UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
23 August 1980 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 23 August 1980 was a Saturday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie.
- Top Film of 1980
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 23 August is Virgo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 23 August 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 23 August 1980 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 23 August
- 1975 The start of the Wave Hill walk-off by Gurindji people in Australia, lasting eight years, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 Paul Kelly song and an annual celebration.
- 1975 The Pontiac Silverdome opens in Pontiac, Michigan, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Detroit, Michigan.
- 1977 Waylon Jennings arrested in a drug raid.
- 1985 Hans Tiedge, top counter-spy of West Germany, defects to East Germany.
- 1989 Singing Revolution: Two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stand on the Vilnius–Tallinn road, holding hands.
Famous people born on 23 August
- River Phoenix, American actor (1970–1993)
- Kobe Bryant, American basketball player and businessman (1978–2020)
- Scott Caan, American actor (born 1976)
- Louis XVI (1754–1793)
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.
Theo James16 December 1984Actor & musicianView their day →Pac22 August 1986WrestlerView their day →Robert Pattinson13 May 1986Actor & film producerView their day →Andrew Garfield20 August 1983ActorView their day →Charlie Hunnam10 April 1980ActorView their day →Juno Temple21 July 1989ActressView their day →Rebecca Hall3 May 1982Actress & filmmakerView their day →Lewis Hamilton7 January 1985Racing driverView their day →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 →