At A Glance

24 December 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
24 December 1980 was a Wednesday.
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 24 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 December 1980 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 24 December

  • 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
  • 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
  • 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
  • 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
  • 1979 The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.

Famous people born on 24 December

  • Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
  • Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
  • Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
  • Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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.

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

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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