January 1st, 1980

January 1st, 1980, fell on a Tuesday. It was day 1 of 1980. The decade was the 1980s.

41 years, 2 months and 0 days have passed since January 1st, 1980.

January 1st, 1980

Music Singles

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on January 1st, 1980:

  • United States: Please Don't Go - KC & Sunshine Band
  • United Kingdom: Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

Take Me Back!

The date is January 1st, 1980 and it's a Tuesday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's New Years Day, the official start of the year 1980 and a brand new decade. A lot of people are relaxing at home. Others are nursing hangovers from the night before.

In America, the song Please Don't Go by KC & Sunshine Band is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd is the number one hit song. Jimmy Carter is currently the President of the United States and Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The movie "Kramer vs. Kramer" is being shown in movie theaters. Because it's 1980, the radio stations are being dominated by artists such as Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, John Lennon, Lipps Inc, Diana Ross, Blondie and Kenny Rogers. In fashion, women are currently wearing jelly shoes, turtleneck sweaters, loose high-waist pants, crop tops and puffer jackets lined with fur. Meanwhile, men have been ditching the disco look of the 70s in favor of athletic clothing such as tracksuits and sports jerseys. The "preppy" look has also been making a comeback.

People are watching popular TV shows such as "Little House on the Prairie", "Laverne & Shirley", "Taxi" and "Mork & Mindy". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Breakout", "Space Invaders", "Lunar Lander" and "Asteroids". Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "Captain Kangaroo", "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Happy Days" and "Battle of the Planets".

Popular toys include the likes of "Etch A Sketch", "Magna Doodle", "Dungeons & Dragons" and "Water Ring Toss".

News Topics, Fads & Culture

Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on January 1st, 1980.

  • The Atlanta murders of 1979 - 1981.

    During this time, the Atlanta murders of 1979 - 1981 were taking place. At least 28 children and young adults are murdered before Wayne Williams is eventually caught and convicted of murder.

  • Iran hostage crisis.

    The Iran hostage crisis was ongoing during this period. Between the 4th of November, 1979 and the 20th of January, 1981, 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage in Iran. The hostages were taken into captivity after a group of Iranian college students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

  • 1980 in music.

    Popular music artists in 1980 included Blondie, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Jackson, Captain & Tennille, Queen, Paul McCartney and Lipps Inc.

  • Ronald Reagan.

    U.S. President Ronald Reagan was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1980.

  • 1980 in movies.

    Movies released in 1980 included The Empire Strikes Back, 9 to 5, Friday the 13th, Stir Crazy, Airplane!, Any Which Way You Can, Caddyshack, Private Benjamin, Coal Miner's Daughter, Smokey and the Bandit II, The Blue Lagoon, The Blues Brothers, The Shining and The Fog.

  • Christopher Cross - "Sailing"

    "Sailing" by Christopher Cross would go on to win a Grammy for 1980's Song of the Year.

  • Ordinary People

    "Ordinary People" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1980.

  • Who were the best football players in 1980?

    In 1980, the best soccer players were Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bernd Schuster, Michel Platini, Wilfried Van Moer, Jan Ceulemans, Horst Hrubesch, Herbert Prohaska, Hansi Müller, Liam Brady, Manfred Kaltz and Erwin Vandenbergh.

  • Who were the best NBA players in 1980?

    The best NBA players in 1980 were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, George Gervin and Paul Westphal.

  • Early 1980s fashion.

    The early 80s saw a minimalist approach to fashion, with some trends carrying over from the late 1970s. Sweaters, fur-lined puffer jackets, tunics, ripped jeans, leotards, velour tracksuits, tube tops, knee-length skirts, high-waisted pants and embroidered jeans were all popular during this period. The colors during the early 1980s were subdued, quiet and basic. Varying shades of brown, tan, and orange were in fashion.

