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In Other News
(On May 21st)
1881 - The American Red Cross Was Founded in Washington, D.C. By Clara Barton
1924 - University of Chicago Students Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. Murdered 14-Year-Old Bobby Franks in a "Thrill Killing"
* Franks Was the Son of a Wealthy Chicago Business Man
1927 - Charles Lindbergh Completed the World's First Solo Nonstop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean
* Landed in Paris
1932 - Amelia Earhart Became the First Woman to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean
1979 - The White Nights Riot Took Place in San Francisco Following the Manslaughter Conviction of Dan White For the Assassinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
1992 - Johnny Carson Hosted His Last Show of The Tonight Show
Guests: Robin Williams and Bette MIdler
2017 - Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Performed Their Final Show
Venue: The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
1990 - The Final Episode of Newhart Aired
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 184
Network: CBS
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Soviet Boycott
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Other Notable Birthdays
Earl Averill (Baseball)
May 21, 1902 - August 16, 1983
Passed Away at Age 81 (Unknown Cause)
* Played 13-Seasons in Major League Baseball (10 with the Cleveland Indians)
6x All-Star
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975
Fun Fact!
Earl Averill Hit the Line Drive That Broke Dizzy Dean's Toe in the 1937 All-Star Game, Making Dean Change His Delivery That Damaged His Arm
* Forced to Retire in 1941 at Age 31
Jeffrey Dahmer (Serial Killer)
May 21, 1960 - November 28, 1994
Passed Away at Age 34 After Getting Brutally Attacked in a Prison Shower
Known For the Cannibalism of His Victims
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Sammy Davis Sr. (Actor and Dancer)
December 12, 1900 - May 21, 1988
Passed Away at Age 87 From Natural Causes
The Father of Sammy Davis Jr.
Stephen Elliott (Author)
November 27, 1918 - May 21, 2005
Passed Away at Age 86 From Congestive Heart Failure
Played the Chief in Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Louis Johnson (Bassist)
April 13, 1955 - May 21, 2015
Passed Away at Age 60 From Gastrointestinal Bleeding of the Esophagus
Bassist for Brothers Johnson
Fun Fact!
Louis Johnson Played Many Sessions on Michael Jackson’s Thriller Album
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1980 - The Empire Strikes Back
Director: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams
Budget: $18 million
Box Office: $538 million ($209 Million Domestic)
1981 - Death Hunt
Director: Peter Hunt
Starring: Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Carl Weathers
Budget: $10 Million
Box Office: $5 Million
1982 - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Director: Carl Reiner
Starring: Steve Martin and Rachel Ward
Budget: $9 Million
Box Office: $18.1 Million
1982 - Fighting Back
Director: Lewis Teague
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Patti LuPone, Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto, David Rasche, Lewis Van Bergen, Earle Hyman and Ted Ross
Budget: $9 Million
Box Office: $6.4 Million
1984 - B.C. Rock (Animation)
Director: Picha
Starring: Jim Vallely, Jonathan Schmock and Joseph Plewa
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
1986 - Crawlspace
Director: David Schmoeller
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Talia Balsam, Barbara Whinnery, Carole Francis, Tane McClure, Sally Brown, Jack Heller and David Abbott
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1987 - The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Premiered on Lifetime
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 65
1989 - Steve Martin Hosted the Season 14 Finale of Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1982 - Hot Space
Queen (10th Album)
Billboard Charts: #22
* Hit #1 in Austria and Netherlands
1985 - The Confessor
Joe Walsh (7th Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #65
1985 - Glow
Rick James (8th Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #50
* #7 in R&B
1987 - Sandbox
Guided By Voices (2nd Album)
1987 - Strength of Steel
Anvil (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #191
1988 - Long Cold Winter
Cinderella (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #10
Over 3 Million Copies Sold in the US
Singles Released
1984 - "God Bless the USA"
Lee Greenwood
Reached #16 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - The New York Islanders Beat the Minnesota North Stars 4 Games to 1 to Win their 2nd Straight Stanley Cup Finals
* The Islanders Won 4 Consecutive Stanley Cups in a Row
1983 - Donnie Miller Jr. Won the Preakness Stakes Aboard Deputed Testamony
Trainer: J. William Boniface
Owner: Francis P. Sears Jr.
Did Not Run In the Kentucky Derby
* Finished 6th at Belmont
1984 - The Sports Illustrated Edition (The Soviet Boycott) Was Released
1988 - Eddie Delahoussaye Won the Preakness Stakes Aboard Risen Star
Trainer: Louie Roussel III
Owner: Louie J. Roussel III
Finished 3rd at the Kentucky Derby
* Won the Belmont Stakes (Winning 2 Legs of the Triple Crown)
1981 - Transamerica Corporation Agreed to Sell United Artists to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer For $380 Million Dollars
* Transamerica Was Hit Hard From the Failure of the Film, Heaven's Gate
Did You Know?
With a $44 Million Budget, Heaven’s Gate Made Only $3.5 Million Dollars Making it One of the Biggest Movie Busts of All-Time
1981 - The New York Islanders Won Their 2nd Consecutive Stanley Cup Finals
* Beat the Minnesota North Stars 4 Games to 1
The Islanders Are the Last Team to Win 4 Straight Stanley Cup Finals in a Row (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
On May 21, 1984 The Sports Illustrated Edition The Soviet Boycott Was Released
* The Soviet Union Boycotted the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in Retaliation For the United States Boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
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Empire Strikes Back Premiered in Theaters
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#1 Songs in America
(May 21st)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
5/16 - 6/19
1982 - "Ebony and Ivory"
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5/15 - 7/2
1983 - "Let's Dance"
David Bowie
5/21 - 5/27
1984 - "Hello"
Lionel Richie
5/12 - 5/25
1985 - "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
Simple Minds
5/18 - 5/24
1986 - "Greatest Love of All"
Whitney Houston
5/17 - 6/6
1987 - "With or Without You"
U2
5/16 - 6/5
1988 - "Anything For You"
Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
5/14 - 5/27
1989 - "Forever Your Girl"
Paula Abdul
5/20 - 6/2
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
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Headlines
(May 21st)
1980 - Empire Strikes Back Was Released in Theaters
* The Highest Grossing Movie From 1980
May 21st in 80s History
1983 - “Let’s Dance’ by David Bowie Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from May 21 - 27
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Israel
Happy 80s Birthdays
1941 - Bobby Cox (Baseball)
1941 - Ronald Isley (Singer) Isley Brothers
1943 - John Dalton (Bassist) The Kinks
1947 - Bill Champlin (Singer) Chicago
1951 - Al Franken (Actor) Saturday Night Live
1952 - Mr T. (Actor) Rocky III
1955 - Stan Lynch (Drummer) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1957 - Judge Reinhold (Actor) Beverly Hills Cop
1959 - Nick Cassavetes (Actor) Mask
1960 - Kent Hrbek (Baseball)
1974 - Fairuza Balk (Actress) Return to Oz
Fun Fact!
Mr. T is the Youngest of 12 Children
* 7 Brothers 4 Sisters