May 20th, 1980

May 20th, 1980, fell on a Tuesday. It was day 141 of 1980. The decade was the 1980s.

40 years, 10 months and 29 days have passed since May 20th, 1980.

May 20th, 1980

Music Singles

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on May 20th, 1980:

  • United States: Call Me - Blondie
  • United Kingdom: What's Another Year - Johnny Logan

Take Me Back!

The date is May 20th, 1980 and it's a Tuesday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Taurus. The summer of 1980 has finally arrived. The weather has warmed up and the evenings are brighter than usual.

In America, the song Call Me by Blondie is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, What's Another Year by Johnny Logan 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.

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. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "Happy Days", "Dallas", "Taxi" and "Trapper John, M.D.".

Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Space Invaders", "Lunar Lander", "Asteroids" and "Galaxian". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Captain Kangaroo", "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "The Muppet Show" and "Battle of the Planets". Popular toys include the likes of "Micronauts", "Star Wars action figures", "Atari 2600" and "Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine".

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 May 20th, 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:

  • 40 years, 10 months and 29 days have passed since May 20th, 1980.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 21 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 May 20th, 1980, will be 40 years of age.
  • People born in 1980 belong to the Generation Y (Millennial) generation.
  • Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 327625200.

Around This Time...

Notable events that occurred around May 20th, 1980:

  • April 24th, 1980: Operation Eagle Claw: U.S. President Jimmy Carter aborts an attempt to rescue 52 hostages in Iran.
  • April 25th, 1980: Dan-Air Flight 1008 crashes in Tenerife, killing 146 people.
  • April 26th, 1980: 14-year-old Laureen Rahn goes missing from her apartment in Manchester, New Hampshire.
  • April 29th, 1980: Alfred Hitchcock passes away.
  • April 30th, 1980: Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in London.
  • May 4th, 1980: Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito dies.
  • May 9th, 1980: Friday the 13th (1980) is released.
  • May 10th, 1980: FA Cup 1980: West Ham win the FA Cup after a goal from Trevor Brooking helps them secure 1-0 victory over Arsenal.
  • May 14th, 1980: 4 white police officers are found not guilty of killing a black insurance executive called Arthur McDuffie. Their acquittal sets off riots in Miami.
  • May 16th, 1980: The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1980 NBA Finals after they defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2.
  • May 18th, 1980: The eruption of Mount St. Helens occurs.
  • May 18th, 1980: Joy Division singer Ian Curtis hangs himself.
  • This date: May 20th, 1980
  • May 21st, 1980: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) is released.
  • May 23rd, 1980: The Shining (1980) is released in cinemas.
  • May 25th, 1980: 13-year-old Philippe Pignot goes missing in La Morte in southeastern France.
  • May 26th, 1980: 2,000 people are killed in South Korea when military forces clash with pro-democracy protesters.
  • May 28th, 1980: Football: Nottingham Forest win the European Cup after defeating Hamburg 1-0.
  • June 1st, 1980: A news network called CNN is launched.
  • June 9th, 1980: Comedian Richard Pryor is badly burned while trying to freebase cocaine.

Horoscopes & Birthstone Information

Zodiac & Birthstone information:

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on May 20th, 1980, will have the star sign Taurus.
  • Taurus is the star sign for this date in both the old and the new system.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1980 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
  • Native American Zodiac: May 20th, 1980 falls under the Beaver.
  • Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of May will have the birthstone Emerald.

Television Shows

TV shows that people would 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.

  • Cockleshell Bay
  • 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
  • Dungeons & Dragons
  • Magna Doodle
  • Big Jim (action figure)
  • VertiBird (toy helicopter)
  • Lite-Brite
  • Easy-Bake Oven

Video Games

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

  • Galaxian - Fixed shooter arcade game.
  • 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, historical figures and noteable people who were born on the 20th of May:

US President

Who was the US President on May 20th, 1980?

  • Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States.

UK Prime Minister

Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 20th, 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 May 20th, 1980 was probably conceived around the 11th of August, 1979. (Rough Estimate).
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on May 20th, 1980 is the 27th of February, 1981. (Rough Estimate).

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on May 20th, 1980.

Videos

Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to May 20th, 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 May 20th, 1980.

  • 14,943 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,291,075,200 seconds have passed since the May 20th, 1980.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,506,254,400 times.
  • Since May 20th, 1980, earth has travelled approximately 666,194,803,200 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 215,179,200 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 111,032,467 steps. That's about 49,348 miles!
  • Since this date, 15,492,902 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

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