#1 Songs in America
(August 5th)
1980 - "Magic"
Olivia Newton-John
8/2 - 8/29
1981 - "Jessie's Girl"
Rick Springfield
8/1 - 8/14
1982 - "Eye of the Tiger"
Survivor
7/24 - 9/3
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 - "When Doves Cry"
Prince
7/7 - 8/10
1985 - "Shout"
Tears for Fears
8/3 - 8/23
1986 - "Glory of Love"
Peter Cetera
8/2 - 8/15
1987 - "Shakedown"
Bob Seger
8/1 - 8/7
1988 - "Roll With It"
Steve Winwood
7/30 - 8/26
1989 - "Batdance"
Prince
8/5 - 8/11
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
August 5th in 80s History
Happy 80s Birthdays
1945 - Loni Anderson (Actress) WKRP in Cincinnati
1946 - Erika Slezak (Actress) One Life to Live
1948 - David Hungate (Bassist) Toto
1955 - Eddie Ojeda (Guitarist) Twisted Sister
1962 - Patrick Ewing (Basketball)
1962 - Otis Thorpe (Basketball)
1966 - Jennifer Finch (Bassist) L7
1966 - Jonathan Silverman (Actor) Weekend at Bernies
1967 - Matthew Caws (Singer)
Fun Fact!
Patrick Ewing Was the #1 Overall Pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks
* Frozen Envelope Conspiracy
Click Here For More NBA Fun Facts and Awards
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Other Notable Birthdays
John Saxon (Actor)
August 5, 1936 - July 25, 2020
Passed Away at Age 83 From Alzheimers and Dementia
Played Roper in the 1973 Film Enter the Dragon
Neil Armstrong (Astronaut)
August 5, 1930 - August 25, 2012
Passed Away at Age 82 From Coronary Artery Disease
First Man To Walk on the Moon
Herb Brooks (Hockey Coach)
August 5, 1937 - August 11, 2003
Passed Away at Age 66 From a Car Accident
Coached the "Do You Believe in Miracles" USA Hockey Team to a Gold Medal in 1980
Rick Mahler (Baseball)
August 5, 1953 - March 2, 2005
Passed Away at Age 51 From a Heart Attack
Pitched 13-Years in the Major Leagues
* Spent Most of His Career With the Atlanta Braves but Won the World Series in 1990 with the Cincinnati Reds
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Passed Away
(On this Day)
Chick Hearn (Sportscaster)
November 27, 1916 - August 5, 2002
Passed Away on August 5, 2002 at Age 85 From a Head Injury After Falling in His Home
The Play-by-Play Announcer For the Los Angeles Lakers For 41-Years
Darrell Porter (Baseball)
January 17, 1952 - August 5, 2002
Passed Away on August 5, 2002 at Age 50 From a Cocaine Overdose
Played Catcher in the Major Leagues For 17-Seasons
* Won the World Series MVP in 1982 as a Member of the St. Louis Cardinals
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Risky Business
Director: Paul Brickman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca DeMornay, Joe Pantoliano and Curtis Armstrong
Budget: $6.2 Million
Box Office: $63.5 Million
Curtis Armstrong's Film Debut
1983 - Get Crazy
Director: Allan Arkush
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Allen Garfield, Daniel Stern, Gail Edwards and Ed Begley Jr.
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $1.6 Million
1983 - The Star Chamber
Director: Peter Hyams
Starring: Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto, Sharon Gless and David Faustino
Budget: $8 Million
Box Office: $5.6 Million
1983 - Twice Upon a Time (Animation)
Directors: John Korty and Charles Swenson
Starring: Ralph the All Purpose Animal
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1983 - Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island (Animation)
Directors: Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Phil Monroe and Robert McKimson
Starring: Mel Blanc, June Foray and Les Tremayne
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1987 - Stakeout
Director: John Badham
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe and Forest Whitaker
Budget: $14.5 Million
Box Office: $65.6 Million
Fun Fact!
