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August 20, 1987

August 20, 1987, was a Thursday. It was 37 years, 4 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Leo.

Song charts

Top songs

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on August 20, 1987:

  • United States: "Who's That Girl" by Madonna
  • United Kingdom: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson

The Billboard Hot 100 on August 20, 1987

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
  • Who's That Girl - Madonna
  • I Want Your Sex (From "Beverly Hills Cop II") - George Michael
  • Luka - Suzanne Vega
  • La Bamba - Los Lobos
Play the top songs from 1987
A Spotify playlist of songs from 1987. Let us bring you back to the days of Whitney Houston, U2, Rick Astley and Def Leppard!
The Living Daylights

Top movie

The top movie on this day was "The Living Daylights".

Facts

This date was 13,642 days ago. Approximately 455 months have passed. It was the 232nd day of 1987, in week 34. The decade was the eighties. People born on this day are currently 37 years old and belong to the Millennial generation. 152 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to August 20, 1987

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

It is Thursday, August 20, 1987. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Leo. The summer of 1987 is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner.

In America, the song "Who's That Girl" by Madonna is at the top of the singles charts, while "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson is the number-one song in the UK. Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States, and the movie The Living Daylights is at the top of the box office. Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

In fashion, women are wearing sweater dresses, short skirts, small shoulder pads, animal print, long full wool coats, and bulky sweaters. Meanwhile, men are wearing tracksuits, sweatshirts, Nike Air Jordan shoes, and denim. Because it's 1987, the radio stations are being dominated by the likes of Los Lobos, Rick Astley, Whitney Houston, the Pet Shop Boys, Bon Jovi, U2 and Madonna. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Scott La Rock, Lee Marvin, James Baldwin, and Heather O'Rourke would all still be alive.

On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "'Allo 'Allo!", "Night Court", "Punky Brewster", and "Charles in Charge". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Mario Bros.", "Tetris", "Punch-Out!!", and "Metroid". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "Alvin and the Chipmunks", "Heathcliff", "Growing Pains", and "Pound Puppies".

Popular toys at the moment include Speak & Spell, Turnin' Turbo Dashboard, Mr Frosty, and Popples.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on August 20, 1987, will have the star sign Leo.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1987 was the year of the Rabbit (Yin Fire).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: August 20, 1987 falls under the Salmon.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of August will have the birthstone Peridot.
  • Birth flower (August): The Gladiolus and the Poppy.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on August 20, 1987.

  • The Scrunchie is becoming fashionable.

    The Scrunchie is becoming fashionable

    A new elastic hair tie called the "scrunchie" became fashionable in the late 1980s.
  • 1987 in music.

    1987 in music

    Popular music artists in 1987 included The Bangles, Heart, Gregory Abbott, Whitney Houston, Starship, Robbie Nevil, Whitesnake, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Bob Seger, U2, Los Lobos and Bon Jovi.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1987?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1987?

    The best NBA players in 1987 were Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird.
  • Late 1980s fashion.

    Late 1980s fashion

    The mini skirt became extremely popular. Shoulder pads became increasingly smaller. Popular clothing included reversible inside-out coats, bright-colored shoes with thin heels, berets, lacy gloves, rugby sweatshirts, sweater dresses, jumpsuits, capri leggings, bike shorts, and skirts worn with leggings. Colors included neon hues, plum, gold, and bright wines.
  • 1987 in movies.

    1987 in movies

    Movies released in 1987 included Beverly Hills Cop II, Fatal Attraction, The Untouchables, Three Men and a Baby, Lethal Weapon, Predator, RoboCop, Dirty Dancing, Hellraiser, Spaceballs, The Untouchables, The Princess Bride and Full Metal Jacket.
  • Best soccer players in the world.

    Best soccer players in the world

    In 1987, the best soccer players were Ruud Gullit, Diego Maradona, Paulo Futre, Emilio Butragueño, Míchel, Gary Lineker, John Barnes, Marco van Basten, Gianluca Vialli and Bryan Robson.
  • The Last Emperor.

