#1 Songs in America
(October 12th)
1980 - "Another One Bites the Dust"
Queen
10/4 - 10/24
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Jack & Diane
John Cougar Mellencamp
10/2 - 10/29
1983 - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Bonnie Tyler
10/1 - 10/28
1984 - "Let's Go Crazy"
Prince and the Revolution
9/29 - 10/12
1985 - "Oh Sheila"
Ready for the World
10/12 - 10/18
1986 - "When I Think of You"
Janet Jackson
10/11 - 10/24
1987 - "Here I Go Again"
Whitesnake
10/10 - 10/16
1988 - "Love Bites"
Def Leppard
10/8 - 10/14
1989 - "Miss You Much"
Janet Jackson
10/7 - 11/3
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
1988 - The Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the New York Mets in Game 7 to Advance to the World Series
Series: 4 - 3
NLCS MVP: Orel Hershiser
Beat the Oakland A’s 4 Games to 1 in the World Series
1987 - The Minnesota Twins Defeated the Detroit Tigers to Advance to the World Series
Series: 4-1
ALCS MVP: Gary Gaetti
Beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4 Games to 3 in the World Series
1971 - The 2,500 Year Celebration of the Persian Empire Began
* The Most Powerful Empire in the World From 550 BC Until Getting Conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC
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<- October 11th October 13th ->
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1950 - Susan Anton (Actor) Cannonball Run II, Baywatch
Birthplace: Oak Glen, CA
1958 - Jeff Keith (Singer) Tesla
Birthplace: Sacramento, CA
1962 - Deborah Foreman (Actress) Valley Girl, April Fool’s Day
Birthplace: Montebello, CA
1963 - Luis Polonia (Baseball)
Birthplace: Santiago, Dominican Republic
1970 - Kirk Cameron (Actor) Growing Pains (Michael Seaver)
Birthplace: Panorama City, CA
Fun Fact!
Susan Anton Won the Miss America Pageant in 1969
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Other Notable Birthdays
Joe Cronin (Baseball)
October 12, 1906 - September 7, 1984
Birthplace: San Francisco, CA
Passed Away at Age 77 from Prostate and Bone Cancer
* Played 20 Seasons in Major League Baseball
All Star: 7
Elected to the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956 (10th Ballot)
Dick Gregory (Comedian)
October 12, 1932 - August 19, 2017
Birthplace: St. Louis, MO
Passed Away at Age 84 From Heart Failure
Arrested Multiple Times and Went on Many Hunger Strikes Protesting the Injustice of the Vietnam War and Advocating For Animal Rights
Luciano Pavarotti (Italian Tenor)
October 12, 1935 - September 6, 2007
Birthplace: Modena, Italy
Passed Away at Age 71 From Pancreatic Cancer
A 7x Grammy Award Winner
* Also Won 2 Emmy Awards
Adam Rich (Actor)
October 12, 1968 - January 7, 2023
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 54 From an Accidental Fentanyl Overdose
Played Nicholas Bradford on Eight is Enough
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Ricky Wilson (Guitarist)
March 19, 1953 - October 12, 1985
Birthplace: Athens, GA
Passed Away on October 12, 1985 at Age 32 From AIDS
One of the Founding Members of the B-52's
John Denver (Singer)
December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997
Birthplace: Roswell, NM
Passed Away on October 12, 1997 at Age 53 in a Plane Crash Over Monterey Bay in California
Best Known For the Hit Songs “Take Me Home, Country Roads" and “Rocky Mountain High”
Wilt Chamberlain (Basketball)
August 21, 1936 - October 12, 1999
Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Passed Away on October 12, 1999 at Age 63 From Congestive Heart Failure
All Star: 13
MVP: 4
Scoring Leader: 7
The Only Player in NBA History to Score 100 Points in a Game
Bill Shoemaker (American Jockey)
August 19, 1931 - October 12, 2003
Birthplace: Farbens, TX
Passed Away on October 12, 2003 at Age 72 From a Drunk Driving Accident
Considered One of the Greatest Jockeys of All-Time
Kentucky Derby: 4
Preakness: 2
Belmont Stakes: 5
Breeders Cup Classic: 1
Conchata Ferrell (Actress)
March 28, 1943 - October 12, 2020
Birthplace: Loudendale, WV
Passed Away on October 12, 2020 at Age 77 From Cardiac Arrest
Played Mrs. Bobrucz in the 1988 Film For Keeps
* Also Played Berta the Maid on Two and a Half Men
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1984 - Garbo Talks
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver, Carrie Fisher, Catherine Hicks, Steven Hill, Howard Da Silva, Dorothy Loudon, Harvey Fierstein and Hermione Gingold
