The Year 1980

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Click on the song for real audio music sample. Click on the artist/author/actor for more information on that artist/author/actor. Click on the book/movie title for more information on that book/movie title.

Who Shot JR? is talked about heavily from the TV show Dallas. On November 21, the conclusion draws more viewers than any other show in TV history up to that point.

Hostages are freed in Iran. Everyone tied a yellow ribbon to trees outside their yards in a show of support during their ordeal.

Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR, The US boycotts

Post-It Notes are introduced by 3-M

The first all news service started by Turner Cable Network begins

John Lennon is assassinated by Mark David Chapman

Brook Shields whispers, & quote "You know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." The ad was banned.

Ronald Reagan is elected, defeating Jimmy Carter, and takes credit for freeing the Iranian hostages in his inaugural speech.

Poland has massive strikes, eventually the unions become legal, censorship is lessened.

About 125,000 Cubans leave Cuba for America, most are criminals hand picked by Castro's men, only a few are relatives of those in America.

RU-486, the abortion pill is released in France.

The US Supreme Court allows patents on living organisms.

Mt. Saint Helens erupts, killing 60 people.

CNN is launched as the first all news network

ABSCAM, FBI agents pose as rich Arabs and bribed politicians with cash for favors.

Richard Pryor gets badly burned trying to freebase cocaine.

Small pox is considered eradicated by the World Health Organization.

Sadam Hussein launches war against Iran for close to a decade over oil rights.

Japan passes the US as the largest automaker

Bill Gates licenses MS-DOS to IBM, makes next to nothing on the deal. The pair buys the rights to a simple operating system manufactured by Seattle Computer Products and use it as a template. The money is made later from licensing it to third party clone makers.

Major Events Of 1980

Strikes across Poland

Gang of four goes on trial

Libyan troops intervene in Chad Civil War

Iran-Iraq War breaks out

Leftists seize embassy in Colombia

US boycotts Moscow Summer Olympics

Mount St. Helens erupts

Ronald Reagan elected as 40th US president, defeating Jimmy Carter

John Lennon assassinated by Mark Chapman

Soviet Union invades Afghanistan

Titanic wreckage found

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Series: 4-2

NCAA Football: Georgia Record: 12-0-0

Heisman Trophy: George Rogers, south Carolina, RB points: 1,128

Stanley Cup: New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers Series: 4-2

Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. LA Rams Score: 31-19

US Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus Score: 272 Course: Baltusrol GC Location: Springfield, NJ

World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Kansas City Royals Series: 4-2

Billboard Top 10 Singles Of 1980

10. "More Love" Kim Carnes

Billboard Top 10 Albums Of 1980

1. The Wall by Pink Floyd

2. The Long Run by the Eagles

3. Off The Wall by Michael Jackson

4. Glass Houses by Billy Joel

5. Damn The Torpedos by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

6. Against The Wind by Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band

7. In The Heat Of The Night by Pat Benatar

8. Eat To The Beat by Blondie

9. In Through The Out Door by Led Zeppelin

10. Kenny by Kenny Rogers

Most Popular Books

Most Popular Television Shows

3. 60 Minutes (CBS)

5. The Love Boa t (ABC)

8. House Calls (CBS)

Best Picture: Ordinary People

Record Of the Year: Sailing ... Christopher Cross

Male Vocalist: Kenny Loggins ... This Is It

Female Vocalist: Bette Midler ... The Rose

The prize was divided, one half being awarded to: BERG, PAUL, USA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, b. 1926: "For his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant-DNA"; and the other half jointly to: GILBERT, WALTER, USA, Biological Laboratories, Cambridge, MA, b. 1932; and SANGER, FREDERICK, USA, Great Britain, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, b. 1918: "For their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids"

MILOSZ, CZESLAW, U.S.A., and Poland, b. 1911 (in Seteiniai, Lithuania): "who with uncompromising clear-sightedness voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts"

ESQUIVEL, ADOLFO PEREZ, Argentina, b. 1931: architect, sculptor and human rights leader.

