At A Glance

17 August 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
17 August 1980 was a Sunday.
Irish Chart Song in 1980
The Irish chart song for 1980 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 17 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 August 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 August 1980 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 17 August

  • 1970 Soviet Union Venera program: Venera 7 launched. It will become the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet (Venus).
  • 1977 The Soviet icebreaker Arktika becomes the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.
  • 1978 Double Eagle II becomes first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it lands in Miserey, France near Paris, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.
  • 1985 The 1985–86 Hormel strike begins in Austin, Minnesota.
  • 1998 Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; later that same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship.

Famous people born on 17 August

  • Robert De Niro, American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer (born 1943)
  • Phoebe Bridgers, American singer/songwriter (born 1994)
  • Sean Penn, American actor, director, and political activist (born 1960)
  • Larry Ellison, American businessman, co-founded the Oracle Corporation (born 1944)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1980 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1980 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 9 January – Taoiseach Charles Haughey addressed the nation on television on the matter of worsening public finances.
  • 17 February – The eighth century Derrynaflan Hoard, including the Derrynaflan Chalice, was discovered in a bog in Lurgoe, County Tipperary.
  • 24 March – The first dedicated bus lane in Dublin was opened by the CIÉ bus company on Parliament Street. The 250 metre contraflow lane allowed buses and emergency service vehicles to travel in the opposite direction to other traffic.
More events of 1980 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Ireland in 1980

Taoiseach

Charles Haughey

Petrol (per litre)

£1.10/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.30

Average House

£23,000

Weekly Wage

£50

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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Ruth Kearney11 November 1984ActressView their day →Katie Taylor2 July 1986Footballer & boxerView their day →Domhnall Gleeson12 May 1983ActorView their day →Jessie Buckley28 December 1989Actress & singerView their day →Kerry Condon9 January 1983ActressView their day →Nicola Coughlan9 January 1987ActressView their day →Vogue Williams2 October 1985Model & media personalityView their day →Aidan Turner19 June 1983ActorView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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