Happy 80s Birthdays
1949 - Stan Hansen (Wrestler)
1950 - Doug DeCinces (Baseball)
1952 - Deborah Van Valkenburgh (Actress) Too Close for Comfort (Jackie)
1952 - Don Schlitz (Country Singer)
1956 - Eddie Murray (Football) Kicker
1957 - Jerry D. Bailey (Jockey)
1959 - Rebecca De Mornay (Actress) Risky Business
1962 - Carl Banks (Football)
1963 - Elizabeth Fraser (Singer) Cocteau Twins
1964 - Pebbles (Singer)
1965 - Will Perdue (Basketball)
1971 - Carla Gugino (Actress) Troop Beverly Hills
Fun Fact!
Linebacker, Carl Banks Was the #3 Overall Pick in the 1984 NFl Draft by the New York Giants
* Voted to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
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Other Notable Birthdays
Isabel Sanford (Actress)
August 29, 1917 - July 9, 2004
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Passed Away at Age 86 From Natural Causes
Won an Emmy Award in 1981 For Most Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series For Her Role as Louise Jefferson on the TV Show, The Jeffersons
John McCain (Politician)
August 29, 1936 - August 25, 2018
Birthplace: Coco Solo Navy Base, Cativá Panama
Passed Away at Age 81 From a Brain Tumor
* The Senator of Arizona From 1987 to 2018
The Republican Nominee For the 2008 Presidential Election
Joel Schumacher (Director)
August 29, 1939 - June 22, 2020
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 80 From Cancer
Directed St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) and The Lost Boys (1987)
Fun Fact!
Jim Carrey and Matthew McConaughey Praised Joel Schumacher For Launching Their Careers
Robin Leach (TV Personality)
August 29, 1941 - August 24, 2018
Birthplace: London, England
Passed Away at Age 76 From a Stroke
Host of the TV Show, The Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous From 1984 to 1995
Michael Jackson (Singer)
August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009
Birthplace: Gary, Indiana
Passed Away at Age 50 From Cardiac Arrest
Michael Jackson's Thriller is the Top Selling Album of All-Time
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Pierre Lallement (French Businessman)
October 25, 1843 - August 29, 1891
Passed Away at Age 47 (Unknown Cause)
Considered the Inventor of the Bicycle
David T. Abercrombie (American Businessman)
June 6, 1867 – August 29, 1931
Passed Away at Age 64 (Unknown Cause)
Co- Founded Abercrombie and Fitch
Ingrid Bergman (Actress)
August 1915 29, August 29, 1982
Passed Away on Her Birthday at Age 67 From Breast Cancer
3x Academy Award Winner
Gene Wilder (Actor and Comedian)
June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016
Passed Away at Age 83 of Complications From Alzheimer's Disease
Best Known For Playing Willy Wonka in the 1971 Film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Ed Asner (Actor)
November 15, 1929 - August 29, 2021
Passed Away in His Home at Age 91
Won 2 Emmy Awards For His Role as Lou Grant From 1977 to 1982
* Nominated 5 Times
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - He Knows You're Alone
Director: Armand Mastroianni
Starring: Caitlin O'Heaney, Don Scardino, Elizabeth Kemp, Tom Rolfing, and Tom Hanks
Budget: $250,000
Box Office: $4.9 Million
Tom Hanks' Film Debut
1984 - Choose Me
Director: Alan Rudolph
Starring: Keith Carradine, Lesley Ann Warren, Geneviève Bujold, Rae Dawn Chong and John Larroquette
Budget: $835,000
Box Office: $2 Million
1986 - Shanghai Surprise
Director: Jim Goddard
Starring: Sean Penn and Madonna
Budget: $17 Million
Box Office: $2.3 Million
Sean Penn and Madonna Were Married at the Time
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
Fun Fact!
