1980 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

Quick Facts from 1980

• World Changing Event: On February 22, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. The Soviets had won every Olympic gold medal since 1964. The Americans were college kids. Sportscaster Al Michaels asked: “Do you believe in miracles?” The answer was yes.
• Top Song: Lady by Kenny Rogers
• Must-See Movies: Airplane!, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Flash Gordon, The Elephant Man, The Blues Brothers, The Shining, and The Empire Strikes Back
• Most Famous American: Probably John Lennon, both before and after December 8
• Notable Books: Cosmos by Carl Sagan and The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
• Loaf of bread: 50 cents; Gallon of gas: $1.22; Etch-A-Sketch: $4.97; Rubik’s Cube: $9.99
• The Comeback Funny Guy: Redd Foxx
• The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
• The Funny Duo: Cheech and Chong
• The Conversation: Who shot J.R. on CBS’s Dallas? (It was Kristin Shepard, played by Mary Crosby. You’re welcome.)
• Super Bowl XIV ad cost: $222,000 for 30 seconds

Top Ten Baby Names of 1980

Girls: Jennifer, Amanda, Jessica, Melissa, Sarah, Heather, Nicole, Amy, Elizabeth, Michelle
Boys: Michael, Christopher, Jason, David, James, Matthew, Joshua, John, Robert, Joseph

The Hotties, Sex Symbols, and Fashion Icons

Loni Anderson, Susan Anton, Barbara Bach, Catherine Bach, Kim Basinger, Valerie Bertinelli, Jacqueline Bisset, Christie Brinkley, Lynda Carter, Charo, Lydia Cornell, Sybil Danning, Bo Derek, Morgan Fairchild, Farrah Fawcett, Jane Fonda, Erin Gray, Shelly Hack, Debbie Harry, Goldie Hawn, Marilu Henner, Lauren Hutton, Cheryl Ladd, Olivia Newton-John, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Bernadette Peters, Victoria Principal, Tanya Roberts, Diana Ross, Jane Seymour, Brooke Shields, Jaclyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Donna Summer, Cheryl Tiegs, Charlene Tilton, Mary Woronov

Hollywood Hunks and Leading Men

Richard Gere, Christopher Reeve, Burt Reynolds, John Travolta

The Quotes

“Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?” — Grey Poupon television commercial, 1980

“Who shot J.R.?” — Every Dallas fan in America, all summer long

“Here’s Johnny!” — Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, The Shining

“You dipstick.” — Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, The Dukes of Hazzard

“Surely you can’t be serious?” / “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.” — Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen, Airplane!

“No. I am your father.” — Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker, The Empire Strikes Back (Note: the actual line is NOT “Luke, I am your father” — one of the most misquoted lines in film history)

“Do you believe in miracles? YES!” — Al Michaels, calling the Miracle on Ice, February 22, 1980

“Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion. It’s in the hole!” — Bill Murray as Carl Spackler, Caddyshack

Time Magazine Person of the Year

Ronald Reagan

Miss America and Miss USA

Miss America: Cheryl Prewitt, Ackerman, MS
Miss USA: Shawn Weatherly, South Carolina

We Lost in 1980

John Lennon, musician and former Beatle — shot and killed outside his apartment at the Dakota in New York City on the night of December 8 by Mark David Chapman. Lennon was 40. He had just released Double Fantasy, his first album in five years, weeks earlier. His death silenced a generation. “(Just Like) Starting Over” returned to #1 the week after he died.
Ian Curtis, singer-songwriter of Joy Division, hanged himself on May 18, age 23, the night before his band was scheduled to depart for their first American tour. His bandmates eventually regrouped and formed New Order.
Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, died February 19, age 33, after a night of heavy drinking in London. His bandmates recorded Back in Black as a tribute. It became one of the best-selling albums in history.
Dorothy Stratten, Playboy Playmate of the Year, was murdered on August 14, at the age of 20, by her estranged husband, Paul Snider, who then killed himself. Her story was told in the 1983 film Star 80.
Steve McQueen, actor — died November 7, age 50, from mesothelioma
Jimmy Durante, entertainer — died January 29, age 86
Peter Sellers, actor (Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther) — died July 24, age 54
Romy Schneider, actress — died May 29, age 43
Jesse Owens, Olympic champion, died March 31, age 66

The Scandals

Washington Post reporter Janet Cooke won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her story about “Jimmy,” an 8-year-old heroin addict living in Washington D.C. In 1981, it was discovered she had fabricated the story entirely. She was forced to return the Pulitzer, the only time in the award’s history that a prize was rescinded due to fraud.

