On December 21, 1984 "Jump" by Van Halen Was Released as a Single
1988 - A Bomb Exploded on Pan Am Flight 103 Over Scotland
* 270 People Killed
The Deadliest Air Disaster on British Soil
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#1 Songs in America
(December 21st)
1980 - "Lady"
Kenny Rogers
11/15 - 12/26
1981 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29
1982 - "Maneater"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
12/18 - 1/14
1983 - "Say Say Say"
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
12/10 - 1/20
1984 - "Out of Touch"
Daryl Hall and John Oates
12/8 - 12/21
1985 - "Say You Say Me"
Lionel Richie
12/21 - 1/17
1986 - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
The Bangles
12/20 - 1/16
1987 - "Faith"
George Michael
12/12 - 1/8
1988 - "Look Away"
Chicago
12/10 - 12/23
1989 - "We Didn't Start the Fire"
Bill Joel
12/9 - 12/22
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Jump
1988 - Working Girl Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford
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December 21st in 80s History
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"Say You Say Me" Became the #1 Song in America
On December 21, 1984 The Flamingo Kid Starring Matt Dillon Premiered in Theaters
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1988 - Beaches Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey
The Theme Song “Wings Beneath My Wings” Was the #1 Song in America from June 10, 1989 to June 16, 1989
Other Notable Dates
(On December 21st)
1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles
* The World’s First Full-Length Animated Feature Film
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On December 21, 1984 Johnny Dangerously Starring Michael Keaton and Joe Piscopo Premiered in Theaters
Happy 80s Birthdays
1935 - Phil Donahue (Talk Show Host)
1937 - Jane Fonda (Actress) On Golden Pond
1948 - Barry Gordon (Actor) Screen Actors Guild President
1948 - Samuel L. Jackson (Actor) Coming to America (Gunman)
1948 - Dave Kingman (Baseball)
1950 - Jeffrey Katzenberg (Film Producer) Disney Chairman (1984-94)
1953 - Betty Wright (Singer)
1954 - Chris Evert (Tennis) 18 Grand Slam Titles
1955 - Jane Kaczmarek (Actress) Vice Versa
1966 - Kiefer Sutherland (Actor) The Lost Boys, Stand By Me, Young Guns
1968 - Khrystyne Haje (Actress) Head of the Class
Fun Fact!
Dave Kingman Led the National League in Home Runs in 1979 and 1982
* Kingman Was a Pitcher Before Converting to an Outfielder
Led USC to the College World Series in 1970
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Other Notable Birthdays
Frank Zappa (Singer)
December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993
Passed Away at Age 52 from Prostate Cancer
Carl Wilson (Singer)
December 21, 1946 - February 6, 1998
Passed Away at Age 51 from Lung Cancer
Member of The Beach Boys
Joaquín Andújar (Baseball)
December 21, 1952 - September 8, 2015
Passed Away at Age 62 from Diabetes Complications
Betty Wright (Singer)
December 21, 1953 - May 10, 2020
Passed Away at Age 66 from Cancer
Florence Griffith Joyner (Track)
December 21, 1959 - September 21, 1998
Passed Away in Her Sleep at Age 38
* Suffocated During a Severe Epileptic Seizure
Won 3 Gold Medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Bruce McCandless II (Astronaut)
Passed Away on December 21, 2017 at Age 80 (Unknown Causes)
* In 1984 He Accomplished the First Untethered Spacewalk by Using the Manned Maneuvering Unit
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1984 - The Flamingo Kid
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Matt Dillon, Richard Crenna, Héctor Elizondo, Jessica Walter, Bronson Pinchot, Janet Jones and Marisa Tomei
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $31.6 Million
1984 - Johnny Dangerously
Director: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Michael Keaton, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner, Maureen Stapleton, Peter Boyle, Griffin Dunne, Dom DeLuise, Danny DeVito, Alan Hale, Jr. and Dick Butkus
Budget: $9 Million
Box Office: $17.1 Million
1984 - Micki & Maude
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: Dudley Moore, Amy Irving, Ann Reinking, Richard Mulligan, Wallace Shawn and George Gaynes
Budget: $15.1 Million
Box Office: $26.2 Million
1988 - Beaches
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard, James Read, Spalding Gray, Lainie Kazan and Mayim Bialik
Budget: $20 Million
Box Office: $57 Million
1988 - Talk Radio
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Eric Bogosian, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Greene, Leslie Hope, John C. McGinley, John Pankow and Michael Wincott
Budget: $4 Million
Box Office: $3.4 Million
1988 - Working Girl
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack, Alec Baldwin and Philip Bosco
Budget: $28.6 Million
Box Office: $102 Million ($63 Million Domestic)
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1985 - Teri Garr Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: The Dream Academy
1988 - Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Aired for the First Time
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1984 - Thing-Fish
Frank Zappa (42nd Album)
Singles Released
1983 - "Jump"
Van Halen
#1 Song in America from February 25 - March 30
* Also Hit #1 in Canada
1985 - "Kyrie"
Mister Mister
#1 Song in America from March 1 - 14
* Also Hit #1 in Canada and Ireland
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - Houston Oilers Running Back, Earl Campbell Rushed For 203 Yards Against the Minnesota Vikings
* The Oilers Beat the Vikings 20 - 16 at the Houston Astrodome
Spread
Oilers -10
O/U 37.0
1985 - Washington Redskins Running Back, George Rogers Rushed For 206 Yards Against the St. Louis Cardinals
* The Redskins Beat the Cardinals 27 - 16 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis
Spread
Redskins -6
O/U 41.0
1985 - New York Jets Running Back, Joe Morris Rushed For 202 Yards Against the Pittsburgh Steelers
* The Giants Beat the Steelers 28 - 10 at Giants Stadium
Spread
Giants -9
O/U 38.0
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1988 - The Antonov An-225 Mriya Made Its Maiden Flight
* Largest Aircraft in the World
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<- December 20th December 22nd ->
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Headlines
(December 21st)
1985 - “Say You Say Me” by Lionel Richie Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
#1 Song in America from December 21 - January 17
* Also Hit #1 in Canada, Netherlands, Norway and South Africa
Theme Song For the Film, White Nights Starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines
Johnny Dangerously
1937 - Dr. Seuss Published His First Book
Title: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937)
1967 - Louis Washkansky Passed Away in Cape Town, South Africa 18 Days After His Heart Transplant
* The First Man to Undergo a Human to Human Transplant
Flamingo Kid