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Historical Context for April 5, 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

1980Matt Bonner, American basketball player[†]

Matthew Robert Bonner, also known as the Red Rocket or Red Mamba, is an American former professional basketball player. Bonner played college basketball for the University of Florida before being selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 45th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. During his career Bonner played for the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs with whom he won two NBA championships. He is the only player in NBA history to be born in New Hampshire.

1980Alberta Brianti, Italian tennis player[†]

Alberta Brianti is a former professional tennis player from Italy. On 13 June 2011, Brianti achieved her career-high singles ranking of 55. On 13 February 2012, she peaked at No. 68 in the doubles rankings. She won one singles title on the WTA Tour defeating Simona Halep in her career, at Fes, Morocco in 2011.

1980Rafael Cavalcante, Brazilian mixed martial artist[†]

Rafael Cavalcante, often known by his nickname of Feijão, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is currently competing for Bellator MMA. He trains with Anderson Silva and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira as part of the Black House camp. He formerly competed in Strikeforce, where he was at one time Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. His nickname means "bean" in Portuguese. He holds notable wins over Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and Yoel Romero.

1980David Chocarro, Argentinian baseball player and actor[†]

David Chocarro is an Argentine actor, model and former baseball player.

1980Mike Glumac, Canadian ice hockey player[†]

Michael Glumac is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who last played as Captain for Croatian hockey club KHL Medveščak Zagreb in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He is of Croatian descent.

1980Mario Kasun, Croatian basketball player[†]

Mario Kasun is a Croatian former professional basketball player. He played at the center position.

1980Lee Jae-won, South Korean DJ and singer[†]

Lee Jae-won is a South Korean DJ and singer. He is the former member of Korean groups H.O.T. and jtL.

1980Joris Mathijsen, Dutch footballer[†]

Joris Mathijsen is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is the director of football at Willem II.

1980Rasmus Quist Hansen, Danish rower[†]

Rasmus Quist Hansen, also known as Rasmus Quist, is a Danish rower and double World Champion in the lightweight double sculls, with his partner Mads Rasmussen.

1980Odlanier Solís, Cuban boxer[†]

Odlanier Solís Fonte is a Cuban former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2016. He challenged once for the WBC heavyweight title in 2011. As an amateur, he won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics; 2001, 2003, and 2005 World Championships; 1999, and 2003 Pan American; and 2001 Goodwill Games.

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Headlines from April 5, 1980

Strong Wives Keeping Pace With Front-Runners; Significant Roles Seen Strong Wives Keeping Pace With 2 Front-Runners Larger Role Reported Different Role for Mrs. Carter 'Highly Political Animal' Confidence Has Increased First Lady Duties Expanded

By Leslie Bennetts

When President Carter suddenly dismissed several Cabinet members and reshuffled others last summer in a dramatic reorganization of his Administration, Rosalynn Carter was widely credited with playing a key role in the decision-making that led to the move.

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DEADLOCK PERSISTS IN TRANSIT PARLEY; TRAFFIC DROPS OFF; BOTH SIDES ARE HOLDING FAST Key Issues Are Pay, Productivity and 'Givebacks' Reaction to 4-Day Week Is Hailed Both Sides Are Unyielding Transit Impasse Persists On Pay and Productivity Talks Curtailed by Hearing Judge Seeks to 'Assist' Payroll 'Intentionally' Stopped

By Damon Stetson

Negotiations between striking transit workers and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority remained deadlocked yesterday. Both sides held firmly to earlier positions on wage increases and the critical issues of productivity and what the unions describe as "givebacks."

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Soviet Troops and Afghan Rebels Are Deadlocked, U.S. Aides Say; A Comparison to Vietnam A Stalemate Is Seen in Afghanistan 500 Soviet Casualties a Week Excesses Are Curbed

By Philip Taubman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, April 4 Fighting between Soviet troops and insurgent forces in Afghanistan has reached an apparent stalemate, with major cities, towns and lines of communication under Soviet control, but with the bulk of the countryside still held by rebels, United States Government officials said today.

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The Transit Talks Labyrinth; Some Goals Are Shared by Opposing Negotiators While Others Split Union Leader From Members News Analysis The Need to Appear a Hero Bargaining Labyrinth The Two Money Positions Having to 'Run Like Mad' Possible Westway Tradeoff

By William Serrin

Labor negotiations are seldom what they seem. The transit negotiations are like that an interesting ritual in which the characters are not the enemies they seem, in which management and the...

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Havana Removes Guard From Peruvian Embassy

By Special to The New York Times

HAVANA, April 4 Cuba announced today that it would no longer grant safe conduct to "antisocial elements" who wished to leave the country and that it would no longer keep armed guards outside the Peruvian Embassy to try to prevent Cubans who wished to leave from seeking refuge there.

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Cutting South African Tie a Tough Goal for Neighbors; Zambian Trade With South Africa Goal of Self-Sufficiency International Aid Council

By Gregory Jaynes Special To the New York Times

LUSAKA, Zambia, April 4--The leaders of eight black African nations arrived here on Monday, met privately with President Kenneth D. Kaunda of Zambia on Tuesday and signed a declaration Tuesday night to work together to lessen their economic dependence on South Africa. The last of the important visitors was gone by Wednesday morning.

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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.