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Historical Context for April 15, 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

1980Patrick Carney, American drummer, musician, and producer[†]

Patrick James Carney is an American musician and producer best known as the drummer of the Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio.

1980James Foster, English cricketer[†]

James Savin Foster is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. A wicket-keeper who played seven Tests and 11 One Day Internationals in 2001–02 and 2002–03.

1980Raül López, Spanish basketball player[†]

Raül López Molist is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). López is a native of Vic, Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. At a height of 6 ft 0 in tall, he played at the point guard position. López was featured on the Spanish version of the NBA Live 2004 video game.

1980Willie Mason, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player[†]

William Marshall Mason, also nicknamed "Big Willie", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australia and Tonga international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played in the National Rugby League for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, the Sydney Roosters, the North Queensland Cowboys, the Newcastle Knights and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Mason also played in the Super League for English club Hull Kingston Rovers and French club, the Catalans Dragons. He also played rugby union in the Top 14 for French club RC Toulonnais. During his career Mason was involved in a number of controversial off-field incidents which have received media publicity due to his high profile in the NRL.

1980Aida Mollenkamp, American chef and author[†]

Aida Marianne Mollenkamp is a cook, television personality, and food writer from Manhattan Beach, California.

1980Billy Yates, American football player[†]

William LaQuayne Yates is an American football coach and former offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M and was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2003.

Notable Deaths

1980Raymond Bailey, American actor and soldier (born 1904)[†]

Raymond Thomas Bailey was an American actor on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as greedy banker Milburn Drysdale in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies.

1980Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and author, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1905)[†]

Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism. His work has influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature despite attempting to refuse it, saying that he always declined official honors and that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution."

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Headlines from April 15, 1980

Costs and Rules Putting Pressure On Foundations; Beleaguered Funds Facing Criticism on Grants, Too Corporations Take the Lead Spending on 'Frills' Cited 22,000 Foundations in U.S. Beleaguered in Many Ways 'Ultimate Justification' Open to Risk-Taking 'Rearranging the Deck Chairs'

By Kathleen Teltsch

Until recently, the country's 22,000 foundations, with their amassed wealth of $32.4 billion and reputations for impressive accomplishment, have enjoyed the good life. They have been free from the competitive pressures of the marketplace and, in the words of one director, have been "flattered, wooed and romanced interminably by grant seekers."

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Mystery Of Birds' Migration Unravels; Many Factors Affect Migration Scientists Unravel Mystery of Migration Migration Calendar For the Northeast

By Bayard Webster

SCIENTISTS believe they are edging closer to understanding the enigma of bird migration. Evidence is accumulating on how interlocking forces, circumstances and capabilities cause a bird to begin and endure its grueling journey of perhaps thousands of miles and then help it to unerringly locate its destination.

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U.S. Aides Say Soviet May Look To Persian Gulf for Oil in 1980's; 'Energy Crisis' Seen by Mid-80's U.S. Officials Expect Soviet to Look to Persian Gulf for Oil in the 1980's Interest Sparked by 1977 Reports Need for Technical Aid at Issue

By Richard Burt Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, April 14--There is growing agreement among American intelligence aides and energy experts that the Soviet Union faces a decline in oil production in the 1980's that could lead Moscow to compete with the United States and its allies for access to the oil reserves of the Persian Gulf.

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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.