Pennsylvania Lottery host Nick Perry and five associates rigged the lottery drawing in April 1980 by injecting white paint into all balls except those numbered 4 and 6, then betting heavily on combinations of those numbers. The 6-6-6 winning number paid out $1.8 million before the scheme was uncovered.

John Wayne Gacy Jr., the “Killer Clown,” was sentenced to death on March 13, 1980, for the murder of 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978. He had been hosting children’s parties as “Pogo the Clown” while concealing the bodies of his victims under his house.

Philadelphia organized crime boss Angelo Bruno was shot and killed in his car in front of his South Philadelphia home on March 21, 1980, in a mob hit that triggered years of internal violence in the Philadelphia crime family.

The Abscam sting operation, in which FBI agents posing as wealthy Arab businessmen caught congressmen accepting bribes on film, resulted in the conviction of seven U.S. House members and one Senator. It remains the largest political corruption sting in American history.

The Miracle on Ice

On February 22, 1980, the United States Olympic hockey team, composed largely of college players with an average age of 21, defeated the Soviet national team 4-3 at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. The Soviets had won every Olympic gold medal since 1964 and were widely considered the greatest hockey team ever assembled. They had beaten the NHL All-Stars the previous year.

The American team was coached by Herb Brooks, who had deliberately selected players he believed could learn his system rather than the most talented individuals available. He drove them mercilessly through a grueling pre-Olympic schedule, including a 7-3 loss to the Soviets just three days before the Olympic tournament began.

At the end of the second period, the U.S. trailed 3-2. They tied it early in the third, then Mike Eruzione scored the winning goal with 10 minutes remaining. Goalie Jim Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots. When the buzzer sounded, ABC’s Al Michaels asked: “Do you believe in miracles?” The answer, which he then delivered himself: “YES!”

The U.S. defeated Finland two days later to win the gold medal. Sports Illustrated named the Miracle on Ice the top sports moment of the 20th century in 1999.

Pop Culture Facts and History

The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, and earned $209 million domestically, making it the highest-grossing film of the year. It is widely considered the greatest Star Wars film and one of the best sequels ever made. The twist revealed in the second act remains one of the most shocking moments in cinema history. The actual line is “No. I am your father,” not “Luke, I am your father.”

Airplane! was made for $3.5 million and earned $83 million, becoming one of the most profitable comedies in history relative to its budget. Producers considered it so low-concept they couldn’t convince a major studio to distribute it. Paramount took it reluctantly. It was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1980.

The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King’s novel, was released on May 23, 1980. King famously disliked Kubrick’s adaptation. The film was initially dismissed but went on to become one of the most analyzed and discussed films in cinema history. The hedge maze was not in the book.

CNN launched on June 1, 1980, as the world’s first 24-hour television news network, from Atlanta, Georgia. It was founded by Ted Turner, who was widely mocked for the concept. Nobody is mocking him now.

Back in Black by AC/DC was released July 25, 1980, with new lead vocalist Brian Johnson replacing the late Bon Scott. It went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide, making it the second-best-selling album in history behind Thriller. The all-black cover was a tribute to Bon Scott.

Pac-Man arrived in American arcades in October 1980, having launched in Japan in May. It became the highest-grossing arcade game in history and the first video game character to achieve genuine pop culture status. The “waka waka” sound effect became immediately recognizable to everyone in America, regardless of whether they had ever played.

The Rubik’s Cube debuted internationally in 1980 at the British Toy and Hobby Fair in January, having been patented by Hungarian inventor Ernő Rubik in 1975. By the end of 1980, it was a global phenomenon; over 100 million were sold in the first two years. The world record for solving one at a time was around 22 seconds. The current record is under 3.5 seconds.

Post-it Notes went on national sale in 1980 as “Post-it Notes,” having been test-marketed in 1978 as “Press ‘N Peel.” The adhesive had been invented in 1968 by 3M scientist Spencer Silver, who couldn’t find a use for it; Art Fry suggested using it for bookmarks in 1974. It took until 1980 for 3M to fully commit to national distribution.

Whole Foods Market opened its first store in Austin, Texas, in September 1980, founded by John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy. It had 19 employees and was badly damaged by a flood in its first year. Mackey and his team cleaned it up themselves and kept going.

Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. in Washington State, in the most significant volcanic event in U.S. history. The eruption killed 57 people, flattened 230 square miles of forest, and ejected enough ash to cover a football field to a depth of 150 miles. The north face of the mountain collapsed entirely, reducing its height by 1,300 feet.

Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent President Jimmy Carter on November 4, 1980, by 489 electoral votes to 49, one of the most lopsided electoral victories in American history. Reagan was 69 years old at the time of his election, making him the oldest person to be elected president up to that point.

