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Historical Context for March 28, 1980

In 1980, the world population was approximately 4,447,606,236 people[†]

In 1980, the average yearly tuition was $738 for public universities and $3,225 for private universities. Today, these costs have risen to $9,750 and $35,248 respectively[†]

Notable Births

1980Stiliani Pilatou, Greek long jumper[†]

Stiliani "Stella" Pilatou is a Greek long jumper.

1980Luke Walton, American basketball player[†]

Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the lead assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a forward, winning two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also won a title as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors before serving as the head coach of the Lakers from 2016 through 2019. Additionally, Walton served as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2019 to 2021.

Notable Deaths

1980Dick Haymes, Argentinian-American actor and singer (born 1918)[†]

Richard Benjamin Haymes was an Argentine singer, songwriter and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, and songwriter.

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Headlines from March 28, 1980

Scores Missing as a North Sea Oil Platform Collapses; Seven Bodies Are Found Scores Missing as North Sea Oil Platform Collapses Structure Is Described

By Robert D. Hershey Jr. Special To the New York Times

LONDON, Friday, March 28--An oilfield platform with more than 200 people on board collapsed in the storm-lashed North Sea last night, tossing many into the water and trapping an estimated total of 50 in a section that appeared to be submerged. More than 60 people were believed to be missing.

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SETBACK TO CAPTIVES SEEN AS IRAN ORDERS NEW VOTING PUT OFF; CRISIS COULD GO INTO SUMMER Fraud Charges and Slow Counting in First-Round Elections Cited by Revolutionary Council Original Schedule for Elections Seven-Member Panel Appointed New Setback Seen for Captives as Iran Puts Off Voting First Order of Business A Separate 'Power Center'

By John Kifner Special To the New York Times

TEHERAN, Iran, March 27--Iran's Revolutionary Council has postponed indefinitely the second round of elections for the new Parliament, thus appearing to delay until sometime this summer a decision on the fate of the American captives in Teheran.

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Silver's Plunge Jolts Hunts' Empire And Brings Turmoil to Wall Street; Fears of Sell-Off of Metal Depress Stock Prices and Pose Threat to Broker Margin Calls Touched Off Carrying Costs Up Silver Slump Hits Hunts And Upsets Wall Street Trading in Bache Suspended Tiffany Discount Is Raised to 25%

By Steve Lohr

The plummeting price of silver yesterday shook the enormous, $2 billion silver empire of Nelson Bunker Hunt and W. Herbert Hunt of Dallas, pressing them to raise millions of dollars in cash and throwing Wall Street into a furor.

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I was wondering if anything interesting on the news was going on when I was born, and decided to create this website for fun. The purpose is to show people what was going on when they were born. With this website I've found out that it was a pretty slow news day on my birthday, but I bet it would feel cool to know a historical event happened on your birthday.

The data used in this project is provided by the New York Times API. They have by far the best API I was able to find, with articles dating back to the 1950s. There weren't any other major newspapers that had an API with close to as much data. The closest was the Guardian API, but theirs only went back to the 1990s. I decided to only use articles from the New York Times because their API was by far the best. This tool works if you have a birthday after the 1950s or so.

Some important dates in history I'd recommend looking up on this website are:

  • 9/11/2001: The September 11 Attacks happened on this day, the news articles from this date provide great context to the tragedy our nation suffered and the immediate response from the American people. The headlines capture the shock, confusion, and unity that emerged in the aftermath of this devastating event.
  • 7/20/1969: The historic Apollo 11 moon landing, when humans first set foot on another celestial body. The articles from this date showcase humanity's greatest achievement in space exploration and the culmination of the space race.
  • 11/9/1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War. The coverage provides fascinating insights into this pivotal moment in world history and the emotions of people as decades of division came to an end.
  • 1/20/2009: Barack Obama's inauguration as the first African American President of the United States, a watershed moment in American history that represented a major milestone in the ongoing journey toward racial equality.
  • 8/15/1969: The Woodstock Music Festival began, marking a defining moment in American counterculture and music history. The coverage captures the spirit of the era and the unprecedented gathering of young people.

These historical events are just a few examples of the fascinating moments in history you can explore through this tool. Whether you're interested in your own birthday, significant historical dates, or just curious about what was making headlines on any given day, this website offers a unique window into the past through the lens of contemporary news coverage.

You can read more on our blog.