    The Last Emperor

    "The Last Emperor" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1987.
  • Mikhail Gorbachev.

    Mikhail Gorbachev

    Mikhail Gorbachev was named Time Person of the Year in 1987 after he oversaw a number of political reforms in the Soviet Union.
  • Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram - "Somewhere Out There"

    Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram - "Somewhere Out There"

    "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram would go on to win a Grammy for 1987's Song of the Year.
  • People are buying waterbeds.

    People are buying waterbeds

    Waterbeds became a huge fad during the late 1980s. Although they were invented in the 1970s, they didn't reach their heyday until the 1980s. In 1986 and 1987, nearly a quarter of all beds sold were filled with water.
  • VCRs have become a common household item.

    VCRs have become a common household item

    VCRs became a common household item in the mid-1980s. By that stage, prices had started to drop. This device gave people the ability to play VCR tapes and record TV programs and movies.
  • The Nintendo Entertainment System.

    The Nintendo Entertainment System

    During the second half of the 1980s, the Nintendo Entertainment System became one of the most popular video game consoles in the world. Releases for the NES included Duck Hunt, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros.
  • The Commodore 64.

    The Commodore 64

    The Commodore 64 was dominating the home computer market.
  • 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.
  • Computers are replacing typewriters.

    Computers are replacing typewriters

    Desktop computers were beginning to replace typewriters in offices.
  • TV remotes.

    TV remotes

    Although TV remotes existed, many homes didn't have one. Infrared technology was still relatively new.
  • Wallpaper.

    Wallpaper

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

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on August 20, 1987.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

Notable events that happened close to August 20, 1987.

  • July 21, 1987: Guns N' Roses release their album "Appetite for Destruction", which contains the single "Welcome to the Jungle".
  • July 22, 1987: Palestinian cartoonist Naji Salim al-Ali is critically wounded after being shot in the face on Ives Street in London.
  • July 28, 1987: Rap group Public Enemy release their song "Rebel Without a Pause".
  • July 29, 1987: Britain and France agree to build the Channel Tunnel.
  • July 30, 1987: Soccer: Brian McClair joins Manchester United.
  • August 1, 1987: Boxing: Mike Tyson defeats Tony Tucker at the Las Vegas Hilton in Paradise, Nevada.
  • August 3, 1987: Def Leppard release their album "Hysteria".
  • August 5, 1987: Two motorists are killed in Northern Ireland when actor Matthew Broderick crosses into the wrong lane and causes a head-on collision.
  • August 7, 1987: Masters of the Universe (1987) is released.
  • August 13, 1987: N.W.A. release their debut single "Panic Zone".
  • August 14, 1987:
    • The Monster Squad (1987) is released.
    • No Way Out (1987), starring Kevin Costner, is released in movie theaters.
    • Joan Rivers' husband Edgar Rosenberg commits suicide at the age of 61.
  • August 15, 1987:
    • Soccer: Peter Beardsley and John Barnes make their debut for Liverpool.
    • The video game "Metroid" is released for the NES in North America.
  • August 16, 1987: 156 people are killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after taking off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
  • August 17, 1987: Prominent Nazi politican Rudolf Hess commits suicide at the age of 93.
  • August 19, 1987: Hungerford massacre: 27-year-old Michael Ryan murders 16 people in a mass shooting in Hungerford, Berkshire.
  • This date: August 20, 1987
  • August 21, 1987: The movie Dirty Dancing (1987) is released.
  • August 27, 1987: Hip-Hop DJ Scott La Rock is shot dead at the age of 25.
  • August 29, 1987:
    • Palestinian cartoonist Naji Salim al-Ali passes away one month after he was shot in the face by an unknown assassin on Ives Street in London.
    • Actor Lee Marvin dies from a heart attack at the age of 63.
  • August 31, 1987: Michael Jackson releases the album "Bad".
  • September 7, 1987: The first episode of the tabloid talk show "Geraldo" is aired on TV.
  • September 9, 1987: 25 Liverpool fans are extradited to Belgium to stand trial on charges relating to the Heysel stadium disaster.
  • September 11, 1987:
    • The horror movie Hellraiser (1987) is released.
    • "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel wins Video of the Year at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.
  • September 15, 1987: Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer murders Steven Walter Tuomi at the Ambassador Hotel in Milwaukee.
  • September 16, 1987: Julie Weflen (28) goes missing under suspicious circumstances in Spokane, Washington.
  • September 18, 1987:
    • Fatal Attraction (1987) is released.
    • The first episode of the animated series "DuckTales" airs on TV.