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore Met at a Screening For Stakeout
* They Got Married Shortly After
1988 - The Blob
Director: Chuck Russell
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and Joe Seneca
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $8.2 Million
Fun Fact!
Chuck Russell Also Directed the 1993 Film, Shawshank Redemption
1988 - Vibes
Director: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum, Julian Sands, Googy Gress and Peter Falk
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $1.8 Million
1988 - The Rescue
Director: Ferdinand Fairfax
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Ned Vaughn, Marc Price, Charles Haid, Christine Harnos, Ian Giatti and James Cromwell
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $5.8 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
No 80s TV Premieres or Finales On This Day
Fun Fact!
Michael J. Fox Won 3 Consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards (1986, 1987, 1988) For His Role as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties
Click Here For More TV Fun Facts and Awards
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1983 - Cold Blooded
Rick James (7th Album)
Billboard Charts: #16
* #1 in R&B
1983 - Punch the Clock
Elvis Costello and the Attractions (8th Album)
Billboard Charts: #24
1985 - Now That's What I Call Music 5 (UK Series)
Various Artists
* Hit #1 in the UK
1985 - Rum Sodomy & the Lash
The Pogues (2nd Album)
* Reached #13 in the UK
1986 - Dancing on the Ceiling
Lionel Richie (3rd Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200
* Also Hit #1 in Norway
Featuring “Say You Say Me”
Over 4 Million Copies Sold in the US
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Dick Williams Recorded His 1,000th Career Victory as a Major League Basaeball Manager
1984 - Joan Benoit Became the First American Woman to Win Olympic Gold in the Marathon
1984 - Cliff Johnson Set a MLB Record With His 19th Career Pinch-Hit Home Run
* Matt Stairs Currently Holds the Record With 23
1985 - New York Mets Outfielder, Darryl Strawberry Hit 3 Home Runs Against the Chicago Cubs
* The Mets Beat the Cubs 7 - 2 at Wrigley Field on a Monday Afternoon
Attendance: 34,167
1986 - San Francisco Giants Pitcher, Steve Carlton Struck Out Eric Davis to Record his 4,000th Career Strikeout
* The Reds Beat the Giants 11 - 6 at Candlestick Park on a Tuesday Night
Attendance: 17,303
Carlton is Currently Rranked #4 All-Time with 4,137 Strikeouts
1. Nolan Ryan 5,714
2. Randy Johnson 4,875
3. Roger Clemens 4,672
Click Here For More Baseball Fun Facts and Awards
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Other Notable Dates
(On August 5th)
1861 - The US Army Abolished Flogging (Whipping)
1914 - The Very First Electric Traffic Light Was Installed in Cleveland, Ohio
* Created by Lester Wire a Salt Lake City Police Man
1926 - Harry Houdini Spent 91 Minutes Underwater in a Sealed Tank Before Escaping
1957 - American Bandstand Premiered on ABC
1962 - Actress Marilyn Monroe Was Found Dead in Her Home From a Drug Overdose
* Ruled a Probable Suicide
1962 - South African Leader Nelson Mandela Went to Jail
* Wasn't Released Until 1990
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1983 - Risky Business Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay
Did You Know?
In Order to Look Younger, Tom Cruise Worked Out 7 Days a Week to Lose 10 Pounds
* Also Only Ate Fatty Foods to Give Him a Layer of Baby Fat
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1986 - Steve Carlton Recorded His 4,000th Career Strikeout
Career Strikeouts: 4,137
Career Strikeout Leaders
1. Nolan Ryan 5,714
2. Randy Johnson 4,875
3. Roger Clemens 4,672
4. Steve Carlton 4,137
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Risky Business Premiered in Theaters
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Headlines
(August 5th)
1981 - President Ronald Reagan Fired 11,359 Air-Traffic Control Workers For Ignoring His Order to Stop Striking and Return to Work
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1989 - "Batdance" by Prince Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from August 5 - 11
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand