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Other Notable Birthdays
Dr. Seuss (Children's Author)
March 2, 1904 - September 24, 1991
Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts
Passed Away at Age 87 From Cancer
* Unknown Type of Cancer
Dr. Seuss’s First Book Was And To Think That I Saw it On Mulberry Street (1937)
Desi Arnaz (Actor)
March 2, 1917 - December 2, 1986
Birthplace: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Passed Away at Age 69 From Lung Cancer
* Known to be a Heavy Smoker
Played Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy
Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Politician)
March 2, 1931 - August 30, 2022
Birthplace: Privolnoye, North Caucasus Krai, Russian SFSR, USSR
Passed Away at Age 91 After Battling a Long Illness
* Suffered From Major Diabetes
The Leader of the Soviet Union From 1985 to 1991
Karen Carpenter (Singer)
March 2, 1950 - February 4, 1983
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut
Passed Away at Age 32 of Heart Failure
* Caused by Anorexia
Formed The Carpenters With Her Brother Richard
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Marge Schott (American Businesswoman)
August 18, 1928 - March 2, 2004
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Passed Away on March 2, 2004 at Age 75 From Breathing Problems
* Known to be a Heavy Smoker
Former Owner of the Cincinnati Reds
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1982 - Diner
Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly and Ellen Barkin
Budget: $5 Million
Box Office: $14.1 Million
1983 - Sahara
Director: Andrew McLaglen
Starring: Brooke Shields, Lambert Wilson, Horst Buchholz, John Rhys-Davies and John Mills
Budget: $25 Million
Box Office: $1.4 Million
Considered One of the Biggest Bust From the 80s
1984 - Against All Odds
Director: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Jane Greer and Alex Karras
Budget: $13 Million
Box Office: $21.7 Million
1984 - This is Spinal Tap
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer
Budget: $2 Million
Box Office: $4.7 Million
1984 - Harry & Son
Director: Paul Newman
Starring: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Ellen Barkin, Ossie Davis, Wilford Brimley, Judith Ivey and Morgan Freeman
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $4.8 Million
1984 - Repo Man
Director: Alex Cox
Starring: Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez
Budget: $1.5 Million
Box Office: $3.7 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1983 - High Performance Premiered on ABC
1985 - An Episode of Gimme a Break Aired Live
1988 - The 30th Annual Grammy Awards Aired on CBS
Host: Billy Crystal
Location: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
Winners
Record of the Year: "Graceland"
Artist: Paul Simon
Album of the Year: The Joshua Tree
Artists: U2
Song of the Year: "Somewhere Out There"
Artists: Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
Best New Artist: Jody Watley
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1982 - Brilliance
Atlantic Starr (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #18
* Hit #1 on R&B
1984 - Spinal Tap (Soundtrack)
Spinal Tap
1987 - Boi-ngo
Oingo Boingo (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: 77
Featuring “Dead Man’s Party”
* From the Movie Back to School
1987 - Saint Julian
Julian Cope (3rd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #105
1987 - Exposure
Exposé (Debut Album)
Billboard Charts: #16
Featuring “Season’s Change”
1987 - Through the Looking Glass
Siouxsie and the Banshees (8th Album)
Billboard Charts: #188
1987 - Trio (Collaborative Album)
Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton
Billboard Charts: #6
* Hit #1 on the Country Charts
Singles Released
1985 - "Crazy For You"
Madonna
#1 Song in America from May 11 - May 17
* Also Hit #1 in Canada and Australia
1985 - "Smooth Operator"
Sade
* Reached #5 on the US Billboard Charts
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1989 - New York Mets Players Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry Nearly Came to Blows in Front of Reporters During Spring Training
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1988 - The 30th Annual Grammy Awards Aired on CBS
Location: Radio City Music Hall
City: New York
Host: Billy Crystal
Record of the Year: “Graceland” (Paul Simon)
Album of the Year: The Joshua Tree (U2)
Song of the Year: "Somewhere Out There" (Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram)
Best New the Artist: Jody Watley
U2 Won the Most Grammy Awards With 3
Exposé
1933 - King Kong Opened at New York's Radio City Music Hall
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1962 - Wilt Chamberlain Scored 100 Points
March 2nd in 80s History
1984 - This is Spinal Tap Premiered in Theaters
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer
Fun Fact!
Ozzy Osbourne and Several Other Rock Stars Commented On How Accurate the Rock n' Roll Spoof Was
Headlines
(March 2nd)
1983 - CD’s (Compact Discs) Were Released in the United States
* Released in Japan in October 1982
Average Cost: $17
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Other Notable Events
(On March 2nd)
1859 - The Great Slave Auction Began in Savannah Georgia
* The Largest Slave Auction in US History
Fun Fact!
In 1934 Pepsi Became the First Soda to Come in a 12-Ounce Bottle
* Prior to That Pepsi and Coke Came in 6.5-Ounce Bottles
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#1 Songs in America
(March 2nd)
1980 - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Queen
2/23 - 3/21
1981 - "I Love a Rainy Night"
Eddie Rabbit
2/28 - 3/13
1982 - "Centerfold"
J. Geils Band
2/6 - 3/19
1983 - "Baby, Come to Me"
Patti Auston and James Ingram
2/19 - 3/4
1984 - "Jump"
Van Halen
2/25 - 3/30
1985 - "Careless Whisper"
Wham!
2/16 - 3/8
1986 - "Kyrie"
Mister Mister
3/1 - 3/14
1987 - "Livin' on a Prayer"
Bon Jovi
2/14 - 3/13
1988 - "Father Figure"
George Michael
2/27 - 3/11
1989 - "Straight Up"
Paula Abdul
2/11 - 3/3
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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On March 2, 1987 Exposé Released Their Debut Album Exposure
1989 - Madonna’s Controversial “Like a Prayer” Pepsi Commercial Aired
* Eventually Got Banned
Happy 80s Birthdays
1948 - Larry Carlton (Musician) Steely Dan
Birthplace: Torrance, California
1952 - Laraine Newman (Actress and Comedian) Invaders from Mars
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
1955 - Dale Bozzio (Singer) Missing Persons’
Birthplace: Medford, Massachusetts
1956 - John Cowsill (Drummer)
Birthplace: Newport, Rhode Island
1962 - Jon Bon Jovi (Singer) Bon Jovi
Birthplace: Perth Amboy, New Jersey
1964 - Laird Hamilton (Actor and Surfer) North Shore (Lance Berkhart)
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
1965 - Ron Gant (Baseball)
Birthplace: Victoria, Texas
Fun Fact!
Laird Hamilton Was the Co-Inventor of Tow-In Surfing
"Somewhere Out There" Won Song of the Year