Other Notable Birthdays
Charles Darwin (English Geologist)
February 12, 1809 - April 19, 1882
Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Passed Away at Age 83 From Heart Failure
* Came Up With The Theory of Evolution
Abraham Lincoln (Former U.S. President)
February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865
Birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky
Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Age 56
* Shot at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C.
The 16th President of the United States
Bill Russell (Basketball)
February 12, 1934 - July 31, 2022
Birthplace: Monroe Louisiana
Passed Away in His Mercer Island, Washington Home at Age 88
* Unknown Cause of Death
Considered the Greatest NBA Champion of All-Time Winning 11 Championships in 13-Seasons With the Boston Celtics From 1956 to 1969
MVP: 5 (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965)
Elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975
Fun Fact!
Won the NBA Championship in 1968 and 1969 as Player Coach
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Nicholas Colasanto (Actor)
January 19, 1924 - February 12, 1985
Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island
Passed Away on February 9, 1985 at Age 61 From a Heart Attack
* Played Coach on the TV Series Cheers
Tom Landry (Football Coach)
September 11, 1924 - February 12, 2000
Birthplace: Mission, TX
Passed Away at Age 75 From Leukemia
* Coached the Dallas Cowboys From 1960 to 1988
Won 2 Super Bowls
Charles M. Schultz (Cartoonist)
November 26, 1922 - February 12, 2000
Birthplace: Minneapolis, MN
Passed Away in His Santa Rosa, California Home at Age 77 From Colon Cancer
* Was Suffering From Colorectal Cancer
Created the Peanuts (Charlie Brown) Cartoons
Al Jarreau (Singer)
March 12, 1940 - February 12, 2017
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Passed Away on February 9, 2017 at Age 76 From Respiratory Failure
* Sang the Theme Song For the TV Series Moonlighting
Won 10 Grammy Awards
Pedro Morales (Wrestler)
October 22, 1942 - February 12, 2019
Birthplace: Culebra, Puerto Rico
Passed Away on February 9, 2019 at Age 76 from Parkinson’s Disease
* Health Was Deteriorating From Cardiac Afflictions and Cancer
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995
Fun Fact!
Pedro Morales Was the First Wrestler to Win the WWE Triple Crown
* The Heavyweight, Intercontinental and the Tag Team Championship
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1982 - Cannery Road
Director: David S. Ward
Starring: Nick Nolte, Debra Winger and Audrey Lindley
Budget: $11.5 Million
Box Office: $1.8 Million
1982 - Love and Money
Director: James Toback
Starring: Ray Sharkey
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $14,000
1982 - Missing
Director: Costa-Gavras
Starring: Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek
Budget: $9.5 Million
Box Office: $16 Million
1982 - One From the Heart
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan and Harry Dean Stanton
Budget: $26 Million
Box Office: $636,000
1982 - Making Love
Director: Arthur Hill
Starring: Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean
Budget: $14 Million
Box Office: $11.8 Million
1982 - The Beast Within
Director: Phillipe Mora
Starring: Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens and Don Gordon
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $7.7 Million
1987 - Over the Top (Los Angeles and New York)
Director: Menahem Golan
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Robert Loggia, Susan Blakely, David Mendenhall, Rick Zumwalt and Terry Funk
Budget: $25 Million
Box Office: $16 Million
* Released Worldwide the Next Day
1988 - Action Jackson
Director: Craig R. Baxley
Starring: Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Thomas F. Wilson and Sharon Stone
Budget: $7 Million
Box Office: $20.2 Million
1988 - Shoot to Kill
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley, Andrew Robinson and Clancy Brown
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $29.3 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1988 - Final Episode of Sledge Hammer
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 41
Network: ABC
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams (Debut Solo Album)
* Reached #69 in Canada
Bryan Adams Used to be the Lead Singer for Sweeney Todd
1981 - Moving Picture
Rush (8th Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Hit #1 in Canada
1982 - English Settlement (Double Album)
XTC (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #48
1985 - Vision Quest (Soundtrack)
Various Artists
In Other 80s Music News
1989 - Tiny Tim Launched a Campaign to Become Mayor of New York City
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - The Oakland A’s Were Rejected Trying to Buy the Remaining Lease to the Oakland Coliseum
