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January 19th, 1981.

January 19th, 1981, was a Monday. It was day 19 of 1981. The decade was the Eighties.

42 years, 2 months and 4 days have passed since January 19th, 1981.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

On This Day

What happened on this date?

Notable events that occurred on January 19th, 1981.

  • Boxing legend Muhammad Ali talks a suicidal man down off a ledge in Los Angeles.
  • Iran hostage crisis: Iran and the United States reach a deal to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
  • 22-year-old American photographer Francesca Woodman commits suicide.
Song charts

Top songs.

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on January 19th, 1981.

  • United States: Starting Over - John Lennon
  • United Kingdom: Imagine - John Lennon

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 19th, 1981.

A list of songs that were dominating the music charts on this date.

  • (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
  • Love On The Rocks - Neil Diamond
  • Guilty - Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb
  • The Tide Is High - Blondie
  • Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
Play the top singles from the year 1981.
A Spotify playlist of songs from 1981. Let us take you back to the peak days of Kim Wilde, Lionel Richie, Phil Collins and The Police.
9 to 5

Top movie.

The movie "9 to 5" was at the top of the Box Office on this day.

Take me back to January 19th, 1981!

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is January 19th, 1981, and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. In America, the song Starting Over by John Lennon is on top of the singles charts.

Over in the UK, Imagine by John Lennon is the number one hit song. Jimmy Carter is currently the President of the United States, and the movie 9 to 5 is at the top of the Box Office. In the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher is the current Prime Minister.

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. Because it's 1981, the radio stations are being dominated by artists such as Kim Carnes, Soft Cell, Phil Collins, John Lennon, Stars On 45, Diana Ross and Olivia Newton-John. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Bob Marley, Terry Fox, Adam Walsh and Bill Shankly would all be still alive.

On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "The Two Ronnies", "The Waltons", "M*A*S*H" and "Barney Miller". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Breakout", "Lunar Lander", "Asteroids" and "Missile Command". Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "Sesame Street", "The Muppet Show", "Battle of the Planets" and "Thundarr the Barbarian".

Popular toys at the moment include the likes of the Easy-Bake Oven, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Screwball Scramble and Monchhichi / Chicaboo.

News

News topics, nostalgic fads, and pop culture events.

These are trending news stories and fads that were prevalent at this time. These are topics that would have been in the media on January 19th, 1981.

  • 1981 in music.

    1981 in music.

    Popular music artists in 1981 included Kim Carnes, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Rick Springfield, Kool & the Gang, Hall & Oates, Eddie Rabbitt, Dolly Parton and REO Speedwagon.

  • The Rubik's Cube.

    The Rubik's Cube.

    During 1981 and 1982, the Rubik's Cube became a craze. The toy was so popular that books on how to solve it regularly made it into the top ten selling books list.

  • Who were the best NBA players in 1981?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1981?

    The best NBA players in 1981 were Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Gervin and Dennis Johnson.

  • 1981 in movies.

    1981 in movies.

    Movies released in 1981 included Raiders of the Lost Ark, On Golden Pond, Superman II, Arthur, Stripes, The Cannonball Run, Chariots of Fire, For Your Eyes Only, The Four Seasons, Escape from New York, The Evil Dead, Mad Max 2, An American Werewolf in London and Time Bandits.

  • Who were the best football players in 1981?

    Who were the best football players in 1981?

    In 1981, the best soccer players were Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner, Bernd Schuster, Michel Platini, Oleg Blokhin, Dino Zoff, Ramaz Shengelia, Alexsandr Chivadze, Liam Brady and John Wark.

  • Chariots of Fire.

    Chariots of Fire.

    "Chariots of Fire" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981.

  • Lech Walesa.

    Lech Walesa.

    The architect of the Gdansk Agreement, Lech Walesa, was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1981.

  • Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"

    Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"

    "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes won a Grammy for 1981's Song of the Year.

  • Iran-Iraq War.

    Iran-Iraq War.

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

  • Early 1980s fashion.

    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.

  • The Atari 2600.

    The Atari 2600.

    During this period, the Atari 2600 was the dominant game system.

  • The Iran hostage crisis.

    The Iran hostage crisis.

