What Happened in 1981

Grateful Dead Releases Dead Set

Dead Set is a live album by the Grateful Dead. It was released in August 1981 on Arista. The album contains live material recorded between... Read more

Body Heat is Released

Body Heat is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A.... Read more

Alice Cooper releases Special Forces

Special Forces is an album by Alice Cooper, released in 1981, and was produced by Richard Podolor. Singles included "You Want It, You Got It", "Who... Read more

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles born in Houston, Texas

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), best known mononymously as Beyoncé (pronounced /biˈjɒn.seɪ/), is an American R&B singer,... Read more

"You Are What You Is" by Frank Zappa Is Released

You Are What You Is is an album by Frank Zappa. It was originally released as a two-record set in 1981 and later by Rykodisc as a 20-song CD. The... Read more

Jack Henry Abbott is Captured in Louisiana

Telling prison officials that Abbott had a promising career as a writer, Mailer offered to employ him as a researcher. On June 5, 1981, Abbott was... Read more

Stephen King publishes Cujo

Cujo (1981) is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982, and was made into a film of the same... Read more

Rush release Exit...Stage Left

Exit...Stage Left is a live album by Canadian band Rush, released in 1981. A video release with the same name, with slightly different content, was... Read more

The Police release Ghost in the Machine

Ghost in the Machine is the fourth album by The Police, released in 1981. Much of the material in this album was inspired by Arthur Koestler's The... Read more

FDA Approves Paddock's Midamor

Preventing development of low blood potassium or helping to restore normal blood potassium in patients with high blood pressure or heart failure.... Read more

Muhammad Anwar El Sadat, third President of Egypt, is Assassinated

Islamic extremists assassinate Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, as he reviews troops on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Led by Khaled el... Read more

"My Dinner With Andre" Is Released

My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle. The... Read more

U2 releases second studio album, "October"

I remember the pressure it was made under, I remember writing lyrics on the microphone, and at £50 an hour that's quite a pressure. Lillywhite was... Read more

FDA Approves Pharmacia and UpJohn's Xanax

Xanax is a tranquilizer used in the short-term relief of symptoms of anxiety or the treatment of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorder is marked by... Read more

1981 World Series

The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years. The... Read more

Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield form Metallica

Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California, in early 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper—The... Read more

Ozzy Osbourne Releases "Diary of a Madman"

Diary of a Madman is an album by Ozzy Osbourne. It was recorded from the 9th of Feb to the 23 of March 1981 inclusively - the end of winter in the... Read more

Mötley Crüe release Too Fast for Love

Too Fast For Love is the debut record of American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe; 900 copies were released in November 1981 on the band's Leathür... Read more

Kiss releases Music from "The Elder"

Music from "The Elder" is a 1981 concept album released by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was an attempt on the part of the group to... Read more

AC/DC releases For Those About to Rock We Salute You

For Those About to Rock We Salute You is the eighth album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in 1981. The album was a follow-up to their... Read more

Jenna and Barbara Bush are Born

In 1981, Laura Bush gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara; they graduated from high school in 2000 and from the University of... Read more

"Reds" Is Released

Reds is a 1981 epic film that was co-written, produced, directed by, and starring Warren Beatty. It centers on the life of John Reed, the... Read more

Marcus Allen Wins Heisman Trophy

The fourth running back from the University of Southern California to win the Heisman Trophy, Marcus Allen did it by being the first rusher to... Read more

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

UNHCR was established on December 14, 1951 and succeeded the earlier United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. The agency is... Read more

Venom release Welcome to Hell

Welcome to Hell is the December 1981 debut album by the English heavy metal band Venom. The sound of the album was very noisy and rough, perhaps in... Read more