* A’s Were Rumored to Sell the Team and Move to Denver and This Prevented That
1982 - Wayne Gretzky Set an NHL Record with His 153rd Point of Season
1984 - Cale Yarborough Became the 1st Daytona 500 Qualifier to Reach 200 MPH
1984 - Figure Skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean Performed "Bolero" at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo
1984 - West Indies Beat Australia 2 - 1 to Win the World Series Cup of Cricket
1985 - Wales Conference Beat the Campbell Conference 6 - 4 in the All-Star Game in Calgary
MVP: Mario Lemieux (Penguins)
1985 - West Indies Beat Australia 2 - 1 to win the World Series Cup of Cricket
1989 - The West Beat the East 143 - 134 in the NBA All-Star Game
MVP: Karl Malone (Jazz)
West Coach: Pat Riley (Lakers)
East Coach: Lenny Wilkens (Hawks)
Location: Astrodome in Houston
Michael Jordan Was the Leading Vote Getter
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<- February 11th February 13th ->
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1985 - Nicholas Colasanto Passed Away at Age 61 From a Heart Attack
* Played Coach on Cheers
Passed Away During Season 4 of Cheers
Happy 80s Birthdays
1938 - Judy Blume (Writer)
Birthplace: Elizabeth, New Jersey
1945 - Maud Adams (Actress) Octopussy
Birthplace: Lulea, Norrbotten, Sweden
1950 - Michael Ironside (Actor) Top Gun
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1950 - Steve Hackett (English Guitarist)
Birthplace: London, England
1952 - Michael McDonald (Musician) Doobie Brothers
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
1953 - Joanna Kerns (Actress) Growing Pains
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
1955 - Chet Lemon (Baseball)
Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi
1956 - Arsenio Hall (Talk Show Host)
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
1959 - Larry Nance (Basketball)
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina
1960 - One Man Gang (Wrestler)
Birthplace: Spartanburg, South Carolina
1963 - Ed Lover (Rapper) Yo MTV Raps
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
1964 - Omar Hakim (Drummer)
Birthplace: New York City
1965 - David Westlake (English Singer) The Servants
Birthplace: Hayes, Middlesex, England
1968 - Josh Brolin (Actor) The Goonies
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
1968 - Chynna Phillips (Singer) Wilson Phillips
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Fun Fact!
Larry Nance (Phoenix Suns) Won the First NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984
Host City: Denver
Did You Know?
The ABA Had a Slam Dunk Contest For the 1976 and 1977 All-Star Games
1976: Dr. J (New York Nets)
1977: Darnell Hillman (Indiana Pacers)
1988 - Action Jackson Premiered in Theaters
Starring: Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson and Sharon Stone
"Bolero"
#1 Songs in America
(February 12th)
1980 - "Rock With You"
Michael Jackson
1/19 - 2/15
1981 - "Celebration"
Kool and the Gang
2/7 - 2/20
1982 - "Centerfold"
J. Geils Band
2/6 - 3/19
1983 - "Down Under"
Men at Work
2/12 - 2/18
1984 - "Karma Chameleon"
Boy George
2/4 - 2/24
1985 - "I Want To Know What Love Is"
Foreigner
2/1 - 2/15
1986 - "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne & Friends
1/18 - 2/14
1987 - "Open Your Heart"
Madonna
2/7 - 2/13
1988 - "Could've Been"
Tiffany
2/6 - 2/19
1989 - "Straight Up"
Paula Abdul
2/11 - 3/3
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Other Notable Dates
(February 12th)
1855 - Michigan State Was Founded in East Lansing
* Magic Johnson is the Most Notable Alumni
2004 - San Francisco Began Issuing Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples
* Directed by Mayor Gavin Newsom
Headlines
(February 12th)
1983 - “Down Under” by Men at Work Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts For the Second Time
* #1 Song in America from January 15 - 29 and February 12 - 18
On February 12, 1984 Figure Skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean Performed "Bolero" at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo
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February 12th in 80s History
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On February 12, 1988 Shoot to Kill Starring Sidney Poitier and Tom Bringer Premiered in Theaters
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1987 - Over the Top Was Released in Los Angeles and New York
Starring: Sylvester Stallone
Released Worldwide the Next Day
Fun Fact!
Sylvester Stallone Didn't Want to be in the Movie, But the Studio Kept Offering Him More Money Until He Said "What the Hell Nobody Will See It"
* Was Paid a Record $10 Million Dollars
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Shoot to Kill
"Down Under" By Men at Work Became the #1 Song in America
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