1981 Facts, Fun Trivia and History |
Quick Facts from 1981:
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Top Ten Baby Names of 1981: Jennifer, Jessica, Amanda, Sarah, Melissa, Michael, Chris, Topher, Matthew, Jason, David |
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols: Loni Anderson, Barbara Bach, Catherine Bach, Kim Basinger, Valerie Bertinelli, Jacqueline Bisset, Christie Brinkley, Charo, Joan Collins, Lydia Cornell, Bo Derek, Linda Evans, Morgan Fairchild, Farrah Fawcett, Jane Fonda, Erin Gray, Debbie Harry, Goldie Hawn, Marilu Henner, Lauren Hutton, Grace Jones, Nastassja Kinski, Jessica Lange, Olivia Newton-John, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Victoria Principal, Tanya Roberts, Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Jacquelyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Donna Summer, Heather Thomas, Cheryl Tiegs, Charlene Tilton, Mary Woronov |
Leading Men and Hollywood Heartthrobs: Harrison Ford, Mickey Rourke, Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, John Travolta |
“The Quotes:” “Betcha can’t eat just one” “No wire hangers, ever!” “Listen to me, mister. You’re my knight in shining armor. Don’t you forget it. You’re going to get back on that horse, and I’m going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we’re gonna go, go, go!” “We bring good things to life” “Be all that you can be” |
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year: Lech Walesa |
Miss America: Susan Powell (Elk City, OK) |
Miss USA: Kim Seelbrede (Ohio) |
The Scandals: Jack Henry Abbott was a felon/murderer/bank robber who wrote In the Belly of the Beast while in prison. Norman Mailer and others vouched for him… he was released and soon stabbed an employee at a restaurant who told him he could not use the employee’s rest room. Back in prison, he killed himself in 2002. |
Actress Drowning Death: Actress Natalie Wood died, apparently falling overboard after a day/night sailing with hubby Robert Wagner and mutual friend Christopher Walken. |
Actor Injury Death: William Holden was drunk, fell and cut his head open. He didn’t realize how injured he was, didn’t call for help, and died from what should have been fairly easy stitching. He was also probably the actor Suzanne Vega “never heard of” mentioned in her hit Tom’s Diner. |
Pop Star Automobile Death: Harry Chapin |
US Politics: January 20, 1981 (Tuesday) First inauguration of Ronald Reagan |
Pop Culture Facts & History: MTV began on August 1st. The first video, all vidNerds know was ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by the Buggles. The second was Pat Benatar’s ‘You Better Run.’ Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice. “Bulimia” was the new word du jour. The Smurfs, created in 1958, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series brought them into American pop culture. Though many fans think Smurfette was the only female Smurf, there were actually two more – Nanny Smurf and Sassette Smurf. There was no Smurfina. Prince Charles married Lady Diana on July 29, 1981. It was on TV and in all the newspapers. Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1981: $275,000 |
Doomsday Clock: 4 minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 1981: “The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan hardens the U.S. nuclear posture. Before he leaves office, President Jimmy Carter pulls the United States from the Olympic Games in Moscow and considers ways in which the United States could win a nuclear war. The rhetoric only intensifies with the election of Ronald Reagan as president. Reagan scraps any talk of arms control and proposes that the best way to end the Cold War is for the United States to win it.” |
The Habit: Working on the Rubik’s Cube, Donkey Kong, Frogger (arcade), playing with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figures. |
Popular and Best-selling Books From 1981: A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein An Indecent Obsession by Colleen McCullough The Covenant by James Michener Cujo by Stephen King The Glitter Dome by Joseph Wambaugh The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton Good bye, Janette by Harold Robbins Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks Lanark by Alasdair Gray Masquerade by Kit Williams Noble House by James Clavell Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme The Third Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders No Time for Tears by Cynthia Freeman What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner |
East End Show – Cats (Musical) Opened on May 11, 1981 and closed on May 11, 2002 Broadway Show – Dreamgirls (Musical) Opened on December 20, 1981 and closed on August 11, 1985 |
Best Film Oscar Winner: Ordinary People (presented in 1981) |
The Big Movies: (according to boxofficemojo) 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark 2. On Golden Pond 3. Superman II 4. Arthur 5. Stripes 6. The Cannonball Run 7. Chariots Of Fire 8. For Your Eyes Only 9. The Four Seasons 10. Time Bandits |
1981 Most Popular TV shows: 1. Dallas (CBS) 2. 60 Minutes (CBS) 3. The Jeffersons (CBS) 4. Three’s Company (ABC) 5. Alice (CBS) 6. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 7. Too Close For Comfort (ABC) 8. ABC Monday Night Movie (ABC) 9. M*A*S*H (CBS) 10. One Day at a Time (CBS) |
1981 Billboard Number One Songs: January 31 – February 6: February 7 – February 20: February 21 – March 6: March 7 – March 20: March 21 – March 27: March 28 – April 10: April 11 – May 1: May 2 – May 15: May 16 – July 17: July 18 – July 24: July 25 – July 31: August 1 – August 14: August 15 – October 16: October 17 – November 6: November 7 – November 20: November 21, 1981 – January 29, 1982: |
Sports: World Series Champions: Los Angeles Dodgers Superbowl XV Champions: Oakland Raiders NBA Champions: Boston Celtics Stanley Cup Champs: New York Islanders U.S. Open Golf David Graham U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) John McEnroe/Tracy Austin Wimbledon (Men/Women): John McEnroe/Chris Evert NCAA Football Champions: Clemson NCAA Basketball Champions: Indiana Kentucky Derby: Pleasant Colony |