Other Notable Birthdays
John Denver (Singer)
December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997
Passed Away at Age 53 in a Plane Crash in Monterey Bay
One of the Best-Selling Artists From the 70s
Donna Summer (Singer)
December 31, 1948 - May 17, 2012
Passed Away at Age 63 from Lung Cancer
Known as the Queen of Disco
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Roberto Clemente (Baseball)
Passed Away at Age 38 in a Plane Accident While On a Humanitarian Trip to Nicaragua
to Deliver Emergency Relief
15x All-Star
12x Gold Glove
3,000 Career Hits
1966 MVP
* Played All 18 Seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, Making Him the First Latin American Player Elected
Raoul Walsh (Actor)
Passed Away on December 31, 1980 at Age 93 from a Heart Attack
Played John Wilkes Booth (Lincoln’s Assassin) in a Birth of a Nation (1915)
Ricky Nelson (Singer)
Passed away on December 31, 1985 at Age 45 in an Airplane Accident on His Way to a Concert in Dallas
Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
* Also Starred on the TV Series, Ozzie and Harriet From 1952 to 1966
George Allen (Football Coach)
Passed Away on December 31, 1990 at Age 72 from a Ventricular Fibrillation m (Abnormal Heart Rhythm)
Elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 2002
NFL Coach of the Year in 1967 (Los Angeles Rams) and 1971 (Washington Redskins)
James Avery (Actor)
Passed Away on December 31, 2013 at Age 68 Following Complications from Open Heart Surgery
Played Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Natalie Cole (Singer)
Passed Away on December 31, 2015 at Age 65 from Congestive Heart Failure
In 1975, Became the First African American to Win a Grammy Award For Best New Artist
* Over 30 Million Records Sold Worldwide
Wayne Rogers (Actor)
Passed Away on December 31, 2015 at Age 82 from Pneumonia
Played “Trapper” on M*A*S*H
William Christopher
Passed Away on December 31, 2016 at Age 84 as the Result of Small-Cell Carcinoma
Played Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1986 - Wisdom
Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright and Charlie Sheen
Budget: $6.5 Million
Box Office: $5.7 Million
Emilio Estevez Filmmaking and Directorial Debut
1986 - Witchboard
Director: Kevin Tenney
Starring: Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols and Todd Allen
Budget: $2 Million
Box Office: $7.4 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1982 - Final Episode of Texas (Soap Opera)
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 625
Network: NBC
Spinoff From Another World
1982 - Final Episode of The Doctors
Seasons: 20
Episodes: 5,155
Network: NBC
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood (2nd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
Singles Released
1985 - "Can't Fight This Feeling"
REO Speedwagon
* #1 Song in America from March 9 - 29
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1983 - The San Francisco 49ers Beat the Detroit Lions 24 - 23 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Candlestick Park in San Francisco
Spread
49ers -7.5
O/U 41.0
1983 - The Seattle Seahawks Beat the Miami Dolphins 27 - 20 in the AFC Divisional Round
Location: Orange Bowl in Miami
* Curt Warner (Seahawks) 113 Yards Rushing 3 TD’s
Spread
Dolphins -8
O/U 44.0
1988 - The Chicago Bears Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20 - 12 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Soldier Field in Chicago
* Dennis McKinnon (Bears) 4 Receptions 108 Yards 1 TD (64 Yards)
Spread
Bears -5.5
O/U 3 8.0
1988 - The Cincinnati Bengals Beat the Seattle Seahawks 21 - 13 in the AFC Divisional Round
Location: Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati
* Icky Woods (Bengals) 126 Yards Rushing 1 TD
Spread
Bengals 6.5
O/U 46.0
1989 - The Pittsburgh Steelers Beat the Houston Oilers 26 - 23 (OT) in the AFC Wild Card Game
Location: Houston Astrodome
* Merril Hoge (Steelers) 100 Yards Rushing 1 TD
Spread
Oilers -7
O/U 43.0
1989 - The Los Angeles Rams Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21 - 7 in the NFC Wild Card Game
Location: Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia
* Greg Bell (Rams) 124 Yards Rushing 1 TD
Spread
Eagles -3
O/U 39.0
1989 - Jockey Kent Desormeaux Set a Thoroughbred Racing Record by Winning 598 Races in a Year
* Still Holds the Record
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<- December 30th January 1st ->
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David Hasselhoff
1986 - Emilio Estevez Made His Filmmaking and Directorial Debut in the Film Wisdom
On December 31, 1989 David Hasselhoff Sang "Looking For Freedom" on the Berlin Wall
1984 - Def Leppard Drummer, Rick Allen Lost His Arm in a Car Crash
* After Recovering He Continued Playing With One Arm
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1955 - General Motors Became the First Corporation to Earn Over a Billion Dollars in a Year
#1 Songs in America
(December 31st)
1980 - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
John Lennon
12/27 - 1/30
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 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
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 - "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"
Poison
12/24 - 1/13
1989 - "Another Day in Paradise"
Phil Collins
12/23 - 1/19
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
On December 31, 1989 Bonnie Raitt Played a Concert at the Oakland Coliseum
Headlines
(December 31st)
1982 - Final Episode of The Doctors Aired
* Ran 20 Seasons with 5,155 Episodes
Def Leppard's Drummer Rick Allen Lost His Arm In a Car Accident
Other Notable Dates
(On December 31st)
1759 - Arthur Guinness Began Brewing Guinness Beer
1796 - The City of Baltimore Was Inaugurated
Population: 13,500
Now Over 560,000
1907 - The First New Year's Eve Celebration in Times Square Took Place
* Known as Longacre Square in Manhattan at the Time
1946 - President Harry S. Truman Officially Announced That World War II Ended With an Allies Victory
1985 - Singer and Actor Ricky Nelson Died in an Airplane Accident On His Way to a Concert in Dallas
December 31st in 80s History
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Bonnie Raitt
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Anthony Hopkins (Actor) The Elephant Man
1941 - Sarah Miles (Actress) Hope and Glory
1942 - Andy Summers (Guitarist) The Police
1943 - Ben Kingsley (Actor) Gandhi
1945 - Taylor Hackford (Director) Against All Odds
1945 - Vernon Wells (Actor) Weird Science
1947 - Tim Matheson (Actor) Fletch
1948 - Joe Dallesandro (Actor) The Cotton Club
1951 - Tom Hamilton (Bassist) Aerosmith
1953 - James Remar (Actor) 48 Hrs.
1953 - Jane Badler (Actress) Mission: Impossible (TV Series)
1958 - Bebe Neuwirth (Actress) Cheers (Lilith)
1959 - Val Kilmer (Actor) Top Gun, Top Secret, Real Genius
1959 - Paul Westerberg (Singer) The Replacements
1961 - Rick Aguilera (Baseball)
1963 - Scott Ian (Guitarist) Anthrax
1972 - Joey McIntyre (Singer) New Kids on the Block
Fun Fact!
Ben Kingsley Won an Academy Award For Best Actor in 1982 For His Role as Gandhi
* Gandhi Also Won Best Picture