Headlines
(July 23rd)
1982 - Vic Morrow and 2 Children Were Killed On the Set of The Twilight Zone
Movie, When a Helicopter Crashed Onto Them While Shooting a Scene in Santa Clarita, California
1988 - "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from July 23 - 29
"Hold on to the Nights" Became the #1 Song in America
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1999 - Eileen Collins Became the First Space Shuttle Commander as the Pilot of the Space Shuttle Colombia
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July 23rd in 80s History
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1988 - The Final Episode of Solid Gold Aired
* Ran 8 Seasons with 332 Episodes
Aired on Saturday Evenings
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1989 - Mark Calcavecchia Defeated Greg Norman and Wayne Grady in a 4-Hole Playoff to Win the 118th British Open
Prize: $80,000
Runner Up Prize: $55,000
Location: Troon, Scotland
Course: Royal Troon Golf Club
Calcavecchia's First and Only Major Win
Fun Fact!
The British Open is the Oldest Golf Tournament in the World
* Began in 1860
#1 Songs in America
(July 23rd)
1980 - "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
Billy Joel
7/19 - 8/1
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
6/27 - 7/24
1982 - "Don't You Want Me"
The Human League
7/3 - 7/23
1983 - "Every Breath You Take"
The Police
7/9 - 9/2
1984 - "When Doves Cry"
Prince
7/7 - 8/10
1985 - "A View to Kill"
Duran Duran
7/13 - 7/26
1986 - "Invisible Touch"
Genesis
7/19 - 7/25
1987 - "Alone"
Heart
7/11 - 7/31
1988 - "Hold On To The Nights"
Richard Marx
7/23 - 7/29
1989 - "Toy Soldiers"
Maltika
7/22 - 8/4
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
Happy 80s Birthdays
1938 - Ronny Cox (Actor) Beverly Hills Cop
1945 - Edie McClurg Actress) Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1947 - David Essex (Singer)
1953 - Lydia Cornell (Actress) Too Close For Comfort
1961 - Martin Gore (Guitarist) Depeche Mode
1961 - Woody Harrelson (Actor) Cheers
1962 - Eriq La Salle (Actor) Coming to America
1965 - Slash (Guitarist) Guns N’ Roses
1968 - Stephanie Seymour (Model)
1971 - Alison Krauss (Singer)
Fun Fact!
Slash’s Mom is African-American and His Dad is English
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Other Notable Birthdays
“Pee Wee” Reese (Baseball)
July 23, 1918 - August 14, 1999
Passed Away at Age 81 From Prostate and Lung Cancer
* Played All 19-Seasons With the Dodgers
10x All-Star
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 (Veterans Committee)
Fun Fact!
“Pee Wee” Reese Got His Nickname From Being a Marble Champion as a Kid
* A Small Marble is Called a “Pee Wee”
Don Drysdale (Baseball)
July 23, 1936 - July 3, 1993
Passed Away at Age of 56 From a Heart Attack
* Played All 14-Seasons With the Dodgers
9x All-Star
National League Cy Young Award (1962)
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 (10th Ballot)
Don Imus (Radio Host)
July 23, 1940 - December 27, 2019
Passed Away at Age of 79 From Lung Disease
Inducted to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Ulysses S. Grant (Former U.S. President)
April 27, 1822 - July 23, 1885
Passed Away on July 23, 1885 at Age 63 From Lung Cancer
* A Commanding General in The Civil War
The 18th President of the United States
Vic Morrow (Actor)
February 14, 1929 - July 23, 1982
Passed Away on July 23, 1982 at Age 53 in a Helicopter Accident on the Set of The Twilight Zone: The Movie
Best Known For Playing the Yankees Manager, Roy Turner in The Bad News Bears (1976)
* Also Nominated For an Emmy Award in 1963 For His Role as Sgt. "Chip" Saunders in the TV Series Combat!
Sally Ride (Astronaut)
May 26, 1951 - July 23, 2012
Passed Away on July 23, 2012 at Age 61 From Pancreatic Cancer
First Woman in Space
* Fed Ex by the Airport in Oakland, California is Located on 1 Sally Ride Rd.
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1982 - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Director: Colin Higgins
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Dom DeLuise, Charles Durning and Jim Nabors
Budget: $27 Million
Box Office: $69.7 Million
1982 - The World According to Garp
Director: George Roy Hill
Starring: Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close and John Lithgow
Budget: $17 Million
Box Office: $29.1 Million
1982 - Zapped
Director: Robert J. Rosenthal
Starring: Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Felice Schachter and Heather Thomas
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $16.9 Million
1982 - The Challenge
Director: John Frankenheimer
Starring: Scott Glenn and Toshirō Mifune
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $3.6 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1984 - MTV Aired the Live WWF Event "The Brawl to End It All"
Location: Madison Square Garden
1988 - Final Episode of Solid Gold
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 332
Network: Syndication
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1982 - Emotions in Motion
Billy Squier (3rd Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
1984 - Hard to Hold
Rick Springfield (7th Album)
1988 - Now That's What I Call Music 3 (UK series)
* Hit #1 in the UK
1989 - Tender Lover
Babyface (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #14
* #1 in R&B
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1984 - “The WWF Brawl to Win it All” Aired Live from Madison Square Garden
Hulk Hogan Beat Greg “The Hammer” Valentine to Defend His WWF Heavyweight Championship
Antonio Inoki Eliminated Rene Goulet to Win the 20-Man Battle Royal
Wendi Richter Beat The Fabulous Moolah For the Women’s Heavyweight Championship
* The Fabulous Moolah Had Retained the Belt since 1978
1984 - Dan Quisenberry Recorded His 200th Career Save
1985 - Texas Rangers Rookie, Oddibe McDowell Hit For the Cycle Against the Cleveland Indians
* The Rangers Beat the Indians 8 - 4 at Arlington Stadium on a Tuesday Night
Attendance: 8,985
1987 - The Boston Red Sox Waived First Baseman, Bill Buckner
1989 - Mark Calcavecchia (-13) Won His First and Only Major Winning The British Open
Prize: $80,000
Runner Up: Greg Norman and Wayne Grady (-13)
Runner Up Prize: $55,000
* Mark Calcavecchia Won the 4 Hole Playoff
Location: Troon, Scotland
Course: Royal Troon Golf Club
1989 - Greg LeMond (USA) Won the Tour de France
* All 87 Doping Tests From the 1989 Tour de France Came Back Negative
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1980 - Phạm Tuân, From Vietnam Became the First Asian Citizen in Space
* Flew Aboard the Soyuz 37 Mission as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut
1989 - Former Beatle Ringo Starr Formed His Own Band Called Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
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Other Notable Dates
(On July 23rd)
1829 - William Austin Burt Patented the Typographer
* Precursor to the Typewriter
1903 - The Ford Motor Company Sold Its First Car
* Ford Model A
1962 - Jackie Robinson Became the First African-American Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
1967 - The Detroit Riots Began in the Predominantly African-American Inner City
* 43 Killed and Over 300 People Injured
1,400 Buildings Burned
One of the Worst Riots in U.S. History