1980

Year 1980 () was a (link displays the 1980 ).

January

 * - - A national steel strike is called in the.
 * - Changes to the make   over her younger brother.


 * - U.S. President proclaims a grain embargo against the  with the support of the.
 * - GPS time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. The president of, , is assassinated by the.
 * - U.S. President authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the.
 * - In, 63 Muslim fanatics are beheaded for their part in the in  in November,.
 * -, 14, is the youngest player to be awarded the degree of International Master.
 * - The become the first NFL franchise to win 4, defeating the  in  31-19 at the  in ,.
 * - The hits its highest price ever (adjusted for inflation), at $850 a
 * -, a scientist and human rights activist, is arrested in.
 * - and  establish diplomatic relations.
 * - Six, posing as , manage to escape from ,  as they board a flight to , , thus ending the  operation.
 * - The Spanish Embassy in is taken down and set on fire, killing 36 people.

February

 * - : Reports surface that personnel are targeting members of the  in a sting operation.
 * - - The infamous takes place: 33 inmates are killed and more than 100 inmates injured.
 * -  names  as president of.
 * - The XIII open in.
 * - In, followers of 's on the island of  declare secession as the nation of.
 * - singer  dies of acute alcohol poisoning in,.
 * - The Olympic Hockey Team defeats the  in the semifinals of the, in the .
 * -  states that 's parliament will decide the fate of the American  hostages.
 * - A in  ousts the government of . Leaders  and Rou Horb replace it with a National Military Council.
 * - guerrillas begin the  in, holding 60 people hostage, including 14 s.

March

 * - The  probe confirms the existence of, a moon of.
 * - returns to office as.
 * - is elected Prime Minister of.
 * - kicks off in the
 * - In, a plane crashes during an emergency landing near , killing a 14-man American team and 73 others.
 * - Fifty people are killed at the in, when a  rocket explodes on its launch pad during a fueling operation.
 * - The station  sinks.
 * - U.S. President announces that the  will boycott the  in.
 * -  is assassinated in.
 * - The Olympic Committee announces it will send an Olympic delegation to Moscow, despite objections by.
 * - Archbishop is killed by gunmen while celebrating Mass in . At his funeral 6 days later, 42 people are killed amid gunfire and bombs.
 * - A mine lift cage at the Vaal Reef in  falls 1.2 miles, killing 23.
 * - The Norwegian oil platform collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
 * - The market crash occurs.
 * - is found in.

April

 * - The from  begins.
 * - 's goes on, which continues for 11 days.
 * - The St. Pauls riot breaks out in.
 * - The severs diplomatic relations with  and imposes economic sanctions, following the taking of American hostages on,.
 * - and the  agree to reopen the border between  and, closed since.
 * - takes over  in a , ending over 130 years of   in that country.
 * - gains independence from the ;  becomes Prime Minister.
 * - wins the  with the song, What's Another Year.
 * - wins the, but is later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award.
 * - : the state lottery is rigged by 6 men including the host of the live TV drawing,.
 * - -, a commando mission in to rescue American embassy hostages, is aborted after mechanical problems ground the rescue helicopters.  Eight  troops are killed in a mid-air collision during the failed operation.
 * - crash of a Boeing 727 in  killing all 146 occupants and marking the worst air disaster involving a British-registered aircraft in terms of loss of life.
 * - disappear from outside their flat in, Australia
 * - The ends with all hostages released and the guerrillas flying to.
 * - : Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in, . retakes the Embassy on ; 1 terrorist survives.
 * -, the first democratically elected , dies at the age of 82.
 * -  abdicates, and her daughter  ascends to the.

