August 21st, 1981, fell on a Friday. It was day 233 of 1981. The decade was the 1980s.
39 years, 5 months and 1 days have passed since August 21st, 1981.
On This Date
Events that occurred on August 21st, 1981:
An American Werewolf in London (1981) is released in cinemas.
Music Singles
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on August 21st, 1981:
United States: Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
United Kingdom: Green Door - Shakin' Stevens
Take Me Back!
The date is August 21st, 1981 and it's a Friday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Leo. Currently, people have "that Friday feeling" and are looking forward to the weekend.
The summer of 1981 is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. In America, the song Endless Love by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Green Door by Shakin' Stevens is the number one hit song.
Ronald Reagan is currently the President of the United States and Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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.
People are watching popular TV shows such as "Laverne & Shirley", "The Love Boat", "Mork & Mindy" and "Magnum, P.I.". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Breakout", "Pac-Man", "Missile Command" and "Donkey Kong". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "Diff'rent Strokes", "Cockleshell Bay" and "Thundarr the Barbarian".
Popular toys include the likes of "Big Jim (action figure)", "Lego Technic", "Atari 2600" 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 August 21st, 1981.
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.
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.
Lech Walesa.
The architect of the Gdansk Agreement, Lech Walesa, was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1981.
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.
Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"
"Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes would go on to win a Grammy for 1981's Song of the Year.
Chariots of Fire
"Chariots of Fire" won the Academy Award for Best Picture 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.
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.
The AIDS epidemic begins.
In the middle of 1981, the AIDS epidemic officially began, as the CDC reported that an unusual type of pneumonia had been discovered in five homosexual men in LA.
Basic Facts
Basic facts and information about this date:
39 years, 5 months and 1 days have passed since August 21st, 1981.
Week Number: This date occurred during Week 34 of 1981.
Leap Year: 1981 was NOT a leap year.
Age: Anyone born on August 21st, 1981, will be 39 years of age.
People born in 1981 belong to the "Generation Y (Millennial)" generation.
Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 367196400.
Around This Time...
Notable events that occurred around August 21st, 1981:
July 27th, 1981: The infamous murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh occurs in Hollywood, Florida.
July 29th, 1981: Prince Charles and Lady Diana are married in London, England.
Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States.
UK Prime Minister
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on August 21st, 1981?
Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Irish Taoiseach
Who was the Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland on this date?
Garret FitzGerald was the Taoiseach of Ireland.
Conception Dates
Interesting facts about conception dates.
A baby that was born on August 21st, 1981 was probably conceived around the 11th of November, 1980. (Rough Estimate).
The due date for a baby that was conceived on August 21st, 1981 is the 31st of May, 1982. (Rough Estimate).
How old was I?
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on August 21st, 1981.
Videos
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to August 21st, 1981. 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 August 21st, 1981.
14,399 days have passed since this date.
1,244,077,200 seconds have passed since the August 21st, 1981.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,451,423,400 times.
Since August 21st, 1981, earth has travelled approximately 641,943,835,200 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 207,346,200 times.
If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 106,990,639 steps. That's about 47,551 miles!
Since this date, 14,928,926 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!
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