1987 - The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) Beat The British Bulldogs For the WWF Tag Team Championship
* Bret and Jim are Brother in Laws
#1 Songs in America
(January 26th)
1980 - "Rock With You"
Michael Jackson
1/19 - 2/15
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 - "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
Yes
1/21 - 2/3
1985 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
1986 - "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne & Friends
1/18 - 2/14
1987 - "At This Moment"
Bill Vera and the Beaters
1/24 - 2/6
1988 - "The Way You Make Me Feel"
Michael Jackson
1/23 - 1/29
1989 - "Two Hearts"
Phil Collins
1/21 - 2/3
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
January 26th in 80s History
1986 - The Chicago Bears Beat the New England Patriots 46 -10 to Win Super Bowl XX
Location: Louisiana Superdome
Attendance: 73,818
MVP: Richard Dent (DE)
Head Coach: Mike Ditka
Spread
Bears -10
O/U 37.5
The Cost of a 30-Second Commercial Was $550,000
Fun Fact!
The Chicago Bears Recorded a Music Video "The Super Bowl Shuffle"
* Reached #41 on the U.S. Billboard Charts
Other Notable Birthdays
Bessie Coleman (Pilot)
January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926
Birthplace: Atlanta, Texas
Passed Away at Age 34 in a Plane Accident
* Was Thrown From Her Plane at 2,000 Feet After Her Plane Went Into a Sudden Dive at 3,000 Feet
The First African-American Woman to Receive a Pilot-License
Paul Newman (Actor)
January 26, 1925 - September 26, 2008
Birthplace: Shaker Heights, Ohio
Passed Away at Age 83 From Lung Cancer
* A 10x Academy Awards Nominee
Won an Academy Awards For Best Actor For His Role as "Fast Eddie" in the 1986 Film The Color of Money
Bob Uecker (Baseball Announcer)
January 26, 1934 - January 16, 2025
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Passed Away at Age 90 From Lung Cancer
* Spent 54 Years as the Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame For Broadcasting in 2003
Gene Siskel (Film Critic)
January 26, 1946 - February 20, 1999
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 53 During Surgery to Remove a Cancerous Brain Tumor
* Best Known For the TV Show Siskel & Ebert
Eddie Van Halen (Guitarist)
January 26, 1955 - October 6, 2020
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Passed Away at Age 65 From a Stroke
* Founded Van Halen With Brother Alex
Considered One of the Greatest Guitarists in Rock History
“Hawk” (Wrestler)
January 26, 1957 - October 19, 2003
Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Passed Away at Age 46 From a Sudden Heart Attack
* A Member of the Tag-Team Road Warriors
_______________________________
Passed Away
(On This Day)
Bear Bryant (Football Coach)
September 11, 1913 - January 26, 1983
Birthplace: Moro Bottom, Arkansas
Passed Away at Age 69 From a Massive Heart Attack
* Coached Alabama From 1958 to 1982
Won 6 National Championships
Abe Vigoda (Actor)
February 24, 1921 - January 26, 2016
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away in His Sleep at Age 94
* Played Tessio in the Godfather
Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
August 23, 1978 - January 26, 2020
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Passed Away in a Helicopter Accident at Age 41
All Star: 18
First Team All NBA: 11
First Team All-Defense: 9
Scoring Champion: 2
NBA Champion: 5
MVP: 1 (2008)
Elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
No 80s Movies Released On This Day
Fun Fact
Red Dawn (1984) Was the First PG-13 Movie
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - The 37th Golden Globe Awards Aired
Best Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman (Kramer vs. Kramer)
Best Actress: Sally Field (Norma Rae)
1985 - Otherworld Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
1986 - The Last Precinct Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
Starring Adam West
1987 - Square One TV (Mathematics Show) Premiered on PBS
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 230
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1987 - Control: The Remixes
Janet Jackson
*Reached #20 in the UK
Only Released in Europe and Japan
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - New York Islanders Beat the Hartford Whalers 3 - 2 in a Penalty Free Game
1986 - The Chicago Bears Beat the New England Patriots 46 -10 to Win Super Bowl XX
Location: Louisiana Superdome
Attendance: 73,818
MVP: Richard Dent (DE)
Head Coach: Mike Ditka
Spread
Bears -10
O/U 37.5
Other Notable Super Bowl XX Notes
National Anthem: Wynton Marsalis
Coin Toss: Bart Starr
Halftime Show: "Beat of the Future" Presented by Up With People
Network: NBC
Announcers: Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen and Bob Griese
30-Second Commercial: $550,000
1987 - The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) Beat The British Bulldogs for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Location: Tampa, FL
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<- January 25th January 27th ->
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On January 26, 1984 Andy Kaufman Made His Final TV Appearance When He Hosted The Top
* Passed Away on May 16, 1984 at Age 35 From a Large-Cell Carcinoma of the Lungs
_______________________________
1984 - Tom Hanks Made His First Appearance as “Drunk” Uncle Ned on the TV Series Family Ties
Episode: The Fugitive
__________________________
On January 26, 1984 Israel and Egypt Established Diplomatic Relations
On January 26, 1987 The Mathematics TV Show Square One Premiered on PBS
Other Notable Dates
(January 26th)
1837 - Michigan Became the 26th US State
* Population was 190,000 (Now Over 10 Million)
1905 - The Largest Diamond Ever (The Cullinan Diamond) Was Found in South Africa
* 3,106.75 Carats (0.621350 kg)
1915 - The Rocky Mountain National Park Was Established
* 55 Miles from Denver
1934 - The Apollo Theater Reopened in Harlem, New York
1979 - The Dukes of Hazzard Premiered on CBS
* Ran 7 Seasons with 145 Episodes
2009 - Nadya Suleman Became the First Woman to Give Birth to Surviving Octuplets
2020 - Kobe Bryant and Daughter Gianna Were Killed in a Helicopter Accident
* 7 Others Killed on Board
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Headlines
(January 26th)
1983 - Former Alabama Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant Died at Age 69 From a Massive Heart Attack
* Coached Alabama From 1958 to 1982
Won 6 National Championships
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_______________________________
Egypt & Israel
_______________________________
The Chicago Bears Won The Super Bowl
Andy Kaufman
Square One
Happy 80s Birthdays
1941 - Scott Glenn (Actor) Urban Cowboy (Wes)
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1949 - David Strathairn (Actor) Eight Men Out
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
1958 - Anita Baker (Singer)
Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio
1958 - Ellen DeGeneres (Comedian)
Birthplace: Metairie, Louisiana
1961 - Wayne Gretzky (Hockey)
Birthplace: Brantford, Ontario, Canada
1961 - Tom Keifer (Singer) Cinderella
Birthplace: Springfield, Pennsylvania
1963 - Andrew Ridgeley (English Singer) Wham!
Birthplace: Windlesam, Surrey, England
Fun Fact!
In 1984 Ellen DeGeneres Was Named Showtime’s Funniest Person in America