At A Glance

21 July 1981 at a glance

Day of the week
21 July 1981 was a Tuesday.
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 21 July is Cancer.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 July 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 July 1981 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 21 July

  • 1970 After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt is completed.
  • 1977 The start of the four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War.
  • 1979 Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk actor, becomes the first Native American to have a star commemorated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • 1983 The world's lowest temperature in an inhabited location is recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica at −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).
  • 1990 Taiwan's military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5540 for repatriation to Fujian, causing 25 people to die from suffocation.

Famous people born on 21 July

  • Robin Williams, American actor and comedian (1951–2014)
  • Erling Haaland, Norwegian footballer (born 2000)
  • Juno Temple, English actress (born 1989)
  • Josh Hartnett, American actor (born 1978)

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 →