Physiology or Medicine

The prize was awarded jointly to: BENACERRAF, BARUJ, U.S.A., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, b. 1920 (Caracas, Venezuela); DAUSSET, JEAN, France, Universite de Paris, Laboratoire Immuno-Hematologi, Paris, b. 1916; and SNELL, GEORGE D., U.S.A., Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, b. 1903, d. 1996; "for their discoveries concerning genetically determined structures on the cell surface that regulate immunological reactions"

The prize was divided equally between: CRONIN, JAMES, W., U.S.A., University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, b. 1931; and FITCH, VAL L., U.S.A., Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, b. 1923: "for the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons"

Drama: Lanford Wilson ... Talley's Folly

Fiction: Norman Mailer ... The Executioner's Song

History: Leon F. Litwack ... Been in the Storm So Long

International Reporting: Joel Brinkley ... Louisville Courier-Journal

National Reporting: Bette Swenson Orsini & Charles Stafford ... St. Petersburg (FL) Times

Public Service: Gannett News Service


	Freaks & Geeks \| home About Freaks & Geeks \| Episode List \| Episode Guide \| Pictures \| Quotes \| Audio Clips \| Music From the Show \| Cast & Crew \| Biography \| Filmography \| Polls & Quizzes \| Lindsay \| Sam \| Daniel \| Nick \| Kim \| Ken \| Bill \| Neal \| Reviews & Articles \| Chat Transcripts & Interviews \| The Year 1980 \| The Year 1981 \| Links \| Contact Me Click on the song for real audio music sample. Click on the artist/author/actor for more information on that artist/author/actor. Click on the book/movie title for more information on that book/movie title. Who Shot JR? is talked about heavily from the TV show Dallas. On November 21, the conclusion draws more viewers than any other show in TV history up to that point. Hostages are freed in Iran. Everyone tied a yellow ribbon to trees outside their yards in a show of support during their ordeal. Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR, The US boycotts Post-It Notes are introduced by 3-M The first all news service started by Turner Cable Network begins John Lennon is assassinated by Mark David Chapman Brook Shields whispers, & quote "You know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." The ad was banned. Ronald Reagan is elected, defeating Jimmy Carter, and takes credit for freeing the Iranian hostages in his inaugural speech. Poland has massive strikes, eventually the unions become legal, censorship is lessened. About 125,000 Cubans leave Cuba for America, most are criminals hand picked by Castro's men, only a few are relatives of those in America. RU-486, the abortion pill is released in France. The US Supreme Court allows patents on living organisms. Mt. Saint Helens erupts, killing 60 people. CNN is launched as the first all news network ABSCAM, FBI agents pose as rich Arabs and bribed politicians with cash for favors. Richard Pryor gets badly burned trying to freebase cocaine. Small pox is considered eradicated by the World Health Organization. Sadam Hussein launches war against Iran for close to a decade over oil rights. Japan passes the US as the largest automaker Bill Gates licenses MS-DOS to IBM, makes next to nothing on the deal. The pair buys the rights to a simple operating system manufactured by Seattle Computer Products and use it as a template. The money is made later from licensing it to third party clone makers. Major Events Of 1980 Strikes across Poland Gang of four goes on trial Libyan troops intervene in Chad Civil War Iran-Iraq War breaks out Leftists seize embassy in Colombia Iran hostage crisis US boycotts Moscow Summer Olympics Mount St. Helens erupts Who Shot JR? Ronald Reagan elected as 40th US president, defeating Jimmy Carter John Lennon assassinated by Mark Chapman Soviet Union invades Afghanistan Titanic wreckage found Sports NBA: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Series: 4-2 NCAA Football: Georgia Record: 12-0-0 Heisman Trophy: George Rogers, south Carolina, RB points: 1,128 Stanley Cup: New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers Series: 4-2 Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. LA Rams Score: 31-19 US Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus Score: 272 Course: Baltusrol GC Location: Springfield, NJ World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Kansas City Royals Series: 4-2 Popular Music 1."Please Don't Go" ... KC & the Sunshine Band 2."Rock With You" ... Michael Jackson 3."Do