Timeline May 1980

Events in May 1980 9

• 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.
• 1980 1980 World Snooker Championship Cliff Thorburn Win Winner: Cliff Thorburn; Runner-up: Alex Higgins. Score: 18–16.
• 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.