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1981 - The First Successful Portable Computer, The Osbourne Was Unveiled in San Francisco
Cost: $1,795
Other Notable Dates
(On April 3rd)
1860 - The Pony Express Made Its First Successful Run
* The Route was from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California
1882 - Jesse James (Outlaw) Was Shot and Killed (Age 34) by Rival Robert Ford
1885 - Gottlieb Daimler Was Granted a German Patent for the Motor Engine Design
1922 - Joseph Stalin Became the First General Secretary (Leader) of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
1948 - US President Harry S. Truman Signed the Marshall Plan
* The Marshall Plan Provides Foreing Aid
1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr Gave His "I've Been to the Mountaintop" Speech
* He was Assassinated the Next Day
Happy 80s Birthdays
1942 - Wayne Newton (Singer)
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia
1944 - Tony Orlando (Singer)
Birthplace: New York City
1953 - James “Bonecrusher” Smith (Boxer)
Birthplace: Magnolia, North Carolina
1958 - Alec Baldwin (Actor) Beetlejuice
Birthplace: Amityville, New York
1959 - David Hyde Pierce (Actor) Frasier (Niles)
Birthplace: Saratoga Springs, New York
1961 - Eddie Murphy (Actor) Beverly Hills Cop
Birthplace: New York City
1968 - Sebastian Bach (Singer) Skid Row
Birthplace: Freeport, Bahamas
Fun Fact!
Eddie Murphy’s Popularity Exploded After Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
* Beverly Hills Cop Was the Highest Grossing Movie From 1984
#2 Ghostbusters
#3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
#1 Songs in America
(April 3rd)
1980 - "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II
Pink Floyd
3/22 - 4/18
1981 - "Rapture"
Blondie
3/28 - 4/10
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 - "Footloose
Kenny Loggins
3/31 - 4/20
1985 - "One More Night"
Phil Collins
3/30 - 4/12
1986 - "Rock Me Amadeus"
Falco
3/28 - 4/18
1987 - "Lean on Me"
Club Nouveau
3/21 - 4/3
1988 - "Man in the Mirror"
Michael Jackson
3/26 - 4/8
1989 - "Eternal Flame"
The Bangles
4/1 - 4/7
April 3rd in 80s History
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1989 - Ken Griffey Jr. Made His Major League Debut
* Hit a Double Off Dave Stewart in His First At-Bat
MLB Seasons: 22
All-Star: 13
AL MVP: 1 (1997)
Career Home Runs: 630
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 (First Ballot)
Fun Fact!
Ken Griffey Jr. and His Dad Ken Griffey Sr. Hit Back to Back Home Runs on September 14, 1990 as Members of the Seattle Mariners
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Ken Griffey, Jr. Made His Major League Debut
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Headlines
(April 3rd)
1980 - The Final Episode of Barnaby Jones Aired
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 178
Starring: Buddy Ebson
1989 - Michigan Beat Seton Hall 80 - 79 (OT) to Win the NCAA National Championship
Venue: The Kingdome
City: Seattle Washington
Head Coach: Steve Fisher
Most Outstanding Player: Glen Rice (Michigan)
Top Scorer: Glen Rice 184 (Michigan)
Fun Fact!
Glen Rice Was the #4 Overall Pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat
NBA Seasons: 15
All-Star: 3
80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - Final Episode of Barnaby Jones
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 178
Network: CBS
1989 - Top Card (Game Show) Premiered on TNN
Seasons: 4
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Wheels of Steel
Saxon (2nd Album)
* Reached #5 in the UK
Fun Fact!
