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Historical Context for October 8, 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

1980Nick Cannon, American actor, rapper, and producer[†]

Nicholas Scott Cannon is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'n Out, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer. He has also acted in the films Drumline, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Roll Bounce, and Goal II: Living the Dream.

1980Branislav Mezei, Slovak ice hockey player[†]

Branislav Mezei is a Slovak professional ice hockey player. Mezei is a defenceman currently with HK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga. Mezei has previous played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. Mezei also played for Barys Astana and HC Plzen of the KHL, and Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga. Mezei was a first-round pick of the Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, tenth overall.

1980The Miz, American wrestler, actor, and television personality[†]

Michael Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.

1980J. R. Ramirez, Cuban-American actor[†]

J. R. Ramirez is a Cuban-American actor. He is best known for his series regular role of Detective Jared Vasquez on the NBC/Netflix series Manifest. Prior, he was a series regular as Julio on the Starz series Power and as Oscar Arocho on the Netflix / Marvel Television series Jessica Jones. Ramirez also played Ted Grant / Wildcat in a recurring role in the third season of Arrow.

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Headlines from October 8, 1980

U.S. IS OFFERING AID TO MORE COUNTRIES ALONG PERSIAN GULF; NEUTRALITY MADE A CONDITION Widened Assistance Policy Comes Week After Delivery of Radar Planes to Saudi Arabians Aid Contingent on Neutrality U.S. IS OFFERING AID TO THE GULF STATES No Link to Jordan's Decision Christopher Lauds Soviet Restraint

By Bernard Gwertzman Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7--A week after sending radar surveillance planes to Saudi Arabia, the United States said today that it was willing to supply similar aid to other Persian Gulf nations if they stayed out of the Iranian-Iraqi conflict.

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Increase in Rate For Bank Loans Is Termed Likely; Assembly Speaker Expects Consumer Charge to Rise Veto by Carey Questioned Rate to Be Negotiated Credit Card Fee Opposed Legislature Expected By Fink to Vote Rise For Bank Loan Rates

By Richard J. Meislin

The Speaker of New York State's Democratic-led Assembly said yesterday that the Legislature, when it returns to Albany next month, was likely to increase the maximum interest rate that banks can charge on consumer loans.

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an apple Tree Grows in Manhattan

By Florence Fabricant

SOMETIMES the Big Apple springs a pleasant surprise. That's what James and Ilona Copen Goldstein say. Sixteen years ago they bought a brown stone on what was then one of the more rugged blocks of the Upper West Side.

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GOLDIN RECOMMENDS CITY PENSION FUNDS BUY U.S. MORTGAGES; Purchasing of Up to $250 Million Is Urged to Stimulate Market for Housing in New York Less Invested in City Bonds Venture Called 'Riskless' Pension Groups Urged to Weigh U.S. Mortgages Conversions Not Included Goldin to Outline Plan

By Clyde Haberman

Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin, the chief investment officer for New York City's employee pension funds, disclosed plans yesterday to have the funds buy as much as $250 million a year in federally guaranteed mortgages to help stimulate the housing market in the city's five boroughs.

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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.