What happened in 1980
124 entries recorded for 1980, listed by date. That was 46 years ago.
1980 at a glance
- Years ago
- 46 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1980s
- Generation born
- Generation X
- Entries here
- 124
- Breakdown
- 112 historical events · 8 births · 4 deaths
January
- January 7
Jimmy Carter
U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.
- January 10
The New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine publishes the letter Addiction Rare in Patients Treated with Narcotics, which is later misused to downplay the general risk of addiction to opioids.
- January 21
Iran Air Flight 291
Iran Air Flight 291 crashes in the Alborz Mountains while on approach to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, killing 128 people.
- January 25
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is honored with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
- January 27
Iran hostage crisis
Six American diplomats who had evaded capture in the Iran hostage crisis escaped with the help of Canadian government officials to Zürich, Switzerland.
- January 28
USCGC Blackthorn
USCGC Blackthorn collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa, Florida and capsizes, killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers.
February
- February 2
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation.
- February 17
Mount Everest
First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
- February 22
1980 Winter Olympics
At the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, the United States ice hockey team defeated the Soviet team in an unlikely victory that became known as the Miracle on Ice.
- February 22
Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeats the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3.
- February 25
Suriname
The government of Suriname is overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
- February 25
Henck Arron
The first prime minister of independent Suriname, Henck Arron (pictured), was deposed in a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
- February 26
Egypt–Israel relations
Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations.
- February 29
Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe of the Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal.
- February 29
La Bougie du Sapeur
La Bougie du Sapeur, a humorous French newspaper that is published only on leap days, printed its first issue.
March
- March 3
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
- March 4
Robert Mugabe
Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe's first black prime minister.
- March 14
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 crashes during final approach near Warsaw, Poland, killing 87 people, including a 14-man American boxing team.
- March 18
Vostok-2M
A Vostok-2M rocket at Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43 explodes during a fueling operation, killing 48 people.
- March 21
Dallas (TV series)
The American soap opera Dallas aired the episode "A House Divided", which led to eight months of international speculation on "Who shot J.R.?"
- March 21
Cold War
Cold War: American President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War.
- March 24
El Salvador
El Salvadorian Archbishop Óscar Romero is assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.
- March 24
Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador
One day after making a plea to Salvadoran soldiers to stop carrying out the government's repression, Archbishop Óscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.
- March 27
Nelson Bunker Hunt
Brothers Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt failed in their attempt to corner the world silver market, causing panic in commodity and futures exchanges.
- March 27
Alexander L. Kielland (platform)
The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
- March 29
Hamzah bin Hussein
Hamzah bin Hussein, Jordanian prince
- March 31
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.
April
- April 3
United States Congress
US Congress restores a federal trust relationship with the 501 members of the Shivwits, Kanosh, Koosharem, and the Indian Peaks and Cedar City bands of the Paiute people of Utah.
- April 9
Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Iraqi philosopher Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (pictured) and his sister Amina were executed by the regime of Saddam Hussein.
- April 9
Iraq
The Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein kills philosopher Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda after three days of torture.
- April 12
1980 Liberian coup d'état
The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
- April 12
Terry Fox
Canadian athlete Terry Fox embarked on an east-to-west "Marathon of Hope" from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with a prosthetic leg to raise funds for cancer research.
- April 12
Transbrasil Flight 303
Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianópolis, Brazil. Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.
- April 18
Zimbabwe
The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country's first President. The Zimbabwean dollar replaces the Rhodesian dollar as the official currency.
- April 18
Elmore City, Oklahoma
The town of Elmore City, Oklahoma holds its first dance in the town's history.
- April 18
Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe, beginning a 37-year period in power.
- April 20
Emma Husar
Emma Husar, Australian politician
- April 21
Tony Romo
Tony Romo, American football player and announcer
- April 22
Quincy Timberlake
Quincy Timberlake, Kenyan-Australian activist, engineer, and politician
- April 24
United States Armed Forces
Eight U.S. servicemen died in Operation Eagle Claw, a failed attempt to rescue the captives in the Iran hostage crisis.
- April 24
Operation Eagle Claw
Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.
- April 25
Dan-Air Flight 1008
One hundred forty-six people are killed when Dan-Air Flight 1008 crashes near Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
- April 30
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is inaugurated as Queen of the Netherlands following the abdication of Juliana.
- April 30
Iranian Embassy siege
The Iranian Embassy siege begins in London.
May
- May 5
Special Air Service
The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London following a six-day siege after Iranian Arab separatists had seized it.
- May 5
Iranian Embassy siege
Operation Nimrod: The British Special Air Service storms the Iranian embassy in London after a six-day siege.