Late 1980s fashion

Photographs of late 1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Late 1980s fashion

Television shows

TV series on August 20, 1987

People in August 1987 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from August 1987.

21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Matlock
Matlock
MacGyver
MacGyver
The Equalizer
The Equalizer
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
Moonlighting
Moonlighting
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show

Cars in 1987

1987 saw the introduction of cars such as the BMW 5 Series, the Cadillac Brougham, the Chevrolet Corsica, the Dodge Dynasty, the Mazda Étude, and the Mercury Tracer.

Cars in 1987.

Children TV shows

Kids TV shows on August 20, 1987

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1987:

Adventures of the Little Koala
Adventures of the Little Koala
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
Married... with Children
Married... with Children

Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace
ALF
ALF
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies
Popples
Popples
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
SilverHawks
SilverHawks
The Flintstone Kids
The Flintstone Kids
Toys

Popular toys and games in 1987

Toys and games that were popular in 1987:

Hot Looks (fashion model dolls)
Hot Looks (fashion model dolls)
Popples
Popples
Fluppy Dogs
Fluppy Dogs
Laser Tag
Laser Tag
The Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System
Sylvanian Families
Sylvanian Families
Mr Frosty
Mr Frosty
Garbage Pail Kids (trading cards)
Garbage Pail Kids (trading cards)
Pogo ball / Lolo ball
Pogo ball / Lolo ball
Transformers
Transformers
Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies
Turnin' Turbo Dashboard
Turnin' Turbo Dashboard
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in August 1987.

Metroid 1987
Metroid
Punch-Out!! 1987
Punch-Out!!
Double Dragon 1987
Double Dragon
Contra 1987
Contra
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Paperboy 1986
Paperboy
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Boulder Dash 1985
Boulder Dash
Tetris 1984
Tetris
Duck Hunt 1984
Duck Hunt
Mario Bros. 1983
Mario Bros.
Missile Command 1980
Missile Command

Were you born on August 20, 1987?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1987.

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 August 20, 1993, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on August 20.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul

US politician
Born on August 20, 1935
He turned 52 on this day in 1987.

Slobodan Milošević

Slobodan Milošević

Yugoslav and Serbian politician Deceased
Born on August 20, 1941
He turned 46 on this day in 1987.

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Musician
Born on August 20, 1948
He turned 39 on this day in 1987.

Phil Lynott

Phil Lynott

Irish musician Deceased
Born on August 20, 1949
He was not alive on this date.

Dimebag Darrell

Dimebag Darrell

Musician Deceased
Born on August 20, 1966
He turned 21 on this day in 1987.

Fred Durst

Fred Durst

Singer
Born on August 20, 1970
He turned 17 on this day in 1987.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato

Singer
Born on August 20, 1992
She was born exactly 5 years after this date.

USA

US President

Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States on August 20, 1987.

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 August 20, 1987 was most likely conceived around November 27, 1986.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on August 20, 1987 is close to May 12, 1988.

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Stats for August 20, 1987

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about August 20, 1987:

  • 13,642 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,948 weeks have passed.
  • 1,178,672,400 seconds have passed since August 20, 1987.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,375,117,800 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 608,194,958,400 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 196,445,400 times.
  • You have taken approximately 101,365,826 steps. That's roughly 45,051 miles.
  • 14,144,069 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1987?

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