Saxon’s Original Name Was “Son of a Bitch”
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1982 - Gil Perrault (Buffalo Sabres) Scored His 1,000th Career NHL Point
1983 - USC Beat Louisiana Tech 69 - 67 to Win the Women’s NCAA National Championship
Location: Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia
Most Outstanding Player: Cheryl Miller
Coach: Linda Sharp
1985 - The Major League Baseball Playoffs Expanded From the Best Out of 5 to Best Out of 7
1987 - Dennis Eckersley Was Traded From the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland A’s For 3 Minor Leaguers
* Eckersley Won the American League MVP and the Cy Young Award in 1992
Eckersley Was Born in Oakland
1988 - Louisiana Tech Beat Auburn 56 - 54 to Win the Women’s NCAA National Championship
Location: Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas
Most Outstanding Player: Tonya Edwards
Coach: Pat Summit
1988 - Mario Lemieux Won the NHL Scoring Title
* Broke Wayne Gretzky’s 7 Year Streak
1988 - New Jersey Devils Made the Playoffs For the First Time
* Beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 Games to 3
1989 - Ken Griffey Jr. Made His Major League Debut
Team: Seattle Mariners
Age: 19
* Hit a Double in His First At-Bat off A's Pitcher Dave Stewart
The A’s Beat the Mariners 3 - 2 on Opening Day
Location: Oakland Coliseum
Attendance: 46,163
1989 - Michigan Beat Seton Hall 80 - 79 (OT) to Win the Men’s NCAA National Championship
1989 - The New York Mets Won Their 11th Straight Opening Day Game
* Beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8 - 4
Location: Shea Stadium in New York
Attendance: 38,539
Dwight Gooden 7 Innings 4 ER 8 Strikeouts
Howard Johnson 3-4 (1HR) 3 RBI’s
Daryl Strawberry 3-3
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Other Notable Birthdays
Herb Caen (Humorist)
April 3, 1916 - February 1, 1997
Birthplace: Sacramento, California
Passed Away in San Francisco at Age 80
* Unknown Cause of Death
Herb Caen Was a Writer For the San Francisco Chronicle For Nearly 60 Years
Doris Day (Actress and Singer)
April 3, 1922 - May 13, 2019
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 97 From Pneumonia
* Co-Starred With Rock Hudson in the 1959 Film Pillow Talk
Fun Fact!
Doris Day Had Two #1 Songs as a Member of Les Brown and His Band of Renown
* "Sentimental Journey" (1944) and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" (1945)
Lyle Alzado (Football)
April 3, 1949 - May 14, 1992
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Passed Away at Age of 43 From Brain Cancer
NFL Seasons: 15
Position: Defensive End
Super Bowl Champion: XVIII (Los Angeles Raiders)
First Team All-Pro: 2 (1977, 1980)
Ray Combs (Game Show Host)
April 3, 1956 - June 2, 1996
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ohio
Committed Suicide by Hanging at Age 40
* Combs Was at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center While On Suicide Watch
The Host of Family Feud From 1988 to 1993
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Carter G. Woodson (American Historian)
December 19, 1875 - April 3, 1950
Birthplace: New Canton, Virginia
Passed Away at Age 74 From a Heart Attack
* Suffered the Heart Attack While Working in His Shaw, Washington, D.C. Office
The Founder of “Black History Month”
Chief Jay Strongbone (Wrestler)
October 4, 1928 - April 3, 2012
Birthplace: Nutley, New Jersey
Passed Away at Age 83 From a Fall in His House
* Voted Most Popular Wrestler in 1973 and 1979
Elected to the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009
Bob Burns (Drummer)
November 24, 1950 - April 3, 2015
Birthplace: Gainesville, Florida
Passed Away at Age 64 in a Single Car Crash
* Hit a Mailbox and a Tree in Cartersville, Georgia
The Drummer For Lynyrd Skynyrd
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1981 - Hardly Working
Director: Jerry Lewis
Starring: Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver and Deanna Lund
Budget: $8.8 Million
Box Office: N/A
1985 - Alamo Bay
Director: Louis Malle
Starring: Amy Madigan, Ed Harris and Ho Nguyen
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $380,000
1987 - Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Director: Jim Drake
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, Michael Winslow, David Graf, Tim Kazurinsky, Sharon Stone, Marion Ramsey, Lance Kinsey, Leslie Easterbrook, Colleen Camp, G.W. Bailey, Bobcat Goldthwait and George Gaynes
Budget: $17 Million
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On April 3, 1989 George H. W. Bush Threw Out the First Pitch in Baltimore
George H. W. Bush