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Historical Context for September 11, 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

1980Mike Comrie, Canadian ice hockey player[†]

Michael William Comrie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his 13-year National Hockey League (NHL) career he played with the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He retired in early 2012 after undergoing hip surgery for the third time.

1980Greet Daems, Belgian politician[†]

Greet Daems is a Belgian trade unionist, politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives. A member of the Workers' Party of Belgium, she has represented Antwerp since June 2019.

1980Antônio Pizzonia, Brazilian racing driver[†]

Antônio Reginaldo Pizzonia Júnior is a Brazilian professional racing driver who has raced in Formula One and the Champ Car World Series. Born in Manaus, he started his car racing career in the Formula Vauxhall Junior series in 1997 and then progressed through various junior formulae, winning the Formula Vauxhall Junior Winter Festival in 1997, the Formula Vauxhall Junior and Formula Renault Winter Festival in 1998, the Formula Renault 2.0 UK in 1999, and the British Formula 3 Championship in 2000.

Historical Events

1980A new constitution of Chile is established under the influence of then Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, which is subject to controversy in Chile today.[†]

The Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile of 1980 is the fundamental law in force in Chile. It was approved and promulgated under the military dictatorship headed by Augusto Pinochet, being ratified by the Chilean citizenry through a referendum on September 11, 1980, although being held under restrictions and without electoral registers. While 69% of the population was reported to have voted yes, the vote was questioned by hundreds of denunciations of irregularities and fraud. The constitutional text took effect, in a transitory regime, on March 11, 1981, and then entered into full force on March 11, 1990, with the return to electoral democracy. It was amended for the first time in 1989, and afterward in 1991, 1994, 1997, each year from 1999 to 2001, 2003, each year from 2007 to 2015, and each year from 2017 to 2021, with the last three amendments concerning the constituent process of 2020–2022. In September 2005, under Ricardo Lagos's presidency, a large amendment of the Constitution was approved by parliamentarians, removing from the text some of the less democratic dispositions coming from Pinochet's regime, such as senators-for-life and appointed senators, as well as the armed forces' warranty of the democratic regime.

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Headlines from September 11, 1980

JAVITS NOW SEEKING A 'MIDDLE COALITION' IN WAKE OF DEFEAT; HOLDS ONLY THE LIBERAL LINE Senator Wants to Maintain Center, With D'Amato on Right and Rep. Holtzman on Left Independent Group Planned Badly Beaten in G.O.P. Primary, Javits Seeks a 'Coalition of the Middle Murphy Renominated Heavy Turnout in Liberal Areas Javits Backer Promises Aid

By Maurice Carroll

New York confronted a new political situation yesterday as Senator Jacob K. Javits, badly beaten in the Republican primary, sought to carve out what his campaign manager called "a coalition of the middle."

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Two Panels Vote to Overrule Carter And Bar Atomic Fuel Sale to India; Problems for Pakistan Now Likely to Block Sale Panels Vote to Overrule Carter on Sale of Fuel to India

By Bernard Gwertzman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10--The Carter Administration was dealt a sharp setback today when both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to reject the projected sale of 38 tons of enriched uranium to India.

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PRESIDENT REJECTS TW0 NEW PROPOSALS FOR 3-MAN DEBATES; Both Reagan and Anderson Assail Carter Move--Proceed With Plans to Face Each Other Reagan Presses Attack Compromise Proposals Carter Camp Rejects 2 New Compromise Plans for Presidential Debates

By Hedrick Smith Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10--President Carter's campaign rejected two new compromise proposals for debates today and came under renewed attack from both Ronald Reagan and John B. Anderson, who made plans to go ahead with a two-man debate without the President.

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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.