Explore 4219 historical events from 1980–1989.
Aurèle Émile Joliat, nicknamed the "Mighty Atom" and "Little Giant", was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the …
Aurèle Joliat, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1901)
Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox, known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer.
Anna Neagle, English actress and singer (born 1904)
Merle Dale Miller was an American writer, novelist, and author, who gained notability with his best-selling biography of Harry S. Truman, and as a pioneer in the gay rights movemen…
Merle Miller, American author and playwright (born 1919)
Benjamin David Goodman was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing".
Benny Goodman, American clarinet player, songwriter and bandleader (born 1909)
Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring work…
Alan Jay Lerner, American composer and songwriter (born 1918)
Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. was an American painter, designer, and illustrator, best known for his realistic-looking paintings of space exploration, including future spacecraft an…
Chesley Bonestell, American painter and illustrator (born 1888)
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. Hi…
Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator (born 1899)
Maurice Gustave Duruflé was a French composer, organist, musicologist, and teacher. He is particularly well known for his Requiem (1947).
Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (born 1902)
Kathryn Elizabeth Smith was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith became well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Come…
Kate Smith, American singer (born 1907)
Frances Scott "Scottie" Fitzgerald was an American writer and journalist and the only child of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. She graduated from Vassar Co…
Frances Scott Fitzgerald, American journalist (born 1921)
Leonard Kevin Bias was an American college basketball player for the Maryland Terrapins. In the last of his four years playing for Maryland, he was named a consensus first-team All…
Len Bias, American basketball player (born 1963)
Assi Rahbani was a Lebanese composer, musician, conductor and producer. He was part of the Rahbani Brothers, with his brother Mansour Rahbani. He married Lebanese singer Nouhad Had…
Assi Rahbani, Lebanese singer-songwriter and producer (born 1923)
George Nēpia was a New Zealand Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was induct…
George Nēpia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (born 1905)
Frank Joseph Scott Wise AO was a Labor Party politician who was the 16th Premier of Western Australia. He took office on 31 July 1945 in the closing stages of the Second World War,…
Frank Wise, Australian politician, 16th Premier of Western Australia (born 1897)
Harry Lee "Peanuts" Lowrey was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds (1949–50), St. Louis Cardinals (1950–54) and Philade…
Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player and manager (born 1917)
Hubert Prior Vallée, known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type.
Rudy Vallée, American singer, saxophonist, and actor (born 1901)
Paul-Gilbert Langevin was a French musicologist, who was a specialist on Anton Bruckner, Franz Schubert and 19th-century classical music.
Paul-Gilbert Langevin, French musicologist, critique musical and physicist (born 1933)
Franciscus Florentinus Peeters, Baron Peeters was a Belgian composer, organist and academic teacher. He was director of the Conservatorium in Antwerp, Belgium, and organist at Mech…
Flor Peeters, Belgian organist and composer (born 1903)
Oscar Zariski was an American mathematician. The Russian-born scientist was one of the most influential algebraic geometers of the 20th century.
Oscar Zariski, Belarusian-American mathematician and academic (born 1899)
Jagjivan Ram, popularly known as Babuji, was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as a minister with various portfolios for over 30 years, making him the longe…
Jagjivan Ram, Indian lawyer and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (born 1908)
James Laverne "Skeeter" Webb was an American professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1949. He played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Clevelan…
Skeeter Webb, American baseball player and manager (born 1909)
Nicholas VI served as Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria between 1968 and 1986.
Patriarch Nicholas VI of Alexandria (born 1915)
Tadeusz Piotrowski was a Polish mountaineer and author of several books related to the subject. He has been referred to as "perhaps the finest winter mountaineer of his day".
Tadeusz Piotrowski, Polish mountaineer and author (born 1940)
Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by…
Raymond Loewy, French-American industrial designer (born 1893)