At A Glance
20 July 1981 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 20 July 1981 was a Monday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Ghost Town” by The Specials.
- Top Film of 1981
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1981 was Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 20 July is Cancer.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 20 July 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for July is Ruby.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 20 July 1981 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 20 July
- 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus: Forces from Turkey invade Cyprus after a coup d'état, organized by the dictator of Greece, against president Makarios.
- 1976 The American Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars.
- 1977 The Central Intelligence Agency releases documents under the Freedom of Information Act revealing it had engaged in mind-control experiments.
- 1985 The government of Aruba passes legislation to secede from the Netherlands Antilles.
- 1989 Burma's ruling junta puts opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
Famous people born on 20 July
- Haakon VIII (born 1973)
- Chris Cornell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (1964–2017)
- Julianne Hough, American singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer (born 1988)
- Natalie Wood, American actress (1938–1981)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1981 in the United Kingdom
A selection from Wikipedia's '1981 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.
- 30 March – Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire released.
- 4 April – Bucks Fizz representing the United Kingdom win the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Making Your Mind Up.
- 10 April – Bobby Sands, an IRA member on hunger strike in the Maze prison, Northern Ireland, is elected MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in a by election.
Life in 1981
Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Pint of Beer
50p
Loaf of Bread
37p
Average House
£24,188
Weekly Wage
£135.00
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1980s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About The Day You Were Born
Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.
About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →
