January 2
January 2
This Day in History Video: What Happened on January 2
On this day in 1980, in a strong reaction to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter asks the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II…
A Year In History: 1980
This Year in History:
1980
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 2
January 2
U.S.‑Russia detente ends
On January 2, 1980, in a strong reaction to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter asks the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II nuclear…
January 2
January 2
Sherry Lansing named first female studio production head
“Former Model Named Head of Fox Productions” ran the headline in the January 2, 1980, issue of the New York Times, over an article announcing that Sherry Lansing had been…
January 5
January 5
The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” becomes hip‑hop’s first Top 40 hit
Hip hop’s roots as a musical phenomenon are subject to debate, but its roots as a commercial phenomenon are much clearer. They trace back directly to January 5, 1980, when…
January 14
January 14
Gold prices soar
After being released from government control, gold reaches a new record price on January 14, 1980, exceeding $800 an ounce. Gold is scattered sparsely throughout the earth’s crust and since…
January 20
January 20
President Carter calls for Olympics to be moved from Moscow
On January 20, 1980, in a letter to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and a television interview, U.S. President Jimmy Carter proposes that the 1980 Summer Olympics be moved…
January 20
January 20
Bullfight spectators die when bleachers collapse
On January 20, 1980, bleachers at a bullring in Sincelejo, Colombia, collapse, resulting in the deaths of 222 people. The collapse at Sincelejo, the deadliest tragedy at a sporting event…
January 22
January 22
Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov arrested in Moscow
In Moscow, Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov, the Soviet physicist who helped build the USSR’s first hydrogen bomb, is arrested after criticizing the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. He was subsequently stripped…
January 25
January 25
Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail and deported from Japan
Paul McCartney’s arrival at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on January 16, 1980, marks his first visit to Japan since the Beatles tour of 1966. The occasion was a planned 11‑city…
January 26
January 26
U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games
At the request of President Jimmy Carter, the U.S. Olympic Committee votes to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The action was in…
February 2
February 2
ABSCAM operation revealed
On February 2, 1980, details of ABSCAM, an FBI operation to uncover political corruption in the government, are released to the public. Thirty‑one public officials were targeted for investigation, including…
February 14
February 14
Lillian Hellman sues Mary McCarthy for libel
In one of the most caustic literary feuds of the 20th century, playwright Lillian Hellman sues novelist and critic Mary McCarthy for libel, demanding $2.25 million in damages. The case…
February 22
February 22
U.S. hockey team beats the Soviets in the “Miracle on Ice”
In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, on February 22, 1980, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four‑time defending gold‑medal winning…
February 23
February 23
Eric Heiden speed skates into Olympic history
On February 23, 1980, speed skater Eric Heiden wins the 10,000‑meter race at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, setting a world record with his time and winning…
February 27
February 27
“I Will Survive” wins the first—and last—Grammy ever awarded for Best Disco Recording
On February 27, 1980, the first—and final—Grammy for Best Disco Recording is awarded to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” After watching disco music utterly dominate the musical landscape of the…
February 27
February 27
Buddy Holly’s glasses, lost since his death in 1959, are found in Mason City, Iowa
On February 27, 1980, the long‑lost glasses of rocker Buddy Holly, who died in the deadly plane crash in 1959, were found—filed away in an envelope in a court clerk’s…
March 21
March 21
President Carter announces Olympic boycott
On March 21, 1980, President Jimmy Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Moscow that summer. The announcement came after the Soviet…
March 21
March 21
Famous “Dallas” cliffhanger airs
On March 21, 1980, J.R. Ewing, the character millions love to hate on television’s popular prime‑time drama “Dallas,” is shot by an unknown assailant. The shooting made the season‑ending episode…
March 27
March 27
Oil workers drown in North Sea
A floating apartment for oil workers in the North Sea collapses, killing 123 people, on March 27, 1980. The Alexander Kielland platform housed 208 men who worked on the nearby…
April 20
April 20
Fidel Castro announces Mariel Boatlift, allowing Cubans to emigrate to U.S.
On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announces that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana,…
