At A Glance
30 October 1981 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 30 October 1981 was a Friday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross.
- 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 30 October is Scorpio.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 30 October 1981 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for October is Opal.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 30 October 1981 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 30 October
- 1973 The Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey is completed, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus for the second time.
- 1975 Prince Juan Carlos I of Spain becomes acting head of state, taking over for the country's ailing dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco.
- 1980 El Salvador and Honduras agree to put the border dispute fought over in 1969's Football War before the International Court of Justice.
- 1983 The first democratic elections in Argentina, after seven years of military rule, are held.
- 1985 Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off for mission STS-61-A, its final successful mission.
Famous people born on October 30
- Henry Winkler, American actor, comedian, director, and producer (born 1945)
- John Adams, American lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the United States (1735–1826)
- Ivanka Trump, American model and businesswoman (born 1981)
- Diego Maradona, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager (1960–2020)
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
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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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