That To Me One More Time" ... The Captain and Tennille 4."Crazy Little Thing Called Love" ... Queen 5."Another Brick in the Wall" ... Pink Floyd 6."Call Me" ... Blondie 7."Funkytown" ... Lipps, Inc. 8."Coming Up" ... Paul McCartney 9."It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" ... Billy Joel 10."Sailing" ... Christopher Cross Billboard Top 10 Singles Of 1980 1. "Sailing" Christopher Cross 2. "Upside Down" Diana Ross 3. "Magic" Olivia-Newton John 4. "Emotional Rescue" Rolling Stones 5. "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" The S.O.S. Band 6. "Fame" Irene Cara 7. "All Out Of Love" Air Supply 8. "Give Me the Night" George Benson 9. "Let My Love Open the Door" Pete Townshend 10. "More Love" Kim Carnes Billboard Top 10 Albums Of 1980 1. The Wall by Pink Floyd 2. The Long Run by the Eagles 3. Off The Wall by Michael Jackson 4. Glass Houses by Billy Joel 5. Damn The Torpedos by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 6. Against The Wind by Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band 7. In The Heat Of The Night by Pat Benatar 8. Eat To The Beat by Blondie 9. In Through The Out Door by Led Zeppelin 10. Kenny by Kenny Rogers Popular Movies 1. Airplane 2. All That Jazz 3. The Black Stallion 4. The Blue Lagoon 5. The Blues Brothers 6. Brubaker 7. Caddyshack 8. Chapter Two 9. Cheech and Chong's Next Movie 10. Coal Miner's Daughter Most Popular Books Fiction 1. The Covenant by James Michener 2. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum 3. Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon 4. Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz 5. Firestarter by Stephen King Nonfiction 1. Crisis Investing by Douglas Casey 2. Cosmos by Carl Sagan 3. Free To Choose by Milton & Rose Friedman 4. Anatomy Of An Illness by Norman Cousins 5. Thy Neighbor's Wife by Gay Talese Most Popular Television Shows 1. Dallas (CBS) 2. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 3. 60 Minutes (CBS) 4. MASH* (CBS) 5. The Love Boa t (ABC) 6. The Jeffersons (CBS) 7. Alice (CBS) 8. House Calls (CBS) 9. Three's Company (ABC) 10. Little House on the Prairie (NBC) Academy Awards Best Picture: Ordinary People Best Director: Robert Redford ... Ordinary People Best Actor: Robert DeNiro ... Raging Bull Best Actress: Sissy Spacek ... Coal Miner's Daughter Grammy Awards Record Of the Year: Sailing ... Christopher Cross Best Song: Sailing ... Christopher Cross Best Album: Christopher Cross ... Christopher Cross Male Vocalist: Kenny Loggins ... This Is It Female Vocalist: Bette Midler ... The Rose Nobel Prizes Chemistry The prize was divided, one half being awarded to: BERG, PAUL, USA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, b. 1926: "For his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant-DNA"; and the other half jointly to: GILBERT, WALTER, USA, Biological Laboratories, Cambridge, MA, b. 1932; and SANGER, FREDERICK, USA, Great Britain, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, b. 1918: "For their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids" Literature MILOSZ, CZESLAW, U.S.A., and Poland, b. 1911 (in Seteiniai, Lithuania): "who with uncompromising clear-sightedness voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts" Peace ESQUIVEL, ADOLFO PEREZ, Argentina, b. 1931: architect, sculptor and human rights leader. Physiology or Medicine The prize was awarded jointly to: BENACERRAF, BARUJ, U.S.A., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, b. 1920 (Caracas, Venezuela); DAUSSET, JEAN, France, Universite de Paris, Laboratoire Immuno-Hematologi, Paris, b. 1916; and SNELL, GEORGE D., U.S.A., Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, b. 1903, d. 1996; "for their discoveries concerning genetically determined structures on the cell surface that regulate immunological reactions" Physics The prize was divided equally between: CRONIN, JAMES, W., U.S.A., University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, b. 1931; and FITCH, VAL L., U.S.A., Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, b. 1923: "for the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons" Pulitzer Prizes Drama: Lanford Wilson ... Talley's Folly Fiction: Norman Mailer ... The Executioner's Song History: Leon F. Litwack ... Been in the Storm So Long International Reporting: Joel Brinkley ... Louisville Courier-Journal National Reporting: Bette Swenson Orsini & Charles Stafford ... St. Petersburg (FL) Times Public Service: Gannett News Service Sources: Internet Movie Database, CDNow, Billboard Publications Inc.