Jane Curtin Won 2 Consecutive Emmy Awards in 1984 and 1985 For Most Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series For Her Role as Allie in the TV Show, Kate & Allie
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - A
Jethro Tull (13th Album) UK
Billboard Charts: #30
* #9 in Norway
1980 - Signing Off
UB40 (Debut Album)
* Reached #2 in the UK
1986 - In the Army Now
Status Quo (17th Album)
Billboard Charts: #36
* Hit #1 in Switzerland
1987 - Sentimental Hygiene
Warren Zevon (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #63
1988 - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2
Helloween (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #108
* #5 in Germany
1989 - Steel Wheels
The Rolling Stones (21st Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Hit #1 in Canada, Austria and Norway
Over 2 Million Copies Sold in the US
1989 - Sleeping with the Past
Elton John (22nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #23
* Hit #1 in the UK, Switzerland and New Zealand
1989 - Last of the Runaways
Giant (Debut Album)
1989 - Lukather
Steve Lukather (Debut Album)
* Guitarist for Toto
1989 - Escape from Havana
Mellow Man Ace (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #69
In Other 80s Music News
1984 - The Jacksons Victory Tour Set a Concert Record With Over 1.1 Million Tickets Sold
1988 - Kylie Minogue Broke the UK Record For Most Albums Sold by a Female Artist
* The Kyrie Album Featured "The Loco Motion"
Over 2 Million Copies Sold in the UK
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1983 - Boston Red Sox Slugger, Jim Rice Hit 3 Home Runs in the Second Game of a Double Header Against the Toronto Blue Jays
* The Red Sox Beat the Blue Jays 8 - 7 at Exhibition Stadium on a Monday Night
Attendance: 38,338
1983 - Mike Schmidt Hit 2 Home Runs, Giving Him 30 Home Runs For 9 Consecutive Seasons
* Finished Career With 12 Seasons of 30 or More Home Runs
1986 - Cleveland Indians Outfielder, Joe Carter Went 5 - 5 With 3 Home Runs Against the Boston Red Sox
* The Indians Beat the Red Sox 7 - 3 on a Friday Night at Fenway Park
Attendance: 34,004
1987 - Nolan Ryan Set a Major League Record by Striking Out 200 Hitters For the 11th Time in His Career
* Finished Career With 14
1988 - The First WWF SummerSlam Was Held at Madison Square Garden
* The Ultimate Warrior Beat the Honky Tonk Man in 31 Seconds to Win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
1989 - Von Hayes (Philadelphia Phillies) Hit 3 Home Runs Against the San Francisco Giants
* The Phillies Beat the Giants 6 - 1 at Candlestick Park on a Tuesday Night
Attendance: 13,952
Fun Fact!
On June 11th 1985 Von Hayes Became the First Player to Hit 2 Home Runs in the 1st Inning
1989 - The Oakland A’s Beat the New York Yankees 19 - 5 on a Tuesday Night at Yankee Stadium
Attendance: 27,751
* Jose Canseco 4 - 5 (2 Home Runs)
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Other Notable Dates
(August 29th)
1898 - The Goodyear Tire Company Was Founded in Akron, Ohio
* The Goodyear Blimp Made its First Debut in 1912
1966 - The Beatles Played Their Final Concert
Venue: Candlestick Park in San Francisco
1997 - Netflix Was Launched as an Internet DVD Rental Service
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#1 Songs in America
(August 29th)
1980 - "Magic"
Olivia Newton-John
8/2 - 8/29
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Eye of the Tiger"
Survivor
7/24 - 9/3
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 "Ghostbusters"
Ray Parker, Jr.
8/11 - 8/31
1985 - "The Power of Love"
Huey Lewis and the News
8/24 - 9/6
1986 - "Papa Don't Preach"
Madonna
8/16 - 8/29
1987 - "La Bamba"
Los Lobos
8/29 - 9/18
1988 - "Monkey"
George Michael
8/27 - 9/9
1989 - "Right Here Waiting"
Richard Marx
8/12 - 9/1
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
August 29th in 80s History
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1988 - The First WWF SummerSlam Was Held at Madison Square Garden
* Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage Beat André the Giant and Ted DiBiase in the Featured Match
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UB40 Released Their Debut Album
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Headlines
(August 29th)
1980 - UB40 Released Their Debut Album, Signing Off
* Reached #2 in the UK
Fun Fact!
UB40 Was Formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England
1982 - Actress, Ingrid Bergman Passed Away at Age 67 From Breast Cancer
3x Academy Award Winner For the Films Gaslight (1944) Anastasia (1956) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
* Also Won 2 Primetime Emmy Awards and 1 Tony Award
1987 - “La Bamba” by Los Lobos Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from August 29 - September 18
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand
The Theme Song For La Bamba (1985)