At A Glance

8 October 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
8 October 1980 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Don't Stand So Close to Me” by The Police.
Top Film of 1980
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1980 was The Empire Strikes Back.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 October 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 October 1980 was New Moon.

On this day: 8 October

  • 1973 Yom Kippur War: Israel loses more than 150 tanks in a failed attack on Egyptian-occupied positions.
  • 1973 Spyros Markezinis begins his 48-day term as prime minister in an abortive attempt to lead Greece to parliamentary rule.
  • 1974 Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it is the largest bank failure in the history of the United States.
  • 1978 Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 275.97 knots at Blowering Dam, Australia.
  • 1982 Poland bans Solidarity and all other trade unions.

Famous people born on 8 October

  • Matt Damon, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)
  • Bruno Mars, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1985)
  • Zheng Qinwen, Chinese tennis player (born 2002)
  • Sigourney Weaver, American actress and producer (born 1949)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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

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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)

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