On This Day During the 80s
Travel back through the 1980s and discover what happened on this day in music, movies, television, pop culture and more.
64 On This Day Articles
On This Day April 2 1982 – A Little Sex Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 2 1982 the romantic comedy A Little Sex premiered in theaters. Directed by Bruce Paltrow the film starred Tim Matheson as a man struggling with monogamy after getting married. Kate Capshaw played his wife and Edward Herrmann appeared in a key
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On This Day April 2 1982 – Penitentiary II Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 2 1982 Penitentiary II premiered in theaters. Directed by Jamaa Fanaka the sequel continued the story of Martel Too Sweet Gordone played by Leon Isaac Kennedy as he tries to go straight after being released from prison only to be drawn
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On This Day April 2 1982 – Cat People Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 2 1982 the erotic horror film Cat People premiered in theaters. Directed by Paul Schrader the movie starred Nastassja Kinski Malcolm McDowell John Heard and Annette O'Toole. A reimagining of the 1942 classic Cat People followed a woman who discovers her
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On This Day April 1 1982 – Rhythm of Youth by Men Without Hats Was Released
On this day April 1 1982 Men Without Hats released their debut album Rhythm of Youth. The album introduced the Canadian synthpop band’s catchy electronic sound and playful lyrics to a global audience and helped define early 80s new wave. Rhythm of Youth featured the
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On This Day April 6 1981 – Post it Notes Went on Sale in America
On this day April 6, 1981, Post it Notes officially went on sale across the United States, becoming one of the most unexpected office supply success stories of all time. What started as a failed attempt to create a super strong adhesive at 3M turned
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On This Day April 4 1981 – This is Elvis Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 4 1981 the documentary film This is Elvis premiered in theaters. Directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt and narrated by a voice actor portraying Elvis himself the film blended rare footage home movies interviews and reenactments to tell the story
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On This Day April 3 1981 – The First Successful Portable Computer the Osborne Was Unveiled
On this day April 3 1981 the Osborne 1 was unveiled in San Francisco becoming the first commercially successful portable computer. Priced at 1,795 dollars the Osborne 1 came with a five inch screen a full sized keyboard and dual floppy disk drives all built
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On This Day April 2 1981 – Strike Force Premiered on ABC
On this day April 2 1981 the action packed crime drama Strike Force premiered on ABC. Starring Robert Stack as Captain Frank Murphy the series followed an elite team of undercover cops battling organized crime drug rings and high stakes criminal operations in Los Angeles.
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On This Day April 1 1981 – Reckoning by The Grateful Dead Was Released
On this day April 1 1981 The Grateful Dead released Reckoning a live double album capturing their acoustic performances from the fall 1980 tour. The album featured stripped down versions of fan favorites along with traditional folk and bluegrass covers that showcased a different side
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On This Day April 3 1981 – Hardly Working Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 3 1981 the comedy film Hardly Working premiered in theaters. Directed by and starring Jerry Lewis the movie marked his return to American cinema after a long break from directing and acting in the United States. Lewis played a circus clown
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On This Day April 5 1980 – The Final Episode of Hawaii Five O Aired
On this day April 5, 1980, the legendary police drama Hawaii Five O aired its final episode, closing out an incredible 12 season run that began back in 1968. Known for its gripping crime stories, iconic theme song, and the unforgettable Jack Lord as Steve
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On This Day April 3 1980 – Wheels of Steel by Saxon Was Released
On this day April 3 1980 British heavy metal band Saxon released their second studio album Wheels of Steel. The album became a major breakthrough for the band reaching number 5 on the UK charts and helping define the sound of the New Wave of
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On This Day April 3 1980 – The Final Episode of Barnaby Jones Aired
On this day April 3 1980 the final episode of Barnaby Jones aired on CBS. Starring Buddy Ebsen as the title character the series followed a retired private investigator who returned to solve crimes after his son was murdered. The show ran for 8 seasons
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On This Day April 2 1980 – President Jimmy Carter Signed the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act
On this day April 2 1980 United States President Jimmy Carter signed the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act into law. This legislation imposed a higher tax rate on oil companies to address the sharp rise in oil prices and capture some of the profits
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On This Day April 1 1980 – The Baltimore Bullet Premiered in Theaters
On this day April 1 1980 the pool hall comedy The Baltimore Bullet premiered in theaters. Directed by Robert Ellis Miller the film starred James Coburn as a seasoned pool hustler who teams up with a young protégé played by Bruce Boxleitner to take on
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On This Day April 26 1980 – The FBI Detonated a Bomb at Harvey’s Hotel in South Lake Tahoe
On this day April 26 1980, a tense standoff reached its explosive end as the FBI detonated a powerful bomb inside Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The incident began days earlier when several men disguised as delivery workers wheeled in
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