- May 8
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization confirms the eradication of smallpox.
- May 9
Florida
In Florida, United States, Liberian freighter MV Summit Venture collides with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, making a 430-meter (1,400 ft) section of the southbound span collapse. Thirty-five people in six cars and a Greyhound bus fall 46 metres (150 ft) into the wate
- May 9
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.
- May 9
Norco, California
In Norco, California, United States, five masked gunmen hold up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer are killed and thirty-three police and civilian vehicles are des
- May 9
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett, Australian swimmer
- May 13
Fujita scale
An F3 tornado hits Kalamazoo County, Michigan. President Jimmy Carter declares it a federal disaster area.
- May 14
Salvadoran Civil War
Salvadoran Civil War: Refugees trying to flee El Salvador across the Sumpul River to Honduras were attacked by both Salvadoran and Honduran forces, resulting in at least 300 deaths.
- May 17
Maoism
On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in Chuschi (a town in Ayacucho), starting the Internal conflict in Peru.
- May 17
1980 Miami riots
Rioting breaks out in downtown Miami, following the acquittal of four white police officers in the killing of Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance salesman.
- May 17
Chun Doo-hwan
General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.
- May 18
Gwangju Uprising
Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations calling for democratic reforms.
- May 18
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens explosively erupted (pictured), killing approximately 57 people in southern Washington state, reducing hundreds of square miles to wasteland, and causing more than US$1 billion in damage.
- May 18
1980 Miami riots
Rioting spreads to Miami's mostly African-American neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City following the previous day's courthouse protests.
- May 20
1980 Quebec referendum
In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, with 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada.
- May 22
Pac-Man
Location testing for Pac-Man, a Japanese arcade game that became an icon of 1980s popular culture, began in Shibuya, Tokyo.
- May 23
The Shining (film)
The Shining, the psychological horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick (pictured), premiered on 10 screens in New York City and Los Angeles.
- May 27
Gwangju Uprising
The Gwangju Massacre: Airborne and army troops of South Korea retake the city of Gwangju from civil militias, killing at least 207 and possibly many more.
June
- June 1
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) begins broadcasting.
- June 3
1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak
The 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak hits Nebraska, United States, causing five deaths and $300 million (equivalent to $1172 million in 2025) worth of damage.
- June 6
Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth, American author, political commentator and 29th United States Secretary of Defense
- June 7
Henry Miller
Henry Miller, American novelist and essayist (born 1891)
- June 7
Philip Guston
Philip Guston, Canadian-American painter and educator (born 1913)
- June 7
Elizabeth Craig (writer)
Elizabeth Craig, Scottish journalist and economist (born 1883)
- June 10
African National Congress
The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a call to fight from their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela.
- June 27
Itavia Flight 870
The 'Ustica massacre': Itavia Flight 870 crashes in the sea while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing all 81 on board.
July
- July 5
Björn Borg
Swedish tennis player Björn Borg wins his fifth Wimbledon final and becomes the first male tennis player to win the championships five times in a row (1976–1980).
- July 7
Lebanese Civil War
During the Lebanese Civil War, 83 Tiger militants are killed during what will be known as the Safra massacre.
- July 7
Sharia
Institution of sharia law in Iran.
- July 8
Aeroflot Flight 4225
Aeroflot Flight 4225 crashed near Almaty International Airport in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (present day Kazakhstan) killing all 166 people on board.
- July 8
1980 State of Origin game
The inaugural 1980 State of Origin game is won by Queensland who defeat New South Wales 20–10 at Lang Park.
- July 14
Carlos López Moctezuma
Carlos López Moctezuma, Mexican actor (born 1909).
- July 19
1980 Summer Olympics
Opening of the Summer Olympics in Moscow.
- July 23
Phạm Tuân
Phạm Tuân becomes the first Vietnamese citizen and the first Asian in space when he flies aboard the Soyuz 37 mission as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut.
- July 24
Quietly Confident Quartet
The Australian swimming team, nicknamed the Quietly Confident Quartet, won the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time that the United States, which boycotted the games, has not won the event at the Olympics.
- July 29
Flag of Iran
Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution.
- July 30
Vanuatu
Vanuatu gains independence.
- July 30
Knesset
Israel's Knesset passes the Jerusalem Law.
August
- August 1
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is elected President of Iceland and becomes the world's first democratically elected female head of state.
- August 1
Buttevant Rail Disaster
A train crash kills 18 people and injures over 170 more in County Cork, Ireland.
- August 2
Bologna massacre
A bomb explodes at the railway station in Bologna, Italy, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200.
