At A Glance

8 April 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
8 April 1980 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Working My Way Back to You – Forgive Me Girl” by The Detroit Spinners.
Top Film of 1980
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 April 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 April 1980 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 8 April

  • 1968 BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
  • 1974 Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth as the all-time leader in career home runs by hitting his 715th home run off of Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
  • 1975 Voyageurs National Park is established by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1990 The conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis is elected in the Greek parliamentary election.
  • 1993 The Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on mission STS-56.

Famous people born on 8 April

  • Patricia Arquette, American actress and director (born 1968)
  • Chris Kyle, American sniper and memoirist (1974–2013)
  • Robin Wright, American actress, director, producer (born 1966)
  • Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter (born 1963)

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 →