At A Glance

22 July 1981 at a glance

Day of the week
22 July 1981 was a Wednesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes.
Top Film of 1981
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1981 was Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Bestselling Novel of 1981
“Noble House” by James Clavell was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1981.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Dallas” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1981–82 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 22 July is Cancer.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 22 July 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 22 July 1981 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 22 July

  • 1976 Japan completes its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the country in the Second World War.
  • 1977 Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping is restored to power.
  • 1981 The first game of the 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States is held in Gisborne, New Zealand.
  • 1983 Martial law in Poland is officially revoked.
  • 1990 Greg LeMond, an American road racing cyclist, wins his third Tour de France after leading the majority of the race. It was LeMond's second consecutive Tour de France victory.

Famous people born on July 22

  • Skyler Gisondo, American actor (born 1996)
  • Willem Dafoe, American actor (born 1955)
  • Selena Gomez, American singer and actress (born 1992)
  • George Santos, American politician (born 1988)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1981 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1981 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • March 31 – The 53rd Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People, wins four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
  • April 12 – The Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia (John Young, Robert Crippen) launches on the STS-1 mission, returning to Earth on April 14.
  • June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg is released as the first film of the Indiana Jones film series.

Life in the US in 1981

President

Ronald Reagan

Gas (per gallon)

$1.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.54

Average House

$68,900

Weekly Wage

$285

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 →