UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1980 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1980 was a Wednesday.
- Kent Music Report No. 1
- The Kent Music Report No. 1 was “Shaddap You Face” by Joe Dolce Music Theatre.
- Top Film of 1980
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 1980
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1980 was the Holden Commodore.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1980 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 31 December
- 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
- 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
- 1983 Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
- 1983 In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.
- 1991 All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1980 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1980 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 9 January – Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announces sanctions against the Soviet Union following its invasion of Afghanistan.
- 23 February – The 1980 Western Australian state election takes place and the Liberal/National coalition government of Sir Charles Court is re-elected.
- 1 March – The federal executive of the Australian Labor Party decides to intervene in the Queensland branch, with most key office-holders replaced.
Life in Australia in 1980
Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.30
Loaf of Bread
$0.60
Average House
$45,000
Weekly Wage
$225.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Chris Hemsworth11 August 1983ActorView their day →Delta Goodrem9 November 1984Singer & songwriterView their day →Ruby Rose20 March 1986Actor & modelView their day →Sam Reid19 February 1987ActorView their day →Rebel Wilson2 March 1980Actress & writerView their day →Teresa Palmer26 February 1986Actress & modelView their day →Alexander Volkanovski29 September 1988Mixed martial artist & kickboxerView their day →Abbie Cornish7 August 1982ActressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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