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Headlines from November 21, 1980

38 Cuban Women in Jails As U.S. Examines Status; 'Problem' With an Inmate Hearing Is Scheduled 38 Cuban Women Waiting In Jails for Ruling on Status Cuba Bars Return

By Paul L. Montgomery

While most of the 125,100 Cubans who have arrived in the United States since April are now free from the refugee camps and trying to start new lives, 38 of them -- all young women -- are still incarcerated in Manhattan and Brooklyn, becalmed in the intricacies of Immigration and Naturalization Service procedures.

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REAGAN AIDES URGE RENT-CONTROL CITIES LOSE ALL U.S. GRANTS; CURBS CALLED MAJOR FAILURE Urban Affairs Task Force Calls for More Leeway for Businesses and Local Governments 'Failure' From Coast to Coast Criticism From Other Aides Reagan Aides Urge Ban on Grants For Cities That Have Rent Control

By David E. Rosenbaum Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- A group of advisers to President-elect Ronald Reagan have recommended unanimously that Federal grants be withheld from cities that have rent-control laws.

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Citicorp Insists It Will Move Card Unit to S. Dakota; Citicorp Affirms Move to S. Dakota Meeting Held With Bankers A Pledge to South Dakota No Direct Answer on Job Loss

By Richard J. Meislin Special To the New York Times

ALBANY, Nov. 20 -- Citicorp said today that it planned "to move its basic bank card business from Huntington, L.I., to South Dakota" if it received the necessary Federal approvals. It said it would do so even if the Legislature voted, as is expected, for a bill to eliminate New York State's limits on credit card interest rates.

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Carters Receive Reagans in Visit To White House; Social Call Symbolizes the Transition to a New Era 'I Was Right on Time' Gesture of Informality The Carters Meet With the Reagans at White House

By Terence Smith Special To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- A minute ahead of schedule, at 1:59 P.M., Ronald and Nancy Reagan arrived at the back door of the White House today for a social call and a visit to the building that will serve as home and office after Jan. 20.

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of November 19, 1980, covering November 21, 1980.

  1. 1
    Album cover for The River by Bruce Springsteen

    The River

    Bruce Springsteen

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    4
  2. 2
    Album cover for Guilty by Barbra Streisand

    Guilty

    Barbra Streisand

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    7
  3. 3
    Album cover for Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits by Kenny Rogers

    Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits

    Kenny Rogers

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    6
  4. 4
    Album cover for Hotter Than July by Stevie Wonder

    Hotter Than July

    Stevie Wonder

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    2
  5. 5
    Album cover for The Game by Queen

    The Game

    Queen

    Last week
    5
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    19

Notable Births

Hank Blalock

1980Hank Blalock, American baseball player[†]

Hank Joe Blalock is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.

Alec Brownstein

1980Alec Brownstein, American author and director[†]

Alec Brownstein is an American creative marketer, the co-author of several humor books, and a film director. He attended The Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and Tufts University. He is currently advisor and investor in a number of American startups. Previously, he was Global Head of Creative at PayPal Honey and was also the original Creative Director of Dollar Shave Club.

Leonardo González (Costa Rican footballer)

1980Leonardo González, Costa Rican footballer[†]

Leonardo González Arce is a Costa Rican former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Notable Deaths

Sara García

1980Sara García, Mexican actress (born 1895)[†]

Sara García Hidalgo was a Mexican actress who made her biggest mark during the "Golden Age of Mexican cinema". During the 1940s and 1950s, she often played the part of a no-nonsense but lovable grandmother in numerous Mexican films. In later years, she played parts in Mexican telenovelas.

Historical Events

MGM Grand fire

1980A deadly fire breaks out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Paradise, Nevada (now Bally's Las Vegas). Eighty-five people are killed and more than 650 are injured in the worst disaster in Nevada history.[†]

The MGM Grand fire occurred on Friday, November 21, 1980, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The fire killed 85 people, most through smoke inhalation. The fire began from a refrigerated pastry display case in one of the restaurants, located on the first floor. Fire engulfed the resort's casino, and smoke travelled into the hotel tower.

Famous People Who Share Your Birthday

Birthday Twins

10 notable people born on November 21, across different years.

Portrait of Pope Benedict XV, born in 1854

Photo: Nicola Perscheid · Public domain · Commons

Full image credit

Creator: Nicola Perscheid

Credit: Przystanek Historia: Info Pic Getty Images: Info Pic

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Born 1854

Pope Benedict XV

Head of the Catholic Church from 1914 to 1922

Portrait of Björk, born in 1965

Photo: Frédéric Vicomte · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons

Full image credit

Creator: Frédéric Vicomte

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/fredericpirate/

Attribution is required when this image is reused.

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Born 1965

Björk

Icelandic singer (born 1965)

Portrait of René Magritte, born in 1898

Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · CC0 · Commons

Full image credit

Creator: Unknown author Unknown author

Credit: https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/musee-carnavalet/oeuvres/portrait-en-buste-du-peintre-surrealiste-rene-magritte-1898-1967-le-18#infos-principales

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Born 1898

René Magritte

Belgian painter (1898–1967)

Portrait of Friedrich Schleiermacher, born in 1768

Photo: Wikimedia contributor · Public domain · Commons

Born 1768

Friedrich Schleiermacher

German theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar (1768–1834)

Weekly No. 1

Box Office

The film reported at No. 1 at the United States box office for November 21, 1980.

Market
United States
Reported period
November 21, 1980
Source
Wikipedia

Reported period gross: $1,016,984

Direct period match: This is the reported box-office period matched to November 21, 1980.

  1. #1

    Private Benjamin

    Historical No. 1 listing.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Source period November 20, 1980–November 26, 1980.

Historical Context for November 21, 1980

In 1980, the world population was approximately 4,447,606,236 people[†]

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.