What Happened in 1981

Early Report of the First Online Newspaper

Channel 4 KRON in San Francisco reports on the first use of the Internet by newspapers. Eight newspapers are in the network. Watch the... Read more

Ford Meteor is First Produced

Dating from 1981, Ford Meteor was the name given to the sedan version of the Ford Laser, based on the Mazda Familia (323) in markets including... Read more

Anthrax (band) is formed

Anthrax was formed in mid-1981 by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker. They found the band's name in a biology textbook and claimed it because it... Read more

Joe Biden chairs US Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and on which he served as ranking... Read more

Elena Kagan Graduates Summa Cum Laude From Princeton University

A native of New York City, Kagan earned an A.B. with highest honors in history in 1981. She received the 1981 Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960... Read more

Bad Religion releases the self-titled EP

Bad Religion was the first release of punk band Bad Religion. It contained only six short songs, and played in just under ten minutes. It was... Read more

"Gallipoli" Is Released

Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western... Read more

PlayCable, First 'Online' Video Game Content Provider

Talk about innovation! In 1981, Mattel finalized a deal to deliver Intellivision games to homes across the nation via existing cable TV networks.... Read more

Oscar De La Renta Redesigns the Boy Scout Uniform

The most complete overhaul of the Boy Scout uniform in nearly 60 years occurred in 1980. Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta donated his services... Read more

Norman Hsu Receives Degree from Wharton School

Hsu was born and raised in Hong Kong; his ancestors are from Shanghai. He then came to the United States at age 18, obtained a B.S. degree in... Read more

Nintendo Releases Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong (ドンキーコング, Donkī Kongu) is an arcade game developed by Nintendo, released in 1981. It is an early example of the platform genre, as the... Read more

Midway Releases Ms. Pac-Man as an Unauthorized Sequel

Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became... Read more

Michael Jordan Earns a Basketball Scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of Omega Psi Phi and... Read more

Kellogg's Introduces Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars

Nutri-Grain is a brand of breakfast cereal and breakfast bar made by the Kellogg Company. In Australia and New Zealand, Nutri-Grain is a popular... Read more

The Rolling Stones Release 'Slow Rollers'

Slow Rollers is a compilation album of ballads by The Rolling Stones released in 1981. It is a follow-up to the compilation of rock and roll... Read more

Ford Escort is First Produced

The Ford Escort is a compact car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. The North American Escort adopted both the badge and the general... Read more

Ford Del Rey is First Produced

The Ford Del Rey is a midsized car produced by the Ford Motor Company in Brazil from 1981 to 1991. It was a remake from the popular Ford Corcel.... Read more

Ford Cargo is First Produced

The Ford Cargo is a cab over engine truck model formerly manufactured in USA by Ford, but now made by Freightliner Trucks and sold as the Sterling... Read more

Senator Robert Byrd Elected as Minority Leader

Senator Byrd rose from the hardscrabble hollows of West Virginia to spend 12 years as Senate Democratic leader. He was majority leader from 1977 to... Read more

Iran Hostage Crisis Ends with the Signing of the Algiers Accords

On January 20, 1981, as Ronald Reagan became President, the hostages were flown from Teheran to Europe, and on to New York. The crisis was... Read more

Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States

For the first time, an inauguration ceremony was held on the terrace of the West Front of the Capitol. Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the... Read more

George H.W. Bush Serves as US Vice President

As Vice President, Bush generally took on a low-profile while recognizing the constitutional limits of the office; he avoided decision-making or... Read more

Ronald Reagan Delivers His First Inaugural Address

The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1981. The inauguration marked the... Read more

Super Bowl XV - Raiders 27, Eagles 10

Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National... Read more

"Killers" by Iron Maiden Is Released

Killers is the second album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on February 2, 1981 in the UK, and June, 1981 in the US. The album... Read more