A Year In The Life: 1981

Toddling it up in 1981.

Toddling it up in 1981.

Part of an ongoing series that highlights some of what was happening during one of my trips around Spaceship Earth. When possible, I will include any meaningful memories and/or photos from a particular year.

This is my second foray into digging into what was going on around me during a given year of my life. Let’s take a look back on what the world looked like in 1981…

MAJOR EVENTS OF 1981:

  • DeLorean cars debut (January 21).

  • John Hinckley Jr. attempts to assassinate President Reagan (March 30).

  • Mehmet Ali Agca attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul II (May 13).

  • President Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor to the US Supreme Court (July 07)

  • Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer (July 29)

  • Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first U.S. IVF baby, is born (December 28).

  • AIDS recognized by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • MS-DOS released.

  • The first IBM-PC released.

THE SPORTING NEWS IN 1981:

  • The New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

  • The Indiana Hoosiers beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Men’s College Basketball Championship game.

  • The Boston Celtics beat the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

  • The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV.

THE TOP TEN SONGS OF 1981:

  1. Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

  2. Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

  3. Lady by Kenny Rogers

  4. (Just Like) Starting Over by John Lennon

  5. Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield

  6. Celebration by Kool & the Gang

  7. Kiss on My List by Hall & Oates

  8. I Love a Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbit

  9. 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

  10. Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon

FIVE MEANINGFUL (TO ME) ALBUMS RELEASED IN 1981:

  1. Faith by The Cure

  2. Ghost in the Machine by The Police

  3. New Traditionalists by Devo

  4. Business As Usual by Men At Work

  5. Only A Lad by Oingo Boingo

SOME FILMS FROM 1981 THAT I HAVE COME TO LOVE:

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • Superman II

  • Time Bandits

  • An American Werewolf in London

  • The Evil Dead

  • The Howling

  • Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

  • Scanners

A SMATTERING OF BOOKS FROM 1981 THAT I HAVE ENJOYED:

  • A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein

  • Cujo by Stephen King

  • God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

  • Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

  • Danse Macabre by Stephen King

  • The Elementals by Michael McDowell

  • The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam

  • Basin and Range by John McPhee

MEMORY LANE:

Still in a grey era in terms of tangible memories. What strikes me about this year is the amount of culture that would begin to inform my world view, and that I still hold close to this day. One of my mom’s favorite stories is of me obsessing over Superman II to the point that I’d dress as Superman and watch the movie multiple times a day. There is photographic evidence of this…

A Year In The Life, Culture, Life/Universe/Everything, Books, Family History, HistoryJimDeLorean, John Hinkley Jr., Ronald Reagan, Mehmet Ali Agca, Pope John Paull II, Sandra Day O'Conner, Prince Charles, Lady, Lady Dianna Spencer, IVF, IBM, DOS, AIDS, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Indiana Hoosiers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Kim Carnes, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, John Lennon, Rick Springfield, Kool & The Gang, Hall & Oates, Eddie Rabbit, Dolly Parton, REO Speedwagon, The Cure, The Police, Devo, Men At Work, Oingo Boingo, Shel Silverstein, Stephen King, Frank Herbert, Alvin Schwartz, Michael McDowell, David Halberstam, John McPheeComment