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1981 Trivia

  • MTV, the first music video channel, goes on the air, debuting with "Video Killed the Radio Star"
  • AIDS is first identified
  • President Reagan is wounded by a gunman
  • Prince Charles and Diana Spence marry
  • The first DeLorean sports cars roll off the assembly line
  • Atarai releases home version of Pac Man and sparks a huge craze
  • Nutra Sweet is approved for use by the FDA
  • The first IBM PC's hit the marketplace.
  • MS-DOS is released by Microsoft
  • Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated
  • The Columbia space shuttle orbits earth for the first time - 36 times in 55 hours.
  • On June 28th, Terry Fox succumbs to cancer
  • Private satellite dishes are give the OK by the FCC
  • Pope John Paul II is shot by a Turkish terrorist at the Vatican
  • Rubik's Cube craze begins
  • Hasbro begins selling My Little Pony  


    FASHION

    • Hair: Feathered hair for both guys & girls, Farrah Fawcett do's & big hair 
    • Make up: light pink lipstick, heavy eyeliner, blue eyeshadow
    • Designer Jeans 
    • Adidas running shoes
    • Overalls
    • Legwarmers
    • pastels
    • punk
    • disco
    • One earring - guys
    • Leather Jackets
    • Jean Jackets
    • Scrunch socks  
       

     
    MOVIES

    • "Porky's" released in theaters, introducing us to Kim Catrall. To this day, it's still the highest grossing movie from Canada.
    • Tom Cruise makes his feature film debut in "Blue Lagoon"
    • Actress Natalie Wood drowns at the age of 43
    • Best Motion Picture: "Ordinary People"
    • Best Actor: Robert De Niro in "Raging Bull"
    • Best Actress: Sissy Spacek in "Coal Miner's Daughter"
    • Best Supporting Actor: Timothy Hutton in "Ordinary People"
    • Best Supporting Actress: Mary Steenburgen in "Melvin and Howard"

      Top 10 Grossing Movies of 1981

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      Raiders of the Lost Ark
      On Golden Pond
      Superman II
      Arthur
      Stripes
      The Cannonball Run
      Chariots of Fire
      For Your Eyes Only
      The Four Seasons
      Time Bandits

     MUSIC

    • Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes" wins the Grammy Record of the Year
    • Sheena Easton wins Grammy for "Best New Artist"
    • Billy Idol leaves the band Generation X to begin a solo career
    • Paul McCartney's band "Wings" breaks up
    • Bob Marley dies of cancer at the age of 36
    • Simon & Garfunkel perform a free reunion concert in Central Park attended by over 500,00 fans
    • Phil Collins has the hit song "In the Air Tonight"
    • Soft Cell's song "Tainted Love" is released
    • Olivia Newton-John's new song "Physical" reaches #1 on the charts

      Top 20 Songs of 1981

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      Betty Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
      Waiting for a Girl Like you - Foreigner
      Arthur's Theme  (The Best That you Can Do) - Christopher Cross
      (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
      Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
      Celebration - Kool & the Gang
      Kiss on My List - Hall & Oates
      I Love  A Rainy Night - Eddy Rabbitt
      9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
      Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
      Whip It - Devo
      Morning Train - Sheena Easton
      The Stroke - Billy Squire
      Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton
      Rapture - Blondie
      Endless Love- Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie
      The Tide is High - Blondie
      Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington Jr.
      Physical - Oliva Newton-John
      Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar

    TELEVISION  

    • Prime time soap opera "Dynasty" premieres on ABC
    • Luke and Laura's wedding on  "General Hospital" is the most watched wedding next to Charles & Diana
    • "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC
    • "Falcon Crest" premieres on CBS
    • Entertainment Tonight debuts
    • The soap opera spoof "Soap" ends its' TV run
    • Rick Springfield takes job as Dr. Noah Drake on "General Hospital"

    • Top 20 Shows:

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      20.      		 60 Minutes
      Three's Company
      M*A*S*H
      Alice
      Dallas
      Flo
      The Jeffersons
      The Dukes of Hazzard
      That's Incredible
      One Day At A Time
      Archie Bunker's Place
      Eight Is Enough
      Taxi
      House Calls
      (tie) Real People
      (tie) Happy Days
      Little House On The Prairie
      (tie) CHiPs
      (tie) Charlie's Angels
      Trapper John, M.D.