On January 15, 1989 Tag Team Partners Ax and Smash (Demolition) Battled Each Other in the Royal Rumble
January 15th in 80s History
Other Notable Dates
(On January 15th)
1870 - The Democratic Party Was Symbolized With a Donkey For the First Time
* A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" From a Political Cartoon by Thomas Nast For Harper's Weekly
1889 - Coca-Cola Was Incorporated as a Medicine Company
* Founded in 1892
Used Real Cocaine to Help Relieve Headaches
1892 - James Naismith Published the First Rules of Basketball
1908 - The Alpha Kappa Alpha Became the First Sorority Founded and Established by African-American Women
1946 - Construction on The Pentagon Was Completed
* Began on September 11, 1941
1967 - The Green Bay Packers Beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35 - 10 in the First Super Bowl
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
MVP: Bart Starr
Ticket Price: $12
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Packers -14
* The Game Was Shown on Both CBS (NFL Rights) and NBC (AFL Rights)
Fun Fact!
Max McGee WR (Packers) Scored the First Touchdown in Super Bowl History
1974 - Happy Days Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 255
#1 Show in America (1976)
2001 - Wikipedia Went Live
#1 Songs in America
(January 15th)
1980 - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"
Rupert Jones
1/12 - 1/18
1981 - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
John Lennon
12/27 - 1/30
1982 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29
1983 - "Down Under"
Men at Work
1/15 - 2/4
1984 - "Say Say Say"
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
12/10 - 1/20
1985 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
1986 - "Say You Say Me"
Lionel Richie
12/21 - 1/17
1987 - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
The Bangles
12/20 - 1/16
1988 - "So Emotional"
Whitney Houston
1/9 - 1/15
1989 - "My Prerogative"
Bobby Brown
1/14 - 1/20
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
Good Morning Vietnam Premiered In Theaters
Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Andrea Martin (Actress) Rude Awakening
Birthplace: Portland, Maine
1953 - Randy White (Football)
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1957 - Mario Van Peebles (Actor) Jaws: The Revenge, New Jack City
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
1966 - Lisa Lisa (Singer)
Birthplace: New York City
1971 - Regina King (Actress) 227
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1972 - Ernie Reyes Jr. (Actor) Sidekicks
Birthplace: San Jose, California
Fun Fact!
Lisa Lisa Grew Up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York With 9 Other Siblings
1987 - Ray Bolger Passed Away at Age 83 From Bladder Cancer
* Played the Scarecow in The Wizard of Oz
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Ax and Smash
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Headlines
(January 15th)
1981 - Hill Street Blues Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 146
Fun Fact
Hill Street Blues Won a Record 4 Primetime Emmy Awards For Most Outstanding Drama Series
* Tied With L.A. Law, Mad Men, The West Wing and Game of Thrones
1983 - “Down Under” by Men at Work Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from January 15 - February 4
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand
Fun Fact!
"Down Under" is Considered a Patriotic Song in Australia and Often Played at Sporting Events
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1987 - Good Morning Vietnam Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker
The 4th Highest Grossing Movie from 1987
#1 Three Men and a Baby
#2 Fatal Attraction
#3 Beverly Hills Cop II
Other Notable Birthdays
Lloyd Bridges (Actor)
January 15, 1913 - March 10, 1998
Birthplace: San Leandro, California
Passed Away at Age 85 (Natural Cause)
* Played Steve McCroskey in Airplane “Picked the Wrong Day to Quit Smoking”
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Ray Bulger (Actor and Dancer)
January 10, 1904 - January 15, 1987
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 83 From Bladder Cancer
* Played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz
Ruth Warrick (Actress)
June 29, 1916 - January 15, 2005
Birthplace: St. Joseph, Missouri
Passed Away at Age 88 From Pneumonia
* Played Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on All My Children From 1970 to 2005
Jimmy Snuka (Wrestler)
May 18, 1943 - January 15, 2017
Birthplace: Suva, Fiji
Passed Away at Age 73 From a Terminal Illness
* Known as the “Superfly”
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996
Rocky Johnson (Wrestler)
August 24, 1944 - January 15, 2020
Birthplace: Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed Away at Age 75 From a Pulmonary Embolism
* Won the Tag Team Championship in 1983 With Partner Tony Atlas to Become the First WWE African-American Champions
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008
Fun Fact!
Rocky Johnson is the Father to The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1987 - Good Morning Vietnam (Worldwide Release)
Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker
Budget: $13 Million
Box Office: $123.9 Million
* Released on December 23rd in Limited Theaters
1988 - For Keeps
Director: John G. Avildson
Starring: Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $17.5 Million
1988 - The Couch Trip
Director: Michael Ritchie
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin and Donna Dixon with a Cameo by Chevy Chase
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $11 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Hill Street Blues Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 146
1988 - The Thorns Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
1988 - Final Episode of Rags to Riches
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 20
Network: NBC
Starring Tisha Cambell
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - In Our Lifetime
Marvin Gaye (16th Album)
Billboard Charts: #32
1982 - All For a Song
Barbara Dickson (9th Album)
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Bob Gibson Was Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
* Induction Ceremony Was Held on August 2, 1981
1983 - The New York Jets Beat the Los Angeles Raiders 17 - 14 in the AFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
* Wesley Walker (Jets) 7 Catches 169 Yards 1 TD
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O/U 48.0
The Jets Lost to the Miami Dolphins 14 - 0 in the AFC Championship Game
1983 - The Washington Redskins Beat the Minnesota Vikings 21 - 7 in the NFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Location: RFK Memorial Stadium
* John Riggins (Redskins) 185 Yards Rushing 1 TD
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O/U 43.5
The Redskins Beat the Dallas Cowboys 31 - 17 in the NFC Championship Game
Beat the Miami Dolphins 27 - 17 in Super Bowl XVII
1984 - Martina Navratilova Lost to Hana Mandikova to Snap Her 54-Match Winning Streak
1984 - John McEnroe Beat Ivan Lendl to Win the ATP Masters Grand Prix Tennis Championship
1987 - Larry Bird Was Named Sporting News Man of the Year
1989 - Big John Studd Won the 2nd Annual WWF Royal Rumble
* Held at The Summit in Houston, Texas
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1981 - Pope John Paul II Received a Delegation From Solidarity at the Vatican Led by Polish Statesman, Lech Wałęsa
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