August 24th, 1981.

On this day.

What happened on August 24th, 1981?

• Mark Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of Beatles singer John Lennon.

Born on August 24th, 1981.

People who were born on this exact date.

• Chad Michael Murray: Actor.

Music charts.

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on August 24th, 1981.

• United States: Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
• United Kingdom: Japanese Boy - Aneka

Take me back to August 24th, 1981!

Let's take a stroll down memory lane!

The date is August 24th, 1981 and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Virgo. 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, Japanese Boy by Aneka is the number one hit song. Ronald Reagan is currently the President of the United States and the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark 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.

On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "Columbo.", "Chips", "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Trapper John, M.D.". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Lunar Lander", "Asteroids", "Missile Command" and "Donkey Kong". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Captain Kangaroo", "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Happy Days" and "Diff'rent Strokes".

Popular toys at the moment include the likes of VertiBird (toy helicopter), Lego Technic, Star Wars action figures and Speak & Spell.

News topics, fads & culture.

Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent at this time. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on August 24th, 1981.

• 

  The AIDS epidemic begins.

  In the middle of 1981, the AIDS epidemic officially began after the CDC reported that an unusual type of pneumonia had been discovered in five homosexual men in LA.

• 

  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?

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

• 

  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" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981.

• 

  Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"

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

• 

  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.

• 

  Lech Walesa.

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

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

  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.

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

• 

  The Walkman.

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

Basic facts.

Basic facts and information about this date.

• 39 years, 11 months and 0 days have passed since August 24th, 1981.
• Week Number: This date occurred during Week 35 of 1981.
• Leap Year: 1981 was NOT a leap year.
• Age: Anyone born on August 24th, 1981, will be 39 years of age.
• Generation: People born in 1981 belong to the Generation Y (Millennial) generation.
• Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 367455600.

Around this time.

Notable events that occurred around August 24th, 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.
• August 1st, 1981: The channel MTV is launched.
• August 1st, 1981: Diana Ross and Lionel Richie release the song "Endless Love".
• August 12th, 1981: The operating system "MS DOS" is released.
• August 16th, 1981: Thin Lizzy headline at Slane.
• August 21st, 1981: An American Werewolf in London (1981) is released in cinemas.
• This date: August 24th, 1981
• September 6th, 1981: Linebacker Lawrence Taylor makes his NFL debut for the New York Giants.
• September 8th, 1981: The first episode of British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses" is aired.
• September 15th, 1981: Sandra Day O'Connor comes the first female justice of the US Supreme Court.
• September 17th, 1981: Das Boot (1981) is released.

Personality traits.

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on this date.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Horoscope, birthstone & birth flower information.

Zodiac & Birthstone information.

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

• Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on August 24th, 1981, will have the star sign Virgo.
• However, if you are going by the new star sign system that was discovered in 2020, then the sign for this date is actually Leo.
• 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 6.
• Native American Zodiac: August 24th, 1981 falls under the Bear.
• Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of August will have the birthstone Peridot.
• Birth flower (August): The Gladiolus and the Poppy.

Photos of early 1980s fashion.

Photographs of early 1980s fashion and hairstyles.

TV shows.

Television shows that people were watching on this date.

• The Greatest American Hero - Comedy-drama superhero series starring William Katt as Ralph Hinkley.
• 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.
• Three's Company - Sitcom about two girls and their male room mate.
• Eight Is Enough - Television series about the "Bradford brood" and their father.
• Quincy, M.E. - TV show about a Los Angeles County medical examiner called Dr. Quincy.
• Laverne & Shirley - Series about two roommates called Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney.
• The Jeffersons - TV show about an African- American couple that have moved into an upscale high-rise building.
• Little House on the Prairie - TV show that was set in the 1870s.
• Happy Days - TV show that is set in the 1950s / 1960s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Kid's TV shows on August 24th, 1981.

Children's cartoons and Teen TV shows that were being aired on this date in 1981.

• Thundarr the Barbarian
• Cockleshell Bay
• Diff'rent Strokes
• Mork & Mindy
• Happy Days
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
• Sesame Street
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
• The Bugs Bunny Show
• Captain Kangaroo

Popular toys and games in 1981.

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

• Monchhichi / Chicaboo
• Big wheel (tricycle)
• Strawberry Shortcake dolls
• Intellivision (games console)
• Rubik's Cube
• Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
• Cabbage Patch Kids
• Speak & Spell
• Simon (memory game)
• Water Ring Toss
• Hungry Hungry Hippos
• The Atari 2600
• Star Wars action figures
• Lego Technic
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Magna Doodle
• Big Jim (action figure)
• VertiBird (toy helicopter)
• Lite-Brite
• The Easy-Bake Oven

Video games.

Popular video games that people were playing on this date.

• Donkey Kong - Arcade game released by Nintendo.
• 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.

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 from their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then check out August 24th, 1987 instead.

Conception dates.

Conception estimates for this date.

Warning! These conception dates are based on broad estimates.

• A baby that was born on August 24th, 1981 was most likely conceived around the 14th of November, 1980.
• The due date for a baby that was conceived on August 24th, 1981 is close to the 3rd of June, 1982.

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on August 24th, 1981.

Time difference & statistics.

Here are some fun statistics about August 24th, 1981.

• A total of 14,579 days have passed since this date.
• 2,082 weeks have passed.
• 1,259,625,600 seconds have passed since the August 24th, 1981.
• If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,469,563,200 times.
• Since August 24th, 1981, the earth has travelled approximately 649,966,809,600 miles through space.
• If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 209,937,600 times.
• If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 108,327,802 steps. That's about 48,146 miles!
• Since this date, 15,115,507 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

Random dates.

Feeling lucky? Take a look at the list of random dates below.

• 15th of August, 1994
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