UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
21 August 1981 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 21 August 1981 was a Friday.
- Irish Chart Song in 1981
- The Irish chart song for 1981 was “Don't You Want Me” by 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 21 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 21 August 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 21 August 1981 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 21 August
- 1968 Cold War: Nicolae Ceaușescu, leader of the Socialist Republic of Romania, publicly condemns the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, encouraging the Romanian population to arm itself against possible Soviet reprisals.
- 1982 Lebanese Civil War: The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon.
- 1991 Latvia declares renewal of its full independence after its occupation by the Soviet Union since 1940.
- 1991 Coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev collapses.
- 1993 NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft.
Famous people born on 21 August
- Hayden Panettiere, American actress (1989–2026)
- Kenny Rogers, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (1938–2020)
- Robert Lewandowski, Polish footballer (born 1988)
- Zion Suzuki, Japanese footballer (born 2002)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1981 in Ireland
A selection from Wikipedia's '1981 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.
- 1 March – Bobby Sands began a hunger strike in the Maze Prison (Long Kesh) near Lisburn (Northern Ireland).
- 5 March – A petrol strike ended when 800 tanker drivers resumed work.
- 10 April – Hunger striker Bobby Sands was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Life in Ireland in 1981
Taoiseach
Garret FitzGerald
Petrol (per litre)
£1.25/gal
Loaf of Bread
£0.34
Average House
£25,000
Weekly Wage
£56
Or
Browse by Year
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)
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 →