    The Iran hostage crisis was ongoing during this period. Between November 4th, 1979 and January 20th, 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.

  • The Atlanta murders of 1979 - 1981.

    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 were murdered before Wayne Williams was eventually arrested and convicted.

  • The Walkman.

    The Walkman.

    In the late 1970s and 1980s, portable cassette players such as the "Sony Walkman" were becoming more and more common.

  • People are using wallpaper to decorate their homes.

    People are using wallpaper to decorate their homes.

    Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.

Information

Basic facts.

Basic facts and information about this date.

  • 42 years, 2 months and 4 days have passed since January 19th, 1981.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 04 of 1981.
  • Leap Year: 1981 was not a leap year.
  • Age: A person born on January 19th, 1981 will be 42 years old.
  • Generation: People born in 1981 belong to the Generation Y (Millennial) generation.
  • Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 348710400.
Events

Around this time.

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around January 19th, 1981.

  • 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.
  • January 16th, 1981: Irish civil rights leader Bernadette McAliskey is wounded after loyalist gunmen break into her home in Tyrone and shoot her.
  • This date: January 19th, 1981
  • January 20th, 1981: Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States.
  • January 20th, 1981: Iran releases 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
  • January 21st, 1981: The first production car of the DMC DeLorean is completed.
  • January 25th, 1981: Super Bowl XV: The Oakland Raiders defeat the Philadelphia Eagles at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • February 8th, 1981: Karaiskakis Stadium disaster: 21 soccer fans are trampled to death during a game between Olympiacos and AEK Athens in Greece.
  • February 13th, 1981: Over 20KM of sewer lines and streets are destroyed in Louisville, Kentucky after hexane vapors from a processing plant cause a series of explosions.
  • February 14th, 1981: 48 people are killed after a fire breaks out at the Stardust nightclub in Dublin, Ireland.

Personality traits.

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on January 19th, 1981.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Zodiac info

Horoscope, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Zodiac and birthstone information.

NEW! Check out our personality summary image for this birth date.

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 19th, 1981, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1981 was the year of the Rooster (Yin Water).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 3.
  • Native American Zodiac: January 19th, 1981 falls under the Goose.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.
  • Birth flower (January): The Carnation and the Snowdrop.

Photos of early 1980s fashion.

Photographs of early 1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Photos of early 1980s fashion.

Television shows

TV shows in 1981.

Television shows that people were watching in January, 1981.

TV shows from January, 1981.

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

Knots Landing
Knots Landing
American soap opera.

Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place
Sitcom starring Carroll O'Connor.

Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Medical drama.

Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart
TV show about a couple who moonlight as detectives.

The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life
Sitcom about a girls boarding school in Peekskill, New York. Starring Charlotte Rae as housemother Edna Garrett.

The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
American television series.

WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
Sitcom about staff members who work at a radio station in Cincinnati.

Taxi
Taxi
American sitcom starring Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito.

Dallas
Dallas
Soap opera.

The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk
Starring Lou Ferrigno.

The Love Boat
The Love Boat
Television series that was set on a cruise ship. Starring Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill Stubing.

Chips
Chips
TV show about two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers called Jon Baker and Frank "Ponch" Poncherello.

Soap
Soap
Comedy series / satire about soap operas. Starring Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas.

Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Television series about the "Bradford brood" and their father.

Three's Company
Three's Company
Sitcom about two girls and their male room mate.

Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
TV show about a Los Angeles County medical examiner called Dr. Quincy.

Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
TV show about three female police academy-trained private detectives.

Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley
Series about two roommates called Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney.

Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Sitcom about a police station in New York City. Starring Hal Linden as Captain Bernard "Barney" Miller.

The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
TV show about an African- American couple that have moved into an upscale high-rise building.

Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
TV show that was set in the 1870s.

Happy Days
Happy Days
TV show that is set in the 1950s / 1960s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
British sitcom about three senior citizens in the Yorkshire Dales.

M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
TV series about an American military medical unit during the Korean War.

The Waltons
The Waltons
TV series about a family living in rural Virginia during the Great Depression.

The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
British comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.

Cars in 1981.

1981 saw the introduction of cars such as the Chevrolet Cavalier, the DMC DeLorean, the Honda City, the Nissan Maxima, the BMW 5 Series (E28) and the Chevrolet Camaro (third generation).