May

 * - President  dies. The funeral ceremony later becomes the world's biggest diplomatic meeting and media event ever, with more than 140 state delegations in  from all over the world (only the funeral of  in   will have more news coverage and a higher number of delegations).
 * -, convicted of second-degree in , is released from  in , after 68 years and 245 days (the longest-ever time served by an inmate).
 * - In, a Liberian freighter named the  hits the over , sending 35 people (most of whom were in a bus) to a watery death as a 1,400-foot section of the bridge collapses.
 * May 9 - The takes place.
 * - Mobster busted on.
 * - A court acquits 4 White police officers of killing, a Black insurance executive, provoking 3 days of race riots.
 * -  in, killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage.
 * - - : Students in, begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
 * - : Voters in reject by a vote of 60% a proposal to seek independence from.
 * - The calls for the release of U.S. Embassy hostages in.
 * - : wins for a third time in car owner 's revolutionary  Chaparral car; the victory is Hall's second as an owner.
 * - supporters in  storm government offices on the island of . Vanuatu government troops land the next day and drive them away.
 * - In, military government forces and pro- protesters clash; 2,000 protesters die.

June

 * - In, comedian is badly burned trying to freebase.
 * - A series of deadly es strikes, causing over $300m in damage, killing 5 people and injuring over 250.
 * - U.S. Senator wins several primaries, including, on 'Super Tuesday', but not enough to overtake President  for the  nomination.
 * - : The in  publishes a statement by their imprisoned leader, which says in part: 'UNITE! MOBILISE! FIGHT ON! BETWEEN THE ANVIL OF UNITED MASS ACTION AND THE HAMMER OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE WE SHALL CRUSH APARTHEID!'
 * - A bomb injures  president Percy Wood in.
 * - Iraqi security forces shoot dead 3 gunmen who attacked the Embassy in . The unknown attackers are killed in the embassy gardens by Iraqi security men, sent at the urgent request of the British ambassador, Alex Stirling.
 * - became the first federally recognized.
 * - beats  2-1 to win the.
 * -, son of , dies in an air crash.
 * - A assassination attempt against n president  fails.   Assad retaliates by sending the army against them.
 * - A belonging to the Italian Airline  crashes into the sea near  after an explosion occurs in the air; 81 people die.   A bomb or a missile is suspected to be the cause of the accident but no culprits are ever found.
 * - U.S. President signs a bill requiring 19- and 20-year-old males to register for a peacetime military draft, in response to the Soviet invasion of.
 * - is elected president of.
 * - is elected president of.

July

 * in destroyed by fire.
 * - visits ; 7 people are crushed to death in a crowd meeting him.
 * - A strikes 4 counties in western, including the city of . It causes over $250m in damage, and one person is killed.
 * - Former Governor and actor  is nominated for, at the  in .  Influenced by the , the convention also drops its long standing support for the , dismaying moderate Republicans.
 * - Former  is killed by 2 gunmen in Istanbul,.
 * - - The are held in,.
 * - Popular Australian hard rock band releases ultra popular album , featuring hits such as "" and "".
 * -, deposed shah of , dies in.
 * - gains independence.

August

 * - A at the  in,  kills 85 people and wounds more than 200.
 * - - leads the first of many strikes at the.
 * - U.S. President defeats Senator  to win renomination, at the 1980  in.
 * - In, baby from a campsite at Ayers Rock , reportedly taken by a.

September

 * - launches the, which ditches the traditional rear-wheel drive saloon in favour of a more practical and modern front-wheel drive hatchback.
 * - The opens in  as the world's longest   at 10.14 s (16.32 km) stretching from  to.
 * - stages a military coup in . It stops political gang violence, but begins stronger state violence leading to the execution of many young activists.
 * - After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in, , the nationwide independent trade union is established.
 * - Former n President is killed in,.
 * - The -directed film , based on the novel by, premieres. It will win Redford his first Oscar, the film will be named , and will win for . It is Redford's first directorial effort.
 * - The command council of orders its army to "deliver its fatal blow on ian military targets," initiating the.
 * - Youth riots in the capital of the of  are quickly forced down.
 * - plays his final live performance at the  in, PA.
 * - The officially ends.
 * - The  publishes 's story of Jimmy, an 8-year-old addict (later proven to be fabricated).
 * -, and  introduce the  standard for , which is the first implementation outside of Xerox, and the first to support 10 Mbit/s speeds.

