What Happened in 1981

"Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar" by Frank Zappa Is Released

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is a triple vinyl album featuring live material recorded by Frank Zappa between February 1977 and December 1980. The... Read more

Len Barker Pitches a Perfect Game

Leonard Harold Barker III (born July 7, 1955 in Fort Knox, Kentucky), better known as Lenny Barker or Len Barker, is a former Major League Baseball... Read more

"Tinseltown Rebellion" by Frank Zappa Is Released

Tinseltown Rebellion is a double-album released by Frank Zappa in 1981. It was reissued on a single CD by Rykodisc. The opening track, "Fine... Read more

New York Islanders win Stanley Cup

The 1981 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Minnesota North Stars making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion New York... Read more

Blue Öyster Cult releases Fire of Unknown Origin

Fire of Unknown Origin is the ninth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch. The album, which included the... Read more

Bihar Train Disaster

In the Bihar train disaster on June 6, 1981, a passenger train carrying 800 or more passengers between Mansi and Saharsa, India derailed and... Read more

"Raiders Of The Lost Ark" Is Released

Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg,... Read more

Superman II released

Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman. It was the only Superman film to be filmed by two directors. For this reason... Read more

For Your Eyes Only (film) released

For Your Eyes Only (1981) is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James... Read more

Magic Johnson Signs 25-year $25 Million Contract with Lakers

During the off-season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up... Read more

Ronald Reagan Appoints Sandra Day O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, July 7 - President Reagan announced today that he would nominate Sandra Day O'Connor, a 51-year-old judge on the Arizona Court of... Read more

The Fox and the Hound is released

The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions which premiered in the United States on July 10, 1981. The... Read more

Def Leppard release High 'n' Dry

High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by British heavy metal band Def Leppard, released on 11 July 1981. Its title song, "High 'n' Dry (Saturday... Read more

Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse

On July 17, 1981, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, held a videotaped tea-dance party in their atrium lobby. With many party-goers... Read more

Ken Barlow Marries Deirdre Langton on Coronation Street

Ken Barlow married Deirdre Langton on 27 July 1981. The episode was watched by over 24 million viewers – more ITV viewers than the wedding of... Read more

Charles, Prince of Wales marries Lady Diana Spencer

The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Frances Spencer took place on 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, England. Their... Read more

Total Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on July 31, 1981. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or... Read more

Aretha Franklin Releases "Love All the Hurt Away"

Love All the Hurt Away is an album by American R&B singer Aretha Franklin, only the singer's sophomore release for label Arista Records.Her cover... Read more

Federal Air Traffic Controllers Go on Strike

Only a short time into his administration, federal air traffic controllers went on strike, violating a regulation prohibiting government unions... Read more

Chicagofest 1981

I had a random concert conversation with a colleague of mine, Jonathan. He asked me if I could guess which Chicago venue he had seen Cheap Trick in... Read more

Ronald Reagan Signs the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981

The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (also known as ERTA or the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut) was "A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 to... Read more

FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Tenormin

Tenormin is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and... Read more

"Lola" Is Released

Lola is a 1981 West German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It is the third in his BRD Trilogy: the previous films are The Marriage of... Read more

"Prince Of The City" Is Released

Prince of the City is a 1981 crime-drama film about an NYPD officer who chooses to expose corruption. It stars Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach and... Read more

The Rolling Stones Release 'Tattoo You'

Tattoo You is the 16th studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. The follow-up to Emotional Rescue, it proved to be a big critical and... Read more