November 16th, 1981

November 16th, 1981, fell on a Monday. It was day 320 of 1981. The decade was the 1980s.

39 years, 5 months and 6 days have passed since November 16th, 1981.

November 16th, 1981

On This Date

Events that occurred on November 16th, 1981:

  • Millions of people tune in to watch Luke and Laura marry on the American soap opera General Hospital.

Music Singles

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on November 16th, 1981:

  • United States: Physical - Olivia Newton-John
  • United Kingdom: Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie

Take Me Back!

The date is November 16th, 1981 and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Scorpio. It's November, so the evenings are getting darker and the days are getting colder.

In America, the song Physical by Olivia Newton-John is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie 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. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "Columbo.", "Mork & Mindy", "Knots Landing" and "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends".

Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Breakout", "Lunar Lander", "Asteroids" and "Pac-Man". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "Sesame Street", "The Smurfs" and "Danger Mouse". Popular toys include the likes of "Magna Doodle", "Lego Technic", "Rubik's Cube" and "Intellivision (games console)".

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 November 16th, 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 6 days have passed since November 16th, 1981.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 47 of 1981.
  • Leap Year: 1981 was NOT a leap year.
  • Age: Anyone born on November 16th, 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 374716800.

Around This Time...

Notable events that occurred around November 16th, 1981:

Horoscopes & Birthstone Information

Zodiac & Birthstone information:

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on November 16th, 1981, will have the star sign Scorpio.
  • However, if you are going by the new star sign system (2020), then the sign for this date is actually Libra.
  • Zodiac Element: Water.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1981 was the year of the Rooster (Yin Water).
  • Native American Zodiac: November 16th, 1981 falls under the Snake.
  • Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of November will have the birthstones Topaz and Citrine.

Television Shows

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

  • The Smurfs - Animated fantasy-comedy television series.
  • Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends - Animated television series that ran in the early 1980s.
  • Only Fools and Horses - British television comedy.
  • 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.

1981 - Kid's TV

Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing on this date in 1981.

  • Danger Mouse
  • The Smurfs
  • 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

1981 - Toys & Games

Toys and games that would have been popular on this date in 1981:

  • Fisher-Price Little People (Farm)
  • 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
  • Lego Technic
  • 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.

  • 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.

Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures and noteable people who were born on the 16th of November:

US President

Who was the US President on November 16th, 1981?

  • Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States.

UK Prime Minister

Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on November 16th, 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 November 16th, 1981 was probably conceived around the 6th of February, 1981. (Rough Estimate).
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on November 16th, 1981 is the 26th of August, 1982. (Rough Estimate).

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on November 16th, 1981.

Videos

Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to November 16th, 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 November 16th, 1981.

  • 14,403 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,244,415,600 seconds have passed since the November 16th, 1981.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,451,818,200 times.
  • Since November 16th, 1981, earth has travelled approximately 642,118,449,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 207,402,600 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 107,019,742 steps. That's about 47,564 miles!
  • Since this date, 14,932,987 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

Random Dates

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