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Historical Context for May 17, 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

1980Davor Džalto, Bosnian historian and philosopher[†]

Davor Džalto is an artist, art historian, theologian and philosopher of Bosnian-Herzegovinian origin.

1980Fredrik Kessiakoff, Swedish cyclist[†]

Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff is a Swedish former professional road bicycle racer. Kessiakoff turned to road racing in 2009, having had a successful career as a professional mountain biker for many years, winning the Swedish national championship 4 times, and finishing third at the 2006 World Mountain biking championships. He twice represented Sweden at the Olympics. Kessiakoff retired in 2014.

1980Alistair Overeem, Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer[†]

Alistair Cees Overeem is a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and was the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time. Overeem is also a one-time challenger for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

1980Ariën van Weesenbeek, Dutch drummer[†]

Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever. Originally formed as a symphonic metal band with gothic influences, Epica later incorporated strong death metal elements into their sound. Starting with their third album, progressive metal influences also became evident. Additionally, the band often incorporates thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal elements, power metal sections, and influences from Arabic music. Some songs also incorporate electronic elements, djent transitions, and folk metal melodies inspired by Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Celtic traditions.

Notable Deaths

1980Gündüz Kılıç, Turkish football player and coach (born 1918)[†]

"Baba" Gündüz Kılıç was a Turkish football player and coach. He was Ali Kılıç's son and Altemur Kılıç's brother.

Historical Events

1980General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.[†]

Chun Doo-hwan was a South Korean politician, army general and military dictator who served as the fifth president of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. Prior to his accession to the presidency, he was the country's de facto leader from 1979 to 1980.

1980On 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.[†]

Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China and later the People's Republic of China. A difference between Maoism and traditional Marxism–Leninism is that a united front of progressive forces in class society would lead the revolutionary vanguard in pre-industrial societies rather than communist revolutionaries alone. This theory, in which revolutionary praxis is primary and ideological orthodoxy is secondary, represents urban Marxism–Leninism adapted to pre-industrial China. Later theoreticians expanded on the idea that Mao had adapted Marxism–Leninism to Chinese conditions, arguing that he had in fact updated it fundamentally and that Maoism could be applied universally throughout the world. This ideology is often referred to as Marxism–Leninism–Maoism to distinguish it from the original ideas of Mao.

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Headlines from May 17, 1980

$345 MILLION CLAIMS BY NEW YORK STATE TURNED DOWN BY U.S.; MEDICAID PAYMENTS INVOLVED Action Could Upset Carey Budget --Mrs. Harris Asserts Albany Drew Funds Improperly U.S. Deductions Are Planned U.S. Rejects $345 Million in Claims by New York State

By Richard J. Meislin Special To the New York Times

ALBANY, May 16--Governor Carey and Patricia Roberts Harris, Secretary of Health and Human Services, clashed today over the state's handling of hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funds. The battle could leave the state pinched for cash for the next several months and throw its budget seriously out of balance.

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Damage to Chromosomes Found in Love Canal Tests; Residents Not Yet Informed Damage to Chromosomes Is Found In Tests on Love Canal's Residents Names of Scientists Involved Families Began Leaving

By Irvin Molotsky Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 16--The Environmental Protection Agency has found evidence that some residents of the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, N.Y., may have suffered chromosome damage from toxic chemicals buried there, Federal officials reported today.

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MUSKIE AND GROMYKO CONFER FOR 3 HOURS: TALK TERMED BLUNT; BRZEZINSKI'S AIDES KEPT OUT Before Seeing Russian, Secretary Gives Tough Speech Assailing Soviet's Afghan Thrust Muskie Deplores Soviet Move Experts Accompany Muskie Muskie-Gromyko Talk Called Blunt Muskie's Speech Is Tough

By Bernard Gwertzman Special To the New York Times

SHANNON, Ireland, May 16--Secretary of State Edmund S. Muskie and Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko met for three hours today in Vienna in what was called an extensive and blunt discussion of the major differences in Soviet-American relations that have arisen since the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

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U.S. Acts to Cut Flow of Cubans; Boats Reaching Key West Seized; Skeptical of Castro Assent U.S. ACTING TO STEM THE FLOW OF CUBANS First Chartered Ship Arrives The Long Waiting Line

By Joseph B. Treaster Special To the New York Times

KEY WEST, Fla., May 16--As thousands of Cuban refugees streamed across the piers here today, Coast Guard reinforcements began arriving to discourage new departures for Cuba and prevent returning boat operators from landing along the coast to avoid seizure of their vessels.

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INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT DOWN 1.9% IN APRIL; Fall Biggest in More Than 5 Years --Housing Starts Also Drop April's Factory Output And Housing Starts Off Based on Actual Construction

By Steven Rattner Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 16--The output of the nation's factories fell sharply in April, Government figures showed today. The 1.9 percent drop in one month was the largest in more than five years and provided more evidence of what economists say is a substantial recession.

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Chinese 707-Like Jet Doesn't Fly

By Fox Butterfield Special To the New York Times

PEKING, May 16--Peking has secretly built a jetliner that bears a very close resemblence to the Boeing 707, but it does not fly and has evidently turned into an embarrassment for both the Chinese and Boeing, which are negotiating for further aircraft sales.

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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.