1980

Events in 1980 67

• 1886 – 1980 Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) Died 22 February 1980, aged 93 Austrian-born painter, poet, and playwright associated with Expressionism, known for intense portraits and landscapes. He fled Nazi persecution in the 1930s and later settled in Britain and Switzerland. His work strongly influenced twentieth-century European art.
• 1892 – 1980 Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980) Died 4 May 1980, aged 87 Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman who led Yugoslavia as president from 1953 until his death, maintaining independence from both Soviet and Western blocs as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement. He had led the Partisan resistance against Axis occupation during World War II. His death raised fears about Yugoslavia's future stability, which fractured a decade later.
• 1893 – 1980 Jimmy Durante (1893-1980) Died 29 January 1980, aged 86 American entertainer, singer, and comedian famous for his distinctive gravelly voice and large nose, which he nicknamed "the Schnozzola." He built a decades-long career across vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His signature sign-off phrases became part of American pop culture.
• 1893 – 1980 Mae West (1893-1980) Died 22 November 1980, aged 87 American actress, playwright, and screenwriter known for her bawdy humor and sexually forward persona in an era of strict censorship. She was one of the most popular Hollywood stars of the 1930s. Her wit and double entendres influenced generations of comedians.
• 1896 – 1980 Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Died 16 September 1980, aged 84 Swiss psychologist whose theory of cognitive development transformed the understanding of how children think and learn. His stage-based model of intellectual growth remains foundational in developmental psychology and education. He founded the International Centre for Genetic Epistemology in Geneva.
• 1899 – 1980 Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) Died 29 April 1980, aged 80 British-American film director renowned as the "Master of Suspense," known for films including Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, and North by Northwest. His innovative visual storytelling and mastery of tension shaped modern thriller filmmaking. He was knighted shortly before his death.
• 1901 – 1980 George Raft (1901-1980) American actor and dancer, the coin-flipping gangster of Scarface.
• 1905 – 1980 Jean-Paul Sartre French philosopher and writer Sartre was a leading existentialist thinker who explored freedom, responsibility, and human existence.
• 1905 – 1980 Jean-Paul Sartre Philosopher, Playwright, and Voice of Existentialism Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, and political activist who became the foremost public exponent of existentialism in the twentieth century. Through works such as Being and Nothingness, Nausea, and No Exit, he explored themes of freedom, bad faith, and radical responsibility for one's own existence. A lifelong partner of Simone de Beauvoir and a prominent left-wing intellectual, he shaped postwar European thought, engaged directly in the political struggles of his era, and in 1964 became the only person ever to decline the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 1911 – 1980 Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) Died 31 December 1980, aged 69 Canadian philosopher and media theorist famous for coining the phrase "the medium is the message" and predicting the rise of a global electronic "village." His work anticipated the internet age and profoundly influenced media and communication studies. He taught for decades at the University of Toronto.
• 1913 – 1980 Jesse Owens (1913-1980) Died 31 March 1980, aged 66 American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, undermining Nazi claims of Aryan racial superiority. He set world records in sprinting and long jump and became a global symbol of athletic excellence over ideology. Owens died of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona.
• 1917 – 1980 Oscar Romero (1917-1980) Died 24 March 1980, aged 62 Archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated while celebrating Mass, after speaking out against poverty, social injustice, and human rights abuses during El Salvador's civil conflict. His killing by a right-wing death squad made him a martyr for liberation theology and human rights. He was canonized a saint by the Catholic Church in 2018.
• 1925 – 1980 Peter Sellers (1925-1980) Died 24 July 1980, aged 54 British comedian and actor best known for playing Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther film series and for his roles in Dr. Strangelove. His versatile character work made him one of the most acclaimed comic actors of his generation. He died of a heart attack in London.
• 1925 – 1980 Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1925-1980) Died 17 September 1980, aged 54 Former President of Nicaragua and the last member of the Somoza family dynasty to rule the country, overthrown by the Sandinista revolution in 1979. He was assassinated in exile in Asuncion, Paraguay, by Argentine and Sandinista-linked guerrillas. His death closed the chapter on more than four decades of Somoza family rule.
• 1930 – 1980 Steve McQueen (1930-1980) Died 7 November 1980, aged 50 American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s, known for films including The Great Escape, Bullitt, and The Magnificent Seven. His cool, understated screen persona and fondness for motorcycles and racing earned him the nickname "The King of Cool." He died of cancer in Mexico.
• 1940 – 1980 John Lennon Singer-songwriter, Beatle English musician, co-founder of the Beatles and co-writer of most of their songs. Solo career with Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. Murdered in New York in 1980.
• 1948 – 1980 John Bonham (1948-1980) Died 25 September 1980, aged 32 English drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin, regarded as one of the most influential drummers in rock history for his power and technique. He died after a night of heavy drinking, choking in his sleep, prompting the band's dissolution soon after. His death is often cited alongside the "27 Club" despite his age of 32.
• 1948 – 1980 Juliana Queen of the Netherlands Queen Juliana presided over postwar reconstruction and decolonization.
• 1955 – 1980 Parliament American funk band George Clinton's funk collective, twin of Funkadelic — Mothership Connection, Give Up the Funk and Flash Light.
• 1968 – 1980 Led Zeppelin English rock band Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham — the heaviest and biggest-selling rock band of the 1970s.
• 1978 – 1980 John Farrar writes for Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want", "Suddenly" Former Shadows member John Farrar went on to write and produce major hits for Olivia Newton-John, including "You're the One That I Want" (from "Grease", 1978) and "Suddenly" (from "Xanadu", 1980) — one of the more unexpected legacies of the Shadows' rotating line-up.
• 1979 – 1980 The Act of Succession Change Gender Equality in Royalty Sweden became the first monarchy to allow the eldest child, regardless of gender, to inherit the throne.
• 1980 – 1989 Continued recording through the 1980s Marvin, Welch & Bennett The core trio of Marvin, Welch and Bennett continued recording and performing through the 1980s, including covers and new material, supported by session musicians on bass.
• 1980 – 1988 Iranian Tomcats in the Iran–Iraq War The F-14's biggest war Iran's F-14s fight throughout the eight-year war against Iraq, by most accounts scoring more kills than any other type in the conflict.
• 1980 – 1988 Iran–Iraq War Eight years of devastating war with Iraq Iraq's invasion in 1980 began an eight-year war of attrition that cost hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides, featuring trench warfare, missile attacks on cities and the use of chemical weapons. It ended in 1988 in a bloody stalemate, profoundly shaping the young Islamic Republic.
• 1980 John Lennon assassinated John Lennon assassinated John Lennon was shot outside the Dakota building in New York on 8 December 1980 by Mark David Chapman, who had asked him for an autograph hours earlier. He was 40 and had just released Double Fantasy after five years away from music. Crowds kept vigil in Central Park for days.
• 1980 – 2011 R.E.M. R.E.M. were an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. They are widely credited as the founding band of American alternative rock -- the first major band to emerge from the college radio underground and achieve mainstream success without compromising their artistic integrity. Their 15 studio albums span jangly post-punk ('Murmur,' 1983), political rock ('Document,' 1987), arena pop ('Out of Time,' 1991; 'Automatic for the People,' 1992) and experimental noise ('Monster,' 1994; 'Up,' 1998). They disbanded amicably in September 2011 after 31 years, releasing a statement: 'To our fans and friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.'
• 1980 Pretenders top the UK charts with Brass in Pocket Number one Their only UK number one.
• 1980 Pretenders release their debut album Pretenders A UK number one, with Kid and Mystery Achievement.
• 1980 – present Jenson Button The Smooth Operator 2009 World Champion with Brawn GP; master of driving in changing weather conditions.
• 1980 – present Marat Safin The Giant Two-time major winner known for his power and volatile temperament.
• 1980 1980 Winter Olympics XIII Winter Games - Lake Placid Features the "Miracle on Ice" hockey match. Winner: Soviet Union.
• 1980 Miracle on Ice US amateur hockey team upsets the Soviet Union On 22 February 1980, during the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, a team of American college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet national ice hockey team 4-3. The United States went on to win the gold medal two days later. The upset became one of the most celebrated moments in American sports history amid Cold War tensions.
• 1980 – present Ronaldinho The Magician 2005 Ballon d'Or winner known for his joy, flair, and incredible trickery on the ball.
• 1980 Mariel Boatlift Mass exodus of Cubans to the United States Between April and October 1980, roughly 125,000 Cubans left the port of Mariel for the United States after Fidel Castro announced anyone wishing to leave could do so. The flotilla of small boats organized largely by Cuban-Americans in Florida reshaped South Florida's demographics. The episode became a major political issue for the Carter administration.
• 1980 Independence of Zimbabwe Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe achieved formal independence from Britain on 18 April 1980, ending decades of white-minority rule in Rhodesia. Robert Mugabe, leader of ZANU, became the country's first prime minister after winning elections earlier that year. The transition followed the Lancaster House Agreement that ended the Rhodesian Bush War.
• 1980 1980 World Snooker Championship Cliff Thorburn Win Winner: Cliff Thorburn; Runner-up: Alex Higgins. Score: 18–16.
• 1980 Operation Eagle Claw Failed US attempt to rescue Iran hostages On 24 April 1980 the United States launched a covert mission to rescue 52 American hostages held in Tehran. The operation was aborted after mechanical failures, and a collision between a helicopter and a transport aircraft killed eight US servicemen. Its failure damaged President Carter's re-election prospects and prolonged the hostage crisis.
• 1980 – present Bradley Wiggins Wiggo First Briton to win the Tour; transitioned from track to road legend.
• 1980 Liberty City Riots Deadly unrest in Miami after police acquittal Rioting broke out in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood on 17 May 1980 after an all-white jury acquitted four police officers in the beating death of Black motorist Arthur McDuffie. Eighteen people were killed and property damage reached tens of millions of dollars over several days of unrest. It was among the deadliest US race riots of the era.
• 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption Deadliest volcanic eruption in US history A major eruption on 18 May 1980 blew out the north face of Mount St. Helens in Washington State, killing 57 people. It buried forests and rivers under ash and debris and sent an ash plume across the United States. The eruption remains the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in US history.
• 1980 Quebec Sovereignty Referendum Quebecers vote against negotiating independence from Canada On 20 May 1980, voters in Quebec rejected a proposal to negotiate sovereignty-association with the rest of Canada, with about 60% voting no. Premier Rene Levesque's Parti Quebecois had called the referendum to pursue greater autonomy for the French-speaking province. The result kept Quebec within Canada but did not resolve the underlying constitutional tensions.
• 1980 The Empire Strikes Back Released Star Wars sequel debuts in theaters The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, premiered in the United States on 21 May 1980. Directed by Irvin Kershner, it introduced the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father. The film became one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful sequels in cinema history.
• 1980 Pac-Man Released Namco arcade game becomes a global phenomenon Namco released the arcade game Pac-Man in Japan on 22 May 1980, later distributed internationally by Midway. Its simple maze-chase gameplay and character design made it one of the best-selling and most recognizable video games ever made. Pac-Man helped broaden arcade gaming's appeal beyond its traditional young male audience.
• 1980 Peter Gabriel releases his third album Biko With Biko and the gated drum sound.
• 1980 – present Steven Gerrard Captain Fantastic Liverpool legend who famously inspired the 2005 Champions League final comeback.
• 1980 CNN Launches First 24-hour cable news channel begins broadcasting Ted Turner's Cable News Network went on air on 1 June 1980 as the world's first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage. It began as a low-budget operation widely mocked by rivals but grew into a dominant global news source. CNN later transformed how breaking news, including wars and disasters, was covered live.
• 1980 – present Venus Williams Queen V Seven-time singles major winner and advocate for equal prize money.
• 1980 Emotional Rescue Fifteenth album — June 23, 1980 Emotional Rescue, released on June 23, 1980, reached number 1 in both UK and US. Recorded in sessions that also produced much of Tattoo You, it showed the band embracing disco and funk influences.
• 1980 Ustica Air Disaster Itavia Flight 870 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea Itavia Flight 870, a domestic Italian airliner, crashed into the sea near the island of Ustica on 27 June 1980, killing all 81 people aboard. The cause remained disputed for decades, with investigations pointing to a missile fired during a clandestine air battle. The disaster, known in Italy as the "Ustica massacre," became a symbol of unresolved Cold War-era intrigue.
• 1980 Wimbledon 1980 Men: Björn Borg · Women: Evonne Goolagong Cawley Borg defeated McEnroe in one of tennis's greatest finals — 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6. Borg's fifth consecutive title.
• 1980 – present Sally Rooney Irish novelist Rooney writes contemporary fiction focusing on relationships, class, and modern communication.
• 1980 1980 Summer Olympics XXII Olympiad - Moscow Marked by a US-led boycott. Winner: Soviet Union.
• 1980 US-Led Boycott of Moscow Olympics Dozens of nations skip the 1980 Summer Games over Afghanistan The United States led a boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics, joined by roughly 65 countries, in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. President Carter announced the boycott in early 1980, and many Western allies and allied nations followed suit. The move deepened Cold War divisions and prompted a retaliatory Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
• 1980 Independence of Vanuatu New Hebrides becomes the Republic of Vanuatu The Pacific archipelago formerly known as the New Hebrides gained independence from joint British-French rule on 30 July 1980, becoming the Republic of Vanuatu. The transition followed a brief secessionist uprising on the island of Espiritu Santo earlier that year. Vanuatu became a member of the United Nations the following year.
• 1980 Bologna Railway Station Bombing Neo-fascist terrorist attack kills 85 in Italy A bomb hidden in a suitcase exploded in the waiting room of Bologna Centrale railway station on 2 August 1980, killing 85 people and wounding over 200. The attack was later attributed to neo-fascist militants during Italy's "Years of Lead." It remains the deadliest terrorist bombing in Italian history.
• 1980 Gdansk Agreement Signed Poland's communist government recognizes independent trade unions Strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, led by electrician Lech Walesa, forced Poland's communist government to sign an agreement on 31 August 1980 permitting independent trade unions. The accord led to the formation of Solidarity, the first independent labor union in the Soviet bloc. It marked a pivotal step toward the eventual collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe.
• 1980 Led Zeppelin's John Bonham dies Aged 32 The drummer dies at Jimmy Page's house during rehearsals.
• 1980 – present Martina Hingis The Swiss Miss Former world No. 1 tennis player who won five Grand Slam singles titles.
• 1980 – present Tom Boonen Tornado Tom The king of Flanders and Roubaix in the 2000s; 4-time Paris-Roubaix winner.
• 1980 Making Movies Third album — October 17, 1980 Making Movies was released on October 17, 1980, recorded in New York with producer Jimmy Iovine. David Knopfler left during recording. The album included "Romeo and Juliet" and "Tunnel of Love" and reached number 4 in the UK and number 19 in the US.
• 1980 Ronald Reagan Elected US President Republican landslide ends Jimmy Carter's presidency Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter in the US presidential election on 4 November 1980, winning 44 of 50 states. The victory reflected voter frustration over inflation, unemployment, and the Iran hostage crisis. Reagan's election ushered in a conservative political era in American politics.
• 1980 John Lennon releases Double Fantasy Comeback His comeback album with Yoko Ono, released three weeks before his death.
• 1980 Trial of the Gang of Four China prosecutes leaders of the Cultural Revolution China put Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's widow, and three other former top officials on trial beginning 20 November 1980 for crimes committed during the Cultural Revolution. The televised proceedings held the "Gang of Four" responsible for persecutions and deaths during the decade of political upheaval. Jiang Qing received a death sentence later commuted to life imprisonment.
• 1980 Led Zeppelin break up Statement They announce they cannot continue without Bonham.
• 1980 John Lennon murdered Shot outside Dakota Building, New York — December 8, 1980 John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment at the Dakota Building in New York City on December 8, 1980, by Mark David Chapman. He was 40 years old. His death shocked the world and prompted an outpouring of grief comparable to the death of a head of state.
• 1980 – present Richie McCaw Openside flanker and the winningest captain in international rugby history Richard Hugh McCaw is a former New Zealand rugby union player regarded as one of the greatest players and captains the sport has produced. An openside flanker renowned for his relentless work rate at the breakdown, he made his Test debut for the All Blacks in 2001 and went on to earn 148 caps, captaining the side in a record 110 of them. Under his leadership New Zealand won back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015, making him the first captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup twice. He retired from international rugby immediately after the 2015 final with the best win percentage of any long-serving Test captain in history.