December 16th, 1980

December 16th, 1980, fell on a Tuesday. It was day 351 of 1980. The decade was the 1980s.

40 years, 4 months and 4 days have passed since December 16th, 1980.

December 16th, 1980

On This Date

Events that occurred on December 16th, 1980:

  • KFC founder Colonel Sanders passes away at the age of 90 after a short battle with leukemia.

Music Singles

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on December 16th, 1980:

  • United States: Lady - Kenny Rogers
  • United Kingdom: Starting Over - John Lennon

Take Me Back!

The date is December 16th, 1980 and it's a Tuesday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Sagittarius. The Christmas season of 1980 is in full swing. The decorations are up and festive songs are playing on the radio.

In America, the song Lady by Kenny Rogers is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Starting Over by John Lennon 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 "Little House on the Prairie", "The Jeffersons", "Taxi" and "The Dukes of Hazzard".

Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Breakout", "Asteroids", "Pac-Man" and "Missile Command". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", "Battle of the Planets" and "Diff'rent Strokes". Popular toys include the likes of "Big Jim (action figure)", "Hungry Hungry Hippos", "Intellivision (games console)" and "Monchhichi / Chicaboo".

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 December 16th, 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.

  • Iran-Iraq War

    Between the 22nd of September, 1980, and the 20th of August, 1988, an armed conflict was being fought between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iraqi Republic.

Basic Facts

Basic facts and information about this date:

  • 40 years, 4 months and 4 days have passed since December 16th, 1980.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 51 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 December 16th, 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 345772800.

Around This Time...

Notable events that occurred around December 16th, 1980:

  • November 20th, 1980: Former Australian Prime Minister John McEwen dies from self-imposed starvation at the age of 80.
  • November 21st, 1980: 85 people are killed when a fire breaks out at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
  • November 23rd, 1980: Over 2,000 people are killed after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes the Irpinia region of Italy.
  • December 2nd, 1980: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by members of the El Salvador National Guard.
  • December 4th, 1980: English rock band Led Zeppelin announce their break-up.
  • December 7th, 1980: American punk singer Darby Crash commits suicide.
  • December 8th, 1980: Beatles legend John Lennon is shot and killed outside of his New York apartment.
  • December 12th, 1980: Stir Crazy (1980) is released in cinemas.
  • This date: December 16th, 1980
  • December 17th, 1980: The comedy-action film Any Which Way You Can (1980), is released in cinemas.
  • December 18th, 1980: The former Premier of the Soviet Union, Alexei Kosygin, passes away at the age of 76.
  • December 19th, 1980: The film 9 to 5 (1980) is released in cinemas.
  • December 24th, 1980: Britain's Roswell: Multiple witnesses report seeing strange lights near the RAF Woodbridge station in Suffolk, England.
  • January 2nd, 1981: Serial killer Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper) is arrested.
  • January 8th, 1981: UFO case: An unidentified flying object leaves physical evidence in a field outside of Trans-en-Provence in France.

Horoscopes & Birthstone Information

Zodiac & Birthstone information:

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 16th, 1980, will have the star sign Sagittarius.
  • However, if you are going by the new star sign system (2020), then the sign for this date is actually Ophiuchus.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1980 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
  • Native American Zodiac: December 16th, 1980 falls under the Owl.
  • Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.

Television Shows

TV shows that people would have been watching around this time.

  • Magnum, P.I. - Starring Tom Selleck as Private Investigator Thomas Magnum.
  • 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.

1980 - Kid's TV

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

  • Thundarr the Barbarian
  • 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:

  • Monchhichi / Chicaboo
  • 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.

  • Missile Command - Arcade game developed by Atari.
  • Pac-Man - Maze arcade game.
  • 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 16th of December:

US President

Who was the US President on December 16th, 1980?

  • Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States.

UK Prime Minister

Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on December 16th, 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 December 16th, 1980 was probably conceived around the 8th of March, 1980. (Rough Estimate).
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 16th, 1980 is the 25th of September, 1981. (Rough Estimate).

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on December 16th, 1980.

Videos

Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to December 16th, 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 December 16th, 1980.

  • 14,736 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,273,186,800 seconds have passed since the December 16th, 1980.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,485,384,600 times.
  • Since December 16th, 1980, earth has travelled approximately 656,964,388,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 212,197,800 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 109,494,065 steps. That's about 48,664 miles!
  • Since this date, 15,278,242 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

Random Dates

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