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Historical Context for October 24, 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

1980Matthew Amoah, Ghanaian footballer[†]

Mathew Amoah is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a striker. From 2002 to 2011 he played for the Ghana national team at international level, scoring 12 goals in 45 matches.

1980Kerrin McEvoy, Australian jockey[†]

Kerrin McEvoy is an Australian jockey who is best known for winning three Melbourne Cups. In Europe, McEvoy rode several big winners for Godolphin including Rule of Law in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster in 2004 and Ibn Khaldun in the Racing Post Trophy, also at Doncaster in 2007.

1980Monica, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress[†]

Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and joined a traveling gospel choir by the age of ten. Monica signed with record producer Dallas Austin through his label Rowdy Records in 1993, and gained prominence following the release of her debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). Her follow-up albums were met with continued success; her second, The Boy Is Mine (1998) remains her best-selling album and spawned three Billboard Hot 100-number one singles: "The Boy Is Mine", "The First Night " and "Angel of Mine".

1980Anna Montañana, Spanish basketball player[†]

Anna Montañana Gimeno is a former professional basketball player, representing Spain. She spent most of her career in Europe, and went to play in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx in 2009.

1980Zac Posen, American fashion designer[†]

Zachary E. Posen is an American fashion designer.

1980Christian Vander, German footballer[†]

Christian Vander is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was the second-choice goalkeeper at SV Werder Bremen behind Tim Wiese after the departure of veteran Andreas Reinke. Before joining Bremen in August 2005, he played for VfL Bochum and KFC Uerdingen 05. He made his league debut for Uerdingen at the age of 19, playing 90 minutes in a 2. Bundesliga match against SpVgg Unterhaching on 9 May 1999.

1980Casey Wilson, American actress and screenwriter[†]

Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. Originally known for her performances with the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe in New York City, Wilson's first major television appearances came during her two-season stint as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2009.

Historical Events

1980The government of Poland legalizes the Solidarity trade union.[†]

Solidarity, full name Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity", is a Polish trade union founded in August 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. Subsequently, it was the first independent trade union in a Warsaw Pact country to be recognised by the state.

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Headlines from October 24, 1980

An Explorer's Guide to The 'New' Chinatown; Chinatown An Explorer's Guide to the Streets of the 'New' Chinatown A Brief History Walking and Browsing Food Shopping Events

By Fred Ferretti

ALTHOUGH Chinatown retains much of its exoticism, it is no longer the easily defined, small downtown enclave of the city that it once was. It is growing, spreading beyond its traditional borders, changing dramatically as Chinese from regions of China other than Canton arrive, becoming...

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Rep. Holtzman Adhering To Views on Arms Outlay; Many Issues Covered Rep. Holtzman Holds Fast to Stance on Military Spending Views on Iran 'Integrity' 'D'Amato Kept Quiet'

By Frank Lynn

Despite the controversy over her votes against defense appropriations, Representative Elizabeth Holtzman said yesterday that, if elected Senator, she would continue to scrutinize military spending measures closely and raised the possibility that she would still oppose most of them.

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Caesars' 2 Top Officers Must Quit If Jersey Casino Is to Get a License; Takeover by a Conservator Caesars' Top Officers Must Resign if Casino Is to Obtain a License Country Club and 2 Resorts

By Donald Janson Special To the New York Times

TRENTON, Oct. 23--The Casino Control Commission ruled today that it would license Caesars World to operate the Boardwalk Regency casino in Atlantic City only if it agreed by Sunday to dismiss its chairman and vice chairman, Clifford S. and Stuart Z. Perlman.

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Newark Council Overrides Gibson Veto of Hiring 300 Policemen; Newark's Council Overrides Veto of Police Hiring Reversal by Council Head

By Alfonso A. Narvaez Special To the New York Times

NEWARK, Oct. 23--Citing the need to fight a rising tide of crime here, the City Council voted today for a bill to force Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson to hire more than 300 additional policemen and for another measure making half the new employees a new security force to protect the city's 22 housing projects.

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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.