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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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Back To The 80s Homepage


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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

​​​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

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