1980 Newspaper Headlines
There are plenty of memorable headlines from 1980. Some particularly remarkable 1980 headlines include the creation of CNN, the world’s first 24 hour cable TV network, the eruption of Mt St Helens in Washington state, and the premiere of “The Empire Strikes Back” in movie theatres.
One of the most talked about events of 1980 was John Lennon’s assassination. The whole world stood still in shock when the former Beatles frontman was shot in cold blood by a deranged fan outside his hotel in New York City. It was also the year that arcade game Pac-Man was released; it would become the best selling game in history. An authentic 1980 newspaper is a wonderful gift idea for a loved one who grew up in this time, or has a particular interest in one of the events that occurred during it. Understand 1980 through the eyes of those who lived at the time, and gain a different perspective on this year in history.
13th February 1980
The Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York.
21st March 1980
U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
31st March 1980
Jesse Owens, African-American athlete (b. 1913) dies.
10th April 1980
Spain and the United Kingdom agree to reopen the border between Gibraltar and Spain, previously closed since 1969.
18th April 1980
Zimbabwe gains independence from the United Kingdom; the soon-to-be dictator Robert Mugabe becomes Prime Minister.
25th April 1980
A Dan-Air Boeing 727 crashes in Tenerife, killing all 146 occupants and marking the worst air disaster involving a British-registered aircraft in terms of fatalities.
30th April 1980
Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in London. The SAS retakes the Embassy on 5th May; 1 terrorist survives.
21st May 1980
“Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” is released.
22nd May 1980
“Pac-Man” is released and has since become the best-selling arcade game of all time.
28th May 1980
Nottingham Forest wins the European Cup, beating Hamburg 1-0 in Madrid
19th July 1980
The 1980 Summer Olympics begin in Moscow, Soviet Union. The United States heads a boycott of the event by sixty-one countries in protest to the 1979 Soviet War in Afghanistan.
1st October 1980
Associated Newspapers announces that The Evening News will close and merge with the Evening Standard.
10th October 1980
Margaret Thatcher tells the Conservative Party conference “U-turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”
7th November 1980
Steve McQueen, American actor (b. 1930) dies.
21st November 1980
Millions of viewers tune into the U.S. television soap opera Dallas to learn who shot lead character J.R. Ewing. The “Who shot J.R.?” event had been a national obsession.
8th December 1980
Former Beatle John Lennon dies in a hospital after being shot outside his New York City apartment by Mark David Chapman, a deranged fan who had received his signature earlier in the day.
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