UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
24 December 1981 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 24 December 1981 was a Thursday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Don't You Want Me” by The Human League.
- Top Film of 1981
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1981 was Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 24 December 1981 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 24 December
- 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
- 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
- 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
- 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
- 1979 The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.
Famous people born on 24 December
- Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
- Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
- Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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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
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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)
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