1981

Fun Filled Facts!

• The space shuttle Columbia launches for the first time. 

 

• Sandra Day O'Connor becomes first female Supreme Court Justice. 

 

• Prince Charles and Diana Spencer marry July 29. 

 

• Luke and Laura of General Hospital most watched wedding next to Charles & Diana. 

 

• Dynasty premieres. 

 

• The first DeLorean sports cars roll off the assembly line. 

 

• August first 1981, the birthday of Music Television. 

 

• Rick Springfield takes job as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. 

 

• Pac Mac is introduced in the U.S. and sparks a huge craze. 

 

• Poland government crushes the Solidarity movement. 

 

• First reports of deaths at the time from disease what we now know to be called AIDS. 

 

• 52 hostages released after 14 months of captivity in Iran. 

 

• John Hinkley attempts assassination on Ronald Regan on March 30. 

 

• Nutra Sweet hits the markets. 

 

• Pope John Paul II is shot by crazy Turk. 

 

• Walter Cronkite steps down from CBS, Dan Rather takes over. 

 

• "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John spends 10 weeks at #1 on the charts (half in 81, half in 82.) 

 

• Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda both win best actor awards for On Golden Pond. 

 

• Porky's released in theaters, introducing us to Kim Catrall. To this day it’s still the highest grossing movie from Canada. 

• Tom Cruise makes his feature film debut in Blue Lagoon.