October

 * - announced that  would close and merge with the .
 * - The film , starring and , and directed by , opens in New York City. It is nominated for many Academy Awards, but does not win any.
 * - launches its new, a three-door entry-level hatchback which is designed as the eventual replacement for the . It uses an entirely new compact bodyshell which maximes on interior space and contributes to high levels of economy from the 1.0 and 1.3 petrol engines, and gives BL a long-awaited modern competitor for the likes of the  and.
 * - tells the  conference "U-turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning."
 * - El Asnam in is destroyed by an  which claimed more than 2,600 lives. After the quake, El Asnam is rebuilt and changes its name to the city of.
 * - The is enacted, deregulating  s.
 * - announces his resignation as Leader of the.
 * - Terrorist James Hoskins forced his way into 's television studio in, holding nine employees hostage for several hours before releasing them and taking his own life.
 * - The Government is re-elected for a third consecutive term in  with a reduced majority.
 * - The win their first  beating the  4-1 in game six.  This remains the Phillies's only World Series championship in their 124 year existence.
 * - The Thomson organisation said that and all associated supplements would close in March 1981 if no buyer could be found.
 * - Proceedings on the conclude at.
 * - Six prisoners in  refuse food and demand status as s; the  lasts until December.
 * - U.S. President and  debate in .   Reagan's genial, witty performance causes him to overtake Carter in the polls.
 * - and  sign a peace treaty to put the border dispute fought over in 's  before the.
 * - The government recognizes.
 * -, eldest son of of , proclaims himself the rightful successor to the.

November

 * - : challenger and former Governor  of California defeats incumbent  President  in a, exactly 1 year after the beginning of the.
 * - The longest television production of 's  yet telecast in the U.S. - three-and-a-half hours with no commercials - is shown by after having been broadcast in England in May. It stars  in the title role, and is part of the  series.
 * - : The space probe  makes its closest approach to, when it flies within 77,000 miles of the 's cloud-tops and sends the first high resolution images of the world back to scientists on.
 * 's , starring, premieres. The film will win De Niro a Best Actor.
 * - The trial begins in China.
 * - A fire at the in  kills 85 people.
 * - Millions of viewers tune into the U.S.   to learn who shot lead character J.R. Ewing.  The "" event is a national obsession.
 * - A series of s in southern kills approximately 4,800 people.

December

 * - Former Beatle dies in the hospital after being shot outside his  apartment by, a deranged fan who had received his signature earlier in the day.
 * - is enacted by the.
 * - The (Academy of the ) is created.
 * - During a summit on the island of, decides to raise the price of  by 10%.
 * -, the "Vampire of ," kills himself by on  prison.
 * - A film of 's  and -winning play about terminal illness, , is telecast by . The production is nominated for several, stars  and  among others, and is directed by.

Undated

 * is awarded the.
 * and /  are awarded the.
 * ,, decriminalizes homosexual acts between consenting adults.
 * layout based on script, standardised in

January-February

 * -, Swedish model
 * -, Canadian curler
 * -, British model and journalist
 * -, American actress
 * -, Peruvian activist
 * -, American actress
 * -, Spanish golfer
 * -, American reality star
 * -, American football player
 * -, American singer
 * -, American soccer player
 * -, Japanese announcer
 * -, Dominican player
 * -, Hungarian actress
 * -, American model
 * -, American actress
 * -, American football player
 * -, American actor
 * -, British racecar driver
 * -, Canadian footballer
 * -, Japanese voice actress and singer
 * -, American actor
 * -, Dutch actress
 * -, March 2000 Playboy Playmate, actress, and model
 * -, Swedish athlete
 * -, American musician
 * -, Spanish soccer player
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * -, Russian tennis player
 * -, American singer, member of
 * -, Venezuelan/Colombian-American comedian


 * -, British MP
 * -, tennis player
 * -, Japanese (voice actress)
 * -, Chinese-American voice actress
 * -, Venezuelan player
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American actress
 * -, American actor
 * -, Spanish tennis player
 * -, American actress
 * -, Hong Kong actress
 * -, American singer/songwriter
 * -, American football player
 * -, American actor
 * -, Russian-born American singer-songwriter
 * -, French rugby player
 * -, Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper
 * -, Canadian ice hockey player
 * -, daughter of former U.S. president and U.S. senator
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, Polish footballer
 * -, Canadian hockey player

