On This Day August 18th in 80s History

Happy 80s Birthdays

1936 - Robert Redford (Actor) Out of Africa
1949 - Nigel Griggs (Bassist) Split Enz
1950 - Dennis Elliott (Drummer) Foreigner
1955 - Bruce Benedict (Baseball)
1956 - Jon Schwartz (Drummer) Weird Al’s Band
1957 - Ron Strykert (Guitarist) Men at Work
1958 - Madeleine Stowe (Actress) Stakeout
1960 - Mike La Valliere (Baseball)
1964 - Kenny “Sky” Walker (Basketball)
1969 - Christian Slater (Actor) Heathers
1970 - Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Actor) The Cosby Show (Theo)

Fun Fact!

Kenny “Sky” Walker Won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1989
* Walker Was the 5th Overall Pick in the 1986 Draft by the New York Knicks

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Other Notable Birthdays

Marshall Field (Entrepreneur)
August 18, 1834 - January 16, 1906
Passed Away at Age 71 From Pneumonia
* Caught Pneumonia After Playing Golf with Abraham Lincoln’s Oldest Son Todd
The Founder of Marshall Fields Department Stores

Shelley Winters (Actress)
August 18, 1920 - January 14, 2006
Passed Away at Age 85 From Heart Failure

Won an Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress For Her Role as Mrs. Petronella Van Daan in the 1959 Film, The Diary of Anne Frank

Marge Schott (American Businesswoman)
August 18, 1928 - March 2, 2004
Passed Away at Age 75 From Pneumonia

Owner of the Cincinnati Reds From 1984 to 1999

Was Banned From Running the Team by MLB in 1993 and Again from 1996 to 1998 For Racist Comments

Patrick Swayze (Actor)
August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009
Passed Away at Age 57 From Pancreatic Cancer

Best Known For the 1987 Film Dirty Dancing and Roadhouse (1989)

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Passed Away
(On this Day)

Walter Chrysler (American Businessman)

April 2, 1875 - August 18, 1940
Passed Away at Age 65 From a Cerebral Hemorrhage
The Founder of the Chrysler Motor Corporation

Ben Cross (English Actor)

December 16, 1947 - August 18, 2020
Passed Away at Age 72 From Cancer
Played Harold Abrahams in the 1981 Film, Chariots of Fire

* The Movie Won Best Picture

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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)

1989 - Casualties of War
Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly and John Leguizamo
Budget: $22.5 Million

Box Office $18.6 Million

1989 - Sex, Lies and Videotapes
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher and Laura San Giacomo
Budget: $1.2 Million

Box Office $36.7 Million

1989 - Eddie and the Cruisers II
Director: Jean-Claude Lord
Starring: Michael Pare, Marina Orsini, Bernie Coulson, Matthew Laurance, Michael Antunes, Anthony Sherwood, David Matheson, Harvey Atkin and Kate Lynch
Budget: $5 Million

Box Office $536,000

1989 - Blood Red
Director: Peter Masterson
Starring: Eric Roberts, Giancarlo Giannini, Dennis Hopper, Burt Young and Julia Roberts
Budget: N/A

Box Office $15,000

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80s Television
(On This Day)

No 80s TV Premiered or Finales On This Day

Fun Fact!

Michael J. Fox Won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series 3 Years in a Row (1986, 1987, 1988)

Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards

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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)

1980 - Drama
Yes (10th Album)
Billboard Charts: #18

* #2 in the UK

1980 - No More Dirty Deals
Johnny Van Zant (Debut Solo Album)

1981 - Dark Continent
Wall of Voodoo (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #177

1983 - White Feathers
Kajagoogoo (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #38

* Hit #1 in Japan

1986 - Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi (3rd Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts

* Also #1 in Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand

Over 12 Million Copies Sold Worldwide

1986 - ABBA (Live Album)
ABBA
* Reached #49 in Sweden

1986 - Kicking Against the Pricks
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (3rd Album)
* Reached #89 in the UK and #1 in UK Independent Albums

1986 - Silk & Steel
Five Star (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #80

1986 - True as Steel
Warlock (3rd Album)

1987 - Out of the Blue
Debbie Gibson (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #7
* Featuring “Shake Your Love” and “Only In My Dreams”
Over 5 Million Copies Sold Worldwide

1989 - Dig?
Bill Bruford's Earthworks (2nd Album)

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80s Sports

(On This Day)

1982 - Pete Rose Set a Major League Record With 13,941 Career Plate Appearances
* Pete Rose Still Holds the Record with 15,890
#2 Carl Yastrzemsk 13,992
#3 Hank Aaron 13,941

1982 - Jack Clark (6) and Jeffrey Leonard (5) Combined for 11 RBI’s
* The San Francisco Giants Beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 16 - 9 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh on a Wednesday Night
Attendance: 14,205

1986 - Jim Kelly Signed a 5-Year $75 Million Contract With the Buffalo Bills
* Kelly Led the Bills to 4 Super Bowls (Lost All 4)

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Other Notable Dates

(On August 18th)

1903 - German Engineer, Karl Jatho “Allegedly” Flew His Airplane 4 Months Before the Wright Brothers

1920 - Women Received the Right to Vote in the United States
* The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

1923 - The Very First British Track Championship For Women Was Held in London

1965 - The First Major Ground Battle of the Vietnam War Began
* Called Operation Starlite

Featured in the 2002 Film, We Were Soldiers Starring Mel Gibson

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