Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Robert Englund (Actor) A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddie)
1954 - Harvey Fierstein (Actor) Torch Song Trilogy
1955 - Sandra Bernhard (Actress and Comedian)
1956 - Bjorn Borg (Tennis)
1959 - Jimmy Jam (Record Producer)
1959 - Amanda Pays (Actress) Max Headroom
1959 - Colin Quinn (Comedian)
1960 - Steve Vai (Guitarist) Frank Zappa
1964 - Jay Bentley (Guitarist) Bad Religion
1967 - Max Casella (Actor) Doogie Howser M.D.
1975 - Staci Keenan (Actress) My Two Dads
Fun Fact!
Harvey Fierstein Won a Tony Award For Best Actor For His Role as a Gay Drag Queen in His Broadway Show, Torch Song Trilogy
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Other Notable Birthdays
Bill Dickey (Baseball)
June 6, 1907 - November 12, 1993
Passed Away at Age 86 (Unknown Cause)
* Played 19-Seasons, All with the New York Yankees
11x All-Star
7x World Series Champion
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954
Sam Simon (TV Producer)
June 6, 1955 - March 8, 2015
Passed Away at Age 59 From Colorectal Cancer
Co-Developed the Animated TV Show, The Simpsons
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Louis Chevrolet (American Race Car Driver)
December 25, 1878 - June 6, 1941
Passed Away at Age 62 From a Heart Attack
Founder of Chevrolet Motor Company
Anne Bancroft (Actress)
September 17, 1931 - June 6, 2005
Passed Away at Age 73 From Uterine Cancer
Played Madge Kendal in the 1989 Film, The Elephant Man
Billy Preston (Singer)
September 2, 1946 - June 6, 2006
Passed Away at Age 59 From Respiratory Failure
Sang the Hit Song “Nothing From Nothing”
Peter Shaffer (English Screenwriter)
May 15, 1926 - June 6, 2016
Passed Away at Age 90 (Unknown Cause)
Wrote the 1979 Play, Amadeus
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - Urban Cowboy
Director: James Bridges
Starring: John Travolta, Debra Winger and Scott Glenn
Budget: $10 Million
Box Office: $53.3 Million
1980 - Galaxina
Director: William Sachs
Starring: Stephen Macht and Dorothy Stratten
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1980 - Up the Academy
Director: Robert Downey Sr.
Starring: Wendell Brown, Tommy Citera, Ron Leibman, Harry Teinowitz, Hutch Parker, Ralph Macchio, Tom Poston, King Coleman and Barbara Bach
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
Ralph Macchio's Movie Debut
1983 - Octopussy
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore and Maud Adams
Budget: $27.5 Million
Box Office: $187.5 Million ($67.8 Million Domestic)
Octopussy Was the 6th Highest Grossing Movie From 1983
View The Highest Grossing Movies From 1983
1986 - Raw Deal
Director: John Irvin
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Darren McGavin and Sam Wanamaker
Budget: $11.5 Million
Box Office: $16.2 Million
1986 - Space Camp
Director: Harry Winer
Starring: Kate Capshaw, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott, Lea Thompson, Tate Donovan and Joaquin Phoenix
Budget: $21.5 Million
Box Office: $9.6 Million
1986 - Invaders from Mars
Director: Tobe Hooper
Starring: Karen Black, Hunter Carson, Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman, James Karen, Bud Cort and Louise Fletcher
Budget: $7 Million
Box Office: $4.9 Million
1986 - My Little Pony: The Movie (Animation)
Director: Michael Jones
Starring: Danny DeVito, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Rhea Perlman and Tony Randall
Budget: $5.5 Million
Box Office: $4.9 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1980 - Final Episode Magpie (British Children’s Show)
Seasons: 13
1983 - Reading Rainbow Premiered on PBS
Seasons: 21
Episodes: 55
1986 - Final Episode of The Merv Griffin Show
Episodes: 4,855
* Premiered in 1962
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - S.O.S.
