At A Glance

31 August 1980 at a glance

Day of the week
31 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 31 August is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 August 1980 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 August 1980 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 31 August

  • 1968 Start of the Congress of Carrara, one of the major 20th century anarchist congresses.
  • 1991 Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
  • 1993 Russia completes removing its troops from Lithuania.
  • 1994 Russia completes removing its troops from Estonia.
  • 1996 Saddam Hussein's troops seize Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.

Famous people born on 31 August

  • Richard Gere, American actor and producer (born 1949)
  • Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (born 1985)
  • Jalen Brunson, American basketball player (born 1996)
  • Caligula, Roman emperor (born 12)

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.

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

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 →