The hostage crisis in Iran dominated American attention throughout 1980. 52 American diplomats and citizens had been held captive since November 4, 1979. All diplomatic, economic, and military options had failed. They were finally released on January 20, 1981, minutes after Reagan was inaugurated, after 444 days in captivity.

Tim Berners-Lee began work on ENQUIRE in 1980, the early predecessor system that would eventually lead to his creation of the World Wide Web a decade later.

Voyager 1, launched in 1977, provided confirmation of Janus as a moon of Saturn in 1980 while making its closest approach to Saturn on November 12.

The U.S. boycotted the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 82 nations joined the boycott. Athletes from 16 of those nations competed anyway under the Olympic flag.

The WHO certified the global eradication of smallpox on May 8, 1980, following a worldwide vaccination campaign that had taken over a decade. It remains the only infectious human disease to have been fully eradicated.

The first modern modem for personal computers became commercially available in 1980, operating at 300 baud, allowing computers to communicate over phone lines. It was the first technology that would eventually make the internet accessible to ordinary people.

30% of all cars sold in the United States in 1980 were imported, primarily from Japan, reflecting the damage done to the U.S. auto industry by the energy crisis and Japanese manufacturing efficiency.

The U.S.-Soviet grain embargo imposed by President Carter in January 1980 in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan proved economically damaging to American farmers and did not significantly affect Soviet behavior. It was lifted by Reagan in 1981.

The Habits

Playing Rubik’s Cube, Pac-Man, and Centipede at the arcade; reading The Official Preppy Handbook; guessing who shot J.R. (it was Kristin Shepard, played by Mary Crosby).

Christmas Gifts and First Appearances of 1980

Rubik’s Cube, Magna Doodle

Nobel Prize Winners

Physics — James Watson Cronin and Val Logsdon Fitch (for the discovery of CP violation, a fundamental asymmetry in particle physics)
Chemistry — Paul Berg, Walter Gilbert, and Frederick Sanger (for recombinant DNA and nucleic acid base sequencing)
Medicine — Baruj Benacerraf, Jean Dausset, and George D. Snell (for discoveries concerning genetic control of immune response)
Literature — Czesław Miłosz
Peace — Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Argentine human rights activist)
Economics — Lawrence R. Klein

Popular and Best-Selling Books of 1980

A Confederacy of Dunces — John Kennedy Toole (published posthumously; Toole had died by suicide in 1969)
The Bourne Identity — Robert Ludlum
Cosmos — Carl Sagan
The Covenant — James A. Michener
The Devil’s Alternative — Frederick Forsyth
The Fifth Horseman — Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre
Firestarter — Stephen King
God Emperor of Dune — Frank Herbert
Jailbird — Kurt Vonnegut
The Key to Rebecca — Ken Follett
Midnight’s Children — Salman Rushdie
Princess Daisy — Judith Krantz
Rage of Angels — Sidney Sheldon
Random Winds — Belva Plain
Smiley’s People — John le Carré
The Spike — Arnaud de Borchgrave and Robert Moss

Broadway in 1980

42nd Street (musical) opened August 25, 1980, and ran until January 8, 1989 — nearly nine years.
Amadeus (play) opened December 17, 1980, and closed October 16, 1983 — winning the Tony Award for Best Play

Best Film Oscar Winner

Kramer vs. Kramer, directed by Robert Benton and starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, won Best Picture at the 1980 Academy Awards, presented for the 1979 film year.

The Bomb

Heaven’s Gate, directed by Michael Cimino and starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Joseph Cotten, Mickey Rourke, and Willem Dafoe. It cost $44 million and earned $3.5 million. The catastrophic failure bankrupted United Artists, one of Hollywood’s oldest studios, and effectively ended the era of directors given unlimited creative control.

Top Movies of 1980

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. 9 to 5
3. Stir Crazy
4. Airplane!
5. Any Which Way You Can
6. Private Benjamin
7. Coal Miner’s Daughter
8. Smokey and the Bandit II
9. The Blue Lagoon
10. The Blues Brothers

Most Popular TV Shows of 1980

1. Dallas (CBS)
2. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS)
3. 60 Minutes (CBS)
4. M*A*S*H (CBS)
5. The Love Boat (ABC)
6. The Jeffersons (CBS)
7. Alice (CBS)
8. House Calls (CBS)
9. Three’s Company (ABC)
10. Little House on the Prairie (NBC)

