At A Glance

24 April 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
24 April 1980 was a Thursday.
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 24 April is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 April 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 April 1980 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 24 April

  • 1967 Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland says in a news conference that the enemy had "gained support in the United States that gives him hope that he can win politically that which he cannot win militarily".
  • 1970 China launches Dong Fang Hong I, becoming the fifth nation to put an object into orbit using its own booster.
  • 1970 The Gambia becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, with Dawda Jawara as its first President.
  • 1990 STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery.
  • 1990 Gruinard Island, Scotland, is officially declared free of the anthrax disease after 48 years of quarantine.

Famous people born on 24 April

  • Shirley MacLaine, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1934)
  • Kelly Clarkson, American singer-songwriter, talk show host (born 1982)
  • Barbra Streisand, American singer, actress, activist, and producer (born 1942)
  • Jack Quaid, American actor (born 1992)

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 →