Album)
1987 - Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #20
1989 - Blue Blood
X Japan (2nd Album)
* Reached #6 in Japan
Singles Released
1986 - "Sledgehammer”
Peter Gabriel
#1 Song in America from July 26 - August 1
* Also Hit #1 in Canada
_______________________________
80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Bill Rodgers Won the Boston Marathon
* 4th Boston Marathon Win
1980 - Jacqueline Gareau (Canada) Won the Boston Marathon For the Women
* Rosie Ruiz Was Disqualified For Not Running the Entire Course
1981 - Ken Patera Beat Pat Patterson to Win the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
1982 - Atlanta Braves Won their 13th Straight Game to Start the Season
* Lost Next Game to the Cincinnati Reds
1982 - Rollie Fingers Recorded his 300th Career Save
* First Pitcher to 300
1986 - Rob de Castella (Australian) Won the Boston Marathon
1986 - Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway) Won the Boston Marathon for the Women
1987 - The Milwaukee Brewers Streak of 13 Straight Wins to Start the Season was Snapped
* Started the Season 17 - 1
1989 - George W. Bush and Edward W. Rose Became the Joint CEOs of the Texas Rangers
_______________________________
In Other 80s News
(April 21st)
1984 - Nintendo's, Duck Hunt Was Released in Japan
1985 - The Religious Cult, The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord Finally Surrendered to Federal Authorities in Arkansas After Being Surrounded For 2 Days
In Other News
(On April 21st)
1952 - Secretary's Day Was First Celebrated
* Now Known as Administrative Professionals' Day
1977 - Annie Opened on Broadway
_______________________________
_______________________________
1989 - Over 100,000 Students Gathered in Tiananmen Square to Honor Chinese Reform Leader Hu Yaobang
* Known as the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests
_______________________________
1984 - "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from April 21 - May 11
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Ireland, Norway and Israel
April 21st in 80s History
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________