- August 14
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa leads strikes at the Gdańsk, Poland shipyards.
- August 19
Saudia Flight 163
Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar burns after making an emergency landing at Riyadh International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 301 people.
- August 19
Otłoczyn train collision
Otłoczyn railway accident: In Poland's worst post-war railway accident, 67 people lose their lives and a further 62 are injured.
- August 25
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe joins the United Nations.
- August 25
Jahrhundertring
The last performance of the Jahrhundertring at the Bayreuth Festival receives ovations of 45 minutes.
- August 26
Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing
A bomb was planted at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, which the FBI later described as the most complex improvised explosive device ever created.
- August 27
1980 South Korean presidential election
South Korean presidential election: After successfully staging the Coup d'état of May Seventeenth, General Chun Doo-hwan, running unopposed, has the National Conference for Unification elect him President of the Fourth Republic of Korea.
September
- September 5
Gotthard Road Tunnel
The Gotthard Road Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world's longest highway tunnel at 16.9 kilometres (10.5 mi) stretching from Göschenen to Airolo.
- September 17
Solidarity (Polish trade union)
Solidarity, a Polish trade union, was founded as the first independent labor union in an Eastern Bloc country.
- September 17
Gdańsk Shipyard
After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established.
- September 17
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay.
- September 22
Iraqi invasion of Iran
Iraq invades Iran, sparking the nearly eight year Iran–Iraq War.
- September 26
Oktoberfest bombing
A terrorist bombing at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, kills 13 people and injures 213 others.
- September 29
City and Colour
Dallas Green, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- September 29
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi, American actor and singer
- September 30
Ethernet
Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation.
October
- October 2
Michael Myers (Pennsylvania politician)
Michael Myers becomes the first member of either chamber of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War.
- October 9
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II greets the Dalai Lama during a private audience in Vatican City.
- October 10
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is founded in El Salvador.
- October 10
1980 El Asnam earthquake
The 7.1 Mw El Asnam earthquake shakes northern Algeria, killing 2,633 and injuring 8,369.
- October 14
6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
The 6th Congress of the Workers' Party concluded, having anointed North Korean president Kim Il Sung's son Kim Jong Il as his successor.
- October 17
Holy See–United Kingdom relations
As part of the Holy See–United Kingdom relations a British monarch makes the first state visit to the Vatican.
- October 24
Solidarity (Polish trade union)
The government of Poland legalizes the Solidarity trade union.
- October 25
Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
Proceedings on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction conclude.
- October 27
Chun Doo-hwan
The Chun Doo-hwan government arrested 153 people related to the Jogye Order, which is considered an abuse of state power.
- October 30
El Salvador
El Salvador and Honduras agree to put the border dispute fought over in 1969's Football War before the International Court of Justice.
November
- November 3
Latin Carga
A Latin Carga Convair CV-880 crashes at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela, killing four.
- November 4
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan is elected as the 40th President of the United States, defeating incumbent Jimmy Carter.
- November 20
Lake Peigneur
Lake Peigneur in Louisiana drains into an underlying salt deposit. A misplaced Texaco oil probe had been drilled into the Diamond Crystal Salt Mine, causing water to flow down into the mine, eroding the edges of the hole.
- November 21
MGM Grand fire
A fire broke out at the MGM Grand Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, killing 85 people and injuring 650 others.
- November 23
1980 Irpinia earthquake
An earthquake struck the Irpinia region of Italy, killing at least 2,483 people, injuring more than 7,700 and leaving 250,000 homeless.
- November 25
Sangoulé Lamizana
Sangoulé Lamizana, president of Upper Volta, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Colonel Saye Zerbo.
- November 28
Iran–Iraq War
Iran–Iraq War: Operation Morvarid: The bulk of the Iraqi Navy is destroyed by the Iranian Navy in the Persian Gulf. (Commemorated in Iran as Navy Day.)
December
- December 2
Salvadoran Civil War
Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
- December 4
Led Zeppelin
The English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbanded.
- December 8
John Lennon
English musician John Lennon was murdered at the entrance of the Dakota, where he resided in New York City.
- December 20
NBC
NBC aired the American football match between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins without announcers.
- December 26
Rendlesham Forest incident
Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell".
Questions about 1980
What happened in 1980?
This site records 124 entries for 1980, including Jimmy Carter on January 7. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1980?
46 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1980 turns 46 this year.
Which century is 1980 in?
1980 falls in the 20th century, in the 1980s.
Which generation was born in 1980?
Generation X (1965–1980). The latch-key generation; first to grow up with personal computers.
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