March-April

 * -, American professional wrestler
 * -, singer
 * -, Korean actress (d. )
 * -, Mexican football player
 * -, American baseball infielder
 * -, American actress
 * -, Dominican composer & guitarist
 * -, Polish student
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American football player
 * -, Russian figure skater
 * -, Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician
 * -, Brazilian football player
 * -, Norwegian cross-country skier
 * -, American actress
 * -, Turkish pop music singer and songwriter
 * -, Taiwanese player


 * -, American professional wrestler
 * -, Japanese actress
 * -, American model, actress & singer
 * -, British actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, Canadian ice hockey player
 * -, American race car driver
 * -, Canadian musician
 * -, Irish singer
 * -, Czech pornographic actress
 * -, American/Canadian singer
 * -, American actor
 * -, American water polo player
 * -, German singer
 * -, Canadian hockey player
 * -, French footballer
 * -, American actor
 * -, Australian actor and TV personality
 * -, American actor and model
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * -, American actress
 * -, American film actress
 * -, Westlife

May-June

 * -, American chef ()
 * -, Korean hip-hop artist
 * -, English reality TV show star
 * -, Dutch reality TV star
 * -, Dutch swimmer
 * -, Australian swimmer
 * -, Boston Red Sox pitcher
 * -, American actor
 * -, American actor
 * -, Hong Kong actress
 * -, British actress
 * -, Westlife
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American drummer


 * -, British actor
 * -, Japanese American professional basketball player
 * -, Canadian hockey player
 * -, Brazilian football player
 * -, German singer
 * -, Canadian curler
 * -, Hong Kong singer
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, American tennis player
 * -, American football player
 * -, and  journalist.
 * -, Russian ice hockey player
 * -, American actress
 * -, West Indian cricketer
 * -, Japanese actress
 * -, American actor
 * -, American football player
 * -, British TV Presenter
 * -, Welsh soprano
 * -, American race car driver

July-August

 * -, South African swimmer
 * -, American actor
 * -, French actress and composer
 * -, Catalan basketball player
 * -, American figure skater
 * -, Irish footballer
 * -, Puertorrican actress
 * -, American race car driver (d. )
 * -, American porn actress
 * -, American singer
 * -, Finnish actor and film producer
 * -, American actress
 * -, American guitarist
 * -, Brazilian supermodel
 * -, Belgian singer
 * -, American pornographic actress and actor
 * -, British actress
 * -, Chilean tennis player
 * -, French rapper


 * -, American illustrator
 * -, Canadian ice hockey player
 * -, English footballer
 * -, Samao actor
 * -, American football player
 * -, American football player
 * -, American actress
 * -, Canadian singer/guitarist
 * -, American singer
 * -, Scottish singer-songwriter & actor
 * -, United States Marine
 * -, American actor
 * -, American actor
 * -, American football player
 * -, American teacher
 * -, Hong Kong singer

September-October

 * -, French Canadian ice hockey goaltender
 * -, American softball player
 * -, Nigerian footballer
 * -, Nigerian boxer & heavyweight champion
 * -, English TV presenter and former pop star with
 * -, Argentine player who plays for
 * -, baseball player
 * -, American bassist
 * -, Canadian ice hockey player
 * -, baseball player
 * -, Chinese basketball player
 * -, American actor
 * -, Japanese baseball player
 * -, Canadian singer/songwriter
 * -, Canadian singer/songwriter
 * -, Indian actress
 * -, American actress
 * -, American rapper
 * -, American rapper
 * -, Swiss tennis player
 * -, Czech footballer
 * -, American athlete
 * -, English racer
 * -, American musician
 * -, American football player
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, Australian Rugby League player
 * -, Russian volleyball player
 * -, Indian cricket player
 * -, Indian cricket player
 * -, American musician
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * - the
 * -, American actress
 * -, American actress

November-December

 * -, American lead vocalist
 * -, Jamaican actress
 * -, Canadian model
 * -, American football player
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, American singer and reality show finalist
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, American musician
 * -, British actress
 * -, American baseball player
 * -, American baseball player
 * -, American professional wrestling announcer
 * -, German singer


 * -, American actress
 * -, German pornographic model
 * -, English football player
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, English football player
 * -, Srilankan TAMIL Singer in France.
 * -, Canadian professional cyclist
 * -, American violinist
 * -, Hong Kong actor
 * -, American singer
 * -, American actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, English football player
 * -, American singer and reality show finalist
 * -, British TV actress (d. )
 * -, American actress
 * -, New Zealand rugby player