Basic Facts

Basic facts and information about this date:

  • 41 years, 2 months and 0 days have passed since January 1st, 1980.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 01 of 1980.
  • Leap Year: 1980 was a leap year, which means that it contained 366 days instead of 365 (with an extra day in February).
  • Age: Anyone born on January 1st, 1980, will be 41 years of age.
  • People born in 1980 belong to the "Generation Y (Millennial)" generation.
  • Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 315532800.

Around This Time...

Notable events that occurred around January 1st, 1980:

Horoscopes & Birthstone Information

Zodiac & Birthstone information:

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 1st, 1980, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • However, if you are going by the new star sign system (2020), then the sign for this date is actually Sagittarius.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1980 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
  • Native American Zodiac: January 1st, 1980 falls under the Goose.
  • Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.

Television Shows

TV shows that you might have been watching around this time.

  • Knots Landing - American soap opera.
  • Trapper John, M.D. - Medical drama.
  • Archie Bunker's Place - Sitcom starring Carroll O'Connor.
  • Hart to Hart - TV show about a couple who moonlight as detectives.
  • The Dukes of Hazzard - American television series.
  • Mork & Mindy - Comedy TV show about an alien called Mork. Starring Robin Williams.
  • Taxi - American sitcom starring Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito.
  • Dallas - Soap opera.
  • The Incredible Hulk - Starring Lou Ferrigno.
  • The Love Boat - Television series that was set on a cruise ship. Starring Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill Stubing.
  • Chips - TV show about two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers called Jon Baker and Frank "Ponch" Poncherello.
  • Soap - Comedy series / satire about soap operas. Starring Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas.

1980 - Kid's TV

Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing on this date in 1980.

  • Diff'rent Strokes
  • Mork & Mindy
  • Battle of the Planets
  • The Muppet Show
  • Happy Days
  • Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
  • Sesame Street
  • Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
  • The Bugs Bunny Show
  • Captain Kangaroo

1980 - Toys & Games

Toys and games that would have been popular on this date in 1980:

  • Big wheel (tricycle)
  • Intellivision (games console)
  • Rubik's Cube
  • Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
  • Cabbage Patch Kids
  • Speak & Spell
  • Simon (memory game)
  • Water Ring Toss
  • Hungry Hungry Hippos
  • Atari 2600
  • Star Wars action figures
  • Lego Technic
  • Micronauts
  • Stretch Armstrong
  • Dungeons & Dragons
  • Magna Doodle
  • Big Jim (action figure)
  • VertiBird (toy helicopter)
  • Battleship (game)
  • Lite-Brite

Video Games

Popular video games that you might have been playing around this time.

  • Asteroids - Space-themed shooter arcade game.
  • Lunar Lander - In which the player controls a lunar landing module.
  • Space Invaders - Shooter arcade game.
  • Breakout - Arcade game published by Atari.

Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrities and historical figures that were born on the 1st of January:

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on the 1st of January:

  • New Year's Day

US President

Who was the US President on January 1st, 1980?

  • Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States.

UK Prime Minister

Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on January 1st, 1980?

  • Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Irish Taoiseach

Who was the Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland on this date?

  • Charles Haughey was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception Dates

Interesting facts about conception dates.

  • A baby that was born on January 1st, 1980 was probably conceived around the 24th of March, 1979. (Rough Estimate).
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 1st, 1980 is the 10th of October, 1980. (Rough Estimate).

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on January 1st, 1980.

Videos

Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to January 1st, 1980. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.

NB: If a video is blank, click on the button above to view the next one...

Time Difference & Statistics

Here are some fun statistics about January 1st, 1980.

  • 15,035 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,299,024,000 seconds have passed since the January 1st, 1980.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,515,528,000 times.
  • Since January 1st, 1980, earth has travelled approximately 670,296,384,000 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 216,504,000 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 111,716,064 steps. That's about 49,652 miles!
  • Since this date, 15,588,288 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

Random Dates

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