1980 Billboard Number One Songs

December 22, 1979 – January 4, 1980: Escape (The Piña Colada Song) — Rupert Holmes
January 5 – January 18: Please Don’t Go — KC and the Sunshine Band
January 19 – February 15: Rock with You — Michael Jackson
February 16 – February 22: Do That to Me One More Time — Captain and Tennille
February 23 – March 21: Crazy Little Thing Called Love — Queen
March 22 – April 18: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) — Pink Floyd
April 19 – May 30: Call Me — Blondie (from the film American Gigolo)
May 31 – June 27: Funkytown — Lipps Inc.
June 28 – July 18: Coming Up (Live at Glasgow) — Paul McCartney and Wings
July 19 – August 1: It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me — Billy Joel
August 2 – August 29: Magic — Olivia Newton-John
August 30 – September 5: Sailing — Christopher Cross
September 6 – October 3: Upside Down — Diana Ross
October 4 – October 24: Another One Bites the Dust — Queen
October 25 – November 14: Woman in Love — Barbra Streisand
November 15 – December 26: Lady — Kenny Rogers
December 27, 1980 – January 30, 1981: (Just Like) Starting Over — John Lennon

John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over had been a modest hit before his murder on December 8. It immediately returned to #1 and stayed there. Queen had two separate #1 hits in 1980. The year’s chart was a remarkable mix of pop, rock, new wave, and disco at its last gasp.

1980 United States Census

Total U.S. Population: 226,542,199

New York, NY — 7,071,639
Chicago, IL — 3,005,072
Los Angeles, CA — 2,966,850
Philadelphia, PA — 1,688,210
Houston, TX — 1,595,138
Detroit, MI — 1,203,339
Dallas, TX — 904,078
San Diego, CA — 875,538
Phoenix, AZ — 789,704
Baltimore, MD — 786,775

Sports Champions of 1980

World Series: Philadelphia Phillies (their first World Series title in 97 years) Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers (their fourth Super Bowl in six years) NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers Stanley Cup: New York Islanders (beginning of a four-year dynasty) U.S. Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus U.S. Open Tennis — Men: John McEnroe | Women: Chris Evert Lloyd Wimbledon — Men: Björn Borg | Women: Evonne Goolagong Cawley NCAA Football: Georgia NCAA Basketball: Louisville Kentucky Derby: Genuine Risk (only the second filly to win the Kentucky Derby)

Sports Highlight: The Miracle on Ice, February 22, 1980. U.S. 4, USSR 3. Sports Illustrated named it the top sports moment of the 20th century. Eric Heiden won five individual speed skating gold medals at the same Lake Placid Games, one of the greatest individual Olympic performances in history, but was almost entirely overshadowed.

FAQs: 1980 History, Facts, and Trivia

Q: What was the Miracle on Ice?
A: On February 22, 1980, a team of American college hockey players defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. The Soviets had won every Olympic gold since 1964 and were considered the greatest hockey team ever assembled. The Americans, with an average age of 21, were massive underdogs. Sports Illustrated later named it the top sports moment of the 20th century.

Q: Who shot J.R. Ewing on Dallas?
A: Kristin Shepard, played by Mary Crosby, who was J.R.’s sister-in-law and former mistress. The November 1980 reveal drew 83 million viewers, one of the largest audiences in television history.

Q: What was the #1 song of 1980?
A: Lady by Kenny Rogers held the top spot from mid-November through late December. John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over ended the year at #1 after returning to the top following his assassination on December 8.

Q: What was the biggest movie of 1980?
A: The Empire Strikes Back was the highest-grossing film of 1980. It is widely considered the best film in the Star Wars franchise and one of the greatest sequels ever made.

Q: What happened to John Lennon in 1980?
A: John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment at the Dakota in New York City on the night of December 8, 1980, by Mark David Chapman. Lennon was 40 years old and had just released his first album in five years. The loss affected millions worldwide.

Q: What exploded in Washington State in 1980?
A: Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, in the most significant volcanic event in U.S. history. The eruption killed 57 people, flattened 230 square miles of forest, and reduced the mountain’s height by 1,300 feet.

Q: What TV show mystery consumed America in 1980?
A: “Who shot J.R.?” from CBS’s Dallas — the cliffhanger aired in March 1980, and the answer wasn’t revealed until November. Over the summer, the question appeared on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and in newspapers worldwide.

Q: When did CNN launch?
A: CNN began broadcasting on June 1, 1980, from Atlanta, Georgia, as the world’s first 24-hour television news network. Founder Ted Turner was widely mocked for the concept at the time.

Q: What toy became a global sensation in 1980?
A: The Rubik’s Cube debuted internationally in January 1980 at the British Toy and Hobby Fair. Over 100 million were sold in the first two years. Most people could not solve it. This did not stop anyone from buying one.

Q: What disease was eradicated in 1980?
A: The World Health Organization certified the global eradication of smallpox on May 8, 1980, following a worldwide vaccination campaign. It remains the only human infectious disease to have been fully eradicated.

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