The S.O.S. Band (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #12
* #2 in R&B
1980 - The Blue Meaning
Toya (2nd Album)
* Reached #40 in the UK
1981 - Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #89
1981 - Juju
Siouxsie & the Banshees (4th Album)
* Reached #7 in the UK
1983 - Allies (Live Album)
Crosby, Stills & Nas
Billboard Charts: #43
1983 - Plays Live (Live Album)
Peter Gabriel
Billboard Charts: #44
1986 - Invisible Touch
Genesis (13th Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Hit #1 in the UK, Canada and New Zealand
Over 6 Million Copies Sold in the US
1987 - Bad Animals
Heart (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #2
* #7 in the UK
Over 3 Million Copies Sold in the US
1988 - Sur la Mer
The Moody Blues (13th Album)
Billboard Charts: #38
Reached #38 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
1988 - Britny Fox
Britny Fox (Debut Album)
1989 - Workin’ Overtime
Diana Ross (17th Album)
Billboard Charts: #116
1989 - In Step
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #33
1989 - World in Motion
Jackson Browne (9th Album)
Billboard Charts: #45
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Hana Mandlikova Won the French Open
Runner Up: Sylvia Hanika (West Germany)
Match: 6-2, 6-4
1981 - George Martens Won the Belmont Stakes Aboard Summing
Trainer: Luis S. Berrera
Owner: Charles T. Wilson Jr.
1982 - Mats Wilander (Sweden) Won His First French Open
Runner Up: Guillermo Vilas (Argentina)
Match: 1-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-0, 6-4
1983 - Tim Belcher (Mount Vernon Nazarene College) Was the #1 Overall Pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins
* Roger Clemens Was Drafted 19th Overall by the Boston Red Sox
1987 - Steffi Graf Won Her First French Open
Runner Up: Martina Navratilova
Match: 6-4, 4-6, 8-6
Fun Fact!
Steffi Graf Won 6 French Opens During Her Career (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999)
Wimbledon (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996)
US Open (1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996)
Australian Open (1988, 1989, 1990, 1994)
1987 - Craig Perret Won the Belmont Stakes Aboard Bet Twice
Trainer: Jimmy Croll
Owner: Blanche P. Levy
1987 - The New York Yankees Played Their 13,000th Game
* The Yankees Lost 7 - 6 to the Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee
Attendance: 52,366
1989 - The New York Mets Turned Their First Triple Play in 7 Years Against the Chicago Cubs
* The Cubs Beat the Mets 8 - 4 on a Tuesday Night at Wrigley Field in Chicago
Attendance: 33,558
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1982 - The Lebanon War Began With Israel
* Lasted Until June 5, 1985
An Israeli Victory (But Considered a Strategic Failure)
#1 Songs in Americca
(June 6th)
1980 - "Funkytown"
Lipps Inc.
5/31 - 6/27
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
5/16 - 6/19
1982 - "Ebony and Ivory"
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5/15 - 7/2
1983 - "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
Michael Sembello
5/28 - 7/8
1984 - "Let's Hear It for the Boy"
Deniece Williams
5/26 - 6/8
1985 - "Everything She Wants"
Wham!
5/25 - 6/7
1986 - "Greatest Love of All"
Whitney Houston
5/17 - 6/6
1987 - "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Kim Wilde
6/6 - 6/12
1988 - "One More Try"
George Michael
5/28 - 6/17
1989 - "Rock On"
Michael Damian
6/3 - 6/9
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
1983 - Tim Belcher (Pitcher) Was the #1 Overall Pick in the Major League Draft by the Minnesota Twins
College: Mount Vernon Nazarene
* Played 14 Years of Major League Baseball
Career Record: 146 - 140
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Reading Rainbow
In Other News
(On June 6th)
1844 - The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) Was Founded in London
* The First YMCA in the United States Opened on December 29, 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts
1933 - The First Drive-In Theater Opened in Camden, New Jersey
* The British Comedy Wives Beware Was the First Movie Played
1942 - The Battle of Midway Ended With a United States Navy Victory Over The Imperial Japanese Navy
* A Major Turning Point in World War II
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Back To The 80s Home Page
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"You Keep Me Hangin' On Became the #1 Song in America
1983 - Octopussy Premiered in Theaters
* Starring Roger Moore as James Bond
The 13th James Bond Film
Fun Fact!
The First James Bond Movie Was Dr. No (1962) Starring Sean Connery
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On June 6, 1980 Ralph Macchio Made His Film Debut in Up the Academy
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1987 - "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Kim Wilde Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from June 6 - 12
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Norway and Australia
Fun Fact!
"You Keep Me Holding On" Was Originally Sang by the Supremes in 1966
Ralph Macchio
June 6th in 80s History
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On June 6, 1983 Reading Rainbow Premired on PBS
Headlines
(June 6th)
1980 - Urban Cowboy Premiered in Theaters
* Starring John Travolta, Debra Winger and Scott Glenn
Did You Know?
John Travolta Became So Good at Mechanical Bull Riding That the Stunt Double Was Dismissed