HomeBlog

What was going on when I was born?

Enter your birthdate to find out.

Historical Context for October 29, 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

1980Ben Foster, American actor[†]

Benjamin A. Foster is an American actor. His films include The Punisher (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand and Alpha Dog, 30 Days of Night (2007), The Messenger and Pandorum, The Mechanic (2011), Contraband (2012), Kill Your Darlings and Lone Survivor, The Program (2015), Warcraft (2016), and Leave No Trace (2018). He has won an Independent Spirit Award for portraying Tanner Howard in Hell or High Water (2016). He also had a recurring role as Russell Corwin in Six Feet Under (2003–05).

1980Nadejda Ostrovskaya, Belarusian tennis player[†]

Nadejda Ostrovskaya is a Belarusian former tennis player.

1980Kaine Robertson, New Zealand-Italian rugby player[†]

Paul Kaine Robertson is a rugby union player from New Zealand who plays rugby union for Viadana, and international rugby for Italy.

Notable Deaths

1980Giorgio Borġ Olivier, Maltese lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Malta (born 1911)[†]

Giorgio Borg Olivier was a Maltese politician. He twice served as Prime Minister of Malta as the Leader of the Nationalist Party. He was also Leader of the Opposition between 1955–1958, and again between 1971–1977.

Historical Events

1980Demonstration flight of a secretly modified C-130 for an Iran hostage crisis rescue attempt ends in a crash landing at Eglin Air Force Base's Duke Field, Florida, leading to the cancellation of Operation Credible Sport.[†]

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. More than 40 variants of the Hercules, including civilian versions marketed as the Lockheed L-100, operate in more than 60 nations.

Filter by:

Headlines from October 29, 1980

Delay on Indian Point Alert Confirmed; Criticism in Westchester An Uncompleted Phone Call A 3 -Day Delay Cited By N.R.C. and Con Ed On Indian Point Alert The Stuck Warning Light

By Ralph Blumenthal

A major water leak and other problems at Consolidated Edison's Indian Point 2 nuclear plant were not brought to the attention of the appropriate regional officials of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for three and a half days after they became apparent, utility and government officials agreed yesterday.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

Virgil Thomson Orchestrates a Meal And Reminisces; Virgil Thomson Orchestrates a Meal and Reminisces Virgil Thomson's Sweet Corn Virgil Thomson's Wild Rice Maurice Grosser's Plums With Framboise Jeff Davis Pie

By Moira Hodgson

VIRGIL THOMSON, the critic and composer, says that he'd rather talk about food than music. "People are much more interested in food," he says. Mr. Thomson, who will cele brate his 84th birthday Nov. 25, has been a major force in American music for more than half a century and has been called the most brilliant music critic of his time.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

CARTER AND REAGAN DISPUTE VIEWS ON ARMS POLICY, ECONOMY AND IRAN IN A BROAD DEBATE BEFORE NATION; THEMES REINFORCED President Stresses a Risk of War--Rival Offers an Image of Reason Contrast in Styles Emotional Arguments Used Carter and Reagan Dispute Views in Debate Reaction of Pollster Use of Military Power Carter Challenged on Military Reagan Plan Held Inflationary Minimum Wage Issue Raised Clash on Arms Treaty Carter Defends Energy Policies

By Adam Clymer Special To the New York Times

CLEVELAND, Oct. 28--President Carter and Ronald Reagan each sought in a 90-minute debate tonight to reinforce the dominant themes of eight weeks of often desultory campaigning.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

KHOMEINI, IN SPEECH TO ASSEMBLY, AVOIDS THE HOSTAGE ISSUE; Talk Seen as Indicating He Will Let Debate Run Course--Muskie Cautions on High Hopes Khomeini, in Talk to Legislators, Avoids Hostage Issue Argument on an Apology Reported Iraqi Leader Also Criticized U.S. Watching 'Various Reports'

By Unknown Author

TEHERAN, Iran, Wednesday, Oct. 29 --The Iranian Parliament began its third day of closed-door debate on conditions for releasing the 52 American hostages today after taking a day off yesterday to hear an address by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He remained aloof from the issue, however.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

Ford Motor Loss Of $595 Million Sets U.S. Record; Deficit of Entire Industry Could Be $4 Billion for First 9 Months of '80 Sales Drop and Interest Cost Cited Ford Loss a Record $595 Million Ratings on Debt Reduced Curbs on Imports Sought Spending Cuts Restored

By Iver Peterson Special To the New York Times

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 28--The Ford Motor Company reported today a loss of $595 million in the third quarter, more than any other American company has ever lost on operations in one threemonth period.

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

No Clear Winner Apparent; Scene Is Simple and Stark; News Analysis No Clear Winner Is Apparent After 2 Hopefuls Clash Two Graphic Metaphors In a Simple and Stark Setting, Candidates Employ Metaphors Candidates Stark on Stage

By Hedrick Smithby Francis X. Clines Special To the New York Times

The Presidential debate produced no knockout blow, no disastrous gaffe and no immediate, undisputed victor. It was a contest of content against style, of a President repeatedly on the attack to put ...

None0 words
Continue reading...
Share

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.