Cars in 1981.

Children TV shows

Kids' TV shows on January 19th, 1981.

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1981.

Thundarr the Barbarian
Thundarr the Barbarian

Cockleshell Bay
Cockleshell Bay

The New Adventures of Flash Gordon
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon

Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes

Mork & Mindy
Mork & Mindy

Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets

The All New Popeye Hour
The All New Popeye Hour

The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show

Happy Days
Happy Days

Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock!

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

Sesame Street
Sesame Street

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

The Bugs Bunny Show
The Bugs Bunny Show

Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo

Toys

Popular toys and games in 1981.

Toys and games that were popular on this date in 1981.

Space Lego
Space Lego

Fischer Price cassette player
Fischer Price cassette player

Monchhichi / Chicaboo
Monchhichi / Chicaboo

Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube

Strawberry Shortcake dolls
Strawberry Shortcake dolls

Big wheel (tricycle)
Big wheel (tricycle)

Intellivision (games console)
Intellivision (games console)

Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine

Screwball Scramble
Screwball Scramble

Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids

Speak & Spell
Speak & Spell

Simon (memory game)
Simon (memory game)

Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos

Water Ring Toss
Water Ring Toss

The Atari 2600
The Atari 2600

Star Wars action figures
Star Wars action figures

Lego Technic
Lego Technic

Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons

Magna Doodle
Magna Doodle

Big Jim (action figure)
Big Jim (action figure)

VertiBird (toy helicopter)
VertiBird (toy helicopter)

Lite-Brite
Lite-Brite

Operation
Operation

The Easy-Bake Oven
The Easy-Bake Oven

Video games

Video games.

Popular video games that people were playing in January of 1981.

Missile Command 1980
Missile Command
Arcade game developed by Atari.

Pac-Man 1980
Pac-Man
Maze arcade game.

Galaxian 1980
Galaxian
Fixed shooter arcade game.

Asteroids 1979
Asteroids
Space-themed shooter arcade game.

Lunar Lander 1979
Lunar Lander
In which the player controls a lunar landing module.

Space Invaders 1978
Space Invaders
Shooter arcade game.

Breakout 1976
Breakout
Arcade game published by Atari.

Were you born on this date?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1981.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out January 19th, 1987, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays.

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 19th.

Edgar Allan Poe

Author. Deceased
Born on January 19th, 1809
He was not alive on this date.

Janis Joplin

Singer. Deceased
Born on January 19th, 1943
She was not alive on this date.

Dolly Parton

Singer.
Born on January 19th, 1946
She turned 35 on this day in 1981.

Drea de Matteo

Actress.
Born on January 19th, 1972
She turned 9 on this day in 1981.

Dustin Poirier

UFC fighter.
Born on January 19th, 1989
He was born exactly 8 years after this date.

Mac Miller

Rapper. Deceased
Born on January 19th, 1992
He was born exactly 11 years after this date.

Mike Thalassitis

Love Island contestant. Deceased
Born on January 19th, 1993
He was born exactly 12 years after this date.

USA

US President.

Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States on January 19th, 1981.

UK

UK Prime Minister.

Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach.

Charles Haughey was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates.

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on January 19th, 1981 was most likely conceived around April 28th, 1980.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 19th, 1981 is close to October 12th, 1981.

Post a comment about this date.

Have something to say about this date? Was it your birthday? Or perhaps you have a memory of it?

All comments are moderated before they are published. We may edit comments to correct misspellings and grammar. We may also remove or redact personal information.

How old was I?

Find out what your age was on January 19th, 1981, by entering your DOB below.
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Stats for January 19th, 1981

Time difference & statistics.

Here are some fun statistics about January 19th, 1981.

  • A total of 15,403 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,200 weeks have passed.
  • 1,330,819,200 seconds have passed since the January 19th, 1981.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,552,622,400 times.
  • Since January 19th, 1981, the Earth has travelled approximately 686,702,707,200 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 221,803,200 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 114,450,451 steps. That's about 50,867 miles!
  • Since this date, 15,969,830 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere!
  • How many years ago was 1981?

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