At A Glance

24 October 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
24 October 1980 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Woman in Love” by Barbra Streisand.
Top Film of 1980
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 October is Scorpio.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 October 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 October 1980 was Full Moon.

On this day: 24 October

  • 1964 Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes Zambia.
  • 1975 In Iceland, 90% of women take part in a national strike, refusing to work in protest of gender inequality.
  • 1980 The government of Poland legalizes the Solidarity trade union.
  • 1990 Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti reveals to the Italian parliament the existence of Gladio, the Italian NATO force formed in 1956, intended to be activated in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion.
  • 1992 The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball team based outside the United States to win the World Series.

Famous people born on 24 October

  • Drake, Canadian rapper and actor (born 1986)
  • Raye, British singer-songwriter (born 1997)
  • Wayne Rooney, English footballer (born 1985)
  • Kevin Kline, American actor and singer (born 1947)

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 →