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $1.4 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1982 - Cindy Williams Made Her Final Appearance On Laverne & Shirley
Episode: “Window on Main Street”
1987 - Valerie Harper Filed a Lawsuit Against NBC
* NBC Fired Harper From Her Sitcom (Valerie)
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1981 - October
U2 (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #104
* #11 in the UK
1984 - Big Bam Boom
Hall & Oates (12th Album)
Billboard Charts: #5
* Featuring “Out Of Touch”
1984 - Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (Debut Album)
* Reached #13 in the UK
1984 - The Wonderful and Frightening World Of…
The Fall (7th Album)
* Reached #62 in the UK
1987 - Kick
INXS (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #3
* Hit #1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Featuring “Need You Tonight” and “Devil Inside”
Over 20 Million Copies Sold (Worldwide)
1987 - Perfect Timing
McAuley Schenker Group (5th Album)
Billboard Charts: #95
1987 - A Very Special Christmas (Compilation Album)
Various Artists
* Produced to Raise Money For the Special Olympics
19th Top Selling Christmas Album of All-Time
1987 - Alphabet City
ABC (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #48
* #7 in the UK
1987 - George Best
The Wedding Present (Debut Album)
* Reached #47 in the UK
1989 - Trial by Fire: Live In Leningrad (Live Album)
Yngwie Malmsteen
Billboard Charts: #128
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies Beat the Houston Astros to Advance to the World Series
Series: 3-2
NLCS MVP: Manny Trillo
4 of the 5 Games Went Extra Innings
1982 - The Milwaukee Brewers Beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10 - 0 in Game 1 of the World Series at Busch Stadium
Attendance: 53,723
* Paul Molitor (Brewers) 5 Hits
Robin Yount (Brewers) 4 Hits
Ted Simmons (Brewers) Home Run
Mike Caldwell (Brewers) Complete Game Shutout
1983 - The Baltimore Orioles Beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4 - 1 at Memorial Stadium to tie the World Series 1 - 1
Attendance: 52,132
* Mike Boddicker (Orioles) Pitched a Complete Game
1986 - The Boston Red Sox Beat the California Angels 7 - 6 (11 innings) at Anaheim Stadium in Game 5 of the ALCS
Attendance: 64,223
The Red Sox Won the Next 2 Games to Advance to the World Series
1987 - The Minnesota Twins Beat the Detroit Tigers to Advance to the World Series
Series: 4-1
ALCS MVP: Gary Gaetti
1988 - The Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the New York Mets 6 - 0 in Game 7 of the NLCS to Advance to the World Series
Series: 4 - 3
NLCS MVP: Orel Hershiser
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - Japan's Former Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei Was Sentenced to 4 Years In Jail For Taking a Bribe
* Took a $2 Million Dollar Bribe From the Lockheed Corporation
1984 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army Attempted to Assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Her Cabinet
* The Bomb Failed to Assassinate Thatcher But Killed 5 Others and Wounded 31
1988 - Two Victoria Police Officers Officers Were Gunned Down Execution-Style in the Walsh Street Police Shootings in Australia
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Other Notable Dates
(On October 12th)
1773 - The First United States Insane Asylum (Eastern State Hospital) Opened in Williamsburg, Virginia
Did You Know?
The Most Populated Insane Asylum in United States History Was In 1954 At the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center In Brentwood, New York
Patients: 13,875
1779 - The First Columbus Day Was Celebrated in New York City
1892 - The Pledge of Allegiance Was First Recited by Students in US Public Schools
1960 - Japan's Socialist Party Leader Inejiro Asanuma Was Stabbed to Death During a Live Television Broadcast
On October 12, 1986 The California Angels Were 1 Strike Away From Advancing to the World Series Until Dave Henderson "Hendu" Came To the Plate
1985 - “Oh Sheila” by Ready for the World Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from October 12 - 18
Also Hit #1 in Canada
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The Dodgers Beat the Mets in Game 7 to Advance to the World Series
ALCS
Headlines
(October 12th)
1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies Beat the Houston Astros to Advanced to the World Series
Series: 3 - 2
NLCS MVP: Manny Trillo
4 of the 5 Games Went Extra Innings
Beat the Kansas City Royals 4 Games to 2 in the World Series
October 12th in 80s History