Other Notable Birthdays
John Denver (Singer)
December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997
Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico
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
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 63 From Lung Cancer
Known as the Queen of Disco
_______________________________
Passed Away
(On This Day)
Roberto Clemente (Baseball)
August 18, 1934 - December 31, 1972
Birthplace: Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Passed Away at Age 38 in a Plane Accident While On a Humanitarian Trip to Nicaragua
to Deliver Emergency Relief
All Star: 15
Gold Gloves: 12
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)
March 11, 1887 - December 31, 1980
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 93 From a Heart Attack
Played John Wilkes Booth (Lincoln’s Assassin) in a Birth of a Nation (1915)
Ricky Nelson (Singer)
May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985
Birthplace: Teaneck, New Jersey
Passed Away 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)
April 29, 1918 - December 31, 1990
Birthplace: Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Passed Away at Age 72 From a Ventricular Fibrillation m (Abnormal Heart Rhythm)
NFL Coach of the Year in 1967 (Los Angeles Rams) and 1971 (Washington Redskins)
James Avery (Actor)
November 27, 1945 - December 31, 2013
Birthplace: Suffolk, Virginia
Passed Away at Age 68 Following Complications From Open Heart Surgery
Played Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Natalie Cole (Singer)
February 6, 1950 - December 31, 2015
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Passed Away at Age 65 From Congestive Heart Failure
In 1975 Cole Became the First African American to Win a Grammy Award For Best New Artist
* Over 30 Million Records Sold Worldwide
Wayne Rogers (Actor)
April 7, 1933 - December 31, 2015
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Passed Away at Age 82 From Pneumonia
Played “Trapper” on M*A*S*H
William Christopher
October 20, 1932 - December 31, 2016)
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 84 as the Result of Small-Cell Carcinoma
Played Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H
Betty White (Actress)
January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 99 From a Stroke
Won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards
* Also Won a Daytime Emmy Award as the Host of Just Men! (Game Show)
Cale Yarborough (NASCAR Driver)
March 27, 1939 - December 31, 2023
Birthplace: Timmonsville, South Carolina
Passed Away at Age 84 From Complications of a Rare Genetic Disorder
Elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012
* 4x Daytona 500 Winner (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984)
_______________________________
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
_______________________________
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
_______________________________
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
_______________________________
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 38.0
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
_______________________________
<- December 30th January 1st ->
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
David Hasselhoff
1986 - Wisdom Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright and Charlie Sheen
Emilio Estevez Made His Debut as Filmmaker and Director
1984 - Def Leppard Drummer, Rick Allen Lost His Arm in a Car Crash
* After Recovering He Continued Playing With One Arm
_______________________________
Def Leppard's Drummer Rick Allen Lost His Arm In a Car Accident
1985 - Singer and Actor Ricky Nelson Died in an Airplane Accident On His Way to a Concert in Dallas
December 31st in 80s History
__________________________
__________________________
Bonnie Raitt
_______________________________
Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Anthony Hopkins (Actor) The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs
Birthplace: Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
1942 - Andy Summers (Guitarist) The Police
Birthplace: Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
1943 - Ben Kingsley (Actor) Gandhi
Birthplace: Snainton, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
1945 - Taylor Hackford (Director) Against All Odds
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California
1947 - Tim Matheson (Actor) Fletch (Alan Stanwyck)
Birthplace: Glendale, California
1948 - Joe Dallesandro (Actor) The Cotton Club (Lucky Luciano)
Birthplace: Pensacola, Florida
1951 - Tom Hamilton (Bassist) Aerosmith
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado
1953 - James Remar (Actor) 48 Hrs. “Ganz”
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
1953 - Jane Badler (Actress) Mission: Impossible (TV Series)
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
1958 - Bebe Neuwirth (Actress) Cheers (Lilith)
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
1959 - Val Kilmer (Actor) Top Gun, Top Secret, Real Genius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1959 - Paul Westerberg (Singer) The Replacements
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
1961 - Rick Aguilera (Baseball)
Birthplace: San Gabriel, California
1963 - Scott Ian (Guitarist) Anthrax
Birthplace: New York City
1972 - Joey McIntyre (Singer) New Kids on the Block
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Fun Fact!
Ben Kingsley Won an Academy Award For Best Actor in 1982 For His Role as Gandhi
* Gandhi Also Won Best Picture
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 David Hasselhoff Sang "Looking For Freedom" on the Berlin Wall
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
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
_______________________________