January - March

 * -, Austrian-born conservationist and author (murdered) (b. )
 * -, American physicist and inventor (b. )
 * -, American labor leader (b. )
 * - Sir, English photographer (b. )
 * -, French cryptographer (b. )
 * -, French literary critic, and philosopher (b. )
 * -, Italian composer (b. )
 * -, American actor, singer, and comedian (b. )
 * -, American musician (b. )


 * -, American chemist, laureate (b. )
 * - American  painter (b. )
 * -, American poet (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, composer and actor
 * -, Scottish-born singer (b. )
 * -, parapsychologist (b. )
 * -, 's daughter, wife of (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )


 * -, English football player (b. )
 * -, high-fashion model and owner of model agency (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, 's daughter-in-law, close friend of
 * -, Polish Singer - Crash
 * -, Polish-born painter (b. )
 * -, American mathematician, astronomer and Christian apologist (b. )
 * -, Roman catholic  Archbishop (b. )
 * -, French real tennis player (b. )
 * -, French literary critic and writer (b. )
 * -, Czech conductor (b. )
 * -, American poet (b. )
 * -, Italian-born conductor and arranger (b. )
 * -, Czech poet (b. )
 * -, American athlete (b. )

April - June

 * -, American country & folk singer & songwriter (b. )
 * -, New Zealand snooker and billiards player (b. )
 * -, French philosopher and writer, laureate (b. )
 * -, American composer (b. )
 * -, Persian poet and painter (b. )
 * -, Cuban writer (b. )
 * -, British film director (b. )
 * -, Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician (b. )


 * -, (b. )
 * -, Romanian writer (b. )
 * -, British musician and singer (b. )
 * -, Finnish mathematician (b. )


 * -, American writer (b. )
 * -, British writer (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Guyanese historian and political figure (b. )
 * -, German orchestra leader and songwriter (b. )
 * -, American painter (b. )
 * -, British actor (b. )

July - September

 * July -, American painter (b. )
 * -, American film writer, director, and producer (b. )
 * -, Brazilian writer, poet and diplomat (b. )
 * -, Russian mathematician (b. )
 * - (Arun Kumar Chatterjee), the legendary   (b. ).
 * -, English actor (b. )
 * -, Russian singer-songwriter, poet, actor (b. )
 * -, English theatre critic (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, German physicist (b. )


 * -, American pilot (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, Canadian model (murdered) (b. )
 * -, father of Jewish diarist (b. )
 * -, French singer (b. )
 * -, British actress (b. )
 * -, American cartoonist and creator of (b. )


 * -, Danish actor (b. )
 * -, American chemist, laureate (b. )
 * -, Swiss psychologist (b. )
 * -, former President of Nicaragua (assassinated) (b. )
 * -, British drummer (b. )

October - December

 * -, Starr of Carry On Films (Heart Attack) (b. )
 * - Lady, British television personality (suicide following her conviction for shoplifting) (b. )
 * -, Urdu/Hindustani poet and Hindi film lyricist (b. March 8, )
 * -, American organist (b. )
 * -, Argentine boxer (race car accident) (b. )
 * -, British musician (b. )
 * -, American physicist, laureate (b. )


 * -, Canadian aeronautical engineer (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Fashionicon (b. )
 * -, 41st master of the  order (b. )
 * -, NHL coach 1927-1931 (b. )
 * -, eighteenth (b. )
 * -, Northern Irish painter and illustrator (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, American architect (b. )


 * -, Lithuanian-born writer (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, Polish-born runner (b. )
 * -, American songwriter, singer for (heroin overdose) (b. )
 * -, British singer, songwriter, and guitarist (b. )
 * -, American fast food entrepreneur (b. )
 * -, German engineer and inventor (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, model, actress, entertainer, socialite and lead singer of The (b. )
 * -, serial killer (b. )
 * -, American musician (b. )
 * -, Canadian author and professor (b. )

Unknown dates

 * , South African linguist

Right Livelihood Award
The was founded in 1980 by.