Brief Timeline of 1981:
January 20
Ronald Regan is inaugurated as president. Minutes later,
Iran releases 52
American prisoners, and
Iranian assets are ufrozen.
January 27
580 die when the
Indonesian ship the
Tamponas II catches fire, and then sinks.
February
The US suspends aid to
Nicaragua.
March 30
John W. Hinckley Jr. shoots and wounds
Ronald Regan,
James Brady,
Timothy Mcarthy and
Thomas Delahnty in
Washington D.C. in an attempt to get attention from
Jody Foster, with whom he is obsessed.
April
A Northern
China flood claims the lives of 550.
April 12-14
The
Columbia Space Shuttle makes the first space flight with a reusable spacecraft, manned by
John W. Young and
Robert L. Crippen.
April 25
During repairs on the
Tsuruga,
Japan Nuclear Power Plant, some 100 workers are exposed to
radiation.
May 13
Turkish prison escapee shoots
Pope John Paul II and two bystanders in
St. Peter's Square,
Rome.
June 6
Over 500 people die in a railroad accident in
Bihar,
India
August 3-5
Federal air traffic controllers begin a strike illegally. When they ignore a back-to-work order, they are dismissed by President
Regan.
August 30
An explosion in
Teheran claims the lives of
Iranian President
Mohammed Ali Raji and
Premier Mohammed Jad Bahonar.
September 21
Sandra Day O'Connor appointed
US Supreme Court Associate
Justice in a unanimous
Congress vote. She is the first woman Justice.
September 25
Sandra Day O'Connor takes her oath to be a
Supreme Court Justice.
October 6
At a military parade in
Cairo,
Egyptian President
Anwar al-Sadat is fatally shot by
commandos.
November 25
Typhoon Irma kills 176 in the Phillipines and Luzon Isl.
December
President
Reagan approves
Contra Aid.
World Series (
Baseball) - 4 Los Angeles Dodgers; 2 New York Yankees
NBA Championship (
Basketball) - 4 Boston Celtics; 2 Houston Rockets
Superbowl (
Football) - 27 Oakland Raiders; 10 Philadelphia Eagles
- Physics: Nicolaas Bloembergen and Arthur Leonard Schawlow "for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy." Kai M. Siegbahn "for his contribution to the development of high-resolution electron spectroscopy."
- Chemistry: Kenichi Fukui and Roald Hoffmann "for their theories, developed independently, concerning the course of chemical reactions."
- Medicine: Roger W. Sperry "for his discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres." David H. Hubel and Torsten N. Wiesel "for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system."
- Literature: Elias Canetti "for writings marked by a broad outlook, a wealth of ideas and artistic power."
- Peace: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- Economics: James Tobin "for his analysis of financial markets and their relations to expenditure decisions, employment, production and prices."
Public Service: Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)
Local General Spot News Reporting: Staff of Longview Daily News (Washington)
Local Investigative Specialized Reporting: Clark Hallas and Robert B. Lowe of Arizona Daily Star
National Reporting: John M. Crewdson of New York Times
International Reporting: Shirley Christian of Miami Herald
Feature Writing: Teresa Carpenter of Village Voice, New York City
Commentary: Dave Anderson of New York Times
Criticism: Jonathan Yardley of Washington Star
Editorial Cartooning: Mike Peters of Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
Spot News Photography: Larry C. Price of Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)
Feature Photography: Taro M. Yamasaki of Detroit Free Press
Fiction: A Confederacy of Dunces by the late John Kennedy Toole (a posthumous publication) (Louisiana State U. Press)
Drama: Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
History: American Education: The National Experience, 1783-1876 by Lawrence A. Cremin (Harper & Row)
Biography OR Autobiography: Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie (Knopf)
Poetry: The Morning of the Poem by James Schuyler (Farrar, Straus)
General Non-Fiction: Fin-De Siecle Vienna: Politics And Culture by Carl E. Schorske (Knopf)
Novel: The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Novella: Lost Dorsai by Gordon R. Dickson
Novelette: The Cloak and the Staff by Gordon R. Dickson
Short Story: Grotto of the Dancing Deer by Clifford D. Simak
Non-Fiction Book: Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Dramatic Presentation: The Empire Strikes Back
Professional Editor: Edward L. Ferman
Professional Artist: Michael Whelan
Fanzine: Locus (Charles N. Brown, ed.)
Fan Writer: Susan Wood
Fan Artist: Victoria Poyser
Campbell Award: Somtow Sucharitkul
Record Of The Year:Kim Carnes, Bette Davis Eyes
Song Of The Year: Kim Carnes, Bette Davis Eyes
Album Of The Year: John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy
Best New Artist: Sheena Easton
Video Of The Year: Michael Nesmith, Michael Nesmith In Elephant Parts
Best Album Notes: Dan Morgenstern; Erroll Garner, Erroll Garner: Master Of The Keyboard
Best Album Package: Peter Corriston; Rolling Stones, Tattoo You
Best Comedy Recording: Richard Pryor, Rev. Du Rite
Best Instrumental Composition: Mike Post, The Theme From Hill Street Blues
Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special: John T. Williams, Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Best Engineered Recording: Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner, Bill Schnee & Jerry Garszva, Gaucho
Best Historical Album: George Spitzer & Michael Brooks, Hoagy Carmichael: From Stardust To Ole Buttermilk Sky
Producer Of The Year: Quincy Jones
Pop
Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Larry Carlton & Mike Post, The Theme From Hill Street Blues
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female: Lena Horne, Lena Horne: The Lady And Her Music, Live On Broadway
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male: Al Jarreau, Breakin' Away
Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Manhattan Transfer, Boy From New York City
Rock
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female: Pat Benatar, Fire And Ice
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Police, Don't Stand So Close To Me
Best Rock Instrumental Performance: Police, Behind My Camel
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male: Rick Springfield , Jessie's Girl
Rhythym & Blues
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin, Hold On I'm Comin'
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: James Ingram, One Hundred Ways
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Quincy Jones, The Dude
Best Rhythm & Blues Song: William Salter, Bill Withers & Ralph MacDonald, Just The Two Of Us
Best R&B Instrumental Performance: David Sanborn, All I Need Is You
Gospel & Soul
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary: Andrae Crouch, Don't Give Up
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional, Al Green, The Lord Will Make A Way
Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary: Imperials, Priority
Best Gospel Performance, Traditional: Masters V, The Masters V
Best Inspirational Performance: B.J. Thomas, Amazing Grace
Country
Best Country Instrumental Performance: Chet Atkins, Country--After All These Years
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male: Ronnie Milsap, (There's) No Gettin' Over Me
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Oak Ridge Boys, Elvira
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female: Dolly Parton, 9 To 5
Best Country Song: Dolly Parton, 9 To 5
Jazz
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group: Gary Burton & Chick Corea, Chick Corea And Gary Burton In Concert, Zurich, October 28, 1979
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist: John Coltrane, Bye Bye Blackbird
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female: Ella Fitzgerald, Digital III At Montreaux
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male: Al Jarreau, Blue Rondo A La Turk
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group: Manhattan Transfer, Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)
Best Jazz Instrumehtal Performance, Big Band: Gerry Mulligan, Walk On The Water
Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal/Instrumental: Grover Washington Jr, Winelight
Best Play: Amadeus
Best Musical: 42nd Street
Best Peproduction of a Play or Musical: The Pirates of Penzance
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Ian McKellen, Amadeus
Best Performance by a Actress in a Play: Jane Lapotaire, Piaf
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Brian Backer, The Floating Light Bulb
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Swoosie Kurtz, Fifth of July
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Kevin Kline, The Pirates of Penzance
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Lauren Bacall, Woman of the Year
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Hinton Battle, Sophisticated Ladies
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Marilyn Cooper, Woman of the Year
Best Direction of a Play: Peter Hall, Amadeus
Best Direction of a Musical: Wilford Leach, The Pirates of Penzance
Best Book of a Musical: Woman of the Year, Peter Stone
Best Original Score written for the Theatre: Woman of the Year, John Kander, music; Fred Ebb, lyrics
Best Scenic Design: John Bury, Amadeus
Best Costume Design: Willa Kim, Sophisticated Ladies
Best Choreography: Gower Champion, 42nd Street
Best Lighting Design: John Bury, Amadeus
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre: Lena Horne
Arcade Games of Note
Donkey Kong
Galaga
Ms. Pac-Man
Qix
Scramble
Stargate
Turbo
Sources:
All About the 1980s - http://library.thinkquest.org/17823/data/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0819
IMDB - http://www.imdb.com
1980s Flashback Sports - http://www.1980sflashback.com/1980/Sports.asp
Infoplease - http://www.infoplease.com/
Google - http://www.google.com
Tony Awards - http://www.tonys.org/
Pop Culture Madness - http://www.popculturemadness.com/
Pulitzer Prize Board - http://www.pulitzer.org
Hugo Award Winners - http://dpsinfo.com/awardweb/hugos/80s.html
Noders:
Thanks to quoi? for all his help with this.
Thanks to toalight and Sasha Gabba Hey! for pointing out the US-centric nature of this w/u and giving me suggestions as to how to better orient it internationally (which will be done soon).
Thanks to TBBK for the arcade titles.
Disclaimer:
I am not infalliable. I may have made mistakes in this writeup, I may have left out something that someone would like to see in here. I would much appreciate it if anyone who sees evidence of any such mistakes would please /msg me so that I may rectify them. Many thanks.