At A Glance

23 April 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
23 April 1980 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Call Me” by Blondie.
Top Film of 1980
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
Star sign
The star sign for 23 April is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 23 April 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 23 April 1980 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 23 April

  • 1967 Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1), a crewed spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, is launched into orbit.
  • 1968 Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
  • 1985 Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.
  • 1990 Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 1993 Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.

Famous people born on 23 April

  • William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (1564–1616)
  • John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor (born 1977)
  • Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality (born 1995)
  • Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (1928–2014)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1980 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1980 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 2 January – Workers at British Steel Corporation go on a nationwide strike over pay called by the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, which has some 90,000 members among British Steel's 150,000 workforce, in a bid to get a 20% rise.
  • 25 February – The first episode of the popular political sitcom Yes Minister is broadcast on BBC2 television.
  • 31 March – National Heritage Act sets up the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Life in 1980

Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

45p

Loaf of Bread

33p

Average House

£23,